OCR Text |
Show O CAPITAL 4 ; GLEANIN6SA l 1 YOUR CONGRESSMAN jwM Pff Tile first of the huge appropriation appropria-tion bills for governmental depart-j niPtils lor the fiscal year 1941 was ', approved by the house January 31 I involving $1,404,275,838 for lnele-' pendent agencies Several attempts were made to reduce amounts in the bill, but only one amendment carried, taking $301,000 from the U. S". Housing Authority, principally princi-pally from the tenant relations bureau. bu-reau. The total amount is about $146,000,000 more than the 1941 figures for the same agencies. The minority party members sponsored a motion to reduce the appropriation appropria-tion by $25,000,1)00, but it was "e-feated "e-feated 192 to 141. The president was given an emergency blank-check blank-check fund) of $100,000,000. Among these agencies is the Tennessee Valley Authority, which was given $6,800,(100 for the coming year. Since 1933 this project has expended $54S, 533,000, and additional addi-tional dams are now being built under un-der the guise of national defense. Almost! $10,000,000 is provided for public buildings in the District of Columbia, where during the past few years a gigantic expansion program pro-gram is under way. With centralization centrali-zation of government, it is necessary neces-sary for federal employes to travel extensively and; the bureau of the budget reports that for the fiscal year of 1940 traveling expenses amounted to $99,2S6,O00, and for the first four months; of the 1941 fiscal year the total expense for this item is $47,286,000. Wib. an army of 1,400,000 men, in prospect for this coming summer, huge sums are being appropriated for clothing, shoes, and blankets. Although $468,000,000 had been appropriated ap-propriated for the current year, $175,000,000 additional was made available by a house bill this week, while an estimate is pending for the regular 1942 fiscal year budget of $247,758,000 for clothing, It was disclosed that, included in clothing items already purchased or 'Contracted for, was $3,391,000 for 15,000,000 neckties. The army will contract for $2,900,000 worth of mosquito bars. For every enlisted en-listed man, eight pairs of shoes will be required, it ,was reported by army officials It was reported that 4,500,000 battle casualty tags for "future eventualities" have been ordered also. While the nation was celebrating the president's birthday on January Janu-ary 30, the capital attracted about 40,000 celebrants, who mingled at dinners, dances, and parties with glamourous film, stage, and radio stars, many of whom came from Hollywood. The latter also appeared ap-peared at midnight shows at two local theatres. Mrs. Roosevelt joined with the celebrities and appeared ap-peared at the various hotels, while the president remained at the White House with old friends. The prevalence of strikes in construction con-struction of cantonments, as well as in industrial plants! engaged on national defense contracts, has caused some delay that is focusing attention on the need of more harmonious har-monious production. Several mem bers of congress are advocating anti-strike legislation, but some form of compulsory arbitration is more generally approved. The government gov-ernment has been most generous in awarding defense contracts, with profits assured the contractors! and high wage schedules for labor. There is little justification for any interference with vital production, o- o |