Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1936-05-06
REVISION ACTIVE
ON v. P. A. FILES
Effort Seen to Put Affairs in
Order, in View Of Probe
Demands.
BY CARLISLE BARGERON.

At time when the Republicans
and some Democrats are demanding
an investigation of w. P. A, it de-
velops that an extensive revision of
the organizations files are underway.
In some instances files from the old
F. e. r. A., the C. w. A. and such
activities of the P. w. A. as were
taken over by Harry Hopkins when
the current phase of relief was under
taken are being destroyed and in their
place what is described as more com
centrated" histories are being set up.
The revision" of the files began
only a few weeks ago but it is being
made the subject of intense activity
within the organization with a view
to completing it as soon as possible.
Whether it has any relation to the
revision" is not known, but recently
a great air of secrecy has been thrown
around the work of the project con-
troll division in the basement of the
Washington Auditorium. Whereas, it
was formerly possible to walk through
the department at will, a pass has
TO be had now to gain admission.
Strengthening Affairs.
In way, it might be said that the
w. P. A. is out to straighten out its
affairs. Naturally, it and the alpha
betical agencies that went before it
are in most chaotic state Hopkins
administration, whether under c. w.
A., F. E. R. A. or w. P. A. has been
one of spending money and putting
people to work. Now that the fire
is being turned on him, there is. per-
haps, for the first time, a desire to
give semblance Of order to his
affairs.
There has been all sorts of over
tapping OF bOondoggling projects, it is
understood. One instance that is au-
thoritatively cited is where under one
Of the boondoggling organizations a
project Of $4,000 to remove a fence
was approved. The W. P. A. sub
sequently came along and approved a
project of the same amount to rebuild
the fence. OF course, Hopkins does
not want the Republicans to get hold
Of any such item as this.
IOOH GNctutU II
An example of the extensiveness of
the revision is the fact that w. P. A.
projects which have been supple
mented once or twice are being de-
stroyed with only the final supplement
retained. In this way, the history of
the case is lost. An explanation given
for this particular phase of revision
aPfiUifu thof L.
for the new s1,500, 100000 relief fund.
incidentally. it develops, that so much
OF the organizations money was
spent on the recent floods that the
new appropriation is eagerly awaited.
Relief under the New Deal has
taken three phases. At first there was
the straight out dole under the ?. E.
r. A. Then came what is known as
the great leaves raking" phase under
c. w. A. 1t was in the Summer Of
1885 that it was announced that this
sort of relief was undermining the
recipients and that the thing to do
was to put them to work. For months
there waged the question of whether
Mr.. Roosevelt would be able to get
them to work by September /, the
time originally set by him to take
the unemployed of the dole.
Employment Problem.
There developed then, apparently,
quite a contest between Mr.. Roose-
welt and critical newspapers as to
whether he would really be able to
put the unemployed to work in this
period. On September /, it was
heralded that he had not accom-
plshed his purpose. The administra-
ton agreed that it would take a
little longer. Both sides then struck
upon December ! as the day when
the Federal employable would all be
at work. At this time, it was triumph
antly announced that W. P. A. had
accomplished its purpose and that
more than 100000 persons were On
its pay rolls. Then began the boom
doggling appellation to the new work.
Mr.. Roosevelt, in turn, said that if
the country could boondoggle its way
to recovery it was all right with him
and Hopkins has insisted that it was
not boondoggling, that a majority of
his projects were worthwhile.
Senator Davis, Republican, of Penn
sylvania, was the first to make formal
demand for an investigation of w.
P. A. This was followed quickly by
the bolt from the regular order by
Senator Holt of West Virginia. Fol-
lowing him have come demands from
Democratic Senators Lewis of Illinois,
and Van Mugs of Indiana
With this situation developing, it
has apparently occurred to Hopkins
for the first time that the files of
F. E. r. A, c. w. A and w. P. A.
had better be put in order before the
spotlight was turned on them.