Evening star., 1932-11-13
FUNDS ARE LACKING
FOR LABOR PROBE
Inquiry of Mississippi River
Work Conditions May
Suffer.

President Hoover's newest commits.
sion, appointed to investigate labor con-
ditions along the Mississippi River on
work being done under supervision Of
the Corps of Army Engineers. may find
itself seriously hampered for lack Of
funds.
So far no warrant in law has been
found to finance the work Of the COM
mission, appointed by the Chief Execu-
tive the end of last month, to investi-
gate charges that colored labor on the
leveeS was being maltreated. War De-
partment sources said yesterday that
there are no funds available out of
rivers and harbors appropriations with
which to pay the commissions expenses.
May Pay Own Expenses.
Faced with this prospect, it begins to
look as If the members Of the commits
sion would have to pay their railway
fare and other expenses out of their
own pockets and later put in a claim
with the Government for reimburse
ment. War Department authorities said
that funds carried in the rivers and
harborS section are appropriated spe-
clnca1y by Congress for definite items
ana funds may not be transferred for
other purposes. The commission. the
War Department officials contend. is
not by law connected with any particu-
lar project from which funds could be
taken for its expenses.
SO clear are the War Department
authorities in this belief that thev have
not asked for any formal ruling on the
problem. The Mississippi River COM
mission, which is under the Corps of
Engineers OF the Army, may be able to
take care OF the members of the~new
commission when they reach the field.
giving them meals at the camps, it was
said, but further than this will be able
TO DO little, officials explained.
President Hoover named the new
group only a couple of weeks ago and
congress has not been in session to
appropriate funds for its expenses.
members OF the new organization were
hopeful that the Mississippi River COM
mission would be able to foot the bill for
the work, but this does not now seem
possible
On October 81 the White House an,
nounced that President Hoover had ap-
pointed to serve on the commission DIR,
Robert r. Motion, head of Tuskegee Inc
stltute; Judge James A. Cobb of the
District Municipal Court; Eugene Kinc-
kle Jones of New York, executive sec
retary of the Urban League of New
York City; all representing the colored
race. IN ADDITION, the Chief Executive
placed Lieut.. Col U. S. Grant. Sd, di-
rector Of Public Buildings and Public
Parks, as member.
Goes First to vicksburg.
Col. Grant said yesterday that he
hopes the group can assemble for action
the week of November 81. It will 90
first to Vicksburg, Miss, the headquar-
tiers OF the Mississippi River Comrnis-
sion. Inquiry will then be made at
various camps of contractors along the
Mississippi River and its tributaries. It
is expected that at least a couple of
weeks will be needed to inquire into the
problem, first hand.
Originally it was proposed that the
commission would set to work at the
beginning of the past week, but some
of its members found themselves with
conflicting engagements.
Appointments Of the commission by
President Hoover grew out of complaints
against the contract system Of the War
Department and treatment accorded
colored workers in the various contrac-
tors labor camps. The National Asso-
citation for the Advancement Of Colored
People took a hand in the situation and
the White House acted.