The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1936-12-14
ECONOMY PROGRAM QUICKLY GOES
OVERHEARD

The federal governments economy pro-
Gram lasted no more than a few days.
With blare of trumpets the country was
told of the economy program and OF now
il would be inaugurated by reducing the
number of people on relief and cutting
WPA expenses The program has already
been thrown overheard and the prospects
for starting government economy at this
point are so remote as to be worth little
consideration.
Here is some of the story as Frank Kent
tells it in The Charlotte Observer and other
newspapers.
"Hopes of those who took seriously announce
nents from WPA headquarters of genuine drive
TO purge WPA rolls and cut expenditures seven
per cent, have been considerably dashed by the
return of Mr.. Harry Hopkins from the South.
at is so clear that no one doubted Mr. Roosevelt
was behind the program of reduction announced
by WPA officials, by which not only several hun
bred thousand on relief to be dropped but
twenty thousand non relief workers and five thou
sand administration workers. Thus the WPA cost
was to be reduced from $l6S 900 to Sl5O,OOO'-
600. The reason no one doubted the program was
prcsidentally inspired because one was SIM
pie enougf to think that either Mr. Hopkins or Mr..
Williams would voluntarily initiate curtailment
policy They might accelerate the flow OF funds
but not slow it down. That isn't their game at all.
"Therc are il seems no orders out to reduce
monthly expenses. On the contrary, he implied that
SI6S, 900 month seems "a valid base for
operations which will keep the cost Of relief over
two billion next year and mean no reduction mt
all Il is true WPA is now 'scraping the bottom
Of the bucket but no one in need Of relief job
will be turned of. All actually contemplated, Mr..
Hopkins AYERS is the transfer Of some 100000
drought sufferers from WPA to the Resettlement
administration, which is already giving money di-
recty to 10000. In brief, the protest stopped the
economy drive in it's tracks. There is no other
explanation. The announced reductions were to
have been achieved by December 18TH Now they
have been Indefinitely postponed. 1t is question
whether, after congress meets the effort can be
effectively revived The belief is that congress will
not only give the president all he asks for relief
in 1887 but more than he asks in order that there
may be no excuse for cutting down.
THE plain fact is that there has been created a
vast organization which supports millions and in
which millions have come to believe they have n
vested interest State and city officials, because Of
their local financial problems and politicians be-
cause Of the voting strength represented vital
ly concerned to continue il unimpaircd. Their in
tcrests and their efforts alike are to increase the
weight of the federal relief load, not diminish 1t.
The pressure they can exert is illustrated by their
success in hating the recent effort In this stua-
ton, three things are conceded by all save those
whose position seems to make any concession I'M
possible One is that there arc people on rehe'
who should not be there; second, it is absurd that
with vastly better business and more employment
rIef rolls should not show real shrinksge; THIRD
II we arc to return TO national solvency 1t Is VITA
that WPA size and cost be reduced. What IA
bappcned in this instance is dscouraging. Plainly
n, will take all the power Mr.. Roosevelt has 1
mike Roadway in this direction"
Read that again-you tax paying cltl
zens who are not living off the govern
ment. 49,
II will certainly, as Mr.. Kent says re
obire all the power President Roosevelt
can apply to this problem to force eve
tbe smallest advance in the direction o
economy or the dismantling OF the vas
structure of government aid and suppoi
which has been erected in the past Iou
years.
The politicians and office-holders' thos
who are on relief, those receiving variou
kinds of government subsidies, Will neVe
permit the removal Of their hanos iro'
tie United States treasury so long as
threatening, bulldozing and even conouc
ing real fight, they can force the con'in
ance of present policies.
1t remains to be seen as to how much