Evening star., 1937-04-25
BY BECK.

ness-bent investigator will find topi-
cal indexes in each volume directing
them to the pages pertinent to their
quests.
FURTHERMORE, the quarry will be
specifically located, whether it is
to be found in a city purlieu, on hard
surfaced country highway or back In
the hills on rustic lane. In the
form Of numbered tours, specifying
distances, directions, route numbers,
attitudes and functions with other
tours, the traveller will find instruc-
tions by which he can cover any
State with almost the thoroughness
OF geological survey.
Take merely the casual sightseeing
Summer motorist, spinning or loafing
through new country. or perhaps even
country often Travelled but little
known. Questions are as inevitable
as human curiosity.
What is the name Of that charming
little stream to the left? 1t might be
grand fishing spot. I wonder Just
how old that ancient church up on
the hill may be? How did this
classic little marble library building
ever happen to find its seat in this
quaint old village? What do you
suppose people do for living in this
remote backwater? How did this
sedate little New York town ever get
the name Of Painted Post-it sounds
like Arizona? I wonder if that dirt
road would take lis to the top of that
gorgeous mountain? You remember
the grand story we read about Ethan
Aliens boys-do you suppose this is
the road they took to Canada?
The idea for the guide sprang from
various sources. First. of course, was
the thought-revolutiona to some
critics of work relief-that unem-
ployed writer's, researchers and editors
are as entitled to employment as
jobless machine hands and domestics.
But If they were to be given work
for which they had an aptitude, what
could it be? Creative fiction? Reader
less journalism? Poetry on a wage?
The alternatives were few, almost
non-exstent. But as it happened,
some unemployed writer's In Connecti-
cut had been put to work under w.
p. AS predecessor, F. E. r. A., In
getting up . sort Of State guide
really q series of township sketches
gathered into q book, which sole
10000 copies hot from the presses
From other States were coming re-
quests for something similar.
The project got under way in Octo
ber, 1885, under the direction Of Henry
G. Alsberg, former war correspondent
in Europe and Mexico, translator o
many foreign works. 1900 gradual.
of Columbia University with legal
journalistic and travel background
His chief assistant was George Cronyn
fiction writer and former head of tn,
English department Of a Western Stat
university. Space was found for tn
headquarters staff, numbering som.
fifty-five, in Washington mansion
of the gay 90s-the old Mclean man
sion, on MoPherson square. Forty -eigh'
State directors also were selected.
FROM State relief rolls came th,
balance Of the $500 worker
Mostly they were men and women ,
little past their prime, although the!
included percentage Of young foil
who had not been able to find q plac
In the world Of private industry. Som,
we're librarians. others free lance writ
ers whose markets had shrunk or col
lapsed, still others school teachers q
advertising writer's, or newspaper foil
dropped through journalistic consoli
dations and depression economies
About 10 per cent-usually person!
with the most specialized skills-re
fused certification as relief clients, bu
were willing to be taken on at relic
wages. These wages run under thu
w. P. A. schedules from about $40 .
week in States without large cities ane
therefore with presumably low nvint
costs, up to $24 a week in States con
tanning large metropolitan centers.
Hardly enough, one might assume
to make these workers highly en-.
thusiastic about their jobs. Yet, &C
cording to w. P. A. officials, their en-
thusiasm has been as striking as ths
results they have produced. In &C.
cord with the work-sharing theory
these reliefers were expected to put II
q rather short work week But instead
Of merely putting In" a week, mos
of them, 1t is asserted, have thrown
themselves into their jobs with the
energy and persistence of scientists
on the verge of sweeping discoveries.