, 1934-12-10
The World
AT Glance
BY LESLIE EICHEL
Central Press Staff Writer

NEW YORK, Dec. I0.-Critics Q
the Roosevelt administration o.
public spending soon may be with
drawing many Of their criticism.
The administration has Seriou
figures.
Actually, 40 million persons ma.
be dependent this winter on publ
relief or public work.
That Is a third Of the population
Cut the little that each now re
ceives-and the persons cut ma.
try TO take II for themselves.
This writer has discussed the sit.
uation with a number OF relief dis
penSerS.
The dispensers are genuinely
alarmed. They place much OF the
blame on the administration.
One relief dispenser says:
From month to month there II
a hiatus until we know whether We
are TO continue-snd how far W,
are TO 90. AS q result, there Is nc
program: there is nothing accom-
plished toward a solution"
One OF the heads OF a public
works project believes there could
be a partial solution If a longtime
public works plan were adopted.
This man contends:
we could benefit society as a
whole BY proceeding on a perman-
ent plan.
"As il is. there are costly begin
ningS and doubtful procedures. We
do not know from month to month
whether we are to continue.
Even such a simple thing as the
purchase OF pencils 10 draw plans
take months to negotiate"
Ickes
Harold L. Ickes. secretary OF the
interior, is proving the strong man
OF the administration.
His public works plans are hon
est. sincere and remunerative, &C.
cording TO public works men.
But IckeS is hedged on n side
by politicians and on the other side
by commercial Interests.
Housing
Housing Is where the Chief bat
tie has broken.
The Wall Street Journal states
half the case:
Decision Of the Roosevelt ad-
m~inistration to provide the under
privileged masses with housing .ney
can't afford under private capital
ism Is philoSophically just another
triumph OF human values over prop
erty values. Practically It is the
broadeSt scoialistic step the New
Dealers have yet proposed
The other half Of The case Is this;
as stated by Charles p. Stewart
Central Press Washington CORES
pondent:
James Moffett. Of the federal
housing corporation objected to the
Ickes housing plan because It &C
does threaten private busi-
ness-the money lenders.
Stewart estimates that the inter-
est on house borrowings under the
Moffett plan would be 95 per cent
under the Ickes plan, 3 per cent.
But the Ickes plan would do more,
according 10 Stewart: II would liter
ally give a perpetual loan to the
underprivileged. II would. in effect,
provide merely q rental charge. The
property would be public property.
And what is this, Stewart asks,
except the Single Tax Of Henry
George. which Is gaining increasing
adherents as a means out Of the
depression.
Explanation
The wall Street Journal CORE
spondent offers an explanation on
The presidents settlement Of the
housing issues:
Boiled down, the Chis) decision
IS simply that the lowest income
yroup in the United States should
nave better living conditions. even
it can't pay for then.
Several explanations suggest
~.
First. the jobleSs must be fed,
work relief Is better than a dole,
housing makes work and fills a real
iocial need at the same time.
Second. private capital. auc0ur-
Iged by a partial government guar
lntee against loss. is functioning
veil in providing housing for chose
Who can afford it, so If the gov
'rnment wants to go into housing
or work relief purposes X must
ither compete with private capital
" seek a new field. Housing for
with very low incomes or no
Incomes AZ all Is a field private
is leaving strictly alone, ma
Third. there Is a strong unuer-
urrent Of belief in some admins
circles that the New Deals
cal opposition Is on its left, rot
n its right .
Fourth. whether the housing
Projects eventually prove Self-sup-
or not. they will bring IN
ONE revenue. and to thai extent
Constitute Self-liquidating projects
nd minimize the net addition to the
ublic debt"
The amazing feature OF an this
is the fact that ali sorts
Z excuses have 10 be co-trived in
rider for the government q pro-
ide housing for millions q It's citi-
nns-not for nothing. but Al a ,ess
ate than money lenders are will
~ 70 ehaTSe.