Evening star., 1934-09-06
Seek to Avoid Menacing
Competition With Private
Production.
HOME CONSTRUCTION
WORK TO BE EXPANDED
Transient Division Spends $3,.
100000 Monthly to Aid
226,741 Persons.
BY the Associated Press.


Relief officials today charted the
course of Winter work for the needy
unemployed in the face of the fear of
private business that it was menacing
competition for private production.
They said they wanted the work of
people on relief rolls to take care of
relief needs.
Construction of low-cost homes for
destitute families was outlined OFF,
cially as an important project already
started and destined to expand with
these other projects to be utilized:
Repairing rundown houses in ex-
change for their use by persons on
relief; making of dresses, towels, bed
comforters and mattresses in relief
sewing rooms; canneries run by State
relief administrations to can vegeta-
bles grown in the gardens of relief
workers and part Of the meat bought
by the Government from drought-hit
farmers; highway and park improve
ments; jobless teachers to conduct
workers classes and relief nurseries;
destruction of old, unsafe buildings,
especially in slum areas, is to be car
ried on; professional and white
collar" workers used wherever possible
in statistical surveys for the Govern
ment and clerical positions.
(Note: For Washington relief
families, 1t was indicated at the
District Building today that low
cost housing and large-scale sub
sistence farming projects will be
started soon If the District Govern
ment can obtain Federal funds for
the program. Story on page BID
Plan to Build Factories.
Meanwhile, plans for building small
factories with Federal funds to fur
nish jobs for subsistence homestead
ers have been drawn up by oficials
OF the Interior Departments sub
sistence homestead division.
If no legal obstacles are found, it
was learned today, the plans will be
put into effect shortly.
The factories, under the plan, would
be erected at some Of the subsistence
homestead projects developed by the
division.
The plant would be built by Coop
erative associations Of the homestead
ers with Government money and un-
der Government supervision rather
than directly by the Government.
Operators of the plants would lease
the buildings or purchase them over
a long-term period.
Original plans for Arthurdale home
steads at Reedsyille, w. Va, the first OF
the subsistence homestead projects to
be carried out by the division, called
for the erection of Government
owned and operated factory there for
the manufacture of post office equip
ment, but the plan was blocked when
Congress refused to authorize the
manufacture Of equipment in such
manner.
Since then negotiations have been
under way to bring private industries
into Reedsville, with view to fol-
lowing the same procedure in many
of the other projects.
The cooperative associations Of the
various subsistence homestead develop
ments also will handle the marketing
of surplus farm produce and posi-
bly, will enter into barter negotiations,
division officials said.
Experiment on Wood.
In Wisconsin a group will expert
ment on the uses of wood, their find
ings to guide relief workers and
Government housing as we'll as private
industry.
State relief administrators have
looked about in recent weeks to de-
termine the number of idle shoe fac
tories they might lease and the num-
ber of idle leather workers on their
rolls.
Samples Of shoes turned out in a
plant at Norwood, Ohio, have been
sent to relief headquarters here.
Problem Not So Staggering.
Direct Federal relief for stranded
families, transient job-seekers, and the
wandering army Of the road in general
swung into its second year yesterday
with officials convinced the problem
is not so staggering as it looked IL
months ago.
On the anniversary Of its first ex-
penditures, the transient division of
the Federal Relief Administration dis
closed it was spending approximately
100000 monthly to help the tram
sient and homeless population. AS now
enrolled, this army includes 226,74l
persons.
Elizabeth wickenden, youthful as
sistant to the director of the divi-
sion, explained:
Our experience has failed to bear
out many of the estimates made
year or two ago. Many writers fig
ured 100000 or 100000 persons
were wandering about the country.
1T is doubtful If more than SOC, 900
ever were on the road"
She agreed the Federal figures did
not account for habitual tramps, who
prefer their "jungles" to the ordered
life of the transient camps.