Milford chronicle., 1935-08-09
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by JAMES PREsroM

The spending of the $4,SS0, 900, 900
relief funds is already providing its
headaches for the Administration,
even though the surface of expend-
ing it has barely been scraped. When
the bill was rushed through Con-
gress, it was said speed was neces-
sary to get people on of relief and
to work. When the appropriation
finally was made, July l was set as
deadline. That date went by with
the spending still wrapped securely
in red tape. November 1st was next
fixed as the deadlile, and to date
the creation of jobs with this money
is not hard to count.
The headaches are plentiful, how
ever. The Administration was caught
using the power Of the allOtments to
lobby reform legislation through
Congress. Enmities were created
within Democratic ranks over who
was to control expenditures, with
many state governors crying loudly.
Finally came the revelation in a
number of Western states that able
bodied men were refusing to harvest
crops so long as they could obtain
relief. II became necessary for
state authorities to step in and halt
relief payments until farm labor de-
mands could be filed.
80
On top of this, the Administration
suddenly found that expenditure Of
the billions for "hade-Work" with
out attempting to stimulate private |
employment by purchasing materials |
would leave the relief rolls the same |
size next year as this. Conferences |
have already been started with indi- |
cations that billions more will be |
asked of Congress next session. Some |
members of Congress Immediately
dug out the testimony of Admiral
government, who in testimony before
Congress as a New Deal spokesman
only a few months ago, said:
"The whole bill anticipates that
this will be the last needed stimula-
tion of business, will break the back
of the depression, and that, with a
rise in the tide of employment, the
people drawing the security wage on
projects will find en-
ployment in commercial lines. That
is the essence of the bill"
Based upon the new determination
to ask more money next session, the
phase of the program designed to
stimulate new jobs, is admittedly a
failure before the money begins to
pour out.
Another of the headaches originat-
I'd in Wisconsin, where President
Roosevelt has been playing more
closely with the so-called Progress
Sive. Senator LaFOllette, than with
he regular Democrats. With the
of a LaFollette, than
with the regular Democrats With |
he appointment of LaFOllette man Il
IS relief administrator, the Demo-
rats who had Joined with Republi-
,ans to defeat a LaFOllette relief II
Jlan in the legislature. boiled over.
resolution of condemnation is re-
ported being drafted. for presentation
It the convention next month in
of the Young Democrats,
It which President Roosevelt is ex-
'ected to open his campaign for re-
lection.
All of these developments give
'oint to the fact that the Republi-
ans may have been lacking in fore
light when they opposed the four
illion dollar allotment to the Presi-
ent on the ground that it would be
sed as a campaign fund next year
S in the 1884 Congressional cleo
ions. Some seasoned political OBJ
ervers in Washington now are be-
inning to wonder if the money
light not operate just the other way
s a boomerang. 1t promised re-
in private industry, and
jobs are not forthcoming the eff
sct cannot be helpful. They are
rging the President to discard ma
onal reforms and instead make re-
nployment the first goal.