Evening star., 1950-08-26
House Restores
Full Fund for
Civil Defense
Prepares to Act
On " Supplemental
Estimates for D. c.
By Harold B. Roqers

BY Harold B. Rogers
The House, having restored the
full $2s0, 900 requested for District
civil defense, today prepared to
continue action on II other city
estimates in the supplemental ap-
preparation bill.
In approving the defense money,
the House, by vote of 90 to rs,
rejected it's Appropriation Com
lmittee's recent action in slashing
the fund to $4,000.
The fight for restoration of the
full amount asked by the District
Commissioners was led by spe-
Icial subcommittee of the House
District Committee. Appropria-
tions Committee leaders sought
I'm vain to block the move.
The outstanding District item
emaining for action today by the
House was the Appropriations
Committee order to liquidate the
District day-care centers by Oc-
,tober / this year. This surprising
committee action. cutting the
budget request of 100000 for a
full years operation to $4,000.
followed recent legislation allow
ing the centers to continue for
three years.
Other Cuts Recommended.
Severa! other cuts have been
made by the Appropriations Com
mittee in city estimates up for
House action today. The depart
ments whose funds have been re-
duced include the Metropolitan
Police, whose request for $685. 900
for cost of the new five-day week
was sliced to 100000. and the
District Administrator of Rent
Control, whose reduction was
from $113,100 to $4,000 for this
fiscal year.
The battle over civil defense
funds was launched shortly after
the big budget bill was called up
for action by Chairman Cannon
of the Appropriations Committee.
Representative league. Texas
Democrat, spanked the fight with
an amendment proposing restora-
tion of the entire cut. 1t was
finally adopted. He declared the
funds are necessary and quoted
from testimony of District OFF,
cials as to the purpose for which
the entire amount would be spent.
Representative Davis, Georgia
Democrat, declared the interna-
tional situation has changed for
the worse since the Commission
ers long ago asked for $4,000.
Concrete Plans Listed.
Replying to charges of Appro-
priations Committee members that
the city heads had failed to pre-
sent a concrete plan for operation
| of a defense program, Mr.. Davis
listed these proposed expenditures:
Office of Civil Defense. with
director, and planning and operat-
ing stats, $83 $500: civil defense
command net, $50. $40; civil de-
tense warning net, $57 800, and
civil defense operations involving
surveys. records and training,
$62. 700.
The District Committee, he told
the House. was so concerned by
1.-THE drastic cut in defense funds
THAT it appointed a special COM
mittee to fight for the restoration.
This committee includes Repre-
sentatives league Davis and
Smith, Virginia Democrats.
Mr.. Smith urged the House to
restore the full amount, not only
because of the vital need, but
also because the District was
asking only to spend its own
money. raised by its taxpayers.
i $260,000 Cut Defended.
i Representative Garfield. New
Jersey Republican, said the Ma
tional Security Resources Board
is looking to Washington to set
up a defense system as a model
for the Nation. If this failed
here. he said. because of a 'measly
$4,000" fund. the States and
cities Of the country might fail
to meet the threat with proper
defense programs.
Defending the $780, 900 reduc-
ton were Chairman Bates of
the Appropriations subcommittee
handling the District funds and
Representative Stockman, Oregon
Republican. They contended $780,
900 would be sufficient for the
preliminary plan proposed by the
Commissioners.
Mr.. Bates, Kentucky Democrat,
said the city officials failed to
submit to the committee a we'll
formulated plan. A defense pro-
gram is needed, he conceded, but
he charged the plans presented
are "too sketchy" to justify $780,