The Waterbury Democrat., 1933-12-04
Firm Under Assault


 
 President Franklin D. Roosevelt's pres tige has not dropped one point in this re- cent assault upon him and his national policies. Assailed by both democrats and republicans he has not wavered from his chosen course of action. He has by his very perseverance won more admiration than any chief executive of recent years. But it is not our intention at this point to dwell on the increasing popularity of the man in the White House. We would like to take issue with those critics who find in our emergency organizations at Washing ton food for subtle sarcasm and outright attack.
 We were surprised to see even Alfred E. Smith declaring that the Civil Works Administration of the administration was nothing more than smoke screen to cov- CT up the failure of the Public Works Ad- ministration. While it is apparent to a great many people that the latter has not lived up to the high standard set for 1t, we don't quite class it as failure. It has provided much employment. It will con- tinue to do so. It has enabled cities and states to finance many projects for which no funds were available. However, it did not go so far as to dictate to whom em- ployment would be given on such jobs. That is the avowed intention of the CWA. It removes from civic relief lists all the unemployed.
 Regardless of its effects it has at least served a. good purpose. It has provided, too, in a short space of time an enormous number of jobs. If these jobs are but con- tined for one year the amount of money involved and the sums that will thus pass from hand to hand will be sufficient to re- lieve the pressing needs of millions. As far as we can learn one of the reasons for continued hard times has been the and boarded. Uncle Sam proposes to re- lack of actual money. It has been cornered lease it by extending unlimited credit and by placing in the hands of the people who do the most spending the necessary cur rency.
 There was much hostility to the Civil ian Conservation Corps when it was pro- posed. Yet in short space of time the idea has spread like wildfire. Today there is no thought of ending this experiment. In fact it might even be continued ln- definitely provided the funds can be pro- cured Certainly, it is an excellent means of keeping young boys off the roads. In addition it enables state and federal gov- ernments to clean up their public lands and perform many tasks that would otherwise be held up for many long years. We're inclined to think the coming years will show that the Roosevelt conception of meeting the problems of the depres-' sion was the very best possible.
 Quoting the New York Times, Put your left hand down flat on the map of Westchester County and you will have rough and ready guide to the developing highway system in the northeast quadrant of the metropolitan region. The little finger will lie parallel to the Hudson River, indicating the Albany Post Road. The fourth finger will mark the route of the great Eastern State Parkway, de- signed to provide a separate express high way north through Putnam and Duchess Counties for distance of more than a hundred miles. The middle finger will fall on Route 22, familiar to all motoring up to the Berkshires along the State line. The index finger will point out new route through Westchester to Danbury, which the Regional Plan would like to see developed some day. The thumb will come to rest naturally on our old friend, the Boston Post Road. Between the thumb and the index finger lies the pro- posed Merritt Highway, about which there has been more debate and more curiosity in Fairfield county than any other road project has inspired in many year. ' Can it be possible that our fame is going out into the hinterlands? But then it's natural after all the criti- cism that has been hurled back and forth.