Evening star., 1933-07-01
Public Works Administration
and Budget Bureau to
Decide on Funds.
RULINGS DUE ON THREE
CONSTRUCTION PROGRAMS
Questions Hinge Principally on
Whether City May Spend
Its Own Money.

Two Federal agencies Hold In tteA
hands the power to put to work-or to
keep from work-several thousand men
in the District during the course of the
fiscal year which began today. These
are the public works administration and
the Bureau of the Budget Their word
is being anxiously awaited at the Dis
trict Building, where three different
construction programs are hinging on
various edicts, principally on whethey
the District will be allowed to spend it's
CWn money.
In the highway construction field, the
director OF the budget has power to
allow or not, as he sees fit, the District
to spend Sl,500,000 of gasoline tax
money collected from its own motorists.
The District is also awaiting decision
from the public works administration
on an ALLEGATION of about 81 900 900 of
Federal funds for highway work in the
District.
300 Jobs Imperilled.
Assuming for the moment that
neither sum is forthcoming, then the
highway department will be compelled
to drop $50 to 300 men of its regular
0Nli41llCl 4OASC VI tOO. Ills OOcS IlOG
take into account the work available
for men working under contractors en-
ployed on highway jobs. The highway
departments appropriation for this
fiscal year is So per cent of that for
last year, and the men must be thrown
out of work unless the extra funds
are forthcoming Of these about 200
would be laborers and skilled laborers,
about so truck drivers end shop men
and about so engineers and inspectors
If the director of the budget should
allow the District to spend its own
81 100000, then the regular highway
force would be maintained intact, but
many additional men would find work
with highway contractors. The con-
struction of the Calvert Street Bridge.
one of the items requested. would put
125 to $50 men to work for year.
The rest Of the items would furnish
$500 man hours" of labor here.
Would Increase Force.
Should the District get the 81. 500, 900
gasoline tax allotment and also the
s2.000,oo0 FEDERAL grant. then its regu-
lar highway force would be increased
by about so engineers and inspectors,
and the allotment would furnish an
additional 1850 man hours" of work
for those employed by highway con-
tractors.
The budget director also has power II
allow the Water Department to spe' !
S635,000 of the Districts own wat
rents or net. as he chooses. Assum:r9
that he refuses to allow a penny, thr
20 men now employed by the depa7.-
ment lose their jobs. 35 of them in tn0
meter installation force and the 9TH
in the maintenance group.
Assuming that he allows the entic
sum, then the departments force vii,
BE- maintained intact. and in addition
the mercy will furnish employment for
400 men for one year working under
contractors who build water mains.
The common labor on the jobs men
toned is paid $3.50 Fer week of 80
hours, usually five siX-hour days.
Situation Complicated.
The public works administration also
has power to construct public works
here, or to finance, in part, public works
20 be constructed by the District. The
amount to be spent. however, rests
IN the discretion of the public works
administrator and several complications
make it impossible to calculate the
exact number of jobs involved
The Municipal Architects Office.
which would probably be the Office
entrusted with carrying on any of the
building decided upon. let out of its
80 men yesterday. Whether they could
be hired back if the District were allot-
ted some of the public works is prob
lematical
In this Office Congress has appro-
priated for only a handful of regular
employees. and the others hired on a
per diem basis, and are paid out of a
3 per cent allowance from construction
appropriations. The construction jobs
appropriated for this year account for
only Sl,o00,000, or an architects ap-
preparation of only $4,000, and under
this still more employees of the office
are to be let out during the course of
the fiscal year.
It is not known whether any part Of
the public works allotment will be ear
marked for architectural services, and
the present force at the municipal
architects office could not handle
much of an increase in work.