The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1934-12-17
los BILLIONS IN
PUBLIC WORKS
IS PROPOSED
Report Gives President
Broad Analysis of the Ma
tons Long-Range Needs.
ASK PERMANENT PLAN
Document Charts Possibility
of Government Aid in
Many Fields.
By scrfpps-Hooard Newspaper Alliance

By Scrfpps-Horard Newspaper Alliance
WASHINGTON. Dec. 17.-Desir-
able public works aggregating los
billion dollars might be undertaken
in the next 20 to 30 years. the Ma
tional Resources Board told Presi-
dent Roosevelt today in report OF
enormous scope.
Advocating permanent and CO.
ordinated state, regional and ma
tional planning agencies, the board
recommended adoption of a six
year national development program,
to be revised from year to year in
relation to national income and I'M
employment.
AT the present rate of expendi-
ture, "a billions would be spent for
public works in 10 years, the board
estimated. But if demonstrable c
ficiencieS in needs we're met, t.
board estimated 20 billions would b
spent from 1885 to 1914 inclusive.
Hailed by Ickes
The report was hailed by Harold
l.. Ickes, Secretary of the Interior
and Public Works Administrator, as
zone of the most important pieces
OF work ever done by the Govern
ment."
Mr.. Ickes is chairman of the Re-
sources Board, which also includes
Secretaries Dern, Wallace, Roper
and Perkins. Relief Administrator
Hopkins, Frederic A. Delano,
Charles E. Merriam and Wesley c..
Mitchell. A large staff of experts
co-operated:
The voluminouS report covered
public works planning, water re-
source development, land use and
mineral conservation.
The boards water planning Sec
ton recommended immediate de-
tailed surveys of II rivers in IL
great watersheds. While extensive
planning would be necessary, the
board said public works develop
ments in these rivers could be pre-
pared for contract within year
or less" and without waste"
Advocate Vast Purchases
The land section advocated vast
purchases of submarginal land its
conversion into public forests, wild
life refugees, Fairgrounds and addi-
lions to Indian reservations.
The mineral resources section
urged extension of the controls on
mining now imposed through NRA
codes, and suggested steps to pre-
vent development Of unneeded
mines.
Surveys Of highway needs and
continuation OF public housing ac-
tivities-but with coordination Of
the Federal agencies involved
were recommended. Other works
suggested as desirable we're water
way developments and rural cleo
trification.
"A list of ali types of worth while
public works, such as recreation
facilities. public buildings. soil ero-
sion control, ETC., would take pages
if it were complete" the board said.
Nine-Point Program
BY its own summary, the boards
program would:
Il. Provide for systematic de-
velopment of our water resources
for purposes of sanitation, power,
industrial uses, transportation, rec
reation. domestic consumption and
other collateral uses on far high
er scale than ever before.
-. Remove the recurring menace
of great floods and vast losses to
persons and property.
''3. Eliminate the use of land in
capable of affording a minimum
standard of living. develop agricul-
tural production on the most suit
able soils only, and aid in raising
the standard of living in many
agricultural regions.
Il. Reduce the heavy losses of
soil caused by uncontrolled erosion
IS. End the wasteful use of our
mineral resources and substitute a
national policy of mineral conserva-
ton.
IS. Make available large areas OF
land for purpose of popular recrea-
ton.
~. Assemble basic data in regard
to mapping, public finance and
population, necessary for national
planning.
IS. Avoid the extravaganza caused
by failure TO coordinate public
works-Federal. state and local,
bring about better programming OF
socially useful public works; pre-
pare public works projects suitable
if desired, for use in emergency
situations.
%. Provide for continuous long
range planning of land, water and
mineral resources in relation tc
each other and TO the larger back
ground of The social and economic
life in which they are set"