Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1936-08-20


peI;ef Plan experiment tn t
w." becomes most sig
,iScant and interesting because he
q irving out in small way the
verv heart of the relief proposal
contained in the Republican plat
form.
without any ballyhoo or any de-
tailed statement, the President has
alocated $22, 100000 of Public
Works Administrator funds for use
IN direct grants to states and has
laid down a formula for use of this
money that takes it into the same
category as the Republican plan.
The President took this action per-
sonally. He has not only prescribed
The conditions under which the
grants will be made but has laid
down rules for PWA which will, in
effect, bring to his attention any
completed arrangements involving
these funds.
The program provides that the
federal government will bear As per
cent of the cost, municipality or
county contributing the other SIS per
cent out of it's own funds, and be-
fore the ALLEGATION is made definite
" the municipality or county re-
ceiving the funds must agree to en-
ploy 100 per cent relief labor.
In this manner, the "need for re-
ief' becomes the measuring stick.
It the local community is unable
10 supply only unskilled labor from
the relief rolls and the project of
obstruction planned for the COM
munity requires the use of skilled
labor, it does not get the money.
The projects considered to fall with
in the category of this new expert
ment include a great many worth
while construction jobs such as
school houses, sewage systems and
water systems. The things pro-
posed, therefore, may be said to be
Of permanent value and to that ex-
tent represent veering by the
President to the theory which Sec
rotary Ickes of the Department of
Interior always has held, namely,
that if federal funds are expended
they should be used in the construc-
ton and maintenance of permanent
Improvements.
Although the general idea of this
new experiment in relief, new to
r. ~ the New Deal, was
Handled practically forced
Locally upon the President
by the necessity of
the present relief mess, it neverthe-
less represents return to method
long regarded by many students of
the problem as the only way in
which relief funds can be properly
handled. 1t places back in the hands
Of local communities the task of
looking after their own destitute and
charity cases. The federal govern
ment contributes a share of the
funds, of course, but it does not boss
NE Job as has been the practice I'M
DER Harry Hopkins and his Works
progress Administration further
man the requirements that relief
labor be employed.
AS stated above, the plan now on
rlal constitutes the very heart of
tne Republican proposal for ham
ding federal relief. The Republi-
can platform calls for federal
grants in aid to the states and ter
rltorles while the need exists upon
compliance with these conditions:
lar proportion of the total relief
burden to be provided from the rev.
enues OF states and local govern
ments; all engaged in relief admin
lStratlon to be selected on the basis
y! merit and fitness; adequate pro-
visions to be made for the encour-
agement of those persons who are
~ylng to become self-supporting."
/ hear much discussion around
washington that the Presidents ex-
pertinent meets the Republican
program in every way except as
the second provision which re-
lates to the selection of the admins
uaIlVe personnel upon the basis
VI merit and fitness" There are
many who believe Mr.. Roosevelt
mas reached the conclusion that
mere is considerable merit in the
.Uhtentlon that unless steps are
sSAen to get relief of the unem-
ployed back into the local COM
nlulntles, it will become an unwork-
"OIe monster, a Frankenstein.
IN the other hand, some of the
utIer critics of the Roosevelt adj
HI illustration are contending that
D. .. roosevelt seeks to try out the
republican proposal in this manner
,,n, order to demonstrate that it is
oCn r0:o! They point also to the
mn .tSSlon OF the second provision,
SS' mentioned, and declare that
rn e PRESIDENT will use political pat
image rather than merit as the
'eaiiS OF creating supervision.
bo "ilile the new method has not
'een made fully operative so that
w. anyone can see it
!" in full detail, til e
Dodge restriction which
la;d Mr.. Roosevelt has
sbsl, Gown that only relief labor