The Indianapolis times., 1931-08-20
CLIFFORD WILL
DIRECT u. 5.
JOB RELIEF
Hoover Names Utility Chief
as Chairman of New
National Agency.
FREE HAND is GIVEN
President ReiterateS His
Stand Against Federal
Fund Use.
By United Press


WASHINGTON, Aug. 20.-Presi-
dent Hoover's emergency program
developed today in a manner indi-
eating that Walter S. Clifford will
stand at the Presidents right hand
this winter to exercise wide powers
as national administrator of relief
and employment projects.
The head of the three billion dol
lar public utility system was named
by President Hoover as chairman of
a new national organization. He
will have free hand in devising
ways to prevent distress, the Presi-
dent indicated.
Clifford goes to work here Mon
day. A desk is ready for him at the
commerce department.
Persons familiar with Clifford
suggest that before the winter is
over, he may be handling admin
istrative affairs second in i'm
portance only to those which pass
over the big square desk in Mr..
Hoover'S green, circular Office.
In selecting Clifford and determ-
lining his responsibilities, President
Hoover is adopting the tactics which
led President Wilson during the
war largely to centralize the tre-
mendouS emergency problem of
food conservation with single in
dividual. In that instance the in
dlvldual was Mr.. Hoover.
Clifford to be Boss
Clifford has been invited to return
to Washington Saturday. He will
be Mr.. HooverS weekend guest at
Camp Rapidan.
In New York Clifford responded to
announcement of his appointment
with assurance that the relief bur
den will be whole -heartedly met"
1t was explained at the White
House today that the job contem-
plated for Clifford is executive and
not deliberative. Mr.. Hoover appar-
emily wants no reports on relief and
employment. He has assigned Gif-
ford the job of meeting those two
problems with executive action.
The 46-year-old president of the
American Telephone and Telegraph
Company has been told to organize
and direct relief as well as employ
ment efforts. He will have an ad-
viSory committee, to be appointed
by Mr.. Hoover.
Fred G. CroXton, acting chairman
Of the Presidents emergency COM
mittee on employment, will be Gift
ford's assistant.
Colonel Arthur Woods, who head
ed that committee from October,
1890, until this spring, has re-
turned to his duties with the
Rockefeller Foundation, although
Mr.. Hoover says woods will assist
the new relief organization. But
Clifford is the new executive.
Classed as Volunteer
Clifford is CLASSIFIED as a volun-
teer. His adviser assistants will be
volunteers. Responsibility will CEN
ter on the young communications
executive.
Mr.. Hoover hopes Gifford's ef-
forts will counteract the null
tiplying demands for federal ap-
preparation and an extra session of
congress. Senator Reed (Rep.,
Pa) today issued through his office
here a rebuke to Governor Pinchot
for making demands on the federal
government.
Reeds statement was telephoned
from northern Michigan, where the
senator is on a vacation.
Pennsylvania is solvent" Reed
said, her credit is perfect and she
is just as well able to raise the
money to help her unemployed as
she is to bear her share of a federal
fund for that purpose.
Called Serious Mistake
"The Governors of the several
states and the local authorities un-
der them should not and must not
evade their responsibilities"
Reed said the open letter on re-
lief sent Mr.. Hoover by Pinchot was
"a serious mistake"
Il am sure" he said, that it does
not express the idea of the people
of Pennsylvania"
Clifford has had experience in re-
lief work and Semi-governmental
activities. During the war he was
director of the United States Coun-
Gil of National Defense. He is presi-
dent of the Charity Organization
Society of New York, and had a
prominent part in New York City's
unemployment relief program last
winter.