Evening star., 1933-08-27
PUBLICWORKS
CONTRACTS LET.
IN WISCONSIN
More Than 81 Miles
of Highway Viii
Be Built.
BY WILLIAM T. EVJUE.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
MADISON, Wis, August 26.-1ndica-
tions that the Federal public works pro-
gram would Soon be described in terms
of men working instead of statistics on
paper were apparent this week with the
letting of contracts and approval o.
local projects.
The first group of public works prof.
ects under the N. R. A. in Visions /
were contracted out late last week by
the State Highway Commission. Road
contracts totaling $680,000 were let to
three Wisconsin and three Minnesota
contractors. More than "a miles of
concrete roadway 20 feet wide are to be
laid under the contracts. Local labor
must be employed and the contracts
specify a maximum work week OF 80
hours with a minimum wage scale OF
from As to 62l2 cents per hour.
Proc-am Approved.
Madison this week welcomed the news
that $1,270,00G public works program
to be launched here had been given the
approval of the State Public Works
Board. Most of the work is that OF
sewer improvement and replacement.
State projects approved by the board
total $5,981 900, and include extensive
improvement and additions at State
penal, charitable and hospital institu-
tions, sewerage improvements for widely
scattered municipalities, water supply
and school projects.
Walter G. Caldwell. board chairman
and member of the Wisconsin Assembly,
declared this week that work would be
started in less than 80 days and per
haps within Is"
With Edward A. Fitzpatrick, State
administrator of the \. R. A, already
turning the heat on, employers slow to
sign the codes and obtain their Blue
Eagle insignia, Milwaukee business lead
erS boast that their city is leading the
country in N. r. A. membership. The
Association of Commerce there Tues
day declared that 60 per cent of the
employers in Milwaukee are flying the
Blue Eagle. Paul G. Treviranus, vice
chairman of the drive for voluntary N.
K. A. membership, said that By August
81 10000 persons will have been given
work and $40 .G00,0 or more added to
annual pay rolls in the county through
the operations of the code.
Boycott Hinted.
Administrator Fitzpatrick, in a Mil
Waukee address, declared that all that
are not with us are against u.s." and
limited that a boycott would be declared
against those refusing to accept the N.
R. A. program.
State figures reflect the optimism
that many communities are showing.
The industrial commission has Just an
nounced that the number of persons
employed in Wisconsin factories in
| creased 7.3 per cent from June Is to
July Is, following increased employ
ment in the preceding months OF the
Summer. Total pay rolls failed to keep
quite up with the rise in employment,
however. Their increase for the same
period was SO per cent
Factory employment increased in 80
out of the States 81 principal indus
tries during the month, the commission
reports. In Milwaukee 404 factories re-
ported 47,210 employees as of July Is. in
comparison with 44894 on June Is.
The average weekly pay roll of these
404 factories amounted to S057,046 in
July, as against S824,257 in June.
Following complaints that mortgage
foreclosures were being pressed at an
alarming rate, Gov. Schmedeman last
week issued a proclamation calling upon
local, county and Circuit Court judges
to take steps to retard foreclosures. Ee
declared it was the intent of legislation
passed during the recently adjourned
legislative session to empower the courts
to use great discretion in the fore
| closure actions.