Evening star., 1939-05-09
Milwaukee S Mayor
Is Opposed 10 State
Control Of Relief
Poy-os-Y -You-Go Bosis
Urged by Hoon Before
W. P. A. Probers
BY BLAIR BOLLES.

The Federal State and city gov
ernments should put relief on a
pay-as-you-go basis, Mayor Daniel
w. Hoan. Socialist Mayor of Mil
waukee for the last % years, de-
clared today before the House Ap-
preparations Subcommittee investi-
eating the Works Progress Admins
tration. Taxes should replace bond
issues as the relief support, accord
ing to Mayor Hoan's view.
Make Federal supervision Of work
relief permanent by putting all well
fare activities into q new depart
ment, which would include some
modified w. P. A. agency, the Mayor
suggested. He urged also that the
Federal Government set up new
tax to pay for relief.
do you favor letting the States
control work relief" Representative
Cannon, Democrat, of Missouri,
asked the witness.
mo-" Mayor Hoan replied. "The
States are too political"
The mayor said the w. p. A. was
free Of political thaint in Milwau-
kee, and added:
Il never give political job. The
mayors and Governors and Senators
who hand out political plums are
the ones who don't get reelected"
Worried Over Debt.
Were just going along hit or
miss, issuing bonds, issuing bonds" "
Mr.. Hoan said, at another point.
Let me tell you as an American
citizen, 1t worries me, this sinking
deeper and deeper into debt"
Mr.. Hoan followed the lead of
other mayors who have testified
before the committee in praising the
w. P. A. But he was unique in ad-
mitting the local governments as
well as the Federal Government
must pay for the works relief pro-
gram.
There's a lot of local ingenuity
that's going to waste" Mr.. Hoan
said.
Greater urban economies and in
creased efficiency in the cities would
serve to heighten the cities ability
to share the work relief burden, he
added.
Mr.. Hoan proposed a planned
w. P. A.-with program mapped
out from year to year-as a con-
tribution toward efficiency in spend
ing w. P. A. money. He favored
letting the cities work directly with
the Federal Government instead of
through the States.
Could Collect More. He Says.
"Our State government has not
done its share in collecting money
to meet this relief BILL Mr.. Hoan
said. Milwaukee officials have tried
in vain. he said, to prod the Wis
consin Legislature into passing laws
to relieve the financial straits at
tendant on relief expenditures
Milwaukee. the Mayor said, has
had $29, 900 900 of w. P. A. money
spent on it. Last year, the expense
was S., 800 900, Of which $500, 900 was
contributed locally. The rest was
FeQeral money.
II think the State could collect
more money" Mr.. Hoan said
emphatically.
Mayor Hoan said the labor on
w. P. A. projects wouldn't be work.
ing except for the relief program,
and added:
Il don't think that it's serious
complaint that the w. P. A. is TAX
ing construction business from pri-
vate groups The w. P. A. workers
are building things that wouldn't be
built If this program weren't In
effect"
He granted that w. P. A. labor is
Expensive" and for that reason
was used mostly on park clearing
and sewer projects.
Taken From Relief Rolls.
Except for occasional foremen.
practically all the w. P. A. labor in
Milwaukee Is drawn from relief