Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1935-08-01
WORKS PROGRAM
LAUNCHED HERE,
GIVING 1,42O Jobs
56 Highway Projects Put
Under Way at "Secur-
ity" Wages.
FEDERAL OPERATIONS
TAKE 100 OFF RELIEF
Commissioner Allen Jubilant Over
Break in Delay of District
Undertaking.

The Ego ahead" signal, given at 8
am today throughout Washington,
put / APO laborers to work on Sc nigh
way JOBS at security wages. thus
inaugurating the drive of the Dis
trict Works Progress Administration
to substitute employment for the dole.
At the same hour about $50 addi-
tional men, taken from the District
relief rolls, seized picks and shovels to
tackle with a vim long needed work
on two Federal projects. About 100
were given employment at Boiling
Field and another so found work at
the Washington Navy Yard.
Commissioner George E. Allen, who
heads the local drive to take 10000
employables off the relief rolls by No
vember /, was jubilant over the fact
his work plans. held up for weeks I'M
til Federal money was available, were
being put into execution at last. With
other officials of the w. P. A. staff in
tow, he started out later in the day
to see how his boys were getting
along on their jobs.
Forces to Be Increased.
As rapidly as funds are available
to extend the W. P. A. program in
the District, the labor forces will be
increased in numbers. Practically
all the men starting out today are
to be paid the minimum security
wage of $45 a month. They will
average IS hours for five-day week,
or a maximum of l40 hours month.
Twice a month. pay day will roll
around.
In the next 10 days. the District
w. P. A. expects to deplete the re-
lief rolls by 5000 or more. The ex-
tensive Improvements at Boiling Field
will absorb at least TOO laborers. while
the work at the navy yard will
eventually provide jobs for l 900 men.
Alarm clocks were set at an early
hour in the nearly 1900 homes fur
nishing labor for the start of the
works program. for the men had to
reach the sites "on their own" Most
of the Sc jobs, which involve As To-
cations, are in the extreme outskirts
of the city.
Commissioner Allen late yesterday
gave further impetus 60 the works
program by announcing the approval
of 13 additional project proposals to
furnish employment to 220 men at q
cost of sl6e 1855. These projects have
yet to go through the red tape of the
Federal w. P A. before they can be
officially stamped approved" and the
money turned over by the Treasury.
E. w. A. Wiped Clean.
The immediate effect of the high
way program had happy results today
in the Department of Highways. Ac-
cording to Director H. c Whitehurst
it wiped clean the slate of the. old
Emergency Works Administration of
the nearly 1900 paid from that source
from relief funds for work on the
streets.
The program was got under way to-
day without formality. The men went
to work at the regular hour and were
to be kept seven hours on the lob
with half hour of for lunch. There
was an eagerness displayed. however,
which spoke well for the ultimate
success of the program.
The Sc foremen in charge of the
city-wide street and road improve
ments are men experienced in highway
work and come from the regular force
of the local department. The work
routines were furnished the foremen
last night. with a result that each
gang of laborers starting work today
knew exactly what had to be done.
Most of the work consists of grading
and secondary street improvements.
Some of the projects are more or less
a continuation of work already under
way, the only change being to put
additional men on them to speed up
work and spread employment.
More Important Jobs.
Among the more important projects
is work being done at Forty-fourth
and Dexter streets in Wesley Heights
and Forty-fifth street and Hoban road,
near Foxall Village. Forty-fourth
street will be cut through virgin terri
tory south to Dexter street. Twenty
six men are being employed on this
job, which means grading and grub
bling for the street extension and
breaking up old materials.
Two other jobs in American Uni
versity Park will provide outlets into
(See WORKS, Page %