Evening star., 1953-05-17
New 81 Million Cut
In State Department
Budget Demanded
By Robert K. Walsh

A subcommittee move to cut
another So million from the
State Department budget, a drive
to let the Attorney General fire
Justice Department employees,
and a demand for restoration of
housing research funds spelled
trouble yesterday for appropria-
tion bills pending in the Senate.
The House also headed for a
battle tomorrow on the Agricul-
ture Departments supply bill
for the coming fiscal year. Ap-
preparations Committee Chair
man Taber and some other Re-
puhlicanS want the House to re-
verse committee recommends
tionS giving the department SIP
million more than the Eisen-
hover Administration requested.
The Senate appropriations sub
committee considering a $14 bill
lion State. Justic and Commerce
bill yesterday Topped off an extra
So million from State Depart
ment funds, members disclosed.
This is subject to change by the
full committee. Secretary of
State Dulles previously asked the
committee to restore some of the
cuts made by the House.
Won't Discuss RevisiOns.
Subcommittee hairma n
Bridges. Republican, of New
Hampshire, who also heads the
full committee, refused to discuss
any reVisions. He told reporters
only that all controversial mat
ters were referred to full COM
mlttee meeting tomorrow.
One of these matters report I
edly was a proposal to give At
torney General Brownell, Secre-
tary Dulles and Secretary of
Commerce Weeks absolute dis
cretion" to fire employees in their |
departments. A similar provision
was stricken out of the bill when
passed by the House last month.
The subject came up recently
at Senate subcommittee sessions
at which Mr.. Brownell testified. |
A transcript given out yesterday |
by the subcommittee showed |
that Senator Dirksen, Republi- |
can of Illinois, urged that the
Justice Department head have
some flexible authority to be
able, Notwithstanding any pro-
vision of law, to vacate a given
percentage of positions and be
given authority to fill those po-
sitions."
Challenges DirkSen.
Senator McCarran, Democrat
Of Navada, who has said he
favors the move as a means of
dealing with loyalty and security
risks. interrupted to ask: You
do not have any politics in the
back of your head now, have
you?"
Senator Dirksen, according to
the transcript, replied: Pat, I
haven't that in the slightest in
my head. But 1 would like to
hear the Attorney General COM
ment on it from the standpoint
of what his experience has been /
thus far"
The transcript indicated Mr..
BroWnell answered but his COM
mentS were off the record.
While the Senate appropria-
tionS committee is meeting to-
morrow on the State-Justice-
Commerce bill. the Senate will
continue work on a HouSe-ap-
proved independent Offices ap-
preparation bill that yesterday
drew the fire of Senator Nc
Carthy, Republican of Wisconsin.
Promises A Fight.
He served notice he would fight
to restore 100000 in research
funds for the Federal Housing
and Home Finance Agency.
The budget submitted by for
mer President Truman last Jan
uary requested $95O,0O0 for the
research program. President Els
enhoWer'S revised budget asked
for 100000. House and Senate
committees refused to allow any,
thing.
Senator Mccarthy, an appro-
priations committee member,
said he was sure the item was
stricken because of the general
lack Of knowledge of what the
research has accomplished" He
recalled that he sponsored the
program in the 1948 housing act.
The bill which the House
passed last month totaling $451 I
million for % independent agen-
cies is expected to be the object
of several other amendment at
temptS in the Senate tomorrow.
AS reported out by the Senate
appropriations committee last
week it carried a total of almost
$458 million. Il