Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-05-15

Gently told its people that il
would no longer pay the interest
on its government savings bonds
Other programs are estab-
lished by law. and the bulk oil
the expenditures under these
laws is mandatory.
The largest among them pro-
vides SIS billion for veterans
pensions. compensation. educa.
ton. medical care and other
benefits.
Another large item of about
IS billion Is for agricultural pro-
grams: For price supports, the
soil bank. land conservation,
rural identification. and other
services Of benefit to farmers.
The costs Of these two great
programs have tended to grow
rather than to shrink over re-
cent years.
In addition, about SIS billion
is provided. as grants and loans
to the States. to share the costs
of such activities as administer
ing unemployment compensation
and the employment service; as
SiSting the States in helping
needy aged. the blind, the
totally disabled and depend
ent children; promoting public
health, sanitation and the con-
troll Of disease. as well as speed
ing slum clearance and urban
renewal-an item which a COM
mittee Of mayors recently urged
me to support vigorously.
All these are programs long
ago enacted by Congress.
New Schools Vital
This part Of the budget also
provides funds for a new project
which I have urged for two years
to help overcome the acute
shortage Of schoolrooms in our
country. The plan calls for a T.
year emergency program OF
schoolroom construction at a
cost Of 1925 million q year.
Permit me q further word
about this item. ! deeply be-
heve. as am sure you do, that
education is clearly a respon-
sibility Of State and local gov
ernmentS - and should remain
so. But another truth is Just as
clear: During the depression,
World War II. and the Korean
conflict. our States and local..
ties did not have the means
and opportunity to build enough
classrooms to keep up with the
increasing number Of youngsters.
This means that we need an
emergency program to help States
and localities build the schools
our children must have.
We limit this aid to building;
thus it will not result in Fed
eral control Of education. 1t is
limited in scope to make sure
that Federal help will 60 where
it is needed most. Limited in
time, it guarantees that Fed
eral help will be temporary.
! have heard people say that
no Federal program can be
temporary - that any activity
begun in Washington will go on
forever.
I reject that kind of reason
ing.
/ believe that Americans are
responsible enough to do exactly
what they want TO do. and then
stop.
l support this program whole
heartedly because 1t is a get-in-
and-get-out emergency plan SOLE
ly to overcome a schoolroom def
cit created by depression and
wars. We must not continue to
penalize our children and, there
by. the future Of our Nation.
S. Billion for Other Items
After meeting the costs Of in
terest on the national debt, agri-
culture. veterans. and grant-to-
the States. there remains in this
non-security part of the budget
about SIS billion. This pays for
everything else our Government
expects to do next year.
1t includes direct Federal ex-
penditures related to labor and
welfare-and for things like med
ical research. 1t includes the cost
Of conserving and developing our
natural resources-improving the
national parks. building dams
and reservoirs. and protecting
fish and wildlife.
It includes the Weather Bu-
reau, the Census and subsidies
for civil aviation and our mer-
chant fleet.
1t includes costs Of the Con-
gress and the courts. OF law en-
forcement, and Of tax collection.
Finally. it includes funds to
cover the postal deficit, which
will be more than half-a billion
dollars unless the Congress raises
postal rates. as I have repeatedly
urged. II the Congress acts. this
cost will be borne by the users
of the mails. thereby relieving
the taxpayer Of this burden.
Try TO Trim Costs
In executing these programs,
we constantly stress economy
and seek to avoid waste and
duplication. In this endeavor, we
have had the benefit OF the
recommendations OF two Hoover
commissions, the great portion
OF which has already been ac-
cepted and Is in the process OF
being put into effect. Moreover
we postpone programs when we
can. When we find 1t possible To
revise cost estimates, we inform
the Congress. In my letter OF
April 18th to the Speaker OF the
House Of Representatives,
pointed out that we had been
able TO revise estimates Of new