Evening star., 1936-12-05
W,P,A.DUE T0TURN
10000 ON RELIEF.
To RESETTLEMENT
Administrative Cut to Affect
5000, Majority En-
pIoyed Here.
SEEN MOVE TO REDUCE
COSTS DRASTICALLY
Drought Cases May Be Trans
ferred Dec. 15-Total Decline
in Burden Seen 329, 900.
BY NELSON M. SHEPARD.


Resettlement Administration on De-
cember is, it was said today, as an
emergency measure to help scale down
relief work costs to 100000 or
less this month.
The transfer Of this heavy load from
w. P. A. rolls was said to be in addi-
ton to the reduction of 154, 900 project
workers which Deputy Administrator
Aubrey Williams informed the Com
mittee Of Mayors Is necessary because
of dwindling funds. But the reduc-
ton will not end there. w. p. A. Of
ficials confirmed today that the dis
charge of nDn-relief workers and ad-
mtnistrative clerks would continue un-
til at least $4,000 have been severed
from the pay rolls.
1t was expected the total reduction
In administrative personnel would
reach 5000 employees, a majority of
them employed in Washington. Of
ficials estimated the reduction at
slightly more than IS Der cent of per-
sonnel. The other 10000 persons fac
ing the loss of work-relief jobs are
foremen, etc. who have charge of prof.
ects and working crews.
With these and the drought victims
taken from W. p. A. rolls on and after
December Is. it was estimated the to-
tai reduction in the relief burden
would be around $4,000 persons.
Nearly 1000 administrative clerks al
ready have been let out of the w. P.
A. to date as result of a gradual
tightening up of the program.
To Avoid Causing Hardships.
Oficials said today that they "do
not intend to cut off any one who is
vitality in need of relief" There is to
be no geographic determination in
bringing about the reduction, it was
explained, and the AK will fall in the
areas or communities where it will
cause least hardship.
The Western droughts brought a
white elephant into the w. P. A. camp.
When Congress appropriated $1,425,-
100000 to take care of work-relief
needs, it did not figure on the havoc
which nature would spread over q
great area. 1t has cost the w. P. A.
$500, 100000 to date to provide live
lihood for the thousands of victims
of the drought and this sum had to
be met out of the regular budget.
BY transferring 250,000 direct VIC
TINS of the drought to the Resettle-
ment Administration, where they will
receive about half the amount that
w. P. A. gives them. a saving of about
$12,000,000 a month will be effected.
There are a great many indirect suf-
ferers Of the drought. officials said,
who will not be eligible for Resettle-
ment loans. These include small store
keepers who were bankrupt when
farmers were unable to settle their
bills, and others who we're involved in
similar ways. Most of these are now
drawing on the w. P. A. for work-re-
lief and will continue to do So
The work-relief program reached
its peak last February, when there
were 3,039,000 persons on w. p. A.
rolls alone. BY October IS improved
business conditions were largely re-
sponsible for a reduction in the rolls
to 2,515.728 persons.
The prospective dismissal of 154, 900
additional projects workers will be
brought about Systematically. For
some time survey has been in prog
ress to determine how many persons
can be dropped from relief rolls with
out creating actual distress in their
families. Industry is providing more
and more jobs and these will be filled
wherever possible from w. P. A. work.
ers. The survey also was said to be
uncovering many cases of persons who
can now get along without Federal
aid. These are to be dropped.
Non-Relief List Varies.
There is no accurate way of gauging
the number o. non-relief workers en-
gagged in the program, as it varies from
month to month. Administrator Hop
kins estimated that they comprised
between 6 and z per cent of the total
rolls. There may be as many as 49,
600 at the present time, so it is pos
sible the reduction may reach more
than 10 per cent.
w. P. A. has enough funds on hand
TO keep going until Congress convenes
In January, if 1t tightens up all around.
While President Roosevelt has been
reported ready to call for a $5OO,O ,OO0.-
600 emergency appropriation to take
care Of the work-relief burden until
the end Of the fiscal year, no oficial
will come right out and say how much
will actually be needed. In the first
place, they don't quite know what the
cost will be. That is q matter about
which Congress will be advised in time
With the reduced status planned by
the w. p. A., Williams estimated that
there will be $4,000 left after the
December payments to carry on until
January IS. BY that time it was ex-
pected Congress will provide emergen-
cy funds.
How much Congress will appropri-
ate for the new fiscal year beginning
May is a matter of speculation.
Much depends then on the progress
OF business and industrial recovery.
The existence Of backlog" of un-
allocated work-relief funds, which
might be used to carry w. p. A. &C.
tivities well into February if the new
Congress is slow in voting additional
money, was disclosed today by Treas
ury officials.
In addition to the sum at present
available to w. p. A., the Treasury
officials said. $87,000,000 of the cur
rent works progress appropriation still
is unallocated to any agency. Presi-
dent Roosevelt might turn this over
to w. p. A. If necessary, although
works officials insisted they were count
ing on no such windfall, because some
or all Of this money might be allocated
elsewhere.