The journal. (Caldwell, Ohio) 1934-1961, 1958-04-10
THIS WEEK
In
WASHINGTON
Spending Mood


Spending Mood
AS the fourth month of the
current session Of Congress be-
gins, the yearly consideration of
the budget for operating various
Federal agencies is we'll under
way. Several major bills to sup
port operations for the twelve
months between July l, 1858 and
June 30, 1859 have already been
considered by the House of Rep
resentatives. These involve funds
for the Post Office Department,
the United States Tax Court,
various independent agencies of
the Federal government, and the
Departments of Labor, Interior,
and Health, Education, and Wei
fare.
1t is apparent, from these first
bills that the cost of government
is rising at a time when Federal
revenues may be diminishing.
Requests for funds in virtually
every instance exceed last years
appropriations. For instance, the
Department of Labor has been
allocated 1882 million which is
$50 million more than the Depart
ment received for the current
year. For the Department of
Health, Education, and Welfare,
the Houses, action actually gave
this agency SIS million more than
it requested, and appropriated
something over $50 million more
than was approved in 1858. Thus
far, only in the case cf the De
partment of the Interior has this
trend toward greater spending
not been indicated.
Congress seems to be involved
in kind of stampede for in
creased outlays of government
money which the Federal Treas
ury may not take in tax re-
venues. Last years cries for
greater Federal economy have
lost volume, or have been drown
ed out by the Glamour for new
and costly programs accompanied
by suggestion for tax reduction.
The result will be deficit spend
ing and an increased national
debt looms as a very real pos
sibility.
Legislation by Conference
The fact that the Legislative
Branch of the American Govern
ment is composed of two bodies
is regarded as a great protection
to the democratic process. 1t per
mits one body to check and pass
upon the action Of the other. II
permits both representation by
population and representation by
states to influence the laws that
are enacted. The result of the
action of one House is frequently
much different from the action
of the other. Consequently, there
must be an eventual meeting OF
the minds or no legislation will
| result.
This meeting of the minds oc-
| ours when the bill is sent to q
| conference committee made up OF
representative from both the
House and Senate. The conferees
endeavor to adjust the differences
| in such a way that both the
| House and the Senate agree tC
| its report. In some cases, the
complete version Of the House is
accepted without change; at other
| times, the conferees report that
they will accept the version Of
the Senate. But more frequently
compromise and adjustment
result in bill which in some par.
ticulars is vastly different from
that which either body actec
upon.
At this point, democracy put;
on binders. If the bill is very
long and complicated one, il
which there were many varla
tions of opinion between the
| House and the Senate, the con
ference report can stray a lon&
| way from the announced desire
| of the membership of the HOUSE
and the Senate.
The natural inclination of tn,
members. recalling that they hac
voted favorably upon measur,
at one time, and realizing tha
men of high reputation were tn,
conferees, is to accept the de
cision Of a conference report.
This inclination is facilitated
all the more by the characteristic
form in which conference report
are phrased. In almost every in
stance, it is impossible to discov
er from a reading of the repor
what the conferees have actuall
agreed to. The amendments, o
changes, which were added b
the second body to consider tn
legislation, are not set forth i
the conference report, but ar
l only referred to by numbel
Hence, if the changes have bee
many and complicated, an
; especially, if the conference re
5 port is being considered in tn
busy season close to the end {
E the session, Congress acts withou
knowing how it has acted, an
discovers Gotten to it's regret) tn
). effect of its action sometime late