Evening star., 1935-06-05
Work-Relief and Schools.

A major loss to the community, re-
kulting from Senate conferees' acquies-
ence IN the continuation of the low
lump sum Of s57OO.OOO in the pending
District bill. lies IN school construc-
ton items.
Rv increasing the lump sum the
Senate MADE possible the inclusion OF
q number of greatly needed school
construction projects which would
have represented a fair start toward
p delayed building program. Most OF
these have now been eliminated.
School construction which should
have been started long before is faced
with further delay. 1t is difficult
10 See how the schools viii ever be
able 10 catch up in building require
ments under the present system of
appropriations. which barely allows
revenues for adequate maintenance.
The loss of the school items from
The District bill should center imme-
dlately renewed attention on the plan
for utilizing p part of the local work
relief funds on school and library
construction. LaSi Winter the school
and library authorities submitted to
the District Commissioners lists Of APP
proved construction items which well
might fall within the scope of work
relief expenditures then under
stood. The school items were roughly
divided into three general classical
tionS Those which would require
maximum Of labor and minimum
Of material, such as the grading
and general improvement of school
grounds. those which would include
the Improvement and repair of school
structures. and those which would in
CIude new school construction. The
library authorities submitted build
ing program of branch libraries.
which was made more practical than
ever by the fact that the sites for the
buildings are already owned by NUM-
Cipal or Semi-Federal agencies, and
could be utilized for branch libraries.
These suggested projects have been
undergoing study at the District
Building, but the local authorities are
AZ vet uninfOrmpd as 10 the exact
policy 10 be laid down by the Federal
Government in work-relIef expendi-
lures.
Surely no more practical or useful
method Of spending part Of the work
relief funds could be found than in
the Improvement and construction
program for the schools and for the
branch libraries, which supplement the
work Of the schools. The purpose Of
the Work-relief funds. generally speak
ing is To take employables off the
relief rolls and put them to work. If
the nature of the work is not bene-
fetal to the community or does not
fall in the category of really useful
and necessary work, much of the lost
motion represented in the former
C. W. A. experiment will be repeated.
There is work to be done-work which
may otherwise be delayed for
yparS-and there are men and
money available for doing the work.
Few projects would bring a greater
return 10 the community than those
which have 10 do with the improve
nert Of school and library facilities.
Many Of the school construction
Items Included in the list of projects
submitted to the Commissioners-and
which were previously included in the
list Of urgently needed school projects
submitted to Secretary Ickes by the
United States Commissioner of Educa-
tion. John w. Studebaker-W
placed in the District bill by the
Senate, but have now been eliminated
by the failure of the conferees to
increase the lump sum.
They should appropriately be con-
eidered now, along with other school
and library items, as opportunities for
the rational and useful expenditure
Of Uork-relief funds.