The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1935-10-17
DOUGHTON SPENDS BUSY
DAY INVESTIGATING NORTH
CAROLINA'S WPA QUOTA
COan Goes to Washington to Press
Case; State Hopes to Get
Is Million Dollars

Congressman r. L. Doughton spent
Friday in Washington using his in
fluence to get North Cardinals just
and equitable quota Of the Works
Progress funds which have been quot
ed as being only $3.50, 900 when the
state WPA director, George w. Coan,
Jr., has been operating under the inn
preston that the state wou!i be al
lotted $18,OOO,O0o.
Mr.. Douglton was in Washington
Friday with Mrs. Doughton. They left
Saturday for Manila to witness in
auguration Of Emanuel Quezon as the
first President Of the Republic Of the
Philippines. But he was so much
concerned about the rather gloomy
prospects of the States receiving
more than the latest quota Of $780,
900 in the face of the expected
$18,O00,O00 that he telegraphed
Works Progress Administrator Coan
at Raleigh to come to Washington at
once, and lend a helping hand in
trying to shake more money out of
the PWA grab bag for the State.
Finds Several Reasons
Friday, Doughton was able to I'M
earth several reasons for the States
being below the waterline in the
quota. Thse facts he learned from
Aubrey Williams, deputy PWA direc-
tor, who has the keys to the iron
chest during the absence of Admin
istrator Hopkins.
Doughton was told that under the
original plan the State was, on the
basis of population, to have received
SAC, 100000 for Works-R Relief. This
was last April after Congress had
voted the President the four billion
dollars for emergency relief, and eve
rybody was happy. Then in May,
81, 100000 was allotted to CCC camps
in the State, leaving $33, 100000 to
the credit of the State on a popula-
ton basis. Later the &C camps got
SIS, 900 charged against the State
quota, leaving a balance of $27, $780,
900. Then came another cut of &c.
544, 900 which slice was allotted the
highways, roads, streets, and grade
crossings as specifically provided in
the bill, on insistence Of the roads
bloc.
This reduced the then Tar Heel
quota to $17,846,OOO, and with the
quota now fixed at $3.50, 900, Dough-
ton is trying to resurrect the remain
ing $9,196,OOO due the State under
the original allotment. But all he
could get out of Williams was that
the $8,65O,0OO "would be increased
substantially, but not soon," thus
leaving hundreds of projects in the
State not provided for, and the spon-
sors in quandary about how to pro-
coed, and just as angry about it as
are some PWA sponsors.
Relief Load Low
Several causes are assigned for
the States small quota. One is that
the relief load reported to the PWA by
Mrs. O'Berry is not as the PWA had
estimated. Another that North Caro-
lima is hit by the low wage scale fixed
geographically and as to population
of relief centers, which are taken into
consideration in allotments.
Hard to Get More
"The facts are that it will be hard
for the State to make out a case to
get much more money" Mr.. Dough-
ton said. "Many of the projects pro-
posed do not fit into the program, and
under the method they have for fig
uring quotas based on relief loads,
principally, We shall get some more,
but not what is being asked" and this
is from the only business man in the
Tar Heel delegation. The others are
lawyers.
Regardless of the agitation over
the alleged discrimination against the
State, North Carolina has a popula-
ton of two and five-tenths per cent
of the United States, and is to get
only 75-1OO percent of the total, or
about one-half of what was figured
on a relief load basis, or one-third on
a population basis, and has $9,196, 900
yet due. But there are three members
of the Tar Heel delegation who will
hear little about the results-for
awhile Senator Bob Reynolds who left
Friday for Seattle to sail with the