Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1936-12-10
DESPITE APPEALS
SO PERCENT CUT
GOES into EFFECT
400 County Relief Clients to
Be Transferred to
Resettlement

Despite urgent appeals to Washing
ion during the past week, State WPA
Aumlnlstrator Joseph L. Parker today
said, 1t appears positive that the 60
per cent reduction in Montana's WPA
quota-now under Way-must go
though as ordered"
Although sympathetic with our
presentation Of the needs of Montana
people, Washington has given final ad-
vice that near-depleted WPA monies
allow no other choice but to make this
immediate cut from 1850 to $500 cas-
es by December Is, with a proper
tionate decrease in the administrative
staff in the State and District Offices"
Mr.. Parker said.
From now on the WPA program
will have to be strictly a work pro-
gram. Plans have been made Mr..
Parker said, for the Rese.tlement Ad-
mlnistration TO .are for all farm and
farm labor cases, and instructions IS
sued to the districts dropping all far
mers and farm labor cases frCm WPA
projects after The shift which went to
work December ! completes its period
of time for the month of December.
At the present .llne l2.5O00 Of the cas-
es carried in The Montana quota are
cl.ssified as drouth cases. This includes
quite a large number of persons III the
drouth areas, however, who are not ac-
tual farm cases, M the result of the
instructions received from Washington
will be to remove from WPA rolls i'm
mediately about 10000 farmers
Letters recently sent to County
Commissioners and other sponsors adj
vising them that the d~iscontinuance of
the less needy on WPA projects in the
State and the discontinuance of unem-
ployables and persons not suited to
WPA work projects would, of neces-
sity have to be swifter than had been
anticipated, and advising the County
Commissioners that they will have to
assume the load sooner than expected.
Since the Resettlement Administration
does not operate projects. a large num-
Der of WPA projects, particularly in
the drouth areas, havae to be closed
down, an dthrough the Redistribution
of persons now working on WPA prof.
ects as to need, at least 5000 persons
other than farmers must 0 be dis
continued as WPA clients"
"We have received a large number
Of appeals from sponsors. WPA clients,
and organizations formed in various
parts of the State for the purpose OF
expressing their wishes" Mr.. Parker
said. We greatly appreciate the m
fidence exposed in the WPA asd the
desire of the people over the State
to continue projects, but appeals to the
State Office are useless. for the reason
that we can not employ people when
we do not have the money to pay
them. We have made as urgent an APP
peal to Washington as we can for as
sistance. The only thing that can help
out the situation will be a prompt ana
adequate appropriation bv Congress
for new money to continue WPA &C
tivities."
Appeals to the State Office are USE
less, and persons and organizations de-
string to express their requests for as
s~istance in this time of need would dc
well to express them direct to Congress
rather than to the State organization
Mr.. Parker said.
Sam Sprague, Sheridan county Re-
settlement director, told the Herald to-
day that he estimated 400 cases in
Sheridan county would be transferred
to the Resettlement administration.