Evening star., 1936-08-30
P.A.:MAYPRObE
R. A. DROUGHT AID
Controversy Develops Over
Distribution of Jobs in
Addition to Loans.
BY BLAIR BOLLES.


A controversy was developing yes
terday between the Resettlement Ad
ministration and the Works Progress
Administration over distribution o.
the thousands of Jobs and million!
Of dollars earmarked for drought re.
lief, with the possibility the w. p. A
may investigate the r. A.
Resettlement learned that 400 let
ters Of protest have been sent tn.
w. p. A. main office here accusing
r. A. agents Of assigning to w. P. A
drought jobs farmers who already
have received loans from the r. A.
contrary to the drought relief program
as mapped in the White House.
r. A. Is designated the referee oi
whether drought sufferers should re.
ceive work or loans, because for 9
year it has been the only Fedora
agency handling rural relief. Ac.
cordingly. it is more familiar with
the problems than the w. P. A., which
accepts its recommendations of wha,
men to hire for its project jobs.
The jobs. paying $40 a month ir
cash and $40 month In materials
supposedly are open to all employ
ables. who. If they are staying on
their farms, are under a sort of moral
obligation to apply their earnings
toward keeping their sun-stricken es-
adjustments in operation.
Many Quit Their Farms.
Thousands of the rural w. p. A
workers, however, have quit their
farms and are wholly dependent on
the projects of dam building. reser-
voir building and farm-to-market road
building projects for. continued living
The w. p. A. objects to giving work
on the projects to recipients Of r. A
aid on the ground 1t restricts to toe
small q number the money dedicated
to helping the drought area dweller
Resettlement's first objective ha!
been to provide subsistence to those
destitute farmers who cannot be pro-
vided for by work relief projects in
itiated by the Works Progress Admin
istration," according to an ONCE
memorandum issued by the r. A. on
its drought activities.
To accomplish this objective. Re-
settlement makes 18-month loans. at
S per cent. to needy farmers. They
are not. however, supposed to receive
aid from both agencies.
Complaints Sent Administrator.
The letters complaining that r. A
is protecting its loans by certifying the
recipients for w. p. A. jobs have been
forwarded to Howard Hunter. assist
ant w. p. A. administrator. who is in
charge of works progress drought &C
tivities.
Hunter reportedly will order an in
vestigation into this double-spendine
for the same purpose, which, accord
ing to the complaints. is most pro-
nounced in North Dakota and Okla
homa.
With plans originally calling fol
spending s5,000.000 q month from
July to January in the % drought
affected States, the w. P. A. has 63,
900 working on its made jobs in the
Great Plains-building dams, reser
voirs and farm-to-market roads. I
has proposed hiring total Of 10000
r. A. has disbursed s500,00O il
loans for seed and feed in order tt
make it possible for these drough
area farmers to have some sort Of croI
next year and to keep alive as much
of their stock as possible.
Many Unsuited for Jobs.
To these same borrowers 1t ha'
made rehabilitation grants of about
81 ,OOo, 900 to keep themselves ane
their families fed and clothed on the
theory that they are unemployabls
and unsuited for the w. P. A. Jobs
Another 7.000,0 900 farmers in the
way Of the drought have been granted
presidential dispensation from having
to make immediate repayment Of
earlier rehabilitation loans. This
moratorium is good for one year.
The job-loan-grant drought aid oi
1886 was decided upon as better So
luton Of the problem than the cattle
purchase program of 1884. The farm
er is being given all the help available
now to enable him to keep his own
cattle.