Imperial Valley press., 1939-02-22
Famous Sayings

WASHINGTON. - Uncle Sans
WPA job stands out as one OF the
biggest undertakings the govern
ment ever shouldered.
From its beginning in mid-l935
down to the first of January 1899,
the WPA has cost grand total oil
S6,854 ,545. .463.
OF this, cities, counties and
states made a direct contribution
of 1,034 SAC 600. The balance was
contributed from the federal treas
urv, and includes Approximately
S184 750O00 spent on the National
Youth Administration while
not technically a branch of WPA,
is supported from WPA funds.
Wages accounted for $5,l05 ,402,-
600. Administrative expense came
to 1921 .343 900. The balance of ST.
$4,000 ,4G3 went for materials and
equipment, one billion Of which
came from localities.
So much for the cost. What did
the country get out of 1t?
According to the best official es-
innate. approximately 6,780,OOO
persons held WPA jobs at one time
or another. Nobody knows for
sure, but WPA authorities estimate
that perhaps 100000 of these stay
ed on the job from the start; the
rest came and went as private en-
ployment fluctuated
The level OF WPA employment
has swung up and down. When the
program began in August, 1883
there were 252,000 workers. BY the
end of November WPA had 2,445,-
954 people on it's rolls. Low poin'
came in September, 1897, with J.
451ll2 workers on the rolls, ano
the high was reached III October
1898. When-counting some 9O0Ol
workers who were paid out OF WPA
funds but were employed on other
federal proiects--it touched 1887
578.
During its lifetime WPA has pu'
through at least $500 proJects
At any given time there are usual
" about 10000 projects under way
What do these projects includes
II is hard qquestion. In tht
first place, WPA is now in the pro-
cess of making a tabulation. The
figures are not complete, and the
best this writer can offer Is SCI
of estimates which he worked ou'
after extended consultation witt
the WPA statistical division.
In the second place, you CAM
reduce the results of the white col
lar projects to black and white.
Approximately 14,600 public
buildings have been erected
Among them are some 2400 schools
$40 gymnasiums. 100 Stadlums, II
hospitals, 10 jails. from 800 to 90t
courthouses. 140 firehouseS, ITO air.
plane hangers and 80 armories. In
addition, improvements or repairs
were made on $4,000 other public
buildings, and $4,000 acres ol
ground around public building;
were Handicapped.
The WPA men built some $4,000
bridges and 100000 culverts, 10,-
600 miles OF country rOauS anu ioo'
miles of city highways-not count
. ing 1000 miles of roads in parks
and cemeteries. They built 916(
miles of sidewalks and paths, 280O(
miles of roadside bitches and 1000
parks. They laid out 100 airports
and made improvements on 100 ole
ones. They built 1900 athletic fields
700 Fairgrounds, 400 swimming
pools, 120 golf courses. 5000 tennis
courts, upwards of 800 horseshoe
courts, 60 skating Kinks and some
two dozen ski jumps.
They put up 100 outdoor theatres
and so bapd shells. They laid 48O(
miles of water mains, acqueducts
distribution lines and the like ano
built 900 storage tanks, reservoirs
and cisterns. They erected 40t
sewage plants and 300 pumping
stations and a million sanitary toll
cts. In a mosquito control cam
paign they dug 5000 miles of ditch
es and drained 100000 acres.
In addition to these new Jobs