Evening star., 1939-01-12
Relief Slash
Is Backed by
Committee
House Group Asks
US Million; Hits
MoIingerers'

President Roosevelt last Deek
asked Congress to appropriate
S875000,0 900 to prouide unemploy-
ment relief during rest of fiscal
year. Previously need had been
estimated Uariously from $780,
100000 to S1,15O ,O0O, 900. House
Appropriations Subcommittee cut
Presidents estimate. but strong
efforts 10ill be made for both more
and less money during constderd-
tiOn of bill.
F> thu Associated Press.
The House Appropriations Com
mittee, contending that w. P. A.
rolls carry thousands neither right
fully nor justifiably thereon" for
mally recommended today a $725,-
100000 appropriation to keep the
relief agency going until June 30.
The full committee thus went
along with subcommittee in a re-
volt against the administration S
spending program.
President Roosevelt had asked
1915 100000 for w. P. A., but that
figure. the committee said, "presages
a continued degree of unemploy-
ment out of harmony with general
recovery indications"
Four Republican members of the
committee. asserting that "a ma
tional scandal requires immediate
action" went even farther. They
said in minority report that funds
should be appropriated now only to
keep w. p A. operating until April Z.
BY that date. they added, there
should be basis for future conduct
of relief activities, "revamped and
revised"
WOodrum Opens Debate.
The minority they said, "con-
demns the administration of relief,
which stands charged with waste
and extravaganza, with the scandal
Gus use for political purposes Of
money appropriated for those in
need, and with the fostering of sub
versive propaganda against the
Government itself"
They added. however, that they
realized that the unfortunate NAL
administration of relief funds"
should not be used as a penalty on
those in distress at this time.
Representative Woodrum, Demo-
crat. Of Virginia opened debate by
contending w. P. A. could drop
100000 from it's rolls in the next five
months because it expects private
employment to increase by 500 900.
House leaders had arranged for
debate to continue until tomorrow
afternoon and said they would push
the measure to passage by tomorrow
night.
During a period Of which there
is to be a million and a half new
jobs created, and with careful and
thoughtful management of its pro-
gram" Representative Woodrum as
serted, Il do not believe it is un-
reasonable to ask w. P. A. to set It's
house in order and to bring about
reasonable retrenchments."
Opposes Lavish Spending.
Representative Woodrum, in
charge of the relief bill in the House,
said he had recognized the neces-
sity of meeting relief needs and stim-
ulating recovery, but have never
subscribed to that school of thought
that lavish public spending was
sound business judgment or the way
to economic stability"
He said he felt Congress was in
viting national disaster to our eco
nomic structure" if it continued to
pile up expenditures beyond any
hope of revenue to meet them.
The $875, 100000 requested by Mr..
Roosevelt contemplated keeping an
average of 2,87O,0OO persons on
w. P. A. rosters for the five months
starting February /. The majority
said s725 200, 900 would bring w. P. A
employment down to an average OF
2,377 ,049 per month.
The Appropriations Committee
approved the slash in the proposed
w. P. A. fund shortly before the bill
was brought to the House floor for
debate. Leaders had agreed to end
the debate by 2 pm. tomorrow.
In recommending a clause which
(See W.P. A., Page AID