Montana labor news., 1937-07-15
PARKER APPEALS TO
INDUSTRY TO TAKE
up UNEMPLOYMENT

Reduction by Congress of the
amount of money available for the
work program for the coming fiscal
year made itself felt in Montana
when Joseph E. Parker, Works Prog
ress Administrator, received instruc-
tons from Washington to the effect
that workers employed on WPA
projects in the state must be i'm
mediately reduced from $3.50 to
1900 effective July Is, and that the
number must be further reduced to
$500 effective August Is.
'This means" Mr.. Parker said,
that the WPA can no longer be re-
garded as a relief agency capable Ct
caring for all of the unemployed
persons in Montana. We must from
now on conduct a strict work pro-
gram and we will be able to employ
only a definite number of employ
able persons in each county in the
state who can be kept at work on
useful and worthwhile projects. In
the past the WPA has been regarded
as capable of meeting almost any
emergency, including even drouth
relief, but Congress has now Off
cially spoken"
Congress has determined that the
climax of the emergency has passed,
and state and county welfare organ
izations and private industry will in
the future have to be prepared to
take care of a great number of per-
sons who have formerly been en-
ployed on WPA projects. A total of
approximately $4,000, 000, 1000 has
been spent in the United States on
the work program in the two pre-
ceding years, but there will be avail
able for the fiscal year from June
30, 1887, to June 80, 1888, ony ST.
$4,000, 900 when earmarked funds
included in the billion and a half
appropriation by Congress are elm
lldJeu, MT. drk Sdlu.
mot only are WPA quotas dras-
tically reduced" Mr.. Parker said,
'but other Federal agencies which
have previously financed many prof.
ects out of relief funds are likewise
affected. These funds being no long
or available, other Federal agencies
are going out of the employment
business. For illustration, the For
est Service in Montana, now employ
ing some 1900 will be required to
reduce its employment approximate
ly one half. Further reductions will
take place in the employment of the
Biological Survey, the Bureau of
Animal Industry, Resettlement Ad-
ministration, and other Federal agen-
cies, so that in addition to reduction
of WPA quotas, other Federal en-
ployment in Montana will be reduced
by some 5000 workers"
''This Creates" MI. Parker said, "a
very unhappy situation, but since
employment is limited by the money
available and since Congress has
specified in the relief appropriation
bill that the money must be appor-
toned over each of the months so
that there will be no deficiency at
the end of the fiscal year, there is
apparently nothing that can be done
about it. In anticipation of the stu
alton, the WPA has recently consoli-
dated all its district offices and re-
duced its administrative force to
lowest possible figures"
"In the future, employment of per-
sons other than persons from the re-
lief rolls must be reduced to a mini
mum and every penny possible will
be made available for the payment
of wages to relief workers employed
on WPA. This MEANS" MI. Parker
said, "that quite a number of non
relief persons employed on WPA
projects will have to be dismissed"
I'VE trust" Mr.. Parker said, "that
private industry will give every pos
sible assistance, and we sincerely
hope that the State Department of
Public Welfare and the welfare
agencies of the counties will appre-
ciate the situation which c~onfronts
the state at this difficult time and
make as adequate provisions as pos
sible for caring for the persons who
must be dropped from WPA and
other Federal payrolls. We sincere
ly ask for the cooperation and for
bearance of the general public in the
face of a situation which we are
helpless to prevent" Mr.. Parker said.
1.-THE attitude of letting the rest of
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