The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1934-11-03
THE PUBLIC WORKS ADMINS.
TRATION

great boom period which marked the
nineteen-twenties, private business
waved many flag over its hundred
million dollar enterprises. In the de-
preston Of the thirties which follow
ed, the government Of the United
States showed its own Official mettle
and came forward with enterprises
aggregating almost four billion dol
lars.
It was . part Of the national effort
to relieve unemployment through
the medium Of providing useful con-
structive work for men to do. OF Ill
the alphabet bureaus created Under
stress Of the difficult times, the Pub
lie Works Administration babe fair
to be the one Of greatest impermAn-
ence.
The act Of congress, approved June
Is, 1888, which created the PWA, de-
clared that the fabulous appropria-
ton vouchsafed was to be devoted
TO serve the Interests Of the general
public" The appropriation, In the
first year, reached the fever degree
Of $500, 000, 900.
The expenditures fell into six prin-
cipal categories, each one Of which
was calculated to furnish q maximum
Of employment; directly by the pay
ment Of wages to workers, and indi-
rectly through creating . demand for
materials. BY the late summer Of
1894, $1,578 000, 900 had been made
available for federal projects; $780,
100000 for non-federal projects: 81
000,0o0 for relief highways: $50.O00,-
600 for the Tennessee valley author
ity; $l28, 600, 900 for the Emergency
Housing corporation; and 1892, 900 600
for various reconstruction projects.
In general charge Of the ALLEGATION
Of these sums was placed Harold l..
Ickes, secretary Of the interior. who
was designated Public Works Admin
istrator by the president. Under him
there was rapidly built up, both at
Washington and in the field, numer-
GUS staff. The administrators had the
benefit Of advisory services Of the
special board Of Public Works which
had been created. This was COM
posed Of the secretary Of war, the
attorney general, the secretary Of
agriculture, the secretary Of COM
merce, the secretary Of labor, the d.
rector Of the budget. Rear Admiral
Christian J. Peoples, and the deputy
administrator Of public works. Col.
H. M. Waite. Secretary Ickes served
Is chairman.
Next q national planning board was
organized under the Craftsmanship Of
Frederic A. Delano. This body's du-
ties consisted Of large-scale, long
range planning Of the public works
to be undertaken.
Enormous Machine Created
Because Of the widespread inctd-
ence Of the public works . state en-
gineer WAS appointed for each state
and territory save that Vermont and
New Hampshire were grouped under
q single engineer and also Rhode
Island and Connecticut. Also state
engineer inspectors were named. The
need for 50 elaborate an organization
can be appreciated from the statement
that by the end Of the first year Of
operation there was ct least one pub
lie works project in 90 per cent Of Ill
counties In the United States.
The direct employment Of workers
proceeded rapidly. BY December /.
1888. 100000 men were on Public
Works payrolls. BY the end Of March,
1894, this number had mounted to
$4,000. The peak expected was 700,-
600. OF the first $1,000, 900 900 Of pro-
jects. II per cent dealt with construc-
ton. This meant that, IN the north.
employment would be seasonal, the
number Of workers declining In the
winter months when outdoor work IS
impracticable.
The organic legislation provided
that the authority to allocate funds
should expire by Limitation June Is,