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Show I ""5s2ri HOIT1E ATI TOUJ11 pW H IN WASHINGTON "!W-M Rural Phone Program rpHE NEEDS of the national de- fense program have sharply curtailed plans for extension of the rural telephone program under the rural electrification administration. For Instance, REA had asked for a $30,000,000 appropriation for this fiscal year and obtained only $9,-000,000, $9,-000,000, which, plus a carry-over of $5,000,000. gives the agency $14,000,- 000 to carry on its work this year. Cutbacks in all kinds of essential equipment, particularly wire, copper cop-per and other materials necessary to the defense effort under allocation allo-cation by the national production authority, enters into the curtailment curtail-ment of the rural telephone program. pro-gram. And there is a parallel which may be drawn today in this connection, con-nection, for it was just about this time during World War II when the REA program was cut back and expansion of electric lines for farmers was drastically cut. 1 And although the big telephone companies, the American Telephone and Telegraph Company and the Bell Telephone System have assured as-sured REA they will not be as shortsighted as the private power industry, and are willing to sit down and work out differences and allocation of territory, there is some indication they are moving into certain areas, just as the power industry did five or six years ago when REA was handicapped by lack of equipment, material and money. There is a difference In the telephone set-up and the power set-up, however. The power coops could operate, If necessary, neces-sary, Independent of the private electric companies, but the coop co-op telephone companies, and the small private companies, are forced to tle-ln with the Bell system, both for long-distance calls and for telephone service from the farm to the various towns and cities. As a matter of fact, officials of REA only recently conferred with officials of the big telephone companies com-panies over allocation of territory where farmers have been waiting for service for years, Bnd up to now have been unable to get this service from the private companies. However, How-ever, since the advent of the rural telephone program under REA the private companies have offered to move In to these areas, although REA has made allocations to recently re-cently formed cooperative companies compan-ies there. By and large, however, there is a spirit of cooperation between be-tween AT & T and Bell with REA, so much more cooperation that it is a refreshing contrast to past attitude of the private power industry. in-dustry. Washington Silhouettes Washington Silhouettes Almost a century ago Abraham Lincoln worshipped wor-shipped in a red brick church on the triangle formed by the .conflux of New York avenue and H streets. The old church, the New York Avenue Ave-nue Presbyterian church, has been razed and a new steel and concrete building is being erected on the same site , . . The original plan of Washington shows Pennsylvania avenue running, uninterrupted past the White House. Today the street is broken off at 15th street by the treasury building and Jogs around the White House. The story is told that Andrew Jackson wat incensed by the noise of traffic passing his White House bedroom and when he built the original half of the treasury treas-ury building he planted his cane In the center of Pennsylvania avenue and ordered it to be built there, thus swinging street and traffic farther away from the executive mansion. Restrictions Unlikely While debate In congress moves toward a fever pitch over the controversy con-troversy in sending troops to Europe, Eu-rope, the legislators likely will not dare to hamstring the President or the military in voting against the President's authority or limiting whatever number of troops the military mil-itary deems necessary to protect the United States wherever the President deems necessary. And if it comes to a question of a fighting war in Europe over any act of aggression, the President will ask congress for complete authority and a declaration of war. Civil Defense Florida's ex-governor, opposed for confirmation as boss of the civil defense administration by an organization of Negro people, told the senate armed services committee commit-tee he had "not the slightest doubt he could administer the program "impartially and without prejudice." preju-dice." To Cut Tax Program There Is little evidence that this congress will enact 16 billion dollars In new taxes as called for by the President to put the defense program on a pay-as-we-go basis. Around May or June the congress probably will get around to enacting a new tax bill which wKl bring In possibly $8 or $9 billions In new taxes and the new tax boost Is likely to hit all classes of Income. |