Evening star., 1939-12-17
Administration PLAYS
Politics With Relief,
Gov. Bricker Says
Federal Government
Hos FoiIed MiserobIy
In Ohio, He Asserts
, ~ the Associated Press.

-, .
I; NEW YORK, Dec. 16.-Gov. John
Nv. Bricker of Ohio, discussing his
administrators handling Of the re-
, lief situation, declared tonight that
,"Ohio and Cleveland have taken
care of their people, but the Federal
. Government has failed miserably in
Ohio"
:; "We have not been taken over by
the White House or the Depart
ment of the Interior" Gov. Bricker
said in a prepared speech before the
Ohio Society Of New York. Later
he added:
!, "As long as I am Governor I shall
fight any maligners and those who
!, by falsehood, innuendo and propa-
ganda detract from her (Ohio's) fair
name"
Gov Bricker, who has been named
In published reports as a potential
candidate for the Republican presi-
dental nomination, was introduced
as "Ohio's favorite son" by the presi-
dent of the society, John r. Burton,
a New York banker.
Mentioned as Candidate.
Another speaker, Frank A. Sieber-
ling, president of the Seiberling
Rubber Co., declared:
II hope that I may have the op-
portunity of voting for him (Bricker)
for President, and that you also may
have that opportunity
On his arrival yesterday, Gov.
Bricker said he would "absolutely'
run for reelection as Governor next
year.
Among the 408 guests at the din
ner were Kenneth E. Simpson, Re-
publican national committeeman
and chairman of the New York
County Republican Committee;
Representative Bruce Barton, Re-
publican, of New York, and Charles
S. Whitman, former New York Gov
ernor and one-time Ohio resident.
The Governor charged that w.
P. A. was manipulated for political
purposes and asserted that during
the past year w. P. A. employment
in Ohio has been cut by Washington
53.6 per cent while the average
reduction for the whole United
States for the same period was only
l3.9."
Defends His Actions.
Defending his attempts to keep
State expenditures low, the Gov
ernor said he had been attacked
personally and added, Most New
Dealers have contempt for any
government authority or public Off
cial who does balance budget, who
does administer relief honestly, who
does save public money, or who
shows any interest whatever in the
taxpayer.
'1t is the political discrimina-
ton of the national administration
against Ohio-obviously for the pur-
pose of discrediting a State admin
stration-that caused the trouble"
he said.
The discrepancy" between the
cuts in W. P. A. rolls in Ohio and
the rest Of the Nation, Gov. Bricker
said, was mot justified by any con-
sideration of relief needs"
THAT picture" he continued,
"would indicate that Ohio is being
punished. Why? Is 1t because
Ohio voted Republican last year?"
That. however. is not the most
sordid aspect of the political mani
pulation of w. P. A. by Washing
ton. In Cleveland in october Of
1888, a congressional election year,
during the month Immediately pre-
ceding election day, there were "a
225 on w. P. A. A year later there
were less than 10000 on w. P. A. in
Cleveland. "'' = The biggest cut
in Ohio in w. P. A. employment
was in Cleveland, the very place
that relief needs are greatest.
Cites Distribution.
THAT State has recognized this
fact and has distributed this year
IS per cent of the States total re-
lief appropriation to Clevelands 5
county although that county con-
tains only about 18 per cent Of
Ohio's population"
Gov. Bricker said Cleveland au-
thorities have protested that this
discrimination by w. P. A. against
Cleveland must cease" but that in
spite Of that the relief rolls in
Cleveland jumped from 1874 In
October, 1888, to 28,060 In October,
1899.
you have probably all read the
Presidents statement at his press
conference last week in which he
said that substantially all of Cleve-
lands employables who were willing
to work were being taken care Of
under w. P. A. programs, the Gov
ernor said.
Here are the facts: Out Of a
total Of $4,000 persons employed by
w. p. A. the first 10 months of this
year In Cleveland only 9,454 persons
were employed from the active
relief rolls. In October, out
of $4,000 on the direct relief rolls
in Cleveland, there were $500 en-
playable persons certified for w.
p. A., but not employed by w. P. A."
He said Ohio "this year has in
creased her appropriation for gen.
eral welfare and public assistance
out of State and local funds"
Says Government Fails.
"Ohio and Cleveland. he went
on, have taken care of their people,
but the Federal Government has
failed miserably in Ohio. There are
only two answers to be given for
this discrimination. 1t was either
a deliberate attempt to unfairly cut
the W. P. A. employment in Ohio
as q punishment for not voting
right last year or as an embarass-
ment to a Republican administra-
ton.
Possibly it was for the purpose
Of creating such q situation that
the Federal administration, with a
=