Evening star., 1938-12-25
Work Relief Problem
Troubles New Congress
BIZ OUen L. Scott.

run out of money. The reason Is that
through work relief the Government Is
going to succeed in spending s., ,425, ,000,-
600 within the short span of seven
months.
Through this vast outpouring of hard
even If borrowed-cash, the tide of
the 1888 depression Is definitely turned.
Work relief is demonstrating even to
the satisfaction Of industry's own econo-
mists that 1t offers a swift and effective
method of pump-priming.
But once again w. P. A. is heading for
trouble. This time the signs are that
the trouble is real.
The root of the prospective trouble for
major arm Of the New Deal lies deep
in politics and in the reasoning of the
general public. Members Of Congress,
coming back to Washington for another
lawmaking session, leave little doubt
about their determination to do some
thing" about w. P. A.
Whether justified or not, many indi-
vidual Congressman are convinced that
the power given to the President to Gre
ate more than 100000 jobs and to pay
S200,00O,000 a month to these jobholders
was abused for political purposes. The
mere fact that this power appears not
to have produced victory for President
Roosevelt'S friends only complicates the
w. P. A. problem. Fewer friends are left
for defense
Also. whether justified or not, large
section of the voting public appears to
have made up its mind that those on
work relief are doing too we'll. Hourly
wages are high compared with wages in
most of industry. Often w. P. A. work.
ers are earning higher annual income
than privately employed workers. There
are mounting complaints from farmers
and householders that it is next to i'm
possible to get part-time workers when
needed. In the smaller communities and
in the farming districts those not on
relief know the life histories and the ex-
periences OF those receiving work relief.
Resentments grow from evidence that
w. P. A. employees often are better of
than those struggling on their own.
President Roosevelt seems acutely
aware of these facts. This accounts for
the fact that Harry Hopkins, w. P. A.
administrator, is being kicked upstairs"
Mr.. Hopkins has been an effective and
hard-ighting representative of the
Nations unemployed At the same time,
however, he indulged a flair for anna
teur politics that has done as much as
anything else to cause the present w. P
A. trouble. Much the same can be said
for Aubrey Williams. deputy admins
traitor, who is slated to take UP other
work.
Mr. Roosevelt wants at least $7O0,OO0,-
600 to finance w. P. A. from February
to July /. He will ask Congress for a
large emergency appropriation to tide
over and to make sure that no sudden
expenditure letdown will upset the pres
ent recovery. After that the prospect is
that the President will content himself
with giving Congress the facts concern
ing the unemployment problem, leaving
to the lawmakers the problem of deter
mining the size of future appropriations
and the formula for spending those
appropriations.
The issues that will confront Congress
are deep-seated. Should relief to the
unemployed be solely on subsistence
basis or should it be based upon the
principle of work in order to get some
return in the form of labor from the
unemployed? Should there be rigid
formula for ljviIiro iloh
among the States? Should the less
wealthy States of the South and North
west receive as much relief money per
capita as the rich States, such as New
York and Pennsylvania and California? :?
Should relief spending be accepted as
definite arm of the Government for
bolstering the private economy when
that economy gets into trouble the way
it did late in 1887?
Congress is to be forced to wrestle with
questions such as these. In the past
President Roosevelt has answered the
question for Congress. Now, however,
the country has registered an apparent
desire for change.
The member of Congress most familiar
with the many problems raised by work
relief is Senator James F. Byrnes Sem
ator Byrnes headed congressional COM
mittee that made comprehensive in
vestigation OF the problem of caring for
the unemployed. Out of that investiga-
ton came a conviction on the part Of
the Senator that present policies are
both expensive and dangerous in the
tendencies that they promote.
X xk *
One simple law. in the opinion of Sem
ator Byrnes, could save the Nation $780,
00O, 900 year. This law would simply
prohibit any Senator or Representative
from using his influence to obtain for
his district or State any loan or work
project or appointment to Federal office.
II assume that the plan is entirely i'm
practical" the South Carolina Senator
observed. But the reason why he be-
lieves that, If practical, such law would
save half billion dollars each year Is
easily understood by any one familiar
with the way the Washington machinery
runs.
To-day" Senator Byrnes said. "Con-
| gress collects from the people IN taxes
billions of dollars and gives that money
to department heads to spend at their
| discretion. Local officials then demand
| the assistance of Senators and Represent