Evening star., 1935-04-05
HOPKINS BACKS
"BOON-DOGGL|NG" J"
Strikes Back at Critics OF
White-ColIar Projects
in New York.

With characteristic vigor, Relief Ad.
ministrator Harry L. Hopkins yes
terday ripped into critics of white COL
lar relief projects in New York City.
now being investigated by an alder
manic committee.
Anybody who objects because the
Federal Government is using relief
money to teach idle white-col work.
ers how to use their leisure time in
such respites as 'eurythmic dancing"
-doggling" or other types Of
work-relief which have been criti-
clzed, ARE too damn dumb to appre-
ciate the finer things of life" Hopkins
challenged. He served notice he had
no intention Of banning such projects.
Criticism Of how New York City
relief was being expended got under
Hopkins own collar, and he was
primed for such questions at his usual
press conference.
Defends Projects.
He lost no time in going after his
critics and put in a sharp defense
Of the projects under fire.
They don't know anything about
it, and haven't taken the trouble to
investigate" Hopkins declared.
White collar people have got to do
something" he added, pounding his
desk.
oon-doggling," 1t was explained,
is the making of useful gadgets. The
relief administrator stoutly defended
the elief-financed lessons in dancing
cited by the New York critics.
investigator" he shot back. mo
there's nothing the matter with 1t.
These are good projects-all Of
them. People who don't understand
foreign languages sometimes laugh
when they hear them. Dumb people
make fun Of things they don't under
stand
I'VE have been giving work to
lot Of white-collar people. We didn't
go out and hire them. They were
broke. They came on relief. We put
them to work. And 81 per, cent of all
the money spent on these projects
have gone on relief-only 3 per cent
for materials.
We have no apologies to make for
any Of these projects"
Work Will Be Continued.
Hopkins promised that lots of
projects, the best" would be continued
with the $500 600, 900 set aside in the
work-relief bill to assist unemployed
white collar workers. The projects,
he said, were selected by experts.
physicians, educators and psycholo-
2ists.
Asked about his own view Of the
utility Of investigating what becomes
of old safety pins, Hopkins replied:
"A lot of these people who are
talking and writing know nothing
about the subject. have a pile of
letters here from business men-if
that means anything-saying that
these are fine projects.
"A lot Of these critics are not wor-
ried about whether any of these prof.
ects are useful or not When they
begin to shoot, they are shooting at
white collar people. Some Of them
think it would be nice If we put
these people out with picks and
shovels to repair the streets. Well.
there are other things in life besides
streets-which the city ought to keep
in repair anyway"
A great many Of the needy on
work-relief are college graduates,
Hopkins explained, well equipped to
DO many kinds. of research.
Those who criticize, he said, think
college graduates should sit at home
and get basket Of groceries"
Lloyd Paul Stryker, chief counsel TO
the Aldermanic Investigating Commit
tee, in New York, had characterized
some OF the projects as not only use
less. but lust bunk"
He made this observation after the
committee had spent a hilarious dav
listening to testimony about the Jobs
to which New Yorks idle hands have
been put-for both pleasure and profit.