Evening star., 1934-01-21
CHARGES AGAINST
c. W. IN ALABAMA
ARE INVESTIGATED
U. S. Agents Probe Alleged
Employment of Ineligible
Persons.
BY FISHER ROTHERMEL.

Special Dispatch TO The Star.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala, January 90
Charges that C. w. A. rolls in Alabama
have contained the names of many per-
sons ineligible for the relief jobs brought
Federal Investigators into this area this
week and the statement that thorough
inquiry would be made of all COM
plants.
The decision by Administrator Hop
kins in Washington to send a personal
representative to Alabama for an in
vestigation of complaints followed num-
elous charges that many thousands OF
ineligible persons were under the Ala
bema C. w. A. program. Most of the
ineligibility, according to the charges,
is in cases where several members OF
cne family were employed by the
c. w. A. or where person was engaged
by the c. w. A. when another member
of the family was earning livelihood
Most of the complaints were settled
when State Administrator Thad Holt
issued an order to county adminlstra-
tors to remove from the pay roll all per-
sons with other members OF the 1amliy
employed except in cases where the
additional c. w. A. pay was needed to
assure minimum family budget More
than 5000 names were thus taken from
the rolls, Mr. Holt said.
ColIusiOn Alleged.
Additional complaints, however, o!
collusion in placing relatives in good
positions with the C. w. A. and OF fav-
oritism and politics In other respects
have come from various sections Of the
State. They have resulted in the ols-
charge OF one employe OF Ine aepairI- 1i,I
ment at Montgomery for alleged coilu-
sion with a merchant in the eXactlon
Of fees from persons placed on the
c. w. A. pay roll.
Most of the trouble, according to Mr..
Holt. has arisen from the speed which
the c. w. A. program was undertaken
in the State. The State last OCTOBER
he said, had 454,739 persons on public
relief rolls, adding that putting SUP
stantial portion of these on G. w. a;
projects was unavoidably accompanied
BY irregularities.
have not interfered with the relief pro,
gram. Alabama was one OF several
States in which orders were issued py
Administrator Hopkins to spread the
work by putting civil works employees on
a 15-hour a week basis in the smaller
cities.
Business Is Better.
MEANWHILE evidence accumulates OF
Increasing private business. The report
this week of the Alabama Mining IN
stitute of pig iron output in 1888 shows
a considerable increase over 1882. Inc
respective figures we're 2,112,00o tons
and 1.3740O0 tons. Still more encour-
aging was the fact that during 1883, the
Alabama mills shipped 2.133.4 400 tons
of pig iron, or more than was produced.
This cut in surplus stock is regarded as
especially encouraging 49,.
Alabama will go over the top IN the
le34-35 cotton acreage reductlon cam
uaign, according to DR.. l.. N. duncan
Auburn. director of the Alabama Exten-
sion Service and head of the campaign.
The campaign swung into full SWING
this week after preliminary meetings
had been held for farmers IN all sec
tions of the State. First reports from
the campaign indicated hearty support,
especially in view Of the slo,ooo'ooo
that Alabama cotton farmers nave re-
ceived in some form or other Tor tnelr
co-operation with the reduction cam
paign of last Summer.
Alabama farmers this year. Dr.. Dun
can said would profit s10.794Ooo ny
cooperating in the program Whlcn is
designed to take 1,336,000 acres out OF
production from the flve-year base aver
age of 34l6000 acres.