Evening star., 1936-05-17

ing in California found in the con-
crete wadded newspapers as binder
In that building. built TO house school
children, in State subject to the
ravages of earthquakes, the walls had
been reinforced with paper in order
to cheat on material.
In Midwestern town, not long ago,
P. W. A. turned down a school house
project on the ground that labor and
material costs we're too high. The
school authorities involved protested.
That was the best they could do.
P. w. A. took hold of the contracts,
told them what the material and
labor costs should be, then told the
school authorities that if these figures
were met they could get their grant
and loan. There was lot of shifting
of positions. but those in charge came
across. P. w. A. in this instance
headed off public steal.
If these are a few. there are hun
dreds of other like cases in the files
of P. w. A.-cases where the tax
payers have been let in on what takes
place behind their backs in the matter
of municipal construction. And for
this very revealing habit of P. w. A.,
P. w. A. authorities have been very
unwelcome in many localities in the
United States.
Ickes Convinced Public.
Says Administrator Ickes on this
phase of P. w. A. activity:
i conceive it to be one Of my prin-
cipal duties as public works admins
traitor to perform the tasks assigned
to me in such a manner as to con-
vince the people of the country that
Government is able to build a great
series of public works covering prac-
tically every county in the United
States. not only in a workmanlike
manner, but substantially free from
scandal. The result has been that
communities that had come to regard
corruption and graft and chiseling in
separable from public construction
have learned that such work can be
as honestly and economically done by
the public as by any prudent busi-
ness man. If We are to adopt the
principle of public works during de-
preston periods as a fixed policy of
Government, it is well worth proving
as We have done, that the taxpayers
money that goes into. public works
can be economically and honestly
spent"
Another interesting bit of side work
accomplished by P. w. A. has been its
inspiration to the President for the
setting up of q National Planning
Board. This is the National Re-
sources Committee of the Federal
Government. Frederic A. Delano of
Washington is chairman of the Ad-
visory Committee of this board.
Under the leadership of this board
there has been set up in every State
of the Union, with the, exception of
two, and in Alaska planning commit
tees that work in close cooperation
with. the national committee. Thus,
If at any future time the occasion
should arise for a public works pro-
gram, there will be on file for each
State a comprehensive and carefully
planned program of projects for that
State.
The character of projects initiated
and supported by the p w. A. are OF
the most substantial and useful kind.
The chief requirement in every case
has been the need of such civic i'm
provement as desired, usefulness and
feasibility. As a result those COM
munities which have availed them
selves of p. w. A. largess and loans
find themselves with buildings OF
character. quality and service. The
close supervision Of their erection, the
inspection fostered by p. w. A. engi-
neers and other Government acts OF
watchfulness have, in each instance.
insured to the recipient community q
project to be proud of and of lasting,
honest durability.
That is the record of P. w. A. as
it enters the new era pledged By
President Roosevelt.