Evening star., 1935-04-24

than 60 existing Government agen-
cies, involving 8 of the 10 regular
Government departments - Treasury
War, Justice, Navy, Interior, Agricul-
ture, Commerce and Labor.
In addition a number of independ-
ent agencies were called on to par
,icipate in the pros ram, including the
Federal Power Commission. Veterans
Administration, Tennessee Valley Au-
thority and Emergency Relief Admin
lstration.
The latter agency, headed by
Hopkins, will continue to function
only as is necessary to provide direct
relief where a work program is not
fully under way.
The President indicated, however,
that Hopkins would be a member OF
the all-important general allotment
board of the work program.
1t will be necessary to add num-
her of employees to the regular Gov
ernment rolls to aid in administration
of the program, hut the President en-
phasized Jobs on the regular Federal
pay rolls would not be permanent and
would end when the undertaking is
completed.
Secretary Ickes. who administered
the recent $4,000 100000 public works
program. will continue as supervisor
of strictly public works undertakings
in the new Set-up.
The President said he was seriously
considering the advisability of straight
100 per cent loans to political Sllbdi-
visions rather than grants and loans
under the program. This plan would
reduce the interest rates and extend
the time for repayment.
Walker Drafted.
Walker. a close friend of President
Roosevelt for years, was drafted yes
terday by the President to take charge
Of the clearing house through which
plans for spending the huge fund will
90. He replaced Donald r. Richberg
as executive director of the National
Emergency Council and Immediately
set up a special division in that Or
ganization to receive all wOrk-relief
applications.
The new Division of Applica tons
and Information was charged by the
President with taking the plans of
Federal officials, State and local agen-
cies and preparing them for quick
action by the Works Allotment Board.
A statement issued by the White
House late yesterday said Walker was
called back to the dictatorship of the
Emergency Council, which he pre-
viously held, in order that Richberg
NAV devote his entire time to the
N. r. A. while Congress is debating
whether to continue that agency.
Richberg. who recently was named
chairman of the board in charge of
The Recovery Administration, ex-
planned he planned to go into hid
ing" for 10 days to prepare for a
test of N. r. AS cOnStltlltlonality
before the Supreme Court. With
stanley Reed, solicitor general. he has
been chosen to present the Govern
ment's side of the case in arguments
before the court.
Clearing House for Plans.
The Emergency Council Division
set up under Walker to start the
work k-relief ball rolling was described
in a White House announcement as a
clearing house for ''all suggested plans
for the useful expenditure of work.
relief funds" 1t was decided upon,
the statement said, to provide for
the general convenience" of Federal,
State and local officials and civic Or
ganizations.
"A very large number of projects
already have been studied and report
ed on by the various governmental
agencies during the past six months"
the announcement asserted. These
projects are ready for delivery to this
new division for clearance"
As plans are received, it was stated,
the division will determine if engineer
ing or other study is necessary and
assign such tasks to the regular Gov
ernment departments best qualified to
handle them. The division also is to
check proposals with view to decid-
ing if they would provide jobs in areas
which have the heaviest relief popu-
lationS.
Ickes Plans Conference.
Along with these revelations about
the work relief plans came word from
Secretary Ickes that he intended to
confer with union labor leaders soon
regarding a downward revision of the
present public works wage scale. Ickes
said recently that all work projects
would have a uniform wage scale.
While the work relief bill was being
debated in Congress, administration
officials proposed that those getting
Jobs under it should be paid security
wages" averaging about $50 month.
A Senate bloc, backed by the Ameri-
can Federation of Labor, failed in an
effort to amend the bill so wage rates
prevailing in private industry would
have to be paid the relief workers.
40 Cents Unskilled Rate.
The present P. w. A. wage scale, in
most sections, is 40 cents an hour for
unskilled labor and 81 an hour for
skilled workmen.
Administrator Ickes suggested last
Fall that a reduction in P. W. A.
wages would make possible wider en-
ployment in the building trades.