Show J I THIS W as ashington i i toy T HERE THERE is little question that the lower house made a political football of the countr country's s 's security in its cutting of the foreign aid moneys moneys moneys mon mon- eys and that the more responsible senate body was ready to remedy to a large extent the house action This is an election year and andI I 1 many house members sought a chance here to show the taxpayers they were economy minded they minded they made speeches against communism communism communism I and at the same time tied i ithe the hands of the fighters against I communism with their foreign aid aidi i bill slashes I Senator Tom Connally chairman of the senate foreign relations committe commUte committe com- com mitte mUte exerted every possible effort to put the funds back Into the emasculated bill The house also tracked back-tracked on an onI anI I its action of last year before the effective date to save its own hide from from income tax increases Last year the members eliminated their tax free feature effective January 3 1953 But on May 15 they agreed I to a proposal Jo to let c congressmen deduct their Washington living liing costs from tram their income tax This would save enough to make up for forI I last years year's action on the 2500 tax tax free expense allowance But the senate is not so sure Probably most senators favor it but want a aI I limit so that SOO and month a i I apartments couldn't be written of off I With only groups and organizations organizations organizations reporting as compared to last year total lobby expenditures expenditures expenditures expendi expendi- tures for 1951 for influencing congress congress con con- gress on legislation amounted toI to i I according ng to a survey compiled by congressional Quarterly Quarterly I terly a partisan non reporting servI I ice This sum compares to 10 spent in 1950 But the top spender in the entire list was the American Farm Bureau Bureau Bureau Bu Bu- Bu- Bu reau Federation which replaced the American Medical Association as the biggest lobby As a matter of fact AMA AlIA dropped back to third place with the National Association of Electric Companies a close fourth According to the survey the Farm Bureau Federation spent 1 for all purposes during the year while the Committee for Constitutional Government spent i the AMA spent 4 and the electric companies spent Twenty three organizations organizations organizations or or- spent more more than according to their reports filed under the lobbying act It will be remembered that last year Dr Albert A. A who heads up the Committee for Const Constitutional Constitutional Con Con- st Government was found guilty of contempt of congress for refusal to turn over some books athis of at his organization However on appeal appeal appeal ap ap- ap- ap peal Dr was freed of the charges the court holding that c had no power to certain material The US U.S. Chamber of Commerce spent only out of a reported reported re reported re- re ported income of 91 The Farm Bureau spending for all aU purposes increased sharply from its 1950 listing of With Senator Taft slightly in the lead on delegate strength over General General General Gen Gen- eral Eisenhower at this trus writing the split in the Republican party is reminiscent of the Taft-Roosevelt Taft campaign of 40 years ago Then as now Taft William Taft William Howard father of the present Senator Robert A. A controlled the Republican party machinery Theodore Roosevelt had been capturing the presidential primaries and the popular fancy c r the people but he failed to get 1 1 nomination in the convention of 1912 So badly was the party split that Roosevelt headed up a Bull Moose party as its it's nominee against Taft on the regular Republican lican Bean ticket resulting in the election election election elec elec- tion of Woodrow Wilson for his hb first term on the Democratic ticket Since this is an election year despite the house defeat of a bill to increase old age benefits under the social security act another attempt attempt attempt at at- tempt is being made to get the measure through before the congress congress congress con con- gress adjourns for the conventions General Eisenhower is being censured in some circles for his announced approval of the tidelands tidelands tidelands tide- tide lands bill since the general is known to have the financial back 1 back I ing of powerful oil interests in Texas President Truman has denounced denounced denounced de de- the Tideland measure as robbery of the nation nation resources in broad daylight |