Evening star., 1934-04-01
VAST CIVIL WORK
ARMY ABOLISHED
P. W. A. Absorbs Only Part
of Million and Quarter
Made JobIess.
BY the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
The Government last night mus
tered out its army Of civil workers
better than a million and a quarter
OF them-and pushed along with
plans either to absorb them in public
works or see to it that they become
workers on relief rolls.
The Civil Works Administration
program was pinch-hit affair,
swiftly conceived and put into action
to stand of starvation until tie heavy
machinery of public works snd the
processes of industrial recovert beean
functioning fully.
The Public Works Administrators
was prepared to take over may OF
those on the civil works pay roll. but
1t likewise was certain that at no one
time would 1t have on its own pay
roll all the civil workers who left that
project last night. The men night
work at one time or another for D Ib-
lie works, it was explained, but there
was no prospect of taking them pVo-
en- maSSe.
Few Left Of 100000. 4
The civil workers who stacked their
picks and shovels for the last time
last night. represented what was left
OF an army that reached a peak
strength of 100000. The work they
did touched almost every conceivable
trade, industry and profession-it
ranged from digging drainage bitches
TO doing frescoes on the walls OF pub
lie buildings.
The Public Works Administration.
under the direction of Secretary Ickes,
predicted yesterday that vastly more
men would be given work. directly and
indirectly, under the public works pro-
gram, now swinging into maximum
activity, but that in many instances
the work period would be a matter of
years, not weeks.
Public works spokesmen pointed out
that where their funds were used for
naval vessel construction, the period
would run in many instances as high
as three years
The Public Works Administration.
when President Roosevelt started tt
last year, was staked with a s3.2OO.-
100000 bank roll. Out of this
81 1880, ,825370 was allotted for Federal
projects under the direct supervision
OF public works. another billion was
set aside for other Federal contracts.
such as the civil works, the Civilian
Conservation Corps, Army and Navy
work, and the other third was allocat-
ed for Federal assistance to subdiyi-
slons of Government desiring to
project public works.
Canefrnnf;ox,
Approximately rs per cent of the
billion-dollar sum for straight Federal
projects that was in the construction
contract stage, Secretary Ickes re-
ported the precise figure being Sl,04l,.
3l0,46S, of which 1896, ,466, ,490 repre-
sented contracts awarded and day
labor work started. The balance, Ickes
said. was being advertised for contract.
With the $4,000. 100000 fund now
allocated, the administration already
is understood to have started plotting
out additional expenditures to carry
on the program. Although admins
tration officials have not submitted a
definite request to Congress for funds,
it is understood $500, ZOO, 900 figure
has been considered.
In addition to this, tentative plans
have been made for the Reconstruc.
tion Corporation to again take up di-
rect participation in public works
projects
The amount involved for the Re-
construction Corporation plan is even
less definite than that for the pro-
posed public works appropriation.
Roughly, the proposal is to use money
secured by the corporation from re-
payments on loans already made.
The new loans would be primarily
to municipalities, with the Public
Works Administration assisting to the
extent of making grants of 80 per
cent of the projects.
Navy Department Lea Is.
The Navy Department, under the
figures Ickes has on hand, stands we'll
out in front of those taking immedi-
ate advantage of the public works
money for Federal projects. OF the
S238,o00, 900 for ship construction un-
der the new naval program and other
Navy projects, S222.000. 900 in con-
tracts have been awarded or used to
hire day labor.
The War Department, whose corps
of engineers is supervising a s225,-
422.908 public works allotment for
rivers and harbors, flood control and
sea coast defenses, has put 70 per
cent, s199. .623. .359, into the contract
stage up to date.