The Washington times., 1937-08-27

YTNHE WPA "jobless march on Washington staged
by the Workers Alliance in the apparent hope of
soaring Congress into making bigger relief appropra-
TONS passed off quietly. The marchers arrived after
Congress had gone home. They were greeted Tuesday
by letter from Marvin H. Mcintyre secretary to the
President, in which assurances were given the
marchers and their fellow WPA'ers
O9 around the country who didn't march,
A0He'e0 10 The Presidents assurances were
that no further dsmissas from the WPA will be neces
sarv as the rolls have been cut to fit the $loOO
100000 the President has to spend relief and that
"tbe policy of the WPA in regard to the reemploy-
ment of persons with temporary private employment
will be definitely adhered to-"
All in all it looks as if cur relief system is getting
shaken down to a workable basis-a good thing, we
think in view of the likelihood that relief is going to
be with us on large scale for decades if not forever
Thus, next to the problem Of staying out of war; re-
lief is our greatest single problem. It has been met
ably and generously by the New Deal Administration
up to now we believe. We're especially glad the Adj
administration now the necessity Of jobless census
But we think we can detect possible improvement
from Mr. McIntyre's Presidential assurances quoted
above.
The WPA's policy of making work relief reentry
easy is sound policy but we question whether 1t is
~ administered as effectively as it might be-
In New York City the rule is to keep
AeS' man waiting two weeks on home relief
after he loses his temporary private job before read
hitting him to the WPA. Further, if he has saved any
money from his private ob he can't get back on home
or work relief until he has spent all that money. To
qualify for relief he must be pauper. It's analogous
H. do1p which is n continual
dispute in Great Britain.
It seems to us that such system only encourage
reliefers to stay on relief and discourage them from
taking short-me private jobs Why not abolish the
waiting period on home relief; and why not let man
return to work relief even if he has saved up few
dollars from private job?
There are various kinds of temporary private jobs
in different seasons-harvesting gardening, eafrak
ing snow shoveing and
In regard to the boondogglng relief projects writ
ing dramatcs music, picures) their usefulness goes
on being doubtful, and we still wonder whether the
best thing do woudn be gradually to cut them out
altogether Or at least, when any of
these artists gets private job, not to
OF Kinds replace him.
European countries so far we know have not gone
in for this substituting Of the less competent less for
tunate artist. Certainly England and Sweden, most
successful in meeting their relief problems, haven't.
Their rule has been the dole for unemployabes, and
work real public improvements only-brdges roads,
public buildings parks Fairgrounds forest conserva
ton, flood control, ec-for employable victims of
panic or chronological unemployment.
Our relief art falls generally into two classes Either
it is just bum art it contains Communist propaganda
which impels some people-the Governor of Massa-
chusetts is current exampe-to try to have it sup
pressed We can't discern the benefit in either to
the taxpayer, who pays for relief
Front Daily
Innk Ahnad Rillul