| Show House Group Axes Agricultural 1 Fund Two BillO Billions 1 Reduction Proposed Floor Debate Set for Next Week WASHINGTON May 23 UP The UP-The The The house appropriations committee committee com corn swung u g its economy conomy ax at the agriculture department Friday Fri Fri- day recommending a 32 per cent budget cut cutIn In sending to the house floor an bill to finance th the department for the year starting July 1 the committee chopped from President Truman's budget estimates th ii The amount amount approved ved Is less than n th the department had to spend this year It includes in loan authorizations and in permanent ap ap- ap- ap I I The cuts if U upheld by the house after debate next week will boost to slightly more than the total r reductions made by the h house use in fri its drive to lop from the presidents president's budget for 1948 This is exclusive of ot a surprise bookkeeping c cut cutI u t written into a deficiency appropriation I tion lion bill by the senate appropriations appropriations committee and passed by both houses without a word of debate earlier this week The house committee acted on the agriculture bill after weeks of closed door hearings and after Secretary Anderson Insisted that any reductions would Imp impair lr essential essential essen essen- flat f farm rm services The estimates submitted Anderson claimed were rock-bottom rock minimums minimum Make lAk Selective Cuts CUb But the committee rejected this contention and said in its report that the bills bill's objective is to make selective reductions reductions' based upon present and future nee needs need of agrI- agrI c d To ro back up lu itz contention that l less e ss t f federal d mOri money mony y is ts needed the report port quo quoted Cd statistics cS submitted by t y Anderson showing that between I 1940 and 1946 the value of farmers farmers' livestock equipment and crop In InventorIes Inventories In- In jumped 63 and the value of farm lands soared d 68 Farm savings rose from to during those years while farmers' farmers debts dropped from to the report said Here then then Is unparalleled testimony test test- I mony many to the splendid conditions of American agriculture it declared I IThe The committees committee's major cuts were directed at the farmers farmers' home administration an offshoot of the theold theold theold old farm security administration the soil solI conserva conservation Uon service the crop insurance program and the school lunch program Lose LoS Section 32 Cash Of the total recommended re reduction redUction re- re was waa accounted account account- ed for by transfer from the agriculture agriculture agriculture agri agri- culture dep department to the treasury's treasury's treasury's treas treas- ury's general fund of section 32 money heretofore allotted for various vari varl- ous on farm fann programs including the school lunch project and conservation conserva conserva- ton tion U n payments These funds come from customs cus ens- toms Louis duties 30 of which had been beene seen e earmarked for the agriculture agriculture ture department The presidents president's budget had contemplated the use of of or this money for benefit payments to farmers The committee said laid however that its it action in withholding the section 32 m money should not zot be betaken betaken betaken taken to mean that similar action action action ac ac- ac- ac tion should be bo taken in future years This fund Is Ja Intended to provide provide provide pro pro- vide relief in emergent periods when a surplus problem exists the committee said That problem lem lem however d does a not exit exist atthe at atthe atthe the time The committee also O a cu cut out all funds for farm tenant loans b trimmed from to the funds for soil Boll conservation payments payment and Cc c entirely entirely en en- elimina eliminated from the bill language that would have authorized authorized author author- a B soil con conservation conservation conserva conserva- erva- erva tion program for the 1948 98 crop year |
