The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1935-12-05
NATION WIDE SURVEY ON
RELIEF HAS BEEN MADE
Emphasizes Probability of a Sec
end Enormous Federal Work
Relief Program for 1861

| just come out of Washington and it
emphasized the probability of a sec
ond enormous federal work relief pro-
gram in the 1867 fiscal year. With
the New Deals present $4,880,00O 900
anti-depression effort at it's top notch,
estimates were for work relief ex-
penditures Of between $1,000,000,
and $2,000,OO0,O00 to meet the needs
of the nations jobless for II months
after next July /.
AS the government cuts off direct
relief funds to states the survey
showed that:
MANY political subdivisions con-
tend they are without funds to pro-
vide for unemplOyables.
2-Some 100000 needy, classed as
''unemplOy ables", have been forced on
to state, county and local care.
3-The S4,OOO,OOOOOO Work Relief
program promises to change the
face" of the country with projects,
ranging from draining malarial
swamps in Alabama to connecting the
Gulf of Mexico with the Atlantic
Ocean by planning a canal across
Florida.
But perhaps most important in the
future work relief outlook was the
agreement of relief experts that most
of the 100000 now listed on govern
ment payrolls would not be returned
to private industry by next July, when
the present program expires.
The climax of the relief program
developed from a series of dramatic
events starting last January, when
the New Deal faced decision of vast
Importance to the nation. Twenty and
one-half million persons-one-sixth of
the population of the countrywide
pended on the government for food,
clothing, and shelter. The govern
ment was spending 100000 a day
to meet their bare needs. The Admin
istration's $4,000, 100000 public works
program had failed to make jobs.
The President had to decide whether
to continue the expensive dole or re-
vert to the year-old civil works adj
ministration that made jobs for 4,000,-
900 persons for four months at cost
of $1,000,000,O00, or launch a huge
work-relief program to end direct re-
lief by financing jobs for year for
all able bodied family bread winners
out of work.
The government outright dole policy
had cost $2,750,0O0,OOO in the year
and seven months since May, 1888.
Work-relief would be at least twice as
expensive. The Presidents decision
came in his open message to Con-
gress. The government, he said,
should end "this business Of relief.
This was his plan;
Congress should vote S4,O00,OOO,O00
the largest appropriation in Ameri-
cas- peace-time history-for one
year work-relief program.
The New Deal would put 100000
able-bodied needy on federal payrolls.
They represented, with most of them
heads of impoverished families, some
100000 persons.
They should receive from $40 a
month for unskilled laborers in the
South to $94 for professional workers
in northern cities. Monthly doles had
averaged $22.5O family.
The government would compile
work projects in every state, county,
and city. Needy, as far as practical,
would be given work with which they
were familiar. Ditch diggers would
dig bitches. Artists would paint pic
lures. Jobless vaudeville performers
would sing and dance.
Mr.. Roosevelt was forced to use
personal political pressure to push the
resolution through Congress. In ad-
dition, there was voted $88O,OOO, 900 to
close out the dole.
With $4,88O,OOO,OOO at his COM
mand, the President made Harry l..
Hopkins his chief aide and created five
new alphabetical agencies to do the
spending.
Most important was WPA-the
Works Progress Administration
signed to spend some $1,2OO,O0O,000
on small, cheap work projects.
The White House also created the
rural resettlement administration to
retire unproductive land and moving
farmers to fertile fields.
In all, the program put some 3,000,-
900 persons to work, officials estimate,
and it added more than $4,000 new
government workers throughout the
country. But more that that, it raised
political and social problems which
will play role vital to every Ameri-
can in the 1886 presidential campaign
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