Evening star., 1936-03-15
CRITICS OF v. P. A.
DEF|ED BY HOPKINS.
"No Apologies to Make" He
Tells New York City
Luncheon Group.
BACKGROUND

ctded upon last year op ddn1tntStTd-
tion. NTH program OF tOork projects
to Tepldce direct dole. Under this
policy all employdble unemployed
ipere to be given jobs on some sort
of project financed by Federal
funds, unemploy1bleS tDere to be-
come responsibility OF localities.
Storm of criticism arose because
of unimportdnt nature OF many
projects-boondoool Program
closely resembles C. W. A. scheme
used a year ago. Considerably more
erpenSiUe than direct dole. tOorkS
program is defended by admins
trdtion on grounds 1t maintains
morale OF unemployed.
By the Associated Press.
NEW YORK, March 1.-THE Fed
eral Relief Administration has no
apologies to make" for projects criti-
cally called "boondoggling. Admins
, traitor Harry L. Hopkins declared here
today.
Speaking at a luncheon of the
United Neighborhood Houses. Hopkins
attacked relief failure" of the Hoover
administration and said that Roose-
velt relief work is under fire Of
critics acting ''maliciously for political
and selfish personal reasons"
About 40 persons, many bearing
placards asking the Government to
get rid of" Hopkins and Victor Rid
der. city w. P. A director. marched
on a sidewalk in front of the hotel
at which the luncheon. was held.
Hopkins entered by another door, on
q different street.
Ridder to Be Supported.
He declined to comment on the
demonstration or upon Ridder's dis
pute with Robert Moses. city park
commissioner, who has refused to per-
nit w. P. A. project signs to be
erected in parks. The administrator
indicated, however, that Ridder would
be supported as his agent.
Mayor F. H. La Guardia, fortified
by a corporation counsers opinion
that the projects must be clearly de-
fined and identified" under relief
rules, said he would insist upon full.
complete. happy and harmonious CO.
operation between the City Hall and
Washington" in relief.
A later announcement that he
would confer with Ridder on the mat
ter suggested that he planned to pass
over Moses protests and settle it
himself
Address Is Broadcast.
Ridder said he would take II 800
men of city park projects, beginning
Monday, unless those signs are put
up in accordance with my request Of
Mr.. Moses" Moses had said they
were only a political label and were
unSightly.
In mis- address, which was broad
cast. Hopkins said:
The record of the previous ad-
ministration characterized by failure
to provide food and shelter for desti-
tute citizens, the failure to provide
work for the millions of unemployed,
the failure to take one substantial step
to allay the fears and misgivings of
q Nation"
Under Roosevelt policies, he said,
there has been food. clothing and
housing, and many public works have
been accomplished.
Touches white Collar Projects.
Turning to the white collar" prof.
ects and the criticism of them, he
said:
I'VE have no apologies to make for
giving employment to tens of thou
sands of professional men and women.
Rather do we resent. on their behalf,
the malicious efforts made to de-
prive them of the modest security
which these jobs give them"
Mayors say w. P. A. funds are not
wasted, he said.
Permanent solution Of the relief
problem requires better income dis
tribution, he asserted.
In the last analysis, the poverty
of millions in America can only be
obliterated If and when an adequate
part Of the national income is avail
able each year to all its citizens. 1t
is absurd to maintain that we must
have degrading poverty in a land of
plenty"
STRIKERS HOLD CAPITOL.