Show HOOVER PlANS FOR ECONOMY STRIKE SNAGS SNAG Steps Taken in Cuttin Cutting g Army Expenses May Not Be Effective By PAUL R. R MALLON l WASHINGTON Ma May 13 UP- UP President Hoovers Hoover's announced program program program pro pro- gram of economy and retrenchment In the various ario executive c departments department ma may run into some very practical difficulties it appeared today This program to be worked out In weekly conferences with department department department depart depart- ment heads is said to be part of hi hIs long cherished ambition to put the thi government on a a. business basis but in ht the case of or the army at least doubt was vas expressed in some quarters quarters whether any appreciable economies economies econ econ- s would result from the steps al already already already al- al ready announced The army was first to feel the pres pros presidential presidential pinchers In a conference atthe althe at al atthe the Rapidan last week end The interIor in interior interior in- in department will be next and then will come the navy with each eachor of or the federal bureaus takIng their turn on the carpet later DOUBT SAVINGS SAYINGS A hint of difficulties ahead was received by Mr Hoover Hoo in his Ills dealing dealing dealing deal deal- ing with the army After Arrer two days of ot conferring announcement was made That 20 or 30 army posts and forts lorts will be abandoned No definite definite nite estimate of or the saving sa to be gained can be made by either the thear war ar department or the White House but it will be much less than Mr Hoover hoped to get not get not more than thana a a. few millions a year ear where billions are arc involved The maintenance of oC the obsolete relics of or the Indian wars in frontier frontier frontier fron fron- tier states is negligible according to the army Care must be exercised it is said to prevent the change from I causing an increase in expenditures Instead of ot providing a a. de decrease Men stationed at these posts must be transferred to others and little will be gained in so far as the cost of supporting them Is 15 concerned There will wUl be a sa saving in the cost of shipping them food and such things but quarters must be provided provided pro pro- vided elsewhere The army housing program is not yet complete complete com com- and it is pointed out that the transfer of or men to other posts must be done so carefully as to a avoid void a demand for new construction which in the end would cost more money CONGRESS HOWLS Then there is a howl from congress congress congress con con- gress to be faced In December Senators Senators Sen Sen- are said more or less humorously humorously humorously humor humor- to have held their Jobs by keeping their army posts in their home states It is Mr Hoovers Hoover's plan to appease the congressmen If tc pos pos- sible He wants to see 1 if these sites cannot be converted to state usage for educational Institutions prison camps e experimental farms or hospitals hospi hospi- As the new commission composed of represent representatives thes from the war agriculture and Justice departments and the veterans bureau Is expected to be selected short shortly work of o the transfer of or the sites may be begun at once Interior department officials will go o to the Rapidan next Saturday fully warned that Mr Hoover expects ex expects expects ex- ex expenses to be cut there also The blow will be equally hard to measure there because irrigation and reclamation projects like the army program are laid out on long time plans |