Evening star., 1939-06-07
". P. A. Built Road
Cost 5 Times Usual,
Treasury Aide Says
Stute Is Held ut FouIt in
Changing Plons So Work
Had to Be Redone
BY the Associated Press.

Hu00 ~ DS NS0VuV
BY the Associated Press.
The House committee investigat-
ing the w. P. A. heard testimony
today that the relief agency spent
about $4,000 a mile for widening
highway between Wilkes-Barre,
Pa, and Hazleton, Pa-more than
five times the estimated cost of
similar construction by private con-
tractors.
Allen w. Stephens, Treasury De-
partment engineer assigned to the
committee, testified the 22-mile
project cost $l,960,611.
He asserted $365,0O would have
been a very large cost had the
work been done by private contract.
Questioned as to the reason for
the larger w. P. A. cost, Mr..
Stephens said the project originally
called for construction of 3-foot
shoulders on each side of the road,
but that about two years after its
beginning the State Highway De-
partment changed the plans to pro-
vide for addition of two extra lanes.
This necessitated tearing out re-
tanning walls already built and
doing considerable of the work
more than once" he said.
Paid When Not Working.
Mr.. Stephens testified he was in
formed by State w. P. A. officials
that "a very considerable amount
later placed at $235 ,00O-was spent
during the first year of the project
for snow removal and payment of
workers for time lost due to inclem-
ent weather.
'You mean they were paid when
not working?" asked Representative
Otter, Republican of Pennsylvania.
Yes, sir"
In response to questions by J..
O'Connor Roberts, committee coun-
sci, Mr.. Stephens said payment of
workers for time lost due to weather
conditions had been the policy of the
w. P. A. until about year ago. He
said the Pennsylvania State adminis-
tration had informed him this policy
had been established under a presi-
dental order.
Reds Used Girl Missionaries.
At its hearing yesterday, the COM
mittee was told that Moscow had
instructed American Communists to
use young girls as Red missionaries
among American soldiers and sailors.
Charles H. White, colored "infor-
nation writer" for the w. P. A.,
testified that while studying at the
College of Professional Communists
in Moscow in 1912, he and 100
other Americans were instructed to
pay special attention" to members
of the armed forces in their efforts
to recruit members for the party In
this country.
I'VE were told to use this as the
chief arena of activity for recruiting
members of the Communist party"
he related, ''and to concentrate on
the usual grievances of the men
against poor food, bad housing and
the high cost of uniforms in order
to win their confidence"
He said they were advised to "use
young girls" to approach the mill
tary men because the latter some
times were brutal" in their reac-
ton to male members Of the party
land the women could approach
them on social basis
The witness said he was a member
OF the Communist party from 1890
to 1886 and that while he was IN
Moscow for l8 months, he studied
the principles of Communism. mill
tary tactics, street fighting. sharp
shooting and horseback riding.
In response to questions, he tes-
titled the so-called National Hun
ger March," staged in this country
during the winter of 1929, was
planned in Moscow. He said Her
bert Benjamin, secretary-tr treasurer
of the Workers Alliance, an organ
ization of relief workers, worked
on the plans all the time he was in
Moscow.
Mrs. frankie Duty, colored, of
New York, who said she was a men,
Der of the alliance and the Com
munist party from 1886 to 1898, de-
clared the alliance was the nursery"
from which the party obtained its
recruits.
The witness told of attending a
banquet in Washington attended by
members of the Alliances Executive
Board, many of whom she identi-
ned as Communists, at which she
said Aubrey Williams, then assistant
w. P. A. administrator, praised the
Alliance and its president, David
Lesser.