Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1934-02-15
Action Of C. w. A. In MARYLAND
By HARRY GREENSTEIN

"
and trade or through Governmental
agencies, has been and still is one of
the most interesting and anxiously re-
garded items with which newspapers
and the general public alike are con-
cerned.
Beyond question, the present Ma
tional Administration is at the one
time seeking immediate and ultimate
solutions to the problems generated by
unemployment. Any program there
fore, which has been submitted to the
nation, and which hopes, in some
measure, to solve this most urgent
problem, becomes the immediate con-
Germ of everyone. Upon its success
hinges the lives of many millions of
American citizens. Its failure may
have tragic consequences.
On November 9Th, President Roose-
velt announced the creation of Civil
Works Administration constituting a
fundamental change in the Federal
program to deal with unemployment
aspects of the depression" The new
plan was designed 'to remove from
relief all employable persons" the
number in that category being esti-
mated at two million, and to employ
an equally additional number of job
less persons at regular wages on reg
ular Civil Works projects that could
be undertaken Immediately.
Explaining the plan before a con-
ference of State, County and City
officials at Washington week later,
the President said that "this particu-
lar Efforts to put four million peo-
pie from the list of those still unem-
ployed back to work during the winter
months, so that we can honestly say,
as nation, that this winter is not 60
ing to be like last Winter or the win
ter before" He expressed confidence
that 'the mere fact of giving real
wages to four million Americans who
are today not getting wages, is going
to do more to relieve suffering and to
lift the morale of the nation than any
thing undertaken before"
Speed and Action were the watch
words laid down by the Federal Civil
Works Administration. 1t was ruled
on November 18th that all persons on
work relief and all work relief pro-
jects under the administration of the
relief agency, should, on November
10Th, be transferred to the Civil
Works Administration. Similarly it
was provided that employable persons
receiving direct relief on November
18th should be transferred to Civil
Works on or before December LIST, and
that by December 18th, the total quota
for Civil Works jobs allotted to Mary
land, should be filled by drawing upon
the registrants who had applied for
employment through the local offices
of the United States Employment Ser
vice. 1t should be pointed out that the
U. S. Employment Service of Mary
land, directed by Mr.. Oliver C. Short,
is separate organization and is in no
way responsible to any relief or civil
works agency in the State. Its policies
are directed by the Federal Depart
ment of Labor, and not by the Civil
Works Administration. Its personnel
in Maryland was selected by Mr..
Short and is responsible to him. The
Civil Works Administration in the
City and in the Counties merely re-
QUESTION the number of men needed
on each approved project from the
Unemployment Office. The selection Of
the men required rests squarely with
the Unemployment Offices. This clear
cut division of responsibility between
C. w. A. and the Unemployment
Offices in the employment of men on
the job was determined upon by
Washington deliberately in order to
avoid the necessity of compelling any
person to apply to a relief office for
work.
AAO illob oCilOu p WYNN AS@~NS -
was to fix the policy to be followed in
approving Civil Works projects. We
felt it was extremely important that
only socially sound and useful projects
of some. permanent value should be
approved by us.
We strove, in general way, to al
locateshpth men and materials to four
general types of projects: (a) Road
projects including grading, foresta-
ton, clearing, ditching and the like;
(b) public building reconstruction, in
Guiding schools, hospitals, public rec
reational centers, &c; (c) sanitation
projects including water supply, sewer
extension, &c; and (d) civil works SER
vice projects which include admins
trative, nursing and health programs,
research, clerical and general service.
AS of January 26th, 1,244 projects
were approved nv the State c.. w. A..