Evening star., 1935-05-23
Plans Follow Union Chiefs
Warning of Strikes on
Roosevelt Rates.
$19-T0-S94-A-M0NTH
PAYMENTS HELD JUST
Wages Will Be Higher on Some
Projects, With Adjustment
in Total Hours.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
Warned by union leaders that the
work-relief wages fived by President
Roosevelt may lead to strikes, Harry
L. Hopkins, works progress admins
traitor, moved today to set up board
of business and labor representatives
to advise him on the problem.
1t was indicated the board will be
asked to make recommendations which
might be carried out under Hopkins
authority 20 raise or lower the sched-
ules 10 per cent or to reduce the num-
Der of projects to which they will ap-
ply.
The works progress administrator.
replying to critics. said the sl9-to-$94-
a-month payments we're substantially
lust and that the burden of proof"
will rest on those trying to change
them.
Strikes Are Foreseen.
William Green, president Of the
American Federation of Labor, and
other union leaders have protested that
such wages will tend to tear down
wage scales generally and result In
strikes.
Hopkins said at his press conference
yesterday that the sl9-tO-S94 rates
will not be followed on public works,
highways and street construction,
grade crossing elimination and in the
Civilian Conservation Corps. Hourly
rates on these projects will be higher,
he said, but whether enough hours will
be worked to make workers monthly
payments larger was described as
question.
Meanwhile. the Works Allotment
Board was called to a session this
afternoon to consider recommending
additional projects to Mr.. Roosevelt.
Chairman Ickes was in Cincinnati, but
he said before leaving the Capital that
he expected the board to make some
recommendations.
Approval Announced.
The President at his press confer
ence yesterday announced approval Of
the billion dollar batch Of projects
recommended to him by the board
short time ago.
The possibility was suggested in in
formed quarters that some additional
Federal projects. like rivers and
harbors works. might be recommended
by the Allotment Board at its meet
ing today. 1t was believed some public
works projects proposed by cities
would get consideration despite the
fact the President has not yet acted
on the recommendation of Secretary
1ckes that the basis of loans and
grants for such enterprises be changed
to increase the amount contributed
outright by the Government.
In the work-relief mill also, as the
Allotment Board met, we're applica-
tions from the Veterans Administra-
ton, the War and Navy Departments
and the Smithsonian Institution seek
ing approximately $40 100000 of work.
relief money for Improvements to their
properties in different parts of the
country.
Veterans Unit Asks Funds.
Applications for 40 new Veterans
Administration projects. aggregating
SIS 900, 900 and scattered through "a
States and the District of Columbia.
were made public last night to the
Applications Division. Earlier yester-
day % recommended veterans con-
struction projects had been announced,
along with 121 sought by the War and
Navy Departments and the Smith
TncfifI1fiay, Thncn
called for expenditures of nearly
S55 900, 900.
The division, headed by Frank c.
Walker, emphasized in its statement
that an application "in no way indi-
Gates that the proposed undertaking
will be carried out" 1t was unable
to predict when the first non-Federal
applications will be announced.
Rules for procedure under the $4,-
600. .OO0.0O work fund require that
these applications receive approval
from the Budget Bureau and the
Works Progress Division, before
Walker presents them to the Advisory
Allotments Committee which makes
recommendations to President Roose-
welt.
On another subject. Hopkins an
nounced with obvious satisfaction yes
terday that the April relief population
in 80 States had declined 81 per cent
from March. This indicated, he said,
that the total relief population had
dropped below 100000.
Decline $4,000 Families.
In these States, he said, the decline
totaled Is, 1000 families plus" some of
these being farmers given work in
planting.
Obviously concerned at what he
called a misunderstanding" of the
wage schedule, Hopkins acknowledged
that the schedule was drawn up with
out consulting national labor leaders,
and that it might contain some "in-
justices" He defended the rates, how
ever. with the contention that they
doubled the present average relief pay
ments.
Hopkins acknowledged that in
every few instances" payments might
be less than wages of those already
at work under the Relief Administra-
tion. but said he had received COM
plaints that the schedule Is too high.
Those on the existing work relief
are paid prevailing wages. but hours
of work are limited. A 40-hour week
will prevail generally under the new
| program.