Evening star., 1939-02-07
President Approves
w. A. Bill and Asks
Added $150,000,000
Emergency Exists,
In Alarming Relief
Outlook, He Says
(Tert OF President Rooseuelts re.
lief message on Page Az
By the Associated Press.

(Tert OF President Roosepelts re.
lief message on Page A-2)
BY the Associated Press.
President Roosevelt told Congress
today an emergency" EXISTS in re-
lief and asked immediate consid-
Grafton" of an additional appropria-
ton of $150,0OOOO for the Works
Progress Administrator for the next
five months.
The President in effect, set a
March l deadline for Congress to
decide whether the additional funds
would be forthcoming. For, he said,
II reduction of more than 900 600
persons in the relief rolls is to be
MADE, orderly and efficient plan
ming requires that this be known
definitely by the first week in
March"
1T is equally important" he
added, that the executive branch
OF the Government be informed at
the earliest possible moment what
additional funds, if any, will be
available on and after April l."
This figure represents the cut
Congress made in his request for
s875, 1000, 900 to carry w. P. A. from
February through June. The White
House announced earlier today the
President had signed the s725, 900 900
Dill last Saturday. No explanation
was given for delaying announce
ment of its approval by Mr.. Roose-
welt.
The Chief Executive said he would
have withheld approval of the s725.-
| 10000 bill on grounds of inadeouacv
to meet human need had Congress-
not included the per cent cut limi-
tation.
tThe 5 per cent cut limitation is
a proviso voted by Congress to
prevent laying of more than 5
per cent of the total w. P. A.
rolls during the winter months)
This proviso," the President de-
clared. leads to the conclusion that
the Congress stands ready during the
balance of February and the month
OF March to reconsider actual needs
IN time to increase before April /
the appropriation for the last three
months of the fiscal year.
In asking immediate considera-
ton OF what he termed the simple
and alarming facts in the relief
outlook, Mr.. Roosevelt said in
message to Congress that with only
S725OOO,0 900 available, w. P. A. either
must reduce its rolls abruptly on
April l by 100000 persons or begin
on that date week-by-week reduce
tion which by June 80. would drop
employment from a present 5000, 900
to "a figure well below 100000
persons"
Slash of One Half Faced.
I'm other words" the President
said. "the program of present en-
ployment must be slashed consid-
erably more than one-half within a
period of three months.
IF, however. proper reserves were
maintained at the end of the fiscal
year, employment at the end of
June would drop still further-to a
figure of only slightly more than
100000 persons.
Therefore, on a program of grad
ual reduction, from 100000 to g.
100000 persons would be thrown
out OF Works Progress Administra-
ton employment-or, with the addi-
ton OF those dependent on them,
from 100000 to 8,00O,O Americans
would no longer receive Federal
Government aid
w. P. A. officials had asserted the
original relief appropriation for
this fiscal year-s1 ,425 900, ,O0O-
would be exhausted by today.
Discussing the prohibition writ
ten into the relief bill against re-
duclng w. P. A. rolls by more than
5 per cent during February and
March, Mr.. Roosevelt said:
THE need of these people is so
apparent and so deserving that the
rolls, In human decency, ought not
to be reduced during February and
March by even per cent. After
conferences with the w. P. A., it
has been determined for the above
reason to hold the rolls at the pres
ent figure of 100000 persons dur
ing these two months"
Facts Making Emergency.
Mr.. Roosevelt said in his messag
that the facts" constituting an
emergency were as follows;
l. That the w. P. A. rolls should
be held at their present 3,000,00O
through February and March to pre-
vent undue suffering and to care for
persons certified as in need but
have not been given employment.
2. That the $725 100000, if not
supplemented, will require a Every
drastic reduction" in the rolls start
ing April l, which would result in
removing people in numbers far be-
yond that which could be absorbed
in industry, resulting in widespread
want and distress.
3. The need for orderly planning"
Of the relief program requires that
the administrator should know by
early March what funds will be at
his disposal after April /, and that
due to the time required for con-
gressional action, this can be
brought about "only by my report
ing to the Congress on the situation
at this time"
| Must Know Soon.
The President said 1866 ,OOO,O 900
would be needed to employ 100000
at the prevailing average monthly
cost of SCI, leaving $3.50, ,00O, 900 for
April, May and June, or an average
of only s12O,OOo,000 per month
enough to employ slightly fewer
than 100000.
1.-The operations of the w. P. A.
are of such magnitude" Mr.. Roose-
welt asserted, that if a reduction
such as I have above described has
to be carried out, orderly and eff
| 4t-s~ l.