The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1936-02-26

County, Texas, is at work on WPA;
20 per cent of the work is on roads
and the entire plan is proceeding on
schedule. Workers are satisfied.
but wonder what happens after
July l."
S81 100000 in Ohio
In Ohio the WPA program is di-
vided as follows: Roads and streets,
56 per cent; schools and public
buildings, per cent; parks and
Fairgrounds, 10; water supply and
sewers, 9: flood control Al; air.
ports, z; housing, L, and the bal
ance in various non-manual prof.
ects. No job has been started un-
less completion can be accomplished
by July /.
The Federal outlay in the state
will reach sSl ,00O, 900, plus more than
$16.000,0O0 in local contributions.
Akron, Toledo, Youngstown and
Columbus have had little difficulty
in putting men to work. Cold
weather has retarded progress but
the workers in the four cities favor
the WPA plan. In Cincinnati a
shortage of skilled labor has limited
the variety of construction projects.
Cleveland has been a sore spot for
WPA. Although $4,000 "unemploy-
ables" were certified for WPA jobs
only Al 900 have obtained work. No
projects have been prepared for the
$4,000 others. After minor disturb
ances had occurred, and radical
groups had shown signs of growing
WPA Washington officials conducted
an investigation, increased the wage
scale 10 per cent and placed a Fed
eral man in charge of administra-
ton.
Not Permanent Solution"
Chamber of Commerce officials
estimate WPA has increased retail
trade by 20 per cent in Ell Paso
County, Texas.
In Washington, D. c., local off,
Gals hold WPA more valuable than
CWA or FERA, but warn that it is
not permanent solution to the re-
lief problem.
New York City is a "forty- ninth
state in the administration of WPA.
II has the first organization estab-
lished, although Gen. Hugh John
son no longer is in control The ad-
ministration of WPA has been car
ried on by the painful trial and
error system. Employment of certi-
fed relief clients has been handi-
capped by a lack of trained person.
mel. Pay rolls have been late, and
much red tape exists. However,
manual workers have never been so
well off except in boom times.
In New York State, outside of
New York City, 131, 1853 are working
on WPA at an average wage of
$3.50, against $7231 in the city. In
Buffalo the wage is 500 Here the
WPA program is having trouble be-
cause of four weeks of sub-Zero tenn
peratures. Snow shoveling has been
the principal job this winter.
Western Projects Useful
In California the average scale Is
between $50 and $50. The loudest
lilies transferred from direct relief
to WPA saw many days pass before
the first WPA pay checks we're re-
ceived.
California projects are generally
considered useful. They vary from
huge construction jobs to clerical
aid projects employing as few as
six persons.
Most WPA foremen in Pennsyl-
vania will tell you that their crews
are willing to work. But some of
the men soldier" on the job and
all of them apparently husband
their strength, partly because they
know they won't be fired and part
ly because they are old, ill or have
been unemployed SO long that their
muscles are tlabby. The average
wage is $68.
The million WPA workers in the
state believe they are engaged in
useful work. Roads are being built
sewers laid, sturdy buildings erected
and abandoned mines sealed. I'm
skilled workers are most numerous.
The WPA has done it's job in Penn
sylvania, but the job has grown
since it was mapped out.
In Shelby County and Memphis,
Tenn, WPA pay rolls total $250,OOO
a month. The entire program will
be finished by July l. A trouble
spot is the employment of the Nc