Evening star., 1951-01-28

Federal budget, complained of
more pages than details" and
warned that "the whole matter of
Federal spending is getting beyond
congressional control"
Look" he emphasized, "at these
items: $341 million for flood con-
troll. with no detail as to where
the money is going: another $57
million for Mississippi River flood
control, again undetailed and
then. maintenance and improve
ment of existing harbor and river
works: 5000 million'-Lord knows
what that includes.
To economic, Senator Douglas
insisted individual Congressman
must dig for the facts behind
specific budget items. His research
staff is already working, for one
thing on his pet conviction that
10 per cent of the Federal payroll
is "fat that can be cut away"
Increases in Budget Cited.
Last year." Sen. Douglas re-
called. Congress ordered a $500
million overall cut in payrolls.
If that's reflected anywhere in
this new budget, I can't find it. :"
Similarly "a failure" he said,
was the presumed economy re-
form" whereby the General Serv-
ices Administration was formed to
take over departmental buying.
storage and other housekeeping"
functions.
Last year" he said, "GSA got
$87 million. and this year Sill
million is recommended. Presum-
ably those amounts-and more
were to be saved from various
department budgets. But they're
all up. Commerce got 1862 mil
lion last year, and wants 1898
million for 1852. Justices $152
million in 1851 is now marked at
$157 million. Interiors appropri-
alton is down from $697 million to
$500 million. But it is not an OPP
Grating saving-the whole amount
is taken care of in a $73 million
capital cost cut in the Bureau of
Reclamation.
LAS far as I can see the de-
partmentS gave duties to C3SA
and then hurried to expand in
other directions and spend the
savings"
Farm programs" are a major
Douglas target.
THE Department of Agricul-
ture," he said. "is all over the
map several times. Nearly every
county has a county agent paid
by Federal, State and local funds.
On top of that most counties have
an Agriculture Department Pro-
duction 81 Marketing Division
Office.
Then. on a district basis, the
same department has a network
of Soil Conservation Service of
fees, another network of Exten-
sion Service offices to give farmers
vocational guidance, and still an
other Agriculture Department Or
ganization teaches home econom-
les all over the country.
Competing Youth Programs.
"They even have competing
youth programs" the Senator as
serted. THE vocational guidance
folk sponsor the All clubs and
the home economists the Future
Farmers of America, each a youth
group with a by-product purpose
of glorifying the separate Agri-
culture Department division spon-
soring them"
Senator Douglas visualizes mil
lions in personnel savings and
other savings in a combination of
all Agriculture Department activi-
ties and Offices in local areas.
Right now" he said. "agricul-
ture is not department. It is a
loose confederation of hierarchies
with competing national organiza-
tons"
On the military. Senator Doug
las said the budget "confuses" by
showing SAL billion in immediate
expenditures, plus $61 billion in
contract authorization" charged
to future years.
If that is the cost of a $780,
000-man military force. then the
total cost is $1O2 ,000, 900, 900. On
the theory Of $4,000 per year per
lllllI6 Il.