The Waterbury Democrat., 1936-03-26
America s First National Public
 Works Program Three Years Old
WPA Has Two Major Ob- ieCtives-.UsefuI Work to
 Relieve Unemployment

Three years have elapsed since President Roosevelt, fnubtering all forces of government to curb an econos.-', disease which had reached epidemic proportions, planned Arn- erica's first national public works program. When the congress, acting O his ecommendation, established t"e Public Work Administration the national economy was indeed a grievously sick patient, lying in a deep coma, resisting all attempts tu awaken 1t with formulas of optiin- ism, with words of good cheer. A crisis was imminent when PWA and group of new specialists were summoned to the bedside. They prescribed definite forms of treat ment for the sick economy, spurn- ing the discredited incantations of those faith headers who had been promising the patient that "confl- dence" alone would assure his re- covery.
 The nation had faith in these new physicians and the last three years have proven conclusively that that faith was not misplaced. The salutary effects of public works treatment have long been felt, and the fact that the patient is now well on the way to recovery is due in no small measure to the sound, vigorous treatment which PWA pre- scribed
 This first practical application of the theory of public works, which had long been contemplated favor ably by economists, had two major objectives: the creation of useful work at equitable wages to relieve unemployment, and the establish nent of sorely-needed improve ments in the equipment of those services and facilities furnished the American people by It's Federal, state and municipal governments. The first objective of this new eco- homie prescription was rapidly re- alized. Allocations of some $4,000,- 00O,000 for public works materially reduced unemployment. The PWA program provided work for hun NGdo Oh CiiuuahiiuD VI WOAhcIo III the construction of projects, insti- gated a revival in the capital goods industries through orders calling for the production, fabrication and transportation of vast quantities of materials necessary for PWA under takings, and made Its influence pro- foundly felt throughout the entire business structure by cxpandlng vigorously the national buying pow CT, and creating proportionate in- crease in the demand for consumers goods.
 Expanded Payrolls Help
 In examining the recovering pa- tient, observers have noted the beneficial results of PWA treatment. Statisticians early this year esti- mated that PWA had bolstered the national economy by providing ap- proximately 10,300,000 months of employment in actual construc- ton operations. Conservative econ- omists are in agreement that direct employment creates at least the same amount of primary indirect employment in quarries, mines and forests, in mills and factories, in transportation and in all of those industries supplying raw and fln- ished materials and transporting them to construction sites. Esti- mates of some statisticians run as high as five jobs created in indirect employment by every job in con- struction. Admittedly difficult of measurement is the effect of direct and primary indirect employment on those industries and professions sa atisfying the demand for consum-