The McDowell times. [volume] (Keystone, W. Va.) 1904-1941, 1938-10-07
NJ. Holt, Jr., Riddles
WPA Hypocrisy

Weston, w. Va, Oct. 2 = In
a speech before the Lewis county
Citizens League, a non parti-
IAN organization of the farmers
ad workers of Lewis county, held
last weekend, the chairman, M
S. Holt Jr., lashed out at the
national administration in l of
the most bitter attacks ever
heard at the court house here
Mr.. Holt advised a large gather
ing that at this time there are
two federal agents in Weston
conducting an investigation to
to learn just how much time was
granted to a Parkersburg
Negro janitor in the Parkers-
burg WPA office, in order that
he might be at the bedside of
his dying wife, and to determine
whether or not he was dock
ed" for this time lost.
cat the same time that these
agents are conducting an in
vestigation to learn whether or
not this poor old Negro was
absent from The Office for five,
six or ten days during which
time he was sitting at the bed
side of his dying wife right here
in cold damp basement room in
Weston and whether or not he
was dOcked for these days
which he lost, a Young Demo
cratic convention is in progress
in Clarksburg, just 20 miles
away. Many of the highly paid
federal officials of the govern
ment, including Ernest L. Bailey
State NEG Admin strator,
whose salary is Sc, 100000 a year ;
Lemuel R. Via unsuccessful
candidate for governor in 1886,
whose salary is not less than
$5000.00~a year; Riley Wilson,
West Virginia's No. 1 jokester,
who is a 100000 a year man
with the Coal Commission and
others are present at this con-
vention for purely political pur-
poses. The combined salaries
of these employees of the people
is not less than a hundrd dollars
a day. No investigation is being
made as to whether or not they
have the right to abandon their
duties, if any, to attend t h s
political meetings and there will
be no talk of docking them for
the time they lose. The salaries
of these men and probably their
expense accounts, will amount to
more than the salary of this
poor colored man for an entire
year. This, my friends, is an
example of the great humani-
tartan program of a man known
as 'Haywire Harry "
Holt cited instances of graft
totalling many hundreds of
thousands of dollars in the WPA
in the state. These included the
contracts of a certain hardware
firm in which the patron saint
of WPA in the state is a stock
holder; the construction of q
cabin by WPA officials, for their
own use, with WPA materials
and workers; the leasing OF
broken down machinery fro m
WPA officials. and the kickback
from truck hire for the 1896
campaign fund.
Harry Hopkins has neither
the time nor the inclination tt
investigate these things. HI
can however send safety inspect
ors into the county to Learn
whether or not WPA worker:
are using "Pink Petunia" paper
drinking cups a n d whether Of
not a colored man made up thu
few days he lost during his wife,
Illness"
Two weeks ago by a resolu
tion the Lewis County Citizen
League asked that the WPA con
duct a number of investigation
of a number of abuses in con
junction with the Citizens Lea
que. These charges were defnt
tely set out in included WPI
work on private property h
politicaliZation of WRAl in tn
county the, placing of men o
WPA rolls by a certain Demo
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