Evening star., 1936-11-18
M0REP. WA. CASH
ASKED BY MAYORS
$75O,000,000 Recommend
ed to Run Federal Program
Current Year.

Americas leaing cities today recon-
mended appropriation of $750,OOo,Ooo
to run the Federal works program
until the end of the current fiscal
year.
Before re-electing La Guardia its
president at the close of its three-day |
convention at the Mayflower Hotel,
the fourth United States Conference |
of Mayors suggested:
/. Coordination OF all welfare
activities of the Federal Government |
under a national department OF public |
welfare.
2, Continuance of the Public Works
Administration on a permanent basis.
g.. Congressional provision for pub
lie housing for low-income groups
along the lines of the Wagner Dill,
uassed by the Senate at its last ses-
sion.
a. Establishment of Federal sys-
tenn for meeting the transient relief
problem.
5. A national survey of municipal
financing.
6. Creation by the Federal Trade
Commission of special unit to handle
instances of collusion in connection
with bids submitted by manufac-
turers of supplies, materials and equip
ment required by the cities.
Kelly Is Vice President.
The conference renamed Mayor Ed
ward J. Kelly of Chicago as vice pres
ident and reelected these trustees:
Mayors Rossi of San Francisco, Miller
of Louisville. Mansfield of Boston and
Rogers of Amarillo. Tex.
Mayor La Guardia sharply criti-
cized the F. C. C. and intimated that
It permitted monopoly practices by the
American Telephone & Telegraph Co.
La Guardia's specific complaint was
that the F. c. c. forbids stations to
receive and transmit short-wave
broadcasts if wires are available for
reception of the programs from the
original stations.
New York City tried recently to re-
ceive a short-Wave broadcast of the
Harvard Tercentenary and rebroad-
cast it. but we we're prevented by the
F. C. c. from doing so,' La Guardla
told the fourth United States Con-
ference of Mayors at the Mayfower
Hotel.
"Under that ruling it is impossible
to exchange programs by this means,
except in the case of broadcasts from
foreign lands"
Whats the theory behind that
question:" one of the delegates asked
Plans Congressional Appeal.
The wire is the theory-the A. T.
& T." La Guardia replied, and then
continued:
The F. C. C. thus compels these
small stations to bear the cost of a
wire. There is no use in appealing to
the F. c. c. am going to take this up
with Congress 1t was the intent of
Congress that the Government Ilould
retain control of the air and not per-
NIT any company to monopolize it.
The F. C. c. ruling is just as absurd
as if the Interstate Commerce Com
mission were to say you could not go
BY air to New York because trains are
available
Firm national control of Americas
industrial development was asked by
the city executives after hearing
Mayor Meyer Ellenstein of Newark,
N. j., advocate Nationwide industrial
coming.
Recalls Passing of n. r. A.
At the same time Mayor S. Davis
Wilson of Philadelphia recalled the
passing of the National Recovery Ad-
tninistration, telling the delegates:
philadelphia strikes were of longer
duration, of more bitter character
and more severely impaired the normal
functioning of Philadelphia indus
trial life after the fall of the N. r. A
The conference met for its final
sessions this morning after dinner
last night, at which Secretary Ickes
told the Mayors that one of the
country's greatest needs was slurn-
clearance, but that it was up to the
municipalities to work out their own
housing programs.
&"It is for the municipalities Of
America to carry on in the move
ir1ent that has been started to clean
UP the blighted areas of the cities of
America" he said.
.ssIt is the privilege OF the Mayors,
essthe chosen leaders of our munich
palities, eagerly to press forward in
one of the greatest movements for
social justice that has ever been un-
dertaken."
- Initiative Up to Cities.
The P. w. A. expects to turn over
to. local housing authorities the so
low-rent projects it has started on its
own initiative, Ickes said.
+Cities will have to handle the me-
chanics of the program" he continued
"They will have to initiate the prof.
ects. acquire the sites, make the plans
execute the contracts. supervise the
construction and undertake the man
agement and operation.
.%"The Federal Government, as an
interested party, will insist upon Ger
tain standards as basis for grants
and loans. Future housing will be
carried on by w. p A. as nom
Federal function. The real response
bility will be up to the cities"
- Room for Private Enterprise.
ickes added word for the protec-
ton of private enterprises concerned
with building projects:
Private investment interests should
be permitted to serve as broad a field
as possible, leaving to public atten-
ton those necessary and important
housing projects designed for those
in the lowest income groups"
Ickes told the Mayors that a per-
manent public works program Is
necessity to protect the country from
the worst woes of another depres-.
sion, against the arrival of which, he
said. we have no assurance. -