The Washington times., 1935-10-14
CUTS RED TAPE
TO GET MEN
ON JOB
Clearing Of Workers
Through U. S. Agency
Deferred Until Later

Cutting red tape to expedite en-
ployment of all transients in the
District on the $5,500,00 low-cost
housing project at Berwyn
Heights, Md. Commissioner Allen
today ordered a fourth of the
transientS sent to the project site
to begin clearing ground for build
ing operations.
Prior to putting the transientS
to work, Commissioner Allen had
been instructed to clear the men
through the United States EN-.
ployment Service. Efforts were
made to do this Saturday and
again today, but red tape threat
ened to hold up the procedure.
A work train bearing 482 tran
sients pulled out of the city today
for Berwyn Heights. Commissioner
Allen said the men had not been
cleared through the employment
service and added
1--WE can clear them later.
The thing to do now is get them
to work."
MEN COMMUTE
1t is planned to put the entire
1900 transients on the project.
Until a camp can be erected for
the workers on the project site,
the men will be brought to and
from the transient lodges each
day by train. The project is being
financed by the Resettlement Ad-
ministration on the the Depart
ment of Agriculture research site.
A thousand model homes will be
built.
Aftermath of complaints from
a delegation of WPA workers on
Saturday, Commissioner Allen said
today he intended keeping all per-
sons transferred to WPA rolls on
relief rolls hereafter until they
had drawn at least half months
pay under WPA projects.
Seven colored men, with fami-
lies ranging from eight to two
children, complained on Saturday
their relief, which had been given
them every week, had been shut
off too quickly after they were
transferred to WPA rolls. They
said before they drew their first
pay from the WPA-they are paid
twice month on work projects
all their food and supplies we're
gone and they we're penniless.
Need Extra Relief
Commissioner Allen said in some
cases Of persons transferred from
relief to WPA rolls it was an abso-
lutte necessity to give supplemental
relief and predicted the Federal
Government would have to retreat
from its stand against extending
supplemental relief to a person
on works project.
In the meantime. Rural Re
settlem ent Admins tr a.
ton officials today offered the
pipe of peace to Prince Georges
county political leaders for hold
ing party at their house with.
out telling the hostS.'
It was Capt. Vinton Cockey, of
Laurel, county commissioner,
who phrased in those words the
action of the Resettlement Ad-
ministration in planning a village
near Berwyn Heights without tell.
ing its plans to local residents.
Work started Saturday near
the Agricultural Research Center.
The county commissioners were
invited to the ceremony at the
last moment.
Meeting Due Tomorrow
While neighboring towns be-
seiged political leaders with
queries about the protest over the
weekend, they had no direct in
formation on it, the commission
ers said.
Resettlement officials, however,
are to meet with the commission.
ers at Upper Marlboro tomorrow
to disclose new details of their
plans. Unofficially the commits
sionerS have said they would ap-
prove the project, but they do not
want any agency to violate the
master building code which oper-
ates in that section.
Commissioners said they had
heard reports that houses are to
be punched together, that the
work conflicts with county build.
ing requirements, and that the
project will create a difficult prob
lem of sanitation unless the vii
lage is served by some other water
system than the Suburban SAM.
tary Commission.
Although the land is now Fed.
eral property. it will gradually be
bought by individuals living in the
area included in the project.
County commissioners assert
they will oppose any plan to tene-
ment the houses on the theory
that there is sufficient acreage
available on which to follow the
pattern Of nearby towns.