Evening star., 1934-02-20
Officials Prepare to Issue
Order Dismissing 500
c. W. A. Workers.
FUNDS FOR BUILDING
MATERIAL REQUESTED
Some Employees on Relief Prof.
ects Will Be Retained by
Transfers.

While preparing to issue orders for
the dismissal of 500 or more Dis
trict civil works employees, as a re-
suit Of the cut in the job quota from
10000 to $4,000, District officials TO-
day appealed to Federal C. w. A.
authorities for S25, 500 to assure COM
pletlon OF two swimming pools started
by the Office of National Capital
Parks.
The pools are being constructed at
the Takoma and at the Banneker
recreation centers. They are more
than SO per cent completed. but the
cost OF materials needed for the re-
malnder OF the work is comparatively
high and the question Of funds was
sent today to Jacob Baker, an assist
ant to Harry L. Hopkins, Federal C..
w. A. head.
Hopkins said he believed the pools
could be completed, but suggested
that such questions be brought Off
cially to the attention of his Office
instead OF being the subject Of in
formal campaigns.
Limit Prevents Work.
In letter to Baker, Capt. Howard
F. Clark, executive officer of the Dis
trict c. w. A., stated it did not appear
the District could take over the two
swimming pool jobs while operating
under the limit of $250,00O for mate
r1als through the end of the c. w. A..
program here May /. He said it was
estimated S25.600 would be needed for
materials for these projects, or 10 per
cent Of the entire total available, al
though it affected only $50 jobs out
OF the Districts quota Of $4,000. He
added:
I'VE desire to see the pools finished
and would like to know if you would
favorably receive request for an ad-
ditional allotment of S25,600, SO that
the District projects may not be seri-
ously nconVenienced."
Clark estimated 1000 Jobs would
have to be wiped out as a result of
the reduction in the quota here, but
said the number to be dismissed prob
ably could be held down to 500
through the reassignment of about
700 workers to Federal projects, un-
der instructions received this morn
ing. He said. however, this would
depend to some degree on whether
available workers can be found on
the present rolls qualified to do the
work in Federal projects.
Workers Transferred.
He received instructions for re-
assignment of about 400 to the Cen
sus of American Business, a score to
the Census of Real Estate Taxation,
about so to a project for improvement
of Howard University and more than
100 others to new assignments at the
Census Bureau.
District officials said many of the
highway projects under c. w A. now
would be abandoned because they had
reached the point where a large por-
ton of the cost would have to go for
the purchase of materials Grading
and other preliminary work. he said,
calls for but little expense for ma
terials. whereas the laying of ele-
mentary roadbeds steps up the cost
for materials.
The extent to which the District
will have to contract its construction
programs under c. w. A. was seen
today in a statement that since No.
vember Is the District has been ex-
pending an average of 100000 a
week for truck hire and materials on
such projects, whereas now the Dis
trict has only S25O,O00 to cover all
such costs over a period of 10 weeks.
When told that some of the District
c. w. A. projects were threatened
because Of lack of funds, Hopkins said
he felt all worthwhile jobs could be
finished
I'VE will get them fixed up some
way or other" he said.