Evening star., 1936-10-02
FEDERAL RELIEF
At RECORD LOW
Hopkins Predicts Nation Will
Have Much Smaller
Winter Load.

Federal relief has reached "its low
csc point probably since 1891" in the
opinion of Administrator Harry L.
Hopkins, who predicts that this VIM
ter the Nation faces the prospect Of
much smaller relief load.
This roseate picture of the relief
situation was drawn by Hopkins yes
terday after his return from 10000
mile inspection tour Of 10 Western
States. On the basis of reports and
investigation, he estimated the total
drop in all relief needs at approxi-
mately so per cent, despite the fact
that the Western drought added 200,-
600 farmers to relief rolls.
His optimism over future prospects
appeared all the more significant when
observers recalled it was the first time
that Hopkins had forecast a lighter
Winter load since he took over the
main burden of administering relief
three years ago.
In all the 10 Western States he Wis
tied there has been very sharp de-
cline in all forms of relief" he said,
q factor which has become general
The decline of the relief load at this
time, he said, is much more than sea-
sonal.
Drought Outbalanced.
The drop in relief also more than
balances" the necessary addition 10 aid
drought-stricken farmers. and the ad-
ministrator predicted that while the
number is not likely to go much higher
than 10000 it will be less this Winter.
The w. P. A. alone, Hopkins re-
called, was employing about 3,025, 900
at the end of the first week in March,
after it was beginning to get well un-
der way.
"At the end of the first week of this
n1onth-six months later-we had Just
about 100000 on w. P. A. rolls" he
said. That's drop Of 20 per cent,
or quite a lot more than ordinary sea-
sonal reduction.
Hopkins returned to Washington
more convinced than ever that there's
nothing to this talk of politics in re-
lief" and in his whole 10000 mile
jaunt he didn't see a single case of
"boondoggling."
With equal abruptness he dismissed
the charges OF w. p A. politics in
Pennsylvania, claiming that the only
time Senator Davis, Republican, has
ever shown any interest in the unem-
ployed in his life was when political
campaign was on"
The furnishing Of the names, ad-
dresses and salaries of all administra-
tive employees in Pennsylvania as de-
manded In Davis letter which he
hasn't yet read except in the newspa-
pers, Hopkins said, depends on whether
his intentions are political or not"
Additional Funds Question.
With the sharp decline in the re-
lief load and prospects for this Winter.
the administrator could not say, how
ever, if it would be necessary to ask
for additional funds after Congress
convenes.
In the West Hopkins conferred
with all State and local administra-
tors he encountered; was impressed
that they all had pretty good State
relief organizations" and were too
busy to bother about charges of
political coercion.
To charge that those people are
political hacks, incompetent and in
efhcient is simply funny" he said.
There never have been such charges
by the local people that pay rolls
are being packed by the politicians
not even from Republicans"
In nine page press statement on
what he found, saw and heard in
the West, he said that property values
are rising, tax collections improving
and conditions everywhere are better
and more encouraging.
Il think w. P. A. has a fair claim
to share of responsibility for this
improvement" he added.
He analyzed the drop in the W. p.
A. rolls from March to July in these
10 States outside the drought zone.
The percentage Of declines were:
Arizona, 17.4; Idaho, 53.3; Montana.
S9.6; New Mexico. 20.6; Oregon. 27.5:
Utah, IT'S; Washington, 45.8: Wyo-
ming, 1913; San Francisco, Calf. 1854:
Los Angeles, Calf, rs, and Denver
Colo, 11.4.
A corresponding decline in the num-
Der of general relief cases also. was
noted in these same States and cities.