Evening star., 1935-10-20
PRESIDENT PLANS
/ v. P. A. ACTION
Personal Attention to Be
Given Program Setback
During Absence.
BY NELSON M. SHEPARD.


President Roosevelt will return to
the Capital this week and take per-
sonal stock of an harassed works re-
lief program that has made only
slight progress during the three weeks
of his absence in struggling to reach
an employment goal of 3,15o.0oo jobs
by November !.
With only IL days Of grace left,
the impression prevailed yesterday IN
oficial circles that the President
would begin Immediately after his re-
turn to slash red tape in final ef-
fort to redeem the administrators
cft-repeated promise. To do this ne
must first take measures to expedite
the clearance of s332.374,35O remain
ing in w. P. A. funds, which are
clogged in the channels Of Controller
General McCarl's Office.
officials said the release of this
sum-all that remains from the ST.
157183,480 that was allotted to P. w.
A. by the President-would go long
way in meeting the present shortage
of some 100000 jobs.
The only rosy touch given to the
dreary works-relief program last week
was announcement Of the Public
Works Administration that it had
succeeded in launching its own $133,-
O96,OOO slum- clearance and loW-rent
housing program within the required
time.
Bids - :. Foundations.
Bv calling for foundation bids on 21
projects totaling S70,00O,000, includ-
ing the proposed Langdon Terrace IN
Washington, the Housing DIVISION
brought to As the total number Of
projects in beating the deadline for
contract awards by four days. with
renewed confidence the division was
preparing to hurdle its final dead
line on or before December Is. the
date set for starting construction work
on the entire slum- clearance program.
Crowded out of the main works.
relief picture. Secretary 1ckes is ex-
pected to return to the city slightly
in advance of the President ana WILL
move to expedite the heavy construc-
ton phases of his own program, which
is admittedly in excellent shape.
Harry L. Hopkins, works progress ad-
ministrator, on whose shoulders the
burden of the employment drive has
fallen, also will be on deck during the
middle of the week to join with Mr..
Roosevelt in efforts to pull the works
employment program out OF the hole.
The only remaining project not in
cluded in yesterdays call for founda-
ton bids for housing was one at
Schenectady, N. Y, which was ap-
proved only few days ago.
Ickes' housing development, when
completed, will provide accommoda-
tions for $4,000 families and is the
largest of its kind ever undertaken.
Included in the foundation bids called
for are the S12,783 900 Williamsburg
project for New York City. Work was
expected to start within month, at
least, on the s1,6Oo,0OO development
for colored families on the Benning
road site in Washington.
Extensive Construction.
Once the housing program is actu-
ally in the construction phase its ef-
fects on employment and the fabrica-
tion Of building materials will be far
spread. Director A. B. ClaS estimated
pay roll of over $38,000,000 for 50,-
600 men to be employed directly dur
ing construction. Another pay roll
Of s30.0oo,000 will be distributed "be-
hind the lines" through factory en-
ployment necessitated.
Finances, more than anything else,
seem to be the main trouble with the
tagging w. P. A. drive. Ways will
have to be worked out, officials said,
to speed spending.
The total amount Of work funds
available for immediate expenditure
by Hopkins State directors. many
of whom have allowed their programs
to slacken, was boosted to S824,814,14
yesterday by Controller General Nc
Carl's release of an additional ST.
10000 for distribution in 28 States.
He still has S332,372 $50 to counter
sign. This means the study Of hun
dreds of projects of every description
designed to produce quick work. When
the money is turned over to the State
directors, work of this sort can be
started in matter of a few days.
With twice as many projects approved
by the President as there is money
to carry them out, the discretion in
choosing those that will put the great
est number of persons at work in the
shortest time is left to the State di-
rectorS.
Vast Projects Approved.
PraNlent Roosevelt already has ap-
proved S2,529, ,672, 500 worth of w. p.
A. projects from the lists submitted
to him. The fact the programs have
to go through his hands to the con-
troller general and be re-examined, no
doubt, has been one of the prime fac
tors in the delay in putting men to
work
While Aubrey Williams, acting w.
p. A. administrator, predicted last
week that the employment goal will
be reached in time, little chance was
seen, however, In other circles that the
program will be stepped up 1000 900
jobs in u days. Virtually all w. P. A.
projects will be carried out by contract
and the presidential deadline for
awarding them is only three days
away.
Williams, who acquired a record
breaking spending reputation under
the old civil works program of a year
ago, said this week would witness a
remarkable pickup in the employment
drive. State directors, 1t was claimed,
are prepared to launch thousands of
projects during the next IL days.
These programs, officials claimed, are
counted on to put the employment
drive over-or nearly so.
Little hope exists. however, that
many more States will be relieved of
their relief rolls before November is.
Federal participation has ended in
only six States thus far, and the Re
lief Administration is preparing to
spend some $50,000,000 to carry the
relief rolls through November IS.
With bi-monthly pay rolls for men