Evening star., 1935-04-15
P.W.A. HEAD ASKS
J.. S. SPEND MORE
Real Difficulty So Far Is That
S3,7OO,OO0, 900 Is Not
Enough, ICkes Says.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
PHILADELPHIA, April 15-Harold
L. Ickes, Secretary of the Interior and
public works administrator, defended
Federal spending today with the decla-
ration, 1T is more important in these
times to preserve the morale of the
people than it is to balance set OF
books"
From the same platform where
Lewis w. Douglas, former director OF
the United States budget, last month
warned Of a possible dictatorship as
the ultimate result Of continued Gov
eminent expenditures, Ickes told
Wharton School students Of the Uni
versity of Pennsylvania that the public
works program grew from 1.-The
cowardice Of private capital and its
refusal to come out from under the
bed"
Answering Douglas. the cabinet
officer denied that danger Of dictator
ship exists and likened Federal spend
ing to the Indebtedness incurred by
business in capital expenditures.
Cash Source Held Unimp0rtant.
1.-THE reservoir of money in the
country must be tapped for life blood
to infuse into the veins of industry in
order to combat the pernicious anemia
from which it has been suffering" he
said. There are two sources through
which this life blood can be obtained;
one is private capitalism and the other
is the Federal Treasury. If one source
is clogged, then. if the patient is to
be saved, the other outlet must be
resorted to.
After all, in theory, does 1t make
a great deal of difference which faucet
is turned on in order to get this money
into circulation? It is the same money
regardless of its depository. It is the
wealth of America, the accumulation
of the Drawn of the workmen OF
America, as well as the brains of the
capitalists of America"
Many Loans Repaid.
Continuing. Secretary Ickes said:
MIR. Douglas must know, but he
did not tell you, that many OF our
projects are self-liquidating; that
more than a billion dollars will be
returned to the Government with in
terest, and that the Government is
protected by collateral on approx
mately three -fou-tnS of the reimburs-
able amount
Nor did he make known to you
that already P. w. A. has sold ap-
proximately S75,000,0 900 worth of bonds
taken by it to secure advances on
construction projects, at a profit to
the Government of more than a mil
lion dollars"
Ickes said that in view of the record
it is absurd" to say P. w. A. has
been failure, because it has not taken
men of relief rolls and put them on
pay rolls.
More Spending Planned.
"The real difficulty has been that
not enough money has gone into the
Federal P. w. A. program. You can
not do the work of $4,000, 100000 a
year with $3,7OO, 100000 spread over
two years. Some people either ex-
pected too much or they cannot forego
even poor opportunity to criticize.
Lacking divine power, the admins
traitor could not perform a loves-and-
fishes miracle
Fortunately, Congress has just
made an appropriation for the con-
tinuation of the public works pro-
gram. The country may be assured
that we are not turning backwards.
We are not even halting in our tracks.
We are driving straight forward, our
hands on the plow, following. the fur
row that we hope and believe will turn
the soil for such a harvest as will add
to the peace, prosperity and happiness
of the people"