Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-04-03
BY ROBERT X. WALSH


rage today over an attempt to
dry up the entire $50 million in
proposed grants to States and
local communities for waste
treatment projects under the
Water Pollution Control Act.
The Potomac River bubbled
at times in often furious argu-
ment on that issue yesterday
after the House sliced about SIT
million more from the Health,
Education and Welfare Depart
ment appropriation bill for the
year beginning next July /.
A Michigan Democrat. Repre-
sentative Dingell, defended the
$50 million If only to start doing
something about cleaning up
what he described as the dirty,
filthy river that flows through
our Nations Capital"
Like Old Man River itself, the
debate just kept rolling along
until the House late yesterday
called it a day after two hours
on that provision alone. Although
party lines split to a consider
able extent, the pending amend
ment to strike out the $50 mil
lion seemed likely to be ten
tatively adopted today.
Slow Motion
The House moved so slowly
through the $2.8 billion overall
appropriation bill for the Labor
as well as HEW departments
that it showed no sign of COM
lpleting action before tomorrow
lat the the earliest.
This raised a question as to
when the House would act on
the Districts appropriation bill.
That measure had been sched-
Iuled originally for yesterday.
Some House members suggested
that the House suspend debate
ION the Labor HEW bill for a
few hours to permit passage of
the less controversial District
bill. But. House leaders said they
knew of no immediate plan of
that kind.
Since week ago yesterday the
House has been working on the
Labor-HEW bill. In addition to
1.-THE $l18 million trimed by the
Appropriations Committee. an
lother $l8,4S2, 900 has been
slashed off by the House itself,
with almost 20 pages of the bill
lyet to be covered.
Other Cuts Voted
Cuts tentatively voted yester-
day were:
| /. $l,482 900 from the 81 mil
lion requested for Office Of Edu-
cation surveys and investiga-
tons. mainly for library and
various educational services for
States. Representative Dorm,
Democrat of South Carolina,
sponsor of the proposed de-
crease. said it would do away
with some needless Federal jobs
land investigations. He was sup
ported by Representative Bar
den, Democrat of North Car
DINA. chairman of the House
Education and Labor Commit
Itee. Mr.. Bafden declared be ATas
"thotoughly fed up with" the
Office Of Education for being
too ambitious In asking funds
for programs.
2. 100000 by abruptly put
ting or OF existence the Presi-
dents Committee on Education
Beyond the High School. The
amendment was offered by
Representative Shuford. DEM
ocrat of North Carolina, who
explained that the group was
supposed to wind up its work
by the end Of 1857 in any event
Representative Fogarty. DEM
ocrat of Rhode Island. Appro-
priations Subcommittee chair
man in charge of the bill. lee
the weary and generally losing
battle to keep the measure sub
stantially in the shape recon-
mended by his group or by the
administration. He warned that
the $l4 million Office of Educa-
ton cut would seriously handi-
cap efforts to teach mentally
retarded children. He estimated
that about 40 agency employees
would have to be discharged.
Barely Successful
He was successful, but only
by an 80 to n teller vote. in pre-
venting a Sl,847 400 reduction
proposed by Representative Da-
Wis. Democrat Of Georgia. in the
SIG. 592.000 provision for Federal
assistance and consultive serv-
ices to States in various health
Iaccident prevention and vita
statistics programs.
The $50 million subtraction
Sought BY elimination of Federal
grants for waste and sewage
treatment works construction
was by far the biggest single cut