Evening star., 1935-09-26
JOHNSON PIONEERS
IN v. P. A. JUNGLE
Hacks Through Red Tape
and Smooths Path for
State Programs.

NEW YORK, September 26 N.A.
N.A).-When Gen. Hugh S. johnson
starts up and down the land shortly
after october Is denouncing the w.
p. A. and other features of the New
Deal he considers lousy" he will Ii
effect be spanking his own child. For
no one in the country, outside III
washington, has had so much to do
with shaping the organization that is
now tuned to turn out $500, 900 jobs
by November /.
Flamboyantly disputing the whole
idea of Government-ma work as
opposed to dole, and telling President
Roosevelt so in no weasel words at
every opportunity, Gen. johnson has
nonetheless been first-class ''pr'V-
ing ground" for the s4 600, 600, 900 pro-
gram.
In engineering New York w, p
AS flying start. which sent the city
ahead of the entire country combined
in Jobs created, Gen. johnson eX-
posed the weak spots in initial regu-
lations written in washington and
swept away jungleS Of red tape with
o torrent of expletives.
Pioneers for Others.
AS a result, other cities, starting
more slowly. can move down the path
Gen. johnson has cut His unique
personality and knack Of organizin3
have accomplished exactly the task
Mr.. Roosevelt and Harry L. Hopkins
had in mind when they appointed
him. Now he's ready to get out.
Gen. johnson has been hurdling
obstacles ever since the day he stepped
on to the hottest spot" of the vast
program. But the results he achieved
will be felt not only here, where the
total of useful jobs already created
has passed 10000 and is still jump
ing. but throughout the country.
The complete decentralization Of
w. p. A. just announced. by Hopkins,
for example, was a direct result of
Gen. Johnson's demands that the orig
inal regulations, written to please
everybody in the cumbersome, three
headed organization which started to
administer the 81 ,0o0, 900 900 from the
Capital. be iunked.
This viii place the same respon-
sibility on the State administrators as
Gen. johnson has held for few
weeks. and give them the flexibility
and freedom of action which enabled
his program to get into high without
delay.
Leans Wage Hurdle.
It was the proving ground" also
which solved the bitter prevailing
wage" row for Mr.. Roosevelt and
Hopkins. Gen. johnson fought or
eanized labor to the SIG to S94 secu-
rity wage set-up in Washington. but
simultaneously was fighting Wash
ington to get the minimum working
hours. previously set at 12o month
changed.
Gen. johnson convinced Mr.. Roose-
welt and Hopkins that it would do no
harm to permit an increase in the
real hourly rate. If the security wage
remained the same per month. In
other words, the projects from now
ON win cost more but the central aim
of putting a given number of men to
work for given sum will not be
abandoned or changed in the slight
est.
1t was a compromise that has
worked in New York, and has now
been ordered for the entire country.
Another fly in Gen. Johnson's oint-
ment was the National Re-employ-
ment Service. Mr. Roosevelt had es-
tanlished the rule that progress ad-
ministrators, IF possible" should take
men from relief rolls through the N
r. S. Gen. johnson asked N. r. S.
for $4,000 workers and after waiting
for days got 5000.
Junks N. r. S. System.
The testy general dumped N. r. S.
overheard. He handed the RESPONSE
bility Of setting up Job intake" to
his most able organizer, his son, Lieut.
Kilbourne johnson. The intake"
churned workers through at the rate
Of 5000 to 5000 a day.
Another nightmare was handling
pay rolls. particularly synchronizing
the transfer from the relief rolls by
eSO1 CO Va lllOAodlIQS. lie 1dCb LID \
families on relief were living up to
their last penny" and that there must
be drag between getting job and
its first pay check caused some hun
ger and much hubbub
Lieut.. johnson got Washington,s ap-
proval of plan to pay S13 relief
check after Jobs had started.
Not the least of Gen. johnson s
headaches was his own "administra-
tive staff" This is composed of about
5000 persons.
There was no time to reorganizc
3t,a said johnson. u simply set my
own general staff en- top and Jold
'em to make the big, cumbersome, un-
wteldy outfit produce"
This staff" is composed chiefly of
s hard-bitten group of United States
Army engineers. There are three other
key" members: Lieut. Johnston, Miss
Frances Robinson, Gen. Johnson's
secretary, who was power in N. r. A.,
and Mrs. Anna Rosenberg, who was
State director of N r. A. for New
York. Mrs. Rosenberg is in charge
OF white-collar projects. but is resign
ing. Mrs. Rosenberg, close personal
friend of the President is reputed TO
be "the smarteSt woman in New York
politics"
(Copyright. 1885. by the North American n
Newspaper Alliance. IncD
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