Evening star., 1938-05-07
HOPKINS RAISES
RELIEF ESTIMATE
TO THREE BILLION
W. P. A. Head Expects Peak
Load of 100000 Clients
for Next Winter.
PRESENTS TESTIMONY
BEFORE HOUSE GROUP
Money Believed Needed Exceeds
Budget Bureaus Figures
by $4,000. 100000.
r, the Associated Press.

RS the Associated Press.
Congress learned today from Harry
l.. Hopkins. works progress admins
traitor. that the Governments relief
program may cost $4,000, 900, 900 in
the next fiscal year instead of 81 .OOO.-
100000 as originally estimated by the
Budget Bureau.
Testifying before a House Appro-
priations Subcommittee on President
Roosevelts request for Sl,250.0O0. 900
to finance Work-relief from July to
February !. 1889. Mr.. Hopkins dis
closed he was preparing for a peak
load of 100000 relief clients next
winter.
He said the 81 1850. 900 900 would
take care of an average of about o.
100000 persons until next October
and permit an increase up to 3,lOO, 900
during the winter months.
There are approximately $500, 900
persons on relief rolls now. and Mr..
napkins said that with his estimated
winter increase there would be an
average of 2,SOO,0OO for the seven
month period.
Questioned as to what the program
would cost if projected for the full,
fiscal year-from July /, 1899. to July
!. l939-Mr. Hopkins replied
$4,000, ,0OO. 900 Over Estimate.
In round figures it would be So
ooo000,000 for additional work ex-
penditures for the full year. which is
$4,000, 100000 over the budget esti-
mate. if you are projecting it for a
full year"
The administrator explained that
the w. P. A. program would cost ST.
250.000. 900 for the full fiscal year and
that in addition other Federal agencies
engaged in relief and semi-relief activ-
tiles would need s750,000, 900. Mr..
Hopkins aides said the administrator
was including in this figure proposed
Public Works Administration grants,
and sllotments for the Farm Security
Administration and the National Youth
Administration.
Predicting the relief load would not
drop below 100000 during the sum-
mer, Mr.. Hopkins said he did not be-
lieve the situation would warrant
anybody believing that w. P. A. rolls
can be cut"
1 know" he said, that the humber
OF families in the United States getting
relief benefits of any kind is over
100000. including about 10000 900
people. I know at one time there were
27.0o0000 people who we're getting
aid"
Federal Funds Not Enough.
Mr.. Hopkins said expenditure of Fed
eral funds alone would not provide the
total increase in private employment
which is essential in our economy"
For my own part, l do not believe
that the expenditure of large sums of
public money, in and by itself, will do
the trick" he said.
However, we are in situation
where private funds simply are not
moving, where employment is at a
low level, where people are put on part
time, where the national income has
dropped in a relatively few months
from rate of $4,000 900 900 to s56.-
600 0.ooO.OOO."
Mr.. Hopkins viewed pessimisticallv
the possibility that private industry
would be able, eventually, to absorb
all the Nations employable persons.
Do you think that the situation will
ever correct itself automaticallv?"
asked Representative Ludlow. Demo-
crat. of Indiana.
Il do not think it will ever be en-
tirely corrected" Mr.. Hopkins replied
We have constant increase in the
working population. Since 1885 we
nave had an increase of over | 900 600
ana there is net increase every year
OF 100000 workers"
Says u. S. Control Best.
Mr.. Hopkins told the committee tho
relief problem could be attacked most
eff1ciently by Federal administration
OF funds.
I think" he said. that from a
(See RELIEF. Page A-9l