Evening star., 1937-04-04
?. P.W.A.'SPR0GRAM
|. SHARPLY REDUCED.
Plan to Check Price Rise
Puts Activity Close to
"Boondogg|e" Class.
By NELSON NJ. SHEPARD.

check the too rapid rise OF prices in
the durable goods industries by shift
ing purchases to the lines Of con-
sumner goods has relegated the once
great P. w. A. program to something
akin to the boondogglin & class.
Engaged four years ago as the on
cial pump primer in the drive to
bring about economic recovery for
the Nations then half-starved heavy
industries-sucha as steel, cement, cop
per and machinery-Harold l.. Ickes
did the job so efflciently that today
he is in the position OF having dug
the grave Of his own Public Works
Administration.
P. w. AS job in this respect is
done. The Presidents announcement
of change in public works spending
is recognition of this fact and is
regarded by many as an indirect COM
pliment to Ickes' management OF 1t.
1t served at least to focus public
attention on the huge amount OF
money poured by the Public Works
Administration over nearly four years
into the NAV OF the heavy industries.
To date, the P w. A. has accounted
for expenditures totaling 1888, 869,-
282 on construction projects At least
so per cent of this, or nearly $2,000,-
600 200, has been used for purchase
OF materials that have produced the
threat OF "infiationary" price rises
in the durable goods which the Pres
ident is seeking to check.
P.W. A. Extension Approved.
Extension OF the P. w. A, for an
other two years after its legal expira-
ton on June 80 next has the approval
Of the President, but instead of the
$500, 900, 900 and more that its sup
porters are urging for it, Mr.. Roose-
welt apparently is determined to limit
its future spending to sl50,0OO, 900 out
Of its present revolving fund.
A new and unrecog ognizable P. w. A.
program will be the result.
The District OF Columbia, for in
stance. can now give up whatever
hope it might have entertained OF OBJ
ldiiIIlie luliOS llOlll 4ShCo iOi S'ii-
struction Of the proposed Municipal
Center, or stadium, or new buildings
for the Lorton, (VaD Reformatory.
The new Federal spending program
affecting public works. announced
after the President had ruled that
Ickes may use only the services Of
relief labor on projects, has just
about terminated the P W. A. as an
industrial recovery force
The P. w. A. program of the future
will have to take on the shade and
tone Of Harry L. Hopkins program
of made work or something much
! resembling it. Road construction,
small bridges, channel dredging earth
dams, soil erosion and other such
work as will require maximum OF
labor and a minimum of materials are
in prospect
| Cause OF Program Reduction.
The gradual cutting down of the
P. w. A. program, laid by many at
the door OF Works Progress Admins
traitor Hopkins. who had the ear OF
the White House in work relief mat
ters, has reduced present expendi-
| lures to an insignificant sum, as
expenditures are counted these days
| Hopkins contention that the P. w
A. was employing too few men or
! construction sites in comparison with
labor used in producing purchases o!
materials eventually turned the tide
against the rival recovery agency.
But it is just as possible that such
statements as put out by the Labor
: Department from time to time on the
rapidly improving conditions in the
durable goods industries had just
as much weight at the White House
As late as February 20, about the
time the President began applying
the brakes to the P. w. A. on the
matter Of relief labor. Commissioner
Isador Lubin of the Bureau OF La
Dor Statistics announced:
The enormity of the economic
effect of the p w. A. program or
| certain industries is evidenced by The
fact that in the calendar year 1884
approximately rs per cent OF all brick
approximately IS per cent Of all ce'
ment, approximately As per cent Of all
structural steel and approximately
so per cent of all steel rails produced
were for the use OF P. w. A. con.
struction projects
Powerful Economic Force.
P. w. A. has contributed only neg.
ligibly to the 100000 or more EN-.
ployed on the works program at pres
ent In providing employment fol
skilled labor. however, and in Great
ing a wide labor market behind th'
lines" in the heavy goods industries
and in factories, it has proved per
haps the most powerful economic
force OF the New Deal; too powerful
In fact, as the President now holds.
Mr.. Roosevelts reversal Of policy
which would have the effect of bring
ing about a proper balance betweel
the production OF durable and con
sumption goods, focuses public atten
ton on some of P. w. AS past ex
penditures.
The first three years of the P. W.
program were the fat" years for tn
heavy industries. A rather complet
breakdown OF purchases showed tina
P. w. A. orders for materials resulted
in employment increases ranging from
14.2 per cent to 1884 per cent in tn
three years.
Up to June, 1886, Ickes had spen
$3,122,622,952 for Federal and non
Federal construction.
The breakdown showed $l,288,775.
900 expended for materials alone. /
accounted for 4,26l 200 man-hours o