Evening star., 1939-06-16

Ickes Doesn't Like Bill.
Further criticism of some of the
bills provisions came from Secre-
tary of the Interior Ickes. The
Secretary, who also is public works
administrator, specifically hit at
clauses forbidding the use Of P. w.
A. funds to build industrial plants
in competition with existing private
enterprises and limiting to $225 900
the amount the P. w. A. may con-
tribute toward any one project.
Secretary Ickes said the first
prohibition strikes directly at the
P. w. A. power development pro-
gram, under which applications for
additional building totaling s50,-
100000 are pending. The other
limitation, he said, would preclude
such public developments as irriga-
ton projects and also would dis
criminate against large centers OF
population which. require big
projects.
Divergent House blocs also have
organized to fight what they deemed
undesirable sections of the bill.
One group, headed by Chairman
SABBATH Of the House Rules Commit
tee, sought to restore the $42 2,OOO, 900
which the Appropriations Commit
tee slashed from the $123.OOO, 900
requested by the President for the
National Youth Administration.
It also wanted to eliminate the
three-member board proposal and
the proposed $4,000 construction
limit. Representative SABBATH said
those proposals were designed to
"hamstring' the w. P. A. and
sabotage" its program.
Other groups were backing amend
ments designed to boost the P. w. A.
fund to $500 100000 and to add at
least s27,0O0,000 to the $123 900, 900
recommended for the Farm Security
Administration.
Yesterdays House debate dealt
partly with charges and denials that
the Workers Alliance, union of the
w. P. A. workers, was Communistic
and with additional charges of ir-
regularities in the Democratic SEN
atorial primary campaign in Ken
lucky last year.
Representative Robson, Republi-
can, OF Kentucky. read into the
record two letters which showed, he
said, that general plan of organ
lzation had been laid out by w. P.
A. officials in Kentucky to force
people on the relief rolls not only
to vote for Senator Alben Barkley,
Democratic leader in the Senate and
the victor in the election, in his
primary fight with Gov. A. B. Chand-
Ter, but to contribute out of their
meager earnings the finances for
Senator Barkley's primary campaign.
2 Per Cent "Suggested."
The letters, Representative Rob-
sion said, were from George H.
Goodman, State w. P. A. admins
traitor, to Ernest Rowe at the w. P.
A. office in Lexington.
One suggested that per cent of
annual earnings would be fair
contribution" to the Barkley cam
paign, and a later one suggested
that any correspondence in the files
which would even appear to an un-
informed person to involve us in
politics be destroyed"
Represe n t tive Marcantonio,
American Labor party of New York
said that while "Florenz Ziegfeld
glorified the American girl, the COM
mittee has glorifled Herbert Hoover"
by the bill presented.
This bill accomplishes what Mr..
Hoover has been preaching for
long time and gradually takes us
back to a leaf-raking program of
relief" he said.
The SOS, 1000 limitation meant the
program was Stuck" he added, and
that no socially useful projects could
be undertaken.
Woodrum Charge CHALLENGED.
While Representative Woodrum,
Democrat, of Virginia had said there
was irrefutable evidence that the
Workers Alliance was controlled
by Communists, Mr.. Marcantonio
challenged" him to show where
the Workers Alliance had commit
ted an unlawful act or an act that
WAS SllbVerSive"