Evening star., 1939-03-12

llliluelllldl leRlSld JOrS l0QlcaLe0
yesterday the House might defer ac-
ton on President Roosevelts forth
coming request for additional relief
funds until a permanent substitute
for w. P. A. is devised.
Representative Woodrum. Demo-
crat, of Virginia, a leader of the
economy drive which slaShed $780,
100000 off the $875 100000 that Mr.
Roosevelt asked early in the session
TO finance relief activities until June
30, said the House Appropriations
Committee would make a compre-
henslve study of the entire relief
problem before granting any inc.2dse
IN w. P. A. funds.
The President is expected to send
a supplemental estimate on relief to
Congress early this week. Repre-
sentative Woodrum said he thought
it probably would call for restora-
ton of the sl5o,OOO,OoO.
Meanwhile. it was learned the
Agriculture Department will ask
private retail grocers this week to
cooperate with the Government ir
an experimental venture in distri-
button of food to families on relief
Grocers to Get Proposal.
The plan, radical departure
from present distribution methods,
would enable relief clients to obtain
surplus farm products from the
corner grocery rather than from
governmental relief agencies.
The proposal will be submitted to-
morrow and Tuesday to a commit
tee OF the Food and Grocery Con-
ference, a national organization of
private wholesalers and retailers.
The Federal Surplus Commodi-
ties Corp, an Agriculture Depart
ment agency, now buys surplus prod :
ucts and distributes them free
through relief organizations.
Support for Representative Wood
runs stand on w. P. A. funds came
Immediately from Representative
Taber, Republican. of New York
ranking minority member of the
committee.
I'VE ought to have permanent
program studied the New Yorker
declared. Il don't see any possi-
bility of w. P. A. working out intel
ligently the way it is going. I have
reports from at least Is different
localities proving the present setup
is totally askeW
The situation is demoralizing and
must be corrected before we can re-
store any measure of business con-
fidence"
To Make Exclusive Study.
Representative Woodrum already
has introduced legislation to abol-
ish the w. P. A. and give the States
a greater control over administra-
ton of relief funds. The measure
would create an unemployment re-
lief administration in place of the
w. P. A. and limit its funds to 81
120,000,000 for the year starting
July l. More than s2,10O,0O0 900
has been allocated to w. P. A. for
the current year.
Federal administrative personnel
would be reduced from a force of
about $1,000 to $500 and the plan
would prohibit use of relief funds
for heavy construction
Representative Woodrum said that
when the Appropriations Commit
tee takes up the request for more
relief money, it would make an ex-
haustive study of w. P. A. procedure
-"how they put people on the rolls
and what they have done toward
purging the rolls
When Congress approved the
$725 100000 appropriation for relief
it directed that aliens be dropped
from w. P. A. rolls.
w. P. A. officials said about 10000
have been dropped, but complete
reports on the number had not
been received. Some of these, i'm
migration officials said yesterday,