Evening star., 1951-01-28
SingIe-P Package Plan
OF Appropriating Due
For Fight Tomorrow
By Cecil HoIIond


A sharp controversy within the
House Appropriations Committee
over continuing the 'one- package"
appropriation bill was emphasized
In separate statements yesterday
by Chairman Cannon and Repre-
sentative Phillips, Republican, of
California.
Mr.. Cannon said it would be "a
tragedy" to go back to separate
appropriation bills for the various
Government departments and
agencies which, he added, have
piled up the menacing deficit
which overhangs the Nation and
is our greatest handicap in main
tanning national defense in these
perilouS times"
Mr.. Phillips, on the other hand,
contended the single package bud
get has cost taxpayers millions
OF dollars and permits an appro-
priation bill which operates as "a
device for spenders and not for
savers"
Adopted Last Year.
The issue over continuing the
one-package appropriation bill
may come to head at a meeting
OF the House group tomorrow.
Most of the Republican and some
OF the Democratic members of
the committee are reported to
have rebelled against Mr.. Can
mons leadership and favor return
ing to separate appropriation bills.
The matter was scheduled toI
come up last Monday but that
meeting was Cancelled without ex-
PLANTATION.
The one-package system was.
adopted last year for the first
time in the history of the Federal
government under provisions of
the 1948 Reorganization Act.
Sees Public Deceived"
Mr.. Phillips said the public is
deceived" into thinking it has a.
picture Of total Federal expendi- |
lures in single consolidated ap-
preparation bill. In this connec-
tion he said the last Congress was
called on to pass, in addition to
the one-package bill, four other
appropriation bills and one for the
District of Columbia.
Mr.. Cannon contended, how
ever, the package bill gives the
most accurate figure that can be
compiled" on total Federal ex-
penditures. Most of the other
appropriation. bills. he added
were the results of war develop
ments which cannot be foreseen
In any peacetime budget and
which would not interfere with
the operation of a consolidated
bill in normal years" +
AS for the District appropria-
ton, MIR. Cannon said the total
Federal expenditure for Washing
ton was included in the con-
solidated bill. The separate Dis /
trict appropriation bill, he added,
appropriated District revenues
land has no relation to the Fed
eral budget"
Budget Carefully Studied.
Mr.. Phillips said there was no
substitute for hard subcommittee
work to bring the Federal budget |
into balance. Mr.. Cannon re-
torted that "in no Congress has
the budget been processed more
carefully and more in detail" than |
in the last session with the con-
solidated budget.
AS for Mr.. Phillips contention
that the consolidated budget is
device for spenders and not saw
ers. Mr.. Cannon remarked that
he offered no evidence to support
such a statement. He added that
Mr.. Phillips own State. nearly
all the other States and the prin-
cipal countries of the world use
the consolidated budget approach
and that it has been backed by
the Tax Foundation, the Chamber
OF Commerce and other organiza-
tions.
Mr.. Cannon also disputed the
Republican members contention
that fewer members of Congress
had an opportunity to study the
consolidated bill and that it de-
1ayed action by the Senate. On
the contrary, Mr. Cannon said. |
members had a better opportunity
to study it since transcripts of
hearings were published periodi-
cally and Senate hearings were
being conducted while those in the
House were going on.
AntagOnism From Outside.
Mr.. Phillips suggested the Sen
ate and House committees get to-
gether to decide whether the one
package bill should be continued /,
before we have any more at
tempts to build up pressure from
the outside in order to force it
upon us for another year."
To this Mr.. Cannon said:
80 far as pressure from the
outside is concerned, much of the
antagonism to the consolidated
bill has come from outside the
committee. Every predatory lob
byist, every pressure group seek
ing to get its hands into the |
United States Treasury, every
bureaucrat seeking to extend his
empire downtown, is opposed to
the consolidated bill 3"