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Show SPEIIDERSIIir" SAVERCAUCUS TO DE CALLED Letter to Roosevelt From Dies Backs Economy Plea WASHINGTON, Dec. 23 (UP) Representative. Martin Diet (D., Texas), leader of tha southern Democratic bloc which fought and killed the wage-hour bill, wrote President Roosevelt today promising to organize a movement in the house to support sup-port the president's economy demands. Dies wrote to the president after af-ter reading Mr. Reeeaveir a letter te Chairman Wilbnra Cartwrlgha D, Ok la.) ef the keaae r da eemmlttea, warnlag the Deaae-ratle Deaae-ratle majority ef fi entrees that It will have te take the blame If H distorts hie htwget halane-lag halane-lag plane for next year. Tha roads eenunKtea had Ignored the president's request for a repeal of the federal highway aid authorisations author-isations for next year. Dies told the president he would call a caucus Immediately after congress convenes to draft and agree upon a definite program to balance the bddget and support the president's economy program la the house. He predicted at least 100 Democrat Demo-crat would loin the movement, but warned that "most of these so-called liberals will oppose every effort you make to balance the budget and will clamor for bigger appropriations appropria-tions to be distributed among their constituents." "I have just resd with profound pleasure your letter addressed to Congressman Cartwrtght relative to the necessity of balancing the budget either through a decrease ef federal expenditures or an Increase in revenues," the letter said. Dangers Admitted 1 do not think you overstated the case when you said that if congress con-gress did not balance the budget there would not be any Democratle party and there would not be any solvent government after few yeara." Diea told the president he was confident a majority of the house would give "the fullest cooperation passible" if congress is assured "the curtailment will be all down the line and will be a consistent policy. The whole financial structure of the nation. Including the wages of workers, the benefits of the aged and the Income of widows and or phans, is dependent upon the balancing bal-ancing of the budget at the earliest possible date," Dies wrote. Dies told newspapermen hia "caucus "cau-cus of savers will be the first that's ever been called in congress there have been a lot of caucuses of spenders." He aaid the conference would probably be held within "a couple of days after the session begins be-gins January 3." Other Cuts Eyed "From your letter, I assume that you will insist upon curtailment of other expenditures the same aa in the case of road appropriations or an increased taxation," the Texas congressman wrote. "That such a consistent and uniform uni-form progress of curtailment or increased in-creased taxation will meet with the approval of the congress seems certain cer-tain to me In view of the physical situation that will otherwise exist. "I believe that when our constituents constitu-ents are frankly told what the true situation is. and are assured the economies will be fairly and aa much as possible uniformly brought about, they will support yon and your congressmen in this program. "Your definite and courageous position po-sition on this subject will determine once and for all who are liberals (Cootiniwd on Pace Twe Column Sutl AID ON BUDGET CUTSPLEDGED (Continued from Pas Ons) and who are spendthrifts. Some members have" confused the vast difference dif-ference between the two terms." Dies advised Mr. Roosevelt that the caucus would undertake to appoint ap-point a committee to draw up a complete program for budget bal-ancing. bal-ancing. Leaders in the economy program, ha said, would then try to obtain approval by the entire conference "so that it may Be transmitted to you in the form of a resolution approved ap-proved by as many of the house as possible." "Again permit me to congratulate you upon the courageous and patriotic pa-triotic stand you have taken and to assure you you will find in the conference con-ference more support than ia now predicted," the letter concluded. "Where can we cut?" the president presi-dent asked. "That is a matter, first, for the president to make recommendations, recom-mendations, and secondly, for the congress to decide whether the recommendations rec-ommendations for cuts should be carried out or changed by substituting substitut-ing different cuts." Siloes Reported Capitol hill reports indicated that a house appropriations subcommittee, subcommit-tee, preparing the supply bill carrying carry-ing funds for the T V A and the civilian conservation corps, has done this. The committee is understood to have sliced budget recommendations recommenda-tions for T V A and Increased the smount suggested for the C C C, voting 8 to 2 keep the number of camps at 1900, instead of cutting them to 1200, as proposed. "The congress," Mr. Roosevelt told Cartwright, "has a perfect right constitutionally to exceed the budget, but if the budget is exceeded, obviously the congress must accept full responsibility, and obviously the Democratic members, which have a large majority in congress, must equally accept the full responsibility." |