The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1935-07-31
WORKS RELIEF
DELAY EVIDENT
ON ALL FRONTS
Almost Every Department
and Bureau Tied Down
With Red Tape.
BY ROBERT s. BROWN
Times Special Writer

WASHINGTON, July 31.-The de-
/ lay which has marked the work re-
lief program as a whole has its
counterpart in each of the agencies
charged with executing specific
phases Of the plan.
In only one agency has accom-
plishment to date approached early
/ schedules. The Civilian Conserva-
4 ton Corps. with an initial allotment
of 1922, 100000 and instructions to
double its enrolment to 100000 men
by Aug. 81, has made progress. -Four
hundred thousand men are now on
the pay roll.
But Army officers in charge of
CCC enrollmentS are questioning
whether 100000 more can be lined
up. They know it can not be done
by Aug. 81. Prospects of better pay
under other divisions of the work
program are said to have retarded
enrollments.
There is great potential employ
ment in the highway construction
and Embarrassing elimination pro-
gram under the Bureau of Public
Roads.
Red Tape Is Stumbling Block
Congress specified that $500 ,000,-
900 of the work relief four billion
should be used on these two types
of construction. -Four hundred mil
lion has already been allotted by
the President, in addition to $780,
100000 to pay for commitments
made under the Hayden Cartwright
highway act of 1884.
Red tape surrounding the high
way and crossing plans made
it impossible to submit individual
projects. An early order required
that state programs be complete, up
to the allotted quotas of money, be-
fore they would be considered. Later
this was changed to IS per cent. But
so far Michigan alone has applied
for funds
Highway officials look for little
construction this year under work
relief unless further notifications
are made.
It's Same Old Story
The same stalemate is reported in
the Rural Resettlement Administra-
ton, headed by Undersecretary of
Agriculture Rex Tugwell. With $751;
100000 allocated by the President,
Mr.. Tugwell has showed little prog
ress except in creating adminiStra-
tive jobs
Collected under the ReSettlement
administration are several holdover
eeperiments-th Rural Rehabilita-
ton Administration, formerly a
Branch of FERA; the Subsistence
Homestead Division, once a step
child of the Interior Department,
and the Land Purchasing Program,
which has been scattered about be-
tween the Agriculture Department
and the office of Harry L. Hopkins.
One reason given for the delay
in Mr. Tugwell's division is the un-
certain status of the governments
land purchasing policy and the un-
willingness of Controller General
John McCarl to approve blanket
programs for the rehabilitation of
rural relief groups.
Further Delay Is Likely
Seasonal conditions may further
delay the reSettlement activities,
since farm families moved to new
soil in the late summer or fall could
hardly be expected to support them
selves during the winter.
Allotments for approximately $685.
600 900 worth of low cost housing
and slum elimination in 10 cities
have been approved by the Presi-
dent. Tentative plans for full use
of the $249 100000 earmarked for
this purpose are ready in PWA's
housing division, but recent de-
ciSiOn of the United States Circuit
Court of Appeals at Cincinnati, pro-
hibiting the government from ac-
curing building sites by coldemna-
ton, promises extended delay until
Supreme Court action can be had
on an appeal.
The low cost housing program,
at its best, will provide a minimum
of relief employment, since it is eX-
empted from the rule that 80 per