Evening star., 1953-05-03
House Unit May Cut
2Oq6 Off Post Office,
Treasury Budgets
By Robert K. Walsh

VIC uAAOuAGo 41oUGO III AOAACA
President Truman'S January re-
port, were indicated yesterday
in a combined bill ready for re-
porting this week by the House
Appropriations Committee.
The House, meanwhile, will
start debate Tuesday on an ap-
preparations bill carrying COM
mittee slashes of 80 per cent
for the State Department, 25
per cent for the Commerce De-
partment, and 4 per cent for the
Justice Department for the f1s-
cal year beginning July /.
House Republican leaders,
while reluctant at this stage to
predict a balanced budget or
tax decrease. said House action
on supply bills during the last
10 days brightens chances of
congressional adjournment by
July 4.
Senate leaders were not so
optimistic. Senator Bridges, Re-
publican, of New Hampshire,
chairman of the Senate Appro-
priations Committee, concurred
in observations by Speaker Mar
tin and House Appropriations
Committee Chairman Taber, Re-
publican. of New York that the
Senate committee for the first
time in many years is greatly
speeding the procedure by hold
ing hearings on departmental
appropriations bills before they
come over from the House.
But Senator Bridges told re-
porters his committee probably
will not report out its first appro-
priations bill until mid May.
Moreover, the Defense Depart
ment budget-which with for
eign aid is the crux of the budg-
et-balancing problem comes
officially before the House COM
mittee for the first time tomor-
row.
House Republicans are jubilant
over their fast pace in passing
appropriations bills, now that
they finally have begun to flow
from the Budget Bureau and the
House committee.
House Democrats are less
en- husia tic. Representative
Cannon of Missouri contends
that the State Department budg-
ct. up for debate this week, and
the independent offices bill,
passed April % by the House,
gave an incomplete fiscal picture.
Mr.. Cannon remarked that the
$451 million bill approved by the
House for % agencies did not
include the Veterans Administra-
ton, Selective Service System,
iva. and Atomic Energy Com
mission, which handle far larger
sums.
AS for the pending State De-
partment bill, the most contro-
versial item will not be brought
up until later this month. That
is the outlay for the departments
foreign information and educa-
tion program.
The House committee has not
disclosed details of the Treasury
Post Office bill it expects to re-
port out Thursday or Friday.
The measure is tentatively due
for House debate early next week.
The committee, it was learned,
will trim the Treasury funds even
more than the $51 million in
reductions recently revealed by
Secretary Humphrey. House Re
publicans said they believe the
committee will recommend cuts
totaling more than $40 million.
Humphrey Contributes.
Yesterday the Treasury Sec
retary contributed to such saw
ings by effecting net saving
of $98,600 in his own Office.
Treasury personnel officials
said reorganization of that Of
flee dropped 80 persons from
the payroll for a saving of $147,-
900 a year. A Deputy Secretary
and three assistants to the Sec
retary are being added, with
salaries totaling $48,40 SO that
the net monetary reduction is
$9S,60O. About 25 of the elimi-
mated employees were on the tax
advisory and technical stats.
So far as the House Appropri-
atoms Committee is concerned.
that is only drop in the buck
ct. Secretary Humphrey sug-
gested last month his depart
ment could get along with
$614.445.000 instead Of the
$665. $4,000 requested last by
former President Truman.
The bulk of the cuts, both by
Secretary Humphrey and the
committee are likely to be found
in the budget for the Coast
Guard and, to a smaller extent,
in the Internal Revenue Bu-
reau. Additional reductions are
anticipated in items for ham
ding of the public debt, and for
personnel expenses which
means the size of the employe
payroll.
Post Office Budget.
What the committee will do to
the Post Office Department
budget is uncertain in view. of
recently announced plans of
Postmaster General Summer
field to improve and increase
mail service.
The Truman budget requests
for the coming fiscal year to-
tailed $2.9O6, 100000 for the de-
partment. about $113 million
more than appropriations for
the current fiscal period. From
all accounts and on the basis
of experience with the three ap-
propriations bills already re-
ported out by the House COM
mittee, the departments 1854
budget may be clipped by at
least $100 million and perhaps
more.