Evening star., 1936-12-08

We were entering a major engagement
unprepared.
To make matters worse, there was
on hand a small and noisy claque
Of eager critics ready to destroy what
they themselves were incapable OF
accomplishing. remember well
some of the charges that were hurled
at P. w. A. in those early days. There
will be major scandal that will dwarf
that of Teapot Dome, said the most
imaginative Of the reincarnated Jere-
miahs. There Is too much red tape
was another plant. You move too
slowly, vociferated others, whose only
concern seemed to be speed and more
speed-speed at any price.
Three and a half years have gone
into history since those fateful days
when the President gave us the order
to get under way the largest public
works program of all time. Sufficient
time has elapsed for any fair-minded
person to make an appraisal. And 50
tonight I welcome this invitation Of
The Evening Star to avail myself Of
the National Radio Forum for a dis
cussion of public works-its record
an its future.
Effective Instrument.
It is my honest conviction that the
Public Works Administration has per-
formed a difficult task in an efiicient
manner. It may sound boastful for
me to say so, because Of my connec-
tion with P. w. A., but know Of
no other emergency organization that.
within its limitations, has contrib
uted more to the economic recovery
that is taking place. I am not fool
ish enough to claim that p. w. A.
has been responsible for all Of the
improved conditions that we see about
us, but do say that it has proved
itself an effective instrument of re-
covery; that it has given employment
at prevailing wages to millions Of
persons; that it has kept thousands
off of the relief rolls, and that it
has been the means Of afording q
fresh start to many a disheartened
family.
Neither do I claim that all of the
credit for the fine results flowing
from the public works program be-
longs to the Federal Government
alone. We have had magnificent CO.
operation and help from States, coun-
ties and municipalities. without which
our undertaking would not have been
a success. For this cooperation I
desire to express my sincere apprecia-
ton, which also goes to the people Of
the country generally for their gener-
GUS support of the public works pro-
gram. Even during the heat of the
recent hard-fought political campaign
I heard no criticism of public works
projects or of the manner in which
P. w. A. had been administered.
There must have been a reason for
this absence of political attack. In
my opinion, this reason was that the
Public Works Administration never
has been conducted on a partisan
basis. Our brand of public works and
politics do not mix.
Another reason for the widespread
popularity of the program has been
that through P. w. A. States, coun-
ties and municipalities, from the hum
blest Of villages up to the great me-
tropolises, irrespective of their Ro-
litical complexion, have had the op-
portunity sharing directly in bring
ing recovery. They have done this
through their own planning and initia-
tive through the selection of those
projects that they considered the most
needed and useful and through the ex-
penditure Of their own funds.
Communities Pay Major Cost.
In this connection it is well to keep
in mind that P. w. A. has always
required tangible proof of community
interest, as measured by local action
and local cash, before a project re-
ceived Federal aid either in the form
Of loan or grant or both. And al
ways P. w. A. has insisted that the
local communities pay from their own
resources the major part Of the cost
of the project.
One effect Of this policy has been a
steadily expanding local pride in the
projects themselves. Taxpayers may
now see where and how their hard
paid dollars have been spent. The
proof of the pudding is there, so to
speak. The tangible, physical result
is there for all to see, whether 1t be
in the form of a new school house,
a waterworks or municipal power
plant, bridge or new sewage sys-
tenn.
The Public Works Administration
welcomes the most rigid inspection Of
its projects. We know that first
class workmanship and the best Of
materials have been employed, with
the result that the taxpayer has OBJ
tanned full value for every dollar
spent. urge every citizen who has
not already done so to go to the
nearest completed P. w. A. project
and see for himself what we have
accomplished.
These well-planned and well-built
projects Of every description may be
found in almost every community in
the United States. Three-quarters Of
the public school facilities built dur
ing the past three years have been
constructed with P. w. A. help and
under p. w. A. supervision. Addi-
tional seats have been provided for
well over a million children.
Allotments have been made for
many other types Of public buildings,
including court houses and city halls,
municipal auditoria and armories,
hospitals, social and recreational
buildings, warehouses, shops and lab
oratories and penal and eleemosynary
institutions.
All Utilities Provided For.
Provision has been made for almost
every conceivable type of public utili-
ty, including power plants and dis
tribution systems; waterworks, includ-
ing mains, filtration and chlorination
plants and reservoirs; garbage and
rubbish disposal plants, and sewage
systems, including disposal plants,