Evening star., 1935-04-09
SPL|T-UP Of P.W.A.
PLANNED BY |CKES
TO HASTEN RELIEF
Aim of Decentralization Is
Coordination and Speed
for Projects.
CHANGE INVOLVES CUT
IN 5000 WORKING HERE
President Blames Senate Delay
for Cancellation of Much
Useful Work.
BY the associated Press.

Secretary of Interior Ickes v
day a new decentralized Pub, )
Administration would be crc in
the States to speed new projects and
coordinate them with other parts of
the $4,000 100000 work program.
His statement at press conference
conformed with other official assur-
ences that greater home rule" will
be sought to accelerate spending the
work fund and transferring 3,500,000
jobless from direct to work relief.
Ickes said he plans to set up legal,
financial and engineering divisions
"in miniature" in the States 80 they
can pass on the projects ard send
them in here"
5000 Employed by p. w. A.
He added that the new organization,
which he said, could be set up i'm
nediately," would cooperate with
State planning councils in the entire
program.
For the two years of operation Of
p. w. A. a force between $500 and
5000 employees has been maintained
IN Washington to direct the program
in the field. While no estimate can
be made at this time, marked re-
duction in the Washington staff would
follow any general decentralization
program, many hundreds OF employees
here being sent to augment the State
stats of P. w. A.
Ickes said that $50 far as possible
labor on projects ought to come from
relief rolls
Despite an informal ruling by Con-
troller General McCarl's office that
purchase of submarginal land and
subsistence homesteads were not au-
thorized by the work act, Ickes said it
was his own opinion" that the act
was broad enough to cover subsistence
homesteads.
Speeds on to New York.
After signing the work relief bill
Into law late yesterday while return
ing from fishing trip off the Florida
coast, Mr.. RooSeverlt sped on to New
York to attend the funeral today of
his cousin, Warren Delano Robbins,
the American Minister to Canada.
Government circles noted that a
statement issued aboard his train as
he signed the job-making measure
contained these sentences:
1T should be noted that the long
delay in the Senate has made neces-
sary the transfer OF many millions
of dollars previously allocated to
highly useful, permanent projects to
immediate emergency relief work.
This money came from the recovery
act appropriation of 1888.
Many of the projects which have
been Cancelled because of this cannot
now be continued under the terms of
the new law"
The President did not go into de-
tail regarding the projects which
would have to be abandoned He said
some of the laSt-minute amendments
to the bill presented "a number of
new questions" but that interested
departments and agencies had recon-
mended that he approve the measure.
Jobs for 3,5OO,0OO Planned.
The word in administration circles,
meanwhile, asserted that State and
community officials will have impor-
tant roles in the program, which aims
at providing jobs for 100000 per-
sons now on relief. Procedure some
what similar to that employed in
G. w. AS billion dollar drive against
unemployment year ago was out
lined at conference of regional relief
engineers which assembled here yes
terday.
proposals for work projects were ex-
amined by local relief councils, for
warded to State relief administrators
for approval and in most cases brought
to the attention of Washington head
quarters only after they were under
way.
Immediately after affixing his sig
nature to the works bill yesterday, the
President directed that S125 ,000, 900 of
the fund be made available to the Re-
lief Administration, whose treasury
was nearly empty, and that 100000, 900
be turned over at once to carry on the
Civilian Conservation Corps.
Leaves for Capital Today.
Further moves, including appoint
ment Of board to administer the en-
tire fund, were left for announce
ment after his return to the Capital.
He planned to leave New York imme-
diately after the funeral of Mr.. Rob-
bins today.
In authoritative quarters here it was
said the largest single share of the
appropriation is destined to go to the
Relief Administration.
Mr.. RooSevelt'S comment that some
amendments to the works bill raised
new" questions recalled number of
last-minute changes in the bill
One was requirement that Is per
cent Of loans and grants for State and
community public works be spent di-
rectly or indirectly for labor. Another,
the amendment by Senator George,
Democrat, Of Georgia, authorized the
President to make benefit payments to
farmers out of the fund. Still an
other stipulated that the Senate must
confirm appointments Of new work re-
lief officials who will draw more than
$1,000 a year.
Some officials have expressed con-
cern in the last few days over ten
tative ruling by Controller General
McCarl's Office that works funds
could not be used for purchasing un-
productive farm land which the Gov
eminent wants to transform into
parks, forests and game refugees.
Meanwhile, officials estimated 81, ,l40
will be spent under the bill during the
coming year for each of the 3,500,000
destitute persons to be put to work.
The rate of expenditure under G. w.
A. was reported to have been $500 a
year, although that program lasted