Evening star., 1939-02-07
Permanent Economic
Machinery ofP. Wa.
Urged by |ckes
Administration Calls for
Quick Acting Agency to
Halt Downward SpiroIs

RuIck ActIn9 agency 10
Halt Downward SpiroIs
Public Works Administrator Har-
old L. Ickes spoke on "P. w. A.
Writes a New Chapter" last night
in the National Radio Forum, ar
ranged by The Star and broadcast
over a Nationwide network of the
National Broadcasting Co. The
text of his address follows:
Seven months ago I reported to
the Nation that P. w. A. was on
timetable; that it was facing a
task on a schedule that would test
its mettle to the utmost. You will
remember that when the new P. w.
A. program was authorized by Con-
gress, the business cycle had taken
another downward swing. Indus
trial activity was falling off. Un-
employment was rising. 1t was nee
essary that quick remedy be ap-
piled and the Nation again turned
to the Public Works Administration.
P w. A. met the emergency of
1898. Alert to the task ahead of
it and fully conscious of the heavy
responsibility involved, the Public
Works Administration went to work.
Today P. w. A. is on time. Its
undertakings are 100 per cent un-
der construction. Employment at
the site of construction and in the
mills and factories supplying ma
terials is rising The program Is
exerting its expected regenerative
effect on the Nations economy.
Seven months ago I discussed the
difficult assignment given to P. w. A.
Congress, trying a new experiment.
had written in the law specific time
limitations in the form of three
headlines which P w. A. had to
meet These were: % That no ap-
plication could be accepted after
September 80. 1888; 90 that all
projects receiving P. w. A. funds
must be under construction by jan
uary l, 1889, and 90 that the entire
program had to be completed sub
stantially by July /, 1910. To make
this program possible. Congress
authorized a fund of s965, 900 900,
which, under the P w. A. system,
was enough to finance more than
81 100000 worth of projects.
Applications Pour In.
The Nation was quick to respond.
Cities, States and other public bodies
poured their applications into p w.
A. for needed physical improve
ments. BY September 80 our Offices
were swamped with 1884 requests
for projects. Obviously, this was
far IN excess of what we could un-
dertake with the funds available.
Approval of projects was started
immediately upon the signing of the
bill. But after the flood of applica-
tions ceased, We still had the i'm
mense job of getting under con-
struction the projects we had ap-
proved. One difficulty derived from
the fact that Congress had decreed
the inception of gigantic construc-
ton program at exactly the time
of year when the construction in
dustry normally tapers off for VIM
ter. But despite this handicap, by
January l we had achieved our
goal. was able to report to Presi-
dent Roosevelt that we had put more
than 81 500, 900 900 worth of substan-
tial construction under way in 143
working days. Within six months,
we had actually started construction
on nearly 5000 projects.
1t is a simple thing for me to tell
you that within 143 days we had
started work on 5000 projects, yet it
is difficult in a few words to give an
adequate idea of the immensity of
the task. In every part of the land,
towns, cities and public bodies as
sembled plans, let contracts and
started work on myriad of projects.
The sounds of steam shovel and
pneumatic hammer resounded every
where. The construction of the
ancient pyramids, fabulous as they
were, was small undertaking in
comparison to what went on in our
own country between last July and
December.
Pictures P. w. A. City.
To create composite picture in
stead of giving you cold figures, let
us imagine the building of gigantic
P. w. A. city, capable of rendering
service to many millions of people.
Let us imagine that this was the
job assigned to P. w. A. This meant
starting work on municipality of
2,798 schools and other educational
buildings and 154 electric power
plants.
1t meant the construction of a
city to be serviced by 481 sewage
systems and 3O4 disposal plants.
This composite city to be built by
P. w. A. would have 642 water
systems and 166 bridges and via
ducts. We would have to build %
municipal auditoriums and armories,
235 hospitals and allied institutions
and 480 complete waterworks. The
administration of our city would re-
quire the construction of 293 court
houses and city halls and all would
have to be built within mandatory
deadline.
Within six months F. w. A. sorted
over the Nations applications for
public improvements and put its
stamp of approval on 5000 projects
gave the "go-ahead" signal and
saw to it that all 5000 got into ac-
tual construction.
The preponderance of requests
was for substantial projects of last
ing social value. America wanted
municipal improvements in the fol-
lowing order: Schools, water sys-
TENS, sewer systems, hospitals and
institutions, colleges and universi-
ties, courthouses, roads and bridges.
All of these projects played q
part in putting men and money
back to productive work. AS re-
suit of this burst of economic energy,
strong regenerative influences were
let loose in American industry. More