Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-11-10

Continued Prom Page Al
ready cut SAT billion from the
nine appropriation bills 1t has
passed, with three more big
ones still to come.
Mr.. Cannon argues that the
continuing resolution process
has delayed many new prof.
ects, the advisability Of which
are doubtful"
Status Of Money Bills
But for those who must do
the bookkeeping In the exec
utive departments this period
of stop-gap authority must be
anything except q picnic. A
continuing resolution is not a
simple matter Of spending for
each purpose at the monthly
rate Of last years appropria-
ton.
The remaining bills are at
different stages Of enactment,
and the resolution contains al
tentative yardstciks. depending
on how far a bill had advanced
when the first continuing reso-
luton passed In June.
For example, the foreign aid
appropriations bill has not
passed either branch because
the foreign aid authorization bill
is still pending in the Senate.
In this situation the AID Agenr
cy may spend temporarily at
the rate of last years appro-
priation or the budget estimate,
whichever is lower in the case
! of each appropriation item.
If a bill has passed the
House, but not the Senate. the
agency must be guided by the
House figure or the previous
year appropriation, whichever
is lower, for each item in its
bill.
The Departments of State,
Justice, Commerce. Agriculture
and the legislative establish
ment fall into that category,
Cautious Spending
The District government,
scores of boards and commits
sions covered by the Independ-
ent Offices bill, the public
works program and the Defense
Departments construction pro-
gram must all govern their cur
rent expenditures by last years
appropriation or the budget
estimate.
Finally. the continuing reso-
luton provides that funds
spent during this interim Pc
Rod must be charged against
the agency's appropriation bill
when 1t is enacted. This is the
paragraph which forces agen-
cies to proceed with caution
because If they spend at too
rapid a rate now they may not
wind UP with enough to finish
out the year ending next
June 30.
One place where the delay
is hurting the District Of Co.
lumbia is in the public schools.
Glasses began in the schools
without 343 teachers asked for
, this year. The delay in passing
the District bill left some class
rooms overcrowded with from
SO to 10 pupils in each be-
fore administrative adjustments
evened the load among avail
able teachers.
This pointed up the teaching
burden. however, and the SEN
ate Committee has recon-
mended 4l2 new teachers. A
more elementary and Is more
for retarded children than
School Supt. Carl Hansen had
asked.
AID Spending Less
Pro rata reductions amount
ing to $3,393.478 were made
throughout the House budget
and restoration requests for
the District by the Senate COM
mittee.> These cutbacks were
blamed by the Committee on
late passage Of the bill"
It is understood that the
Agency for international De-
velopment, which harJlles for
eign aid, is spending less than
the continuing resolution would
allow because Of the uncer-
tainty over how much the
House and Senate Appropria-
ton Committees may slash the
foreign aid appropriation bill.
Although this period Of stop
gap operation undoubtedly will
cut spending somewhat In the
current year, there are some
who question whether there will
be any substantial long-run
economy.
A new project, for example,
may be started six months lat
er than had been expected, but
once it is begun it will be COM
pleted eventually. Where new
employees are being provided
flor in the pending bills, the
agencies will only need funds
for the last half Of the fiscal
year.
What causes these legislative
log jams? The causes vary
from year to year.
Last year it was a feud be-
tween the members of the
House and Senate Appropria-
lions Committees over protocol