Evening star., 1934-01-25
ROOSEVELT TO ASK
S89Q,0DO,OlO FUND
c. W. A. Will Get $3.50, 900,
With Remainder for Relief.
Probes Continue.

/ NfNASAA AAa VAC cPNIlt1li6 VI LllC uukC
civil works fund being investigated
along a wide front, President Roosevelt
today prepared to ask Congress for
$3.50, 100000, Of which 35O,0oO.0o will
go directly to the c. w. A. and the rest
for relief
Meanwhile, it became more apparent
that 1t is the administrators intention
gradually to taper of the c. w. A.
work as workers are returned to the
| fields and factories in the expected
Spring pickup.
In Washington's investigation Of c.
w. A. graft, two men were under arrest
and third was expected to be taken
into custody.
Investigation of the corruption re-
ported in the c. w. A. has been turned
over to variety of investigation agen-
cies of the Government. The Depart
ment Of Justice, with Joseph B. keenan,,
Assistant Attorney General, in charge,
was inquiring into several cases" turn
ed over to it by Civil Works Admin
istrator Harry L. Hopkins, where it ap-
pears possible criminal prosecution can
be resorted to.
Labor Department Acts.
The Department of Labor, at the
direction of Secretary Perkins, was in
vestigating scattered reports, which,
according to Miss Perkins. have charged
that Labor Department unemployment
Offices, which have been used to fill the
ranks of the C. w. A. as well as the
worker needs Of the Public Works Ad-
ministration, have been dominated in
some States by the political parties In
power in those States.
Miss Perkins said she has no plan
for punishment Of Unemployment ONCE
officials, preferring, when evidence Is
gathered, to "let the punishment fit the
deed"
C. w. A. investigators. working upon
orders of Administrator Hopkins. are
combing the country for evidences Of
Jacob Baker Hopkins assistant. In
charge Of the work.
Louis r. CLAWS, chief Of the special
investigating force Of the Interior De-
partment, yesterday was in conference
with keenan, and Baker on the entire
subject Of graft in the administration Of
public funds.
p. w. to Hold Purse Strings.
Meanwhile. as further safeguard
against graft and corruption in the
handling of the huge public works fund,
Public Works Administrator Ickes an
nounced that the P. w. A. will hold
the purse strings on every non-Federal
allotment made. The P. w. A. has
adopted policy, he said, Of advancing
money for the non-Federal projects in
| installments, either directly from the
Treasury or from escrow bank accounts.
! as the work progresses. Thus at no
time will there be available millions Of
dollars for any one job to tempt grafters.
Local officials will be required to
show what the money has been spent
| for before they get it.
In the Washington investigation
Joseph George McAlwee. ST. Of the 100
| block Of Park road, a c. w. A. super
visor, was arrested yesterday on
charge Of larceny by trick Thomas z.
Archer, Al. of the 1900 block of Euclid
street. also a supervisor. was arrested
Tuesday and is being held in $500
bond with three charges of larceny by
trick against him.
Both men have been working on the
rent survey here and it Is charged they
accepted money from c. w A. employees
under them as insurance against being
| discharged.
Ring Issues Statement
In answer to charges that supervisors
| hired for the rent survey got their
jobs through political influence, James
| Ring. rent research assistant to the
Public Utilities Commission, said today:
The fact is that all of the workers
on the rent survey were taken from
tho = Wy A pO1lc IN, tho nfNpo ~ rrd
Ruml When 1t became known that
| the survey was going to be made I
personally was literally deluged with
| hundreds upon hundreds Of applicants
| for jobs told one and all that they
must register with the c. w. A. EN-
ployment Office, under Mr.. Ruml. Many
of them brought Endorsements from
Senators, Congressman, District officials,
personal friends of mine and others,
but all were sent to the registration
Office.
AT that Office it was made plain to
me that Mr.. Ruml had the last word
to say as to who would get the jobs.
could recommend, and did recon-
| mend. many persons known to me to
be fitted for some Of the work I had
to do. Some of these were assigned
by Mr.. Ruml. Some were not.
1T happens that neither Of the
men arrested was carrying any po-
litical Endorsements. I have no per-
sonal recollection of hiring either.
Shortly after I had set up few key
men in the Office, most of the per-
sonnel work was handled by them, as
I had so many other pressing details
in connection with the survey to at
tend to-
Seeks Funds for Work.
The new funds the President Is ex-
pected to ask of Congress today are
expected to carry the C. w. A. through
the Spring, with Hopkins to be given
the discretion in using a portion OF the
$500 0000O0 Of relief funds for the C.
| w. A. If it is found necessary to carry
| it beyond May l. when the c. w. A.
funds are expected to be exhausted
Hopkins, in statement late yester-
day. said there appears to be wide
spread misunderstanding as to the ex-
tent Of the graft and corruption in the
c. w. A., declaring 1t is of small pro-
portions, In terms Of the number of per-
+, sons employed on civil works and Of
/ the amount of money expended.
But any graft in an undertaking of
/ this nature, and at the expense of those
who have suffered the brunt Of the
| depression. is so despicable that when
1t is exposed it is quite naturally magni-
| fled in the public mind beyond its
actual proportions in terms Of dollars
or malefactions.
Hopkins to Investigate.
1T Is unfair to the loyal and devoted
workers in the Civil Works Administra.
tion to assume that the Civil Works Ad-
ministration is by any stretch of the
imagination permeated with graft or
| corruption. No evidence has been
brought to my attention that would
warrant any such statement or belief
However, I am unwilling either
complacently to condone or otherwise
tolerate any graft or collision in the
Civil Works Administration. will con.
tinue to follow up and carefully investi-
gate every charge of unfaithful service
The least the public and the unem.