Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-04-01

UT Budget Asked tor
Interior Department
Administration requests for
Interior Department expendi-
lures during the coming fiscal
year were slashed IA per cent in
q bill reported out today by the
House Appropriations Committee.
The committee recommended
$685.. 1850, 989, a cut of $58,757,411
| in the budget request. This also
was ST. million below depart
ment spending allowances for
the current fiscal year.
Deepest cuts were in OUTLAWS
for the Reclamation Bureau and
the Office of Territories. In
each instance. the cut was more
than SIS million.
Some of the committees
severest criticism centered on
Reclamation Bureau activities.
AS for the overall bill, the COM
mittee offered this statement Of
"basic considerations:
1.-THE committee has been
mindful of the fact that in the
long-range view, much larger
sums than those contemplated
in either the budget of the bill
could be expended profitably for
the development and conserva-
! ton of our natural resources.
Both the lower budget estimates
for fiscal year 1855 and the COM
mittee reductions reflect the fact
that some projects are nearing
completion.
However, these lower figures
are dictated in large measure by
the urgent need for conserving
dollars to improve the present
Federal Government fiscal posi-
ton. The reductions made by
the committee are aimed princi-
pally at activities where cuts can
be absorbed by more efficient OPP
Grafton, where private enter
prise or local interests can per-
for mthe function, or where de-
lay will not jeopardize achieve
ment of the ultimate detectives"
Practice Is Attacked.
The committee attacked what
it said was a department prac-
tice, in several instances, of fix
ing power rates without review
by the Federal Power Commits
sion. Citing a section of the
1914 Flood Control Act, the COM
mittee stated:
There can be no doubt that
that the appropriations are
available only in accordance with
the expressed terems of Section
V of the 1914 act and there can
be no doubt that Section v spe-
officially and directly requires the
approval of rates by the Federal
Power Commission. The Depart
ment of Interior has in the past
ignored this provision in the law
and made the most flimsy ex-
PLANTATION of their reasons for
having done so.
THE committee desires to
point out that in the future it
will regard any expenditures of
appropriations on any other
basis than strict compliance with
Section V, wherever it is ap-
plicable, as illegal expenditures"
Committee Reports.
In trimming the Reclamation
Bureaus requested appropriation
of $155, 292, 300 to $14O,179, 700,
the committee declared:
THE committee has been con-
cerned fer a number of years
about the activities carried on
by the bureau under the head
ing of general investigation.
These programs give the i'm
preston that the bureaus ef-
forts are scattered in all direc-
tions in an effort to investigate
every conceivable possibility for
a project and in many instances
to go back to once abandoned
projects in an effort to bring
them into the realm of FEAST
bility
while the committee and
Congress have been liberal in
providing funds for such pro-
jects where they are clearly JUS
titled and do not duplicate ex-
listing facilities, taxpayer dollars
will not be recommended for
use where public or private util-
tiles or REA co-operatives have
expressed a willingness to pro-
vide the service needed :"
The committee also criticized
what it called the bureaus gen
eral practice of over design
structures and facilities. It like
wise deplored what it termed
"overstaffing" and an excessive
number of field Offices at all
organizational levels" It de-
! clared that such expensive prac-
tees impose unnecessary costs
nthe ultimate users of water
and power in Federally financed
projects.
Obstacles 10 Ancient
fhr;e1;.n IsG~ T:1nJ