Evening star., 1934-07-12

security .s required 70 assure such re-
payment.
g. p. W. A. wfil not cnnrfye at any
violation Of legal restrictions on polit-
ical subdivisions assuming debts, and
where such restrictions exist they
must BE- removed by legal means as
condition precedent TO securing p.
W A loan
4P. W A. viii not encourage 10
calitles to become hopeleSsly bank
rupt. no matter what may be the at
titude Of the ofscials Of those Iocali-
ties.
S. All projects adopted must Be for
the welfare Of the people and not Tor
private profit.
s. Public money is regarded by p.
W. A. as a public trust fund and any
misuse Of It will be regarded as De-
trsyal Of public trust.
Many Projects Rejected.
Adherence to these policies has re-
suited in the rejection Of numerous
protects brought forward by sincere
advocates. An almost universal plea
in behalf of all projects is that they
will furnish wide employment. This
Ia essential, but not conclusive. Otner
crtteria must guide US. Any con-
struction. from perpetual motion ma
chimes 10 skyrockets 10 the moon, VIII
give employment. but they are not
necessarily economically sound or
socially useful. .
WINE employment Of men out Of
work results from our program, endur-
ing utilitarian monuments constitute
the chief achievements Of p. w a.
The final success Of the program rests
in large measure on the quality ana
nurpose of the many thousands oil
FEDERAL and non Federal construction
proiects which dot the map as re-
covery funds flow into every State and
section Of the country.
Practically all new construction
work now being done by the Federal
Government is under allotment to its
various agencies from the Pubic
Works Administration. Fitted into the
comprehensive public works program
are many enterprises planned earlier,
and some that had already actually
been started but which could not be
carried on because of lack of money.
Federal construction, through direct
use of Government funds for Govern
ment purposes, includes vast variety
OF work. such as flood control, river
and harbor Improvements, public
buildings. as. for instance, park struc-
lures. customs houses and immigration
stations, post ofi1ces and court houses;
new naval vessels, Navy shore stations.
housing and other Army post con-
struction; great dams and power plants
on rivers. including the Missouri, Co
lumbia, Colorado and Tennessee; ir-
rigation. reclamation, conservation
work and the like. P. w. A. is pour
ing over a billion of dollars into such
useful construction.
other Side Impressive.
1t is the other panel of the picture
which means most to the average citi-
zen. This shows what non-Federal
building is being done as a result OF
the p. w. A. program in the way OF
roads. streets, schools. libraries. hos
pitals. power plants, water works, sew
age systems and other similar funda-
mentally sound types of public i'm
provements for the community use Of
the average citizen. Allotments for
this character of work total more than
81, ,317, 900 900.
Had it not been for the public works
program il is safe to say that con-
struction of these badly needed pub
lie improvements would have been de-
layed indefinitely, because most States,
municipalities and other political sub
divisions have been unable to borrow
money on reasonable terms, If at all,
In the private investment market for
building purposes. No matter how
badly the improvements might be
needed. the money could not be OBJ
tanned. Normal sources of credit had
dried up.
Nom Federal projects are harder to
get started than the Federal work be-
cause of State and local regulations
and difficulties over which P. w. A.
has no jurisdiction or control. Every
pressure is exercised to get projects
under way. That over rs per cent of
them are in work demonstrates that
1t can be and is being done.
1t must be borne in mind that
p. w. A. cannot make funds available
automatically. Cities have limited
powers, which they can only exercise
in accordance with the law. P. w. A.
has no power to relieve municipalities
from the requirements imposed by
local laws. Applicants must conform
to their own laws, and submit their
acquisitions for funds in accordance
with the terms of their contracts with
P. w. A. If essential records are in
proper form, p w. A. can get the
money out within very few days
after receipt of properly prepared
requisition accompanied by the papers
called for in the contract. II P. w. A.
instructions are not followed, the COM
mencement of work will be CORE
Spondingly delayed, but all possible
assistance is given applicants.
Approximately half billion dollars