Coulee City dispatch. [volume] (Coulee City, Wash.) 19??-19??, 1935-05-17


Circus one existed. At the
Capitol building,
there has been utter confusion as Dem
ocrats fought among themselves and
Republicans and Independents sat on
the sidelines and said ''sic 'em." At
the other end of Pennsylvania avenue,
business activity has been amazing.
The President was beginning to start
to commence to spend five billion dol
lars. In between has been the largest
hangover of Easter visitors the Capt.
tai city has known in recent years.
Mr.. Roosevelt, having complete con-
troll of the largest sum of money ever
turned over to one man, has been run
ming his brain at lightning speed to
make good on his promise that actual
spending will begin in two months. He
has announced that some sixty agents
of the government will participate in
the. spending function but roosting on
top of the various spending groups are
to be three newly created boards, each
responsible to his direction and each
enjoined to bear down in order that
the public works and relief funds in
his charge may flow freely.
I hear general commentator of the
President for selecting Frank G. Walk
er of Montana and New York to head
up the spending operations. Mr.. Walk
er, a lawyer, is experienced in big
business way and is accepted every
where as a man with capacity to do
the job. The fly that is floating around
and threatens to get into the ointment,
however, is the existence of two
schools of thought in the administra-
ton. This condition may undo the good
work which Mr.. Walker is regarded as
capable of doing.
The ive-billion-dollar spending ma
chine will be guided first by the Presi-
dent, second by Mr..
FreS1denf Walker and third by
VIII Guide the various agencies
now in existence.
They are supposed to present plans
and Mr.. Walker will be expected to
analyze and determine their values.
Prof Rexford Guy Tugwell, under
secretary of agriculture, will have
something like nine hundred million
dollars to spend in remaking the rural
districts of the nation in a job vari-
ously described as rural resettlement"
and other similar short titles. This
program contemplates expansion and
intensifcation of work now being done
by the Agricultural Adjustment admin
istration and the Federal Emergency
Relief administration, including attacks
on the problem of dust storms and
other types of soil erosion. Although
Professor Tugwell has no plans
complete, he is working in the direc-
ton of transplanting many farmers
from poor land where living is hard
to more fertile fields Under his juris-
diction also will be reforestation and
general examination of land uses.
A second agency that is new in the
current set-up provides for develop
ment of rural electrifcation. The third
new spending movement is directed at
dangerous railroad grade crossings.
The funds that will be set aside for
these latter two, however, will total
only about one fourth as much as Pro-
fessor Tugwell will spend in his orgy.
Other scheduled programs for ex-
penditure include:
Assistance to clerical and profess
sional workers-the white collar folks.
Loans and grants to states, cities
and counties. esS
Development of new housing con-
struction in cities and rural districts
and general reconditioning and remod-
cling of homes already existing.
Extension and expansion Of the
Civilian Conservation corps to a max
imum of six hundred thousand work
ers.
Further public building construction
but in a less extensive manner than
previously was attempted.
Although the President assured con-
gress that he himself would administer
the billion-dollar
lcReS q fund, and succeeded
TARGET In quieting criticism
to some extent by the
statement, official announcement of
the allotment board shows the name
of Secretary Ickes as chairman. Many
caustic darts were fired at Mr.. Ickes
during the two months while the pub
tic works bill was held up in congress,
because members did not like the Ickes
policy as public works administrator.
Of course, as the set-up now stands
Mr.. Walker will determine the char
acter of spending and Mr.. Ickes and
his allotment board will determine
how much money each may have. That
would seem to eliminate the causes of
trouble experienced heretofore by the
members of congress and the Ickes
organization. Nevertheless, critics Of
the secretary have begun to suspect
something.
Mr.. Roosevelt has said in White
House press conferences several times
lately that he would permit no delay
In getting the spending machinery in
motion. He assured the country in his
radio speech the other night that his
policy was to be speed and assistance
where the money will do the most
yood Tho President certainly hoe rnado