The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1934-03-24
ICKES TO SPEND
S5OO,OOO,OOO
MORE ON PWA
Administrator Finds Return
OF Confidence Among
Business Men.
BY LYLE c. WILSON
United Press staff Correspondent
lConrrfrht 1929 hr Trrtted prersl

fD|kfAaAt 1907 IN kf44ttu EIbtht
WASHINGTON, March 24.-Big
business is inclined to forget lessons
of the depression, Interior Secretary
Harold L. Ickes told the United
Press today as his public works adj
mlnistaation organization prepared
to handle another 100000. 900 of
emergency construction funds.
The additional $500 900. 900 to be
obtained from congress at this ses-
sion will carry the PWA spending
program as far as it has been
charted, the administrator said. It
will bring almost to $4,000 900 900
the sum allotted to Mr.. Ickes with
which to prime the recovery pump.
About six months was required to
distribute the original $4,000, 900 ,000
Mr.. Ickes allocated the first 81 ,000,-
100000 within month after becom-
ing public works administrator last
July. 1t has been the biggest peace
time spending job undertaken by
any one, anywhere.
Return of Confidence
The Secretary-ad administrator talked
To-Day at his square desk in the
paneled Office which was one of
the sights of Washington when the
interior department building was
erected during the Wilson admins
tration. Room and building are al
most shabby now compared with the
limestone palaces of the Hoover
era. A new interior department
building probably will be raised with
some of the additional money to be
administered by Mr.. Ickes.
There has been a return of con-
fidence among business men," Mr..
Ickes remarked during a comforta-
BILE talk on things and people in
Washington, but it is unfortunate
that it has been accompanied by
some back-sliding toward rugged
individualism.' Among those who
were most disturbed a year ago and
insistent that government not only
aid them, but actually undertake to
govern their indutries, there is a
tendency to forget a disposition to
go back to the old style. Rugged
individuahsm' best describes what
mean. 1t was a combination of dog
eat-dog and strong -exploit-th
weak. It led us finally through the
Harding Coolidge Hoover admins |
trations to economic collapse. We
aren't out of the woods yet, but
hope and believe we are on our way |
THE very success of government |
efforts to improve conditions has |
famed the fire of inordinate greed |
and selfish desire for profit. There
is a tendency to disregard the rights |
of other, a disposition to ride ruth
lesly over all opposition which char
acterized many business men before
the altar of rugged individualism |
crumbled on its own foundations.
Business Men Should Remember
Before business men, big or lit |
tie, forget the lessons of depres-
sion, they should think back a year
ago or more to the time when this |
administration entered office to the
tune of bank doors changing shut.
They should remember the Sickly
-tirud with which business, indus
try and trade hit bottom. There
was no bounce. They should recall
the bread lines in which stood mil
lions of men and women who now
have jobs either from private bust
ness or on emergency pay rolls.
"We have gone far since March a
year ago. We must go much fur
ther. The so-called good old days
of government by and for the rich
at the expense of the poor are
gone"
The s5OO,oOO,OO0 to be provided
Mr. Ickes is part of a $1,000 100000
fund for which President Roosevelt
budgeted for the next fiscal year,
beginning July l, 1884. He planned
to divide it as follows:
Six hundred million dollars to re-
lief, S500,00,000 to public works;
$500, 100000 to RFC; 100000 900 to
civilian conservation corps. $780,
100000 to farm credit administra-
ton and home loan.
That $2,O00,000O00 represents the
last of contemplated emergency ex-
penditures.