The Washington times., 1938-05-07


the House Appropriations Com
mittee. was based on the premise
that all proposed recovery funds
will be expended during the fiscal
year beginning July /.
HOPKINS WANTS MORE
At the same time. the commit
tee released official transcripts of
Testimony by Relief Administrator
Hopkins revealing that Hopkins
does not believe the proposed ST.
$50, 100000 WPA appropriation to
carry an increased relief load of
$4,000, 900 persons is large enough.
My personal opinion" said
Hopkins, lis that the figure of
100000 is not large enough.
In fact, anyone who knows any
thing about the realities of the
unemployment situation in the
industrial cities must realize the
tremendous pressure on our Of
fices in the industrial centers to
increase our employment load"
The present WPA load is $780,
900, the 100000 increase to go
into effect as soon as the recovery
funds are made available, he said.
ICKES ON BUILDING
Prospect of a huge Federal
building program under a revised
billion-dollar PWA appropriation,
was foreseen by Secretary IckeS,
the transcripts disclosed.
In asking that the appropria
ton be altered to provide for a
$3.50, OOO,0 grant fund and $780,
100000 for loans, instead of the
$3.50, 100000 for grants and $780,
600, 900 for loans recommended by
President Roosevelt, Ickes said
that Congress in granting us this
leeway" might we'll consider the
possibility of widespread Federal
building.
Other PWA officials, testifying
before the committee, said the
increase in the grant fund would
raise the number of possible prof.
ectS from 1000 to 1000. They
estimated the PWA rogram
would give a total of 325, 1856 400
man-hours of employment at an
average monthly pay per man Of
$4,000 a month.
In making his deficit estimate,
Bell employed President Roose-
velt's own 1899 estimate of
$3.50, 900 900 deficit, given to Con-
gress last January, as a starting
point, adding to it anticipated
recovery OUTLAWS since recon-
mended.
MENTIONS ESTIMATE
II have seen estimates men
toned which would place the
1899 deficit anywhere from
$4,000, 900 900 to 100000, OO0,"
Bell said. Il do not believe one
could get any estimate as high
as these if every penny which
Congress has been asked to
appropriate is actually spent
during the coming year, includ-
ing enough to run WPA for the
last five months February
July, 1880 on the same basis
as Mr.. Hopkins estimate for the
first seven months.
IF you assume that all the
money appropriated will actu-
ally be spent, including WPA
on a full years basis, you would
not have a deficit of more than
$500, 900, 00O."
Although President Roosevelt
originally recommended $450,000,-
900 for PWA grants and $550,000,-
900 for loans, the committee, act
ing with administration approval,
increased the grant fund $780,
600, 900 and reduced the loan au-
thorization to $250,000,000. To
take care of any loan demands
that might exceed the reduced
> figure, authorization was renewed
for PWA to loan up to a half bill
lion dollars from it's revolving
fund.
MANY FLOOD PROJECTS
Because Secretary Ickes had in
dicated to the committee that the
$400, 900 900 in PWA projects now
pending represent most of the de.
mandS by local communities an
ticipated for the year to come.
supporters of flood control. ma
tional defense and other author
lied Federal projects believed the
administration plans to employ
the increase in the grant fund
for widespread Federal building.
Nearly $500, 100000 in flood
control projects are now author
lied by Congress for which money
has never been appropriated. In
addition scores of authorized
rivers and harbors, Army and
Navy projects, await appropria-
tions.
Rural identification advocates
have been urging that $200,00O,-
900 be made available for REA' S
program, while other members of
the agriculture bloc in Congress
have been seeking $50,000,000 for
a pond and dam program for the
dust bowl.
MAY WANTS ARMY HOUSED
Chairman May of the House
? Military Affairs Committee has
led a drive for $124,O00, 900 for an
Army housing program and con,
struction of air bases authorized
J under the Wilcox Act, including
the strategic Alaskan frontier
, base. May has the support of the
War Department.
The recovery bill will be pre-
sented to the House Tuesday and
4 CON si6era tim hannln ot nnca As