Evening star., 1937-05-03
F, P,W,A.EXTENS|0N
Of 2YEARS URGED
ON HOUSE GROUP
lCkes Makes Plea as Body
Weighs Measure to Pro-
vide Funds.
W00DRUM BELIEVES
OPPOSITION UNLIKELY
Sees No Conflict With Economy
Program-Ways to Cut U. S.
Cost Studied.
BACKGROUND

OACh n hGHOOND-
As tar revenues fell beloU estt-
mates, definite movement began at
Capitol to effect economy in dppro-
pri0tions
Among suggestions has been fiat
10 per cent cut in all appropriations
or IS per cent impounding of dp-
proprtdted funds, With spending at
discretion OF President
As previously, Federal relief Is
largest item threatening bugetdry
plans. President requested ST.
500 900 900; organized local gor-
ernment groups sought more, but
apparently haze been defeated,
leaUing issue notD one of reduction
or staying at presidential figure.
Extension of the active life Of the
Public Works Administration for two
years was urged today by Secretary of
Interior Ickes before a House appro-
priations subcommittee considering a
measure to permit the Federal works
agency to use its s15O,000,o00 revolv-
ing fund to finance new projects dur
ing the next two years, beginning
July l.
Except for the liquidation Of prof.
ects under construction, P w. A. will
expire June 80 unless Congress acts.
The P. w. A. bill was considered by
the subcommittee preliminary to hear
ings on the relief-emergency appro-
priations bill, which Representative
Woodrum, Democrat, of Virginia, has
suggested might be trimmed s500000.-
900 to reduce relief spending for next
year to an even 81, 100000 900 in view
Of the current economy drive.
Woodrum said the subcommittee
probably would not reach the relief
bill before Wednesday.
Sees No Conflict.
He told neWsmen as the P. w A.
hearings convened that there was
little disposition on the part Of the
committee to oppose continuation of
the agency for the period specified. He
said the pending bill did not conflict
with President Roosevelt's economy
program, because it did not call for
new appropriation.
ANY fight" Woodrum said, prob
ably will center on propositions to
make additional appropriations
He has written 80 agencies asking
that they go over their budgets again
and see what items can be reduced.
Representative Better, Democrat. OF
| New York, who said House "P. w. A.
bloc of 227 members favored the
proposition, appeared before the COM
mittee to urge earmarking for P. w. A.
| of $500, 100000 of relief funds for the
next fiscal year.
Better said his group would not
seek direct appropriation of any new
| funds.
Says Early Action Unlikely.
In saying that he believed Congress
might make the s5o0,O0000o relief cut,
Woodrum asserted there was no PROS
pect of early action.
Meanwhile, Senate Commerce
Subcommittee decided to hold hearings
later in the session on the Maloney
bill, which seeks to reduce unem-
ployment by regulating the hours Of
labor in industry in accordance with
the number out Of work. as found by
a periodic unemployment census.
Whenever more than 100000 are
unemployed. industry would be re-
quired to adopt a 30-hour week, which
would be extended on graduated
scale to 40-hour week as the number
of unemployed went down to 1000 900.
The 40-hour week would be required
as long as there are 100000 or less
out of work. The census would be
taken in 1887, 1910 and every two years
thereafter.
Chairman Overton of the subcom-
mittee said the date for hearings would
be announced after Senator Maloney,
Democrat. of Connecticut, drafts cer-
tain amendments. !
Replacing School Hazards.
Declaring he did not believe any
member wants to economic at the
expense of the health, safety and lives
lenbach Democrat, of Washington,
offered resolution today requesting
P. w. A. to tighten the requirements
for local participation in projects for
the replacement of hazardous school
buildings.
Following the school explosion
tragedy at New London, Tex, recently,
Schwellenbach had p W. A. submit
list of pending applications for new
schools where existing buildings con-
tain hazards.
SchWellenbach said there are ample
funds in the P w. A. revolving fund
to go forward with the projects. The
purpose of his resolution is to set
aside rules which limit P. w. A. funds
to employment of relief labor, plus
IS per cent. He told Senator Nye his
resolution would enable P. w. A. to
provide grants equal to As per cent
OF the projects, where an emergency
condition can be shown. The resolu-
ton will come up later.
Whether State and local govern
ments are able to meet larger share
OF the cost of work-relief projects next
year is likely to be the decisive factor
in determining whether Congress will
make deep cut in the relief estimate.
In starting the move to slash $780,
100000 from the estimate, Senator
Byrnes, Democrat, of South Carolina,
took the position that If the States
met so per cent of the cost OF projects.
a billion-dollar Federal outlay would
be ample.
Works Progress Administrator Hop
kins, who is expected to defend vigor-
ously the amount recommended by this
President, met the economy arguments
with the statement yesterday that in
| (See ECONOMY, Page AID