Evening star., 1952-01-01
The Political Mill
Congress Could Resolve
To Cut 81 Spending
Flood Of orotoy Expected
Demanding Strict Economy
The Political Mill
By Gould Lincoln

This Is the hour Of good resolutions.
Congress and its individual members
could. with benefit to the country. re-
solve to keep Government expenditures
down-certainly to be more economy
minded in 1852 than in 1851.
With its return to Washington Janu-
ary 8, flood of oratory demanding
strict economy and no waste may be
expected from both wings of the Capitol.
Economy, however. has for too many
years been just topic of conversation.
Government expenditures have continued
to rise-and with this rise have gone in
creased taxes. But never. or rarely ever.
has Congress held Its spending pro-
clivities down to the actual revenue Of
the Government from taxes.
Since Congress has again and again
shown itself unable to hold firmly to an
economy program, with no limitations
imposed by law, Representative Coudert.
Republican. of New York, has now come
up with a proposal to limit Government
spending during the fiscal year which
begins next July l to the estimated
revenues for that year-which are $71
billion.
9OS blA1Ou 0u0geb PROPOSAL.
Because it is expected President Tru.
man will propose a Federal budget
amounting to about $83 billion. adoption
of the Coudert plan would mean many
slashes in the budget estimates. Oh
viously, all the reductions could not be
made in expenditures for the civil Gov
ernment alone and some of them would
have to be made in the defense and
foreign programs.
Economies can be made-and congress
sional Investigations have demonstrated
They can be made in the field of foreign
aid, and they can be made in the rum
ming of the civil Government. When
you have $50 billion to spend, 1t is easy
to waste millions here and millions there.
Mr.. Coudert, in offering his proposal to
limit expenditures to receipts, has at
least set a goal.
Another proposal to bring about Gov
ernment economy is the creation of
Joint Appropriations Committee, to act
as congressional budget bureau, with
an adequate staff of its own to go care
fully into all the proposals for appro.
priation and expenditures made by the
executive branch of the Government.
It is argued that with the present set
up too much reliance must be placed on
the recommendations of the Govern
ment agency heads without any real
opportunity to examine them. A num-
ber of Senators have sponsored reso-
luton to create such joint committee,
among them Senators johnson Of Colo
RADIO and Monroney of Oklahoma, both
Democrats. The Senate Appropriations
Committee has favorably reported the
plan to the Senate, but no action has
yet been had on it.
Proposal Offered by Byrd.
Another Senate resolution, looking to
greater economy, has been proposed by
Senator Byrd of Virginia, Democrat. It
provides that all the appropriations for
the Government shall be carried in one
omnibus appropriation bill. The omni-
bus bill plan was tried in 1850, put into
effect under the leadership of Repre-
sentative Cannon, Democrat, of Missouri,
chairman of the House Appropriations
Committee, but abandoned last year. It
still remains the best means of bringing
about economy, although 1t was at
tackled in the House committee on the
ground that it caused delay, and also
that it gave the chairman of the Ap-
preparations Committee too much power.
The history of the appropriation bills in
1851 did not bear out in any way the
claims Of those who favored the old
plan OF a dozen separate measures.
Delay was far greater.
The Byrd resolution is a concurrent
resolution, for action by both houses Of
Congress, and if adopted would have
the effect of establishing the plan for a
single appropriation bill. One thing
Congress can do, if it will, and that is
to keep away from new and costly Gov
eminent projects.
Government economy is imperative
if there are to be no further increases
in taxes, increases which President
Truman is expected to recommend.