Evening star., 1933-09-24
OFFICIALS MOVE
FORWARD TO BRING
: RELIEF TO J0BLESS
$7,000,000 in Requests Al
ready Submitted to WASH
ington for Approval.
BY EDWIN CAMP.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
ATLANTA. Ga, September 23.-Al-
though the question of the right Of the
State of Georgia to borrow money has
been raised, and although many civil
subdivisions already have reached their
debt contracting limit unter the State
constitution, Georgia is planning to ex-
pend $70,000,00 of Federal funds in
construction of projects to stimulate
business recovery and provide employ
ment for persons out of work.
The States share of the $4,000 .000,-
600 public works fund on the basis of
$40 per capita will be approximately
$60,000,000 for self-liquidating projects
and s10,0O0,000 more will come from
the appropriation for the building OF in
terstate highways and feeder roads.
During the period when the latter
appropriation was held up, so far as
Georgia was concerned, because of the
dubious legal status Of the State High
way Department, plans were pushed by
engineers of the department for con-
struction to begin as soon as the fund
should be released. Now that the Ag-
ricultural Department has authorized
the grant, to be expended under Gov
eminent supervision. work will be
started as soon as the plans can be
passed on In Washington.
The State and the political subdi-
visions are filing rapidly their projects
for self -liquidating improvements with
the State Advisory Board, preferred
consideration being given to sewerage,
water supply and health projects.
Seven million dollars in requests
have already been submitted to the
board in Washington and the first of
the projects has been authorized. 1t
was a loan of $4,000 for 10 school
buildings to be erected in Richmond
County, of which Augusta Is the seat.
The Government gave 80 per cent out
right and the county will pay back only
S479,0OO within 80 years with per
cent interest.
Among the projects for Vhich Georgia
has made application are 81 800 900 by
the State to build prism on the vast
property purchased a few years ago IN
Tattnal County; several million dollars
asked by the State Board of Control for
the eleemosynary institutions to care
for a metropolitan sewerage system in
Atlanta and its suburbs; s2,500,00G for
the electridcation of the Augusta Canal;
$4,000, 900 for Atlanta public school con-
struction; $1,500,000 for municipal port
terminals at Savannah, and so on.
Sentiment generally favors utilization
of the available fund to the limit be-
cause of the States unique financial
status. Georgia's bonded debt is less
than 100000, the smallest in the
Nation, and its already well developed
system of highways has been built on a
pay-as-you-go basis
While tax revenues in the last three
years have failed to meet the legislative
appropriations and deficits have proved
a problem in several departments, the
State itself is in admirable condition as
regards debts, and the general public
favors creation of heavy obligations at
this time to alleviate unemployment
The majority of the projects to be
recommended to washington are for
undertakings in the cities and their
suburbs, for it is there that the greatest
unemployment exists.
The State Re-enlployment Committee,
headed by Gator Woolford, has estab-
lished effective organization in every
locality and is now ready to give the
work provided by the public works
projects to those now out of jobs.
Georgia was slow to make its first
request, but perhaps will have the salts
faction of feeling later that the money
was expended in the most helpful way,
for the groundwork has been laid for
the most beneficial of projects and for
administering the funds In the spirit of
the recovery act.