The Waterbury Democrat., 1937-03-09

WASHINGTON
Administration Plans to Cut
Present WPA Roll Of q.
10000 Down to 1900, 900
Heads Of Families by July,
but, COnfidentially, Hop
lEins Has No Idea How
That Can Be Done.


Bkins Has No idea How
That Can Be Done.
Washington, March 8-PrCssident
Roosevelt, Harry Hopkins and the
Budget Bureau are about to grapple
with the relief problem again, prior
to- Recommending TO Congress an
appropriation Of somewhere between
Or6 and two billion dollars for the
naRt fiscal year.
Six governors o. populous states
recently obtained an appointment
with Roosevelt to protest WPA
reductions.
There Is no assurance yet that
the president can work out . per-
manent program for unempl0y-
ment relief. Nevertheless, as ROOse
Welt once Iaughingly said, In reply
10 the question when he would
balance the budget: "Hope springs
eternal"
Meanwhile, the most encourage
ing news concerning reduction Of
WPA rolls and the expense Of
maintaining them Is this:
For the first time in four years,
the number Of persons on WPA or
federal relief rolls has remained
practically the same throughout
January and February. In 1888, 1884
and 1885 the curve rose sharply
during those two months. There
were 2,l62,00O on WPA lists In the
latter part Of February, as compar-
ed with 2,l88,0o0 IN December. In
February, 1895, the number was
3,o39,000.
Will Cut Down Rolls
The present official plan is to cut
the rolls down to 10000 heads OF
families and single persons by the
end OF the fiscal year, June 80.
That's what Congress provided Tor
when It gave WPA deficiency APP
preparation of $650,000,0 900 for this
year. state administrators have
been given their quotas for the
months from now until July. The
total scheduled cuts for the country
cali for drop OF $4,000 in March.
100000 In April, 100000 in May and
100000 more In June.
Yet, Hopkins insists no one In
actual need be cut off WPA. The
state administrators are receiving
that order, too. There are to be
no arbitrary cuts and quotas VIII
b9 subject to review.
State WPA administrators IN
uylyate reports to Washington are
almost unanimous I'm asserting
WPA Is inadequatcly handling its
supposed share Of the RELIEF load.
Few officials believe anything Ike
10000 will be cut OF the rolls,
although Hopkins gave condisioh-
On assurances TO that enect'
The curtailment program was pre-.
dicated upon an absorption BY pri-
vate industry OF roughly 100000
WpA workers; on continued re-
covery: on a good agricultural year;
iipon contribution Of more money 10
uroiects by localities affected; ana
an the possibility the rolls could be
Kept from expanding during jan
nary, February and March. except
III the last instance, 1t Is SIM 700
eary to tell how many Of these
possibilities will come true. In the
meantime. there have been disas-
IRONS floods which may keep the
WPA figures UP. It is concededly
irnnossible to cut WPA rolls at a
anne when local relief lists arc
growing.
Figure Too High
"a report Just In from an area
al IL southern states htst
March quota of 100000 WPA
workers, 4O5,000 actually on the
rolls and 10000 certified cases
awaiting assignment or reassign-
rnent." The last figure, represent
ing unemployed employable per
sons eligible for WPA, probably
x too high. But secret WPA esti-
mates place the number of the
country's employables trying to
ret on WPA rolls at between
100000 and 100000.
That Is one reason why con-
tinued industrial improvement
doesn't mean proportionate cuts In
WPA rolls. When a man leaves
the rolls to get private Job. there
are nearly always others, certified
as eligible, seeking TO take his
place.
Although there are $4,000
fewer persons on WPA than q
year ago, maintenance OF the re-
duced figure Is only possible
through refusal to take OH needy
persons. Difficulty In getting back
on the rolls is said to be the chief
reason WPA employees avoid TAX
ing temporary jobs.
Hopkins doesn't know how he
will get to July, If the $65ooo0,-
900 doesn't hold out. But that
doesn't worry him. He never has
known how much money he could
have, from one month to another.
Copyright, 1887, NEA Serveice, Inco