Evening star., 1936-04-27

indirect, and to give industry some
thing to do.
In the Works Progress Administra-
ton projects, however. the Govern
ment has put up almost the entire
amount of money expended. In the
case of some projects Administrator
Hopkins has claimed that Is or Is
per cent of the costs were promised
by the localities. Generally speaking,
however. the projects have been paid
for entirely out of the Federal
Treasury. When the Government put
up $1,000 there was no additional
So, 900 coming from the local COM
munity to swell the amount to be
expended for employment and recov-
cry. And the Federal Government
footed the entire bill.
The Public Works Administration
has figured that under its first pro-
gram it took s741 so of Federal money
to give a man employment for year.
Under the second program, with the
Federal Government granting As per
cent of the total cost of the non-
ASaCAdl RAOJCNCo, ~ Will tdhC a lltllC
more of Federal money to give man
employment for year.
The estimate of the Works Progress
Administration, which puts up all the
money. except in a few cases, for the
works projects, is that it takes about
$3.50 to S760 to give a man employ
ment for year. The Works Progress
Administration started out on the
theory that it would pay the so-called
security wage" on these projects,
usually something less than the pre-
vailing wage" paid by industry for
similar work. But it has been forced
into the payment of the prevailing
wage in many places.
The Works Progress Administration
has primarily been concerned with
giving employment, in distributing
money. 1t has paid the workers a
monthly salary, which is costly
proposition when it comes to getting
work done.
The Public Works Administration
found in some instances that brick
layers and masons would not take
jobs during the last Winter on P. w.
A. projects because they could make
more money working for the Works
Progress Administration, under the
monthly salary plan. Their pay con-
tinued, even If they were not at
work.
Cities Demand ENCOURAGED.
The Works Progress Administration,
with its 100 per cent contributions to
municipal improvements, is building
up belief in many cities that they
can get the Federal Government to
go ahead with their local improve
ments. This may mean a continuing
demand upon the Federal Govern
ment. 1t may mean the building up
of big bloc in Congress to support
the plan to have the Federal Gov
ernment pay for city and community
improvements-which have always
been paid for in the past by the COM
munities themselves. The cities of
the country, with their voting popu-
lations, are represented by large
proportion of the members Of the
House.
The Public Works Administration
has been able to check carefully the
number of men directly put to work
on P. w. A. projects. The charge is
made that the figures given by the
Works Progress Administration show
ing the number of persons at work on
w. P. A. projects have not been
checked and that they are estimates.
very largely.
The type of projects entered upon
by the Public Works Administration
has generally been approved. They
have been permanent Improvements
of beneficial type. In more than
1000 bond elections" during the last
year, to determine whether the people
of the communities affected wanted
to put up their share of the money
for the P. w. A. projects, more than
100000 votes were cast. And IN
more than SO per cent of these elec-
tions the people voted to 60 ahead
with the projects.
Cities Hold Out Tor Gifts.
The willingness of the Works Pro-
gress Administration to put up prac-
tically all money needed for municipal
projects, however, has had the effect
of making some communities chary
about going ahead with Public Works
Administration projects, under which
they would have to put up IS per cent
of the total costs. With such sys-
tenn as the w. P. A. in effect. and In
competition with this other Govern
ment agency, the P. w. A., the munic-
ipalities are holding out more and
more for free gifts from the Federal
Treasury.
II such competition was withdrawn
for the kind Of project in which the
P. w. A. has been interested, 1t Is
believed that q long-range non-Fed-
eral public works program could be
put into effect under which the munic-
ipalities would be entirely willing to
pay as high as so per cent OF the
costs.
The peak of direct employment un-
der the Public Works Administration
programs came in 1884, with 100000
workers on the projects. But this
figure does not cover the amount OF
employment given by the program
by any means. The industrial workers
engaged in making the materials
required for the p. w. A. projects
were very many. Furthermore. the
p. w. A. projects have given business
to the so-called heavy industries,
which have sadly needed business IN
the depression years. 1t is around
the recovery Of these heavy industries
that permanent improvement and
rest.