Evening star., 1934-02-09
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MARYLAND and Virginia.
All Other States and Canada.
Putting on the Brakes.

The Roosevelt administration yes
terday won its fight in the Senate to
prevent expansion of the funds for
the Civil Works Administration and
emergency relief beyond the $950000.
600 recommended. BY overwhelming
votes amendments offered by Senator
Cutting of New Mexico and by Sen
ator La Toilette of Wisconsin, both
Progressive Republicans and support
ers of President Roosevelt during the
campaign of 1882, to raise the funds
to 500.000,000 and $l,500 900 900
respectively were rejected. The ad-
ministration is determined, it is re-
ported to bring to an end the civil
works program by May l If it can,
realizing the danger of having this
huge and costly experiment perma-
nently fastened on the Government.
There seems no doubt, however,
that the pressure for the continuance
Of this civil works fund and the en-
ployment Of millions of men and
women thereby will grow as the time
comes for putting 1t finally out OF
commission Even if there is big
upturn in business adding to private
employment. and even If the public
works program. getting into its full
stride, absorbs thousands of those now
on the civil works pay roll, there will
still be the demand for the Govern
ment to continue this measure of re-
lief. Having just added S450000,O0o
to the civil works fund and another
S500,000 1000 for direct relief the evil
day of wholesale dismissal from the
civil works rolls has been postponed
for weeks if not for months. But
what will be the situation two months
from now? The demands made upon
the President and upon the Congress
will be more and more insistent with
the passing weeks.
While the Senate was upholding the
Presidents hand and denying the far
greater sums for the civil works pro-
gram demanded by Senators Cutting
and La Toilette, the Republican Ma
uonal Committee was issuing 9 new
political pamphlet entitled &C. w. A.
Scandals" In this broadside the G.
Q. p committee characterized the c.
". A. as a political set-up to shovel
out public funds and to put people on
the Government pay rolls "as
favor"
The President was called upon-and
20 was the Congress-by the Repub
Lean National Committee to put an
end without any delay whatever to
the civil works program, which was
described as 'paternalistic organ
ization" to carry the 1884 congress
sional elections for the Democrats
And further, the committee insisted
that the whole affair had been shown
to be honeycombed with graft, and
quoted Harry L. Hopkins, Civil Works
Administrator, as saying: I'VE are
spending tens of thousands Of dollars
just to investigate charges of graft
that fairly fill the air. The lid is
liable to blow of at any minute"
Undoubtedly the civil works pro-
gram has been effective in taking mil
lions Of men and women of the relief
rolls. On the other hand, it has made
Jobs for lot of people who were not
on relief rolls and had no vital need
of Government funds to carry on.
But honeycombed with graft or not,
misused by local politicians or not,
there seems no doubt that the civil
works program has been Of great as
sistance in time of emergency to
great many persons in dire need. 1t
is clear, however, that such a plan
cannot be carried forward indefinite
ly, even If it were possible to admin
lister it without the slightest breath
Of scandal. The President is quite
right in his effort to taper off these
expenditures and to bring them to as
early a halt as possible. The brakes
are being applied. The only question
Is, will they hold?