Evening star., 1939-05-15
W. P. A. Built Street
On Cannery Property.
Committee Hears
Hearing Told Mayor
Listed City as Owner
In Application
By BLAIR BOLLES.

The w. z. A. Dullt a 1UU-1OOC
street in Conneaut, Ohio, on pri-
vate property belonging to a can
merry, George H. Shillito, investi-
gator for the House Appropriations
Committee, told the committee this
morning. He said the application
for the project, signed by the
city's Mayor, Leroy Naylor, stated
the property belonged to Conneaut.
The beneficiary is the Cummins
Canning Co., Mr.. Shillito said. The
street. known as Stadium avenue,
was included in a project which
called for the construction of a
stadium and playing field, foc which
the estimated Federal expense was
$4,000 and the city outlay $4,000.
The existence of the street saves
1872 blocks of journey in getting
from Main street, Conneaut-which
Is in Ashtabula County, Northeast
ern Ohio-to the cannery. Stadium
avenue, a gravel-topped thorough
fare, leads to the very gate of the
cannery. Mr.. Shillito said, and di-
rectly benefits the private company.
Representative Otter, Republican,
OF Ohio, who has not been friendly
to the w. P. A. during the investiga-
tions, suggested that Mr.. Shillito
return to Conneaut and examine the
deed of the property in question and
find out if perhaps the street after
all did not belong to the city.
The cannery, IN 1921, sold the city
property now used for a school and
the stadium involved in the w. P. A.
project. This property, said Mr..
Shillito, abuts the street in question.
He said the CumminS estate in 1921
agreed to turn the street property
over to the city and put in a street,
the company paying for the grading.
Representative Cannon, Demo.
crat, of Missouri remarked that this
agreement was made long before
the W.. P. A. was asked to con-
struct the street and it's 1900 feet
of sidewalk.
The members of the committee
were unable to get enlightenment
from Mr.. Shillito on how the w. P
A. did not discover the true owner
snip OF JTe street way.
Berry Denies Testimony.
Mr.. Shillito and his colleague.
Robert R. Wright, looked into the
Stadium avenue project after they
got a letter written to Senator Taft.
Republican, of Ohio.
The letter came from L. B Fol.
mer, a Conneaut electrical supply
salesman, and reached Mr.. Shilhto
and Mr.. Wright through J. OCon-
nor Roberts, the w. P. A. commit
tee counsel
The Conneaut story was the first
OF a series of Ohio disclosures which
the committee was prepared to re-
ceive today. This afternoon is sur
posed to bring forth revelations
about Illinois.
Today's sessions began with a
reading of letter from Mai.
George S. Berry. former United
States Senator from Tennessee,
denying testimony that he prot;tcd
from w. P. AS building of a dam
for lake at Pressmen's Home in
Tennessee.
Maj. Berry said he owned no
property near the lake --denving
testimony given the w. P. A. COM
mittee last week.
In the Federal theater project in
Cincinnati, Mr. Shillto said, 73
people are employed for a theater
seating 1873. The 70 include 81 actors
and SO others, headed by Franklin
G. Raymond, director, who gets 5000
a month. Mr.. Shillito said he found
only 5 per cent of the actors in the
project had had professional stage
experience. The average w. P. A.
career Of the theater project work
ers in Cincinnati is 2l2 years. Mr..
Shillito said.
Mr.. Shillito told the committee
Mr.. Raymond was vague" about
the financial aspects of the theater.
He did learn the w. P. A. pays
1925 month rent for a building
that had been vacant eight years
and had never drawn more than
5000 month rent.
Mr.. Shillito said he was informed
by employees of the project that
most of the shows were poorly at
tended. The box Office has Al seats
for sale at 35 cents each and 157
seats for SIS cents. He could not
learn from Mr.. Raymond the
amount of the expenses or receipts
on the project.
Mr.. Raymond is director also OF
the theater project in Cleveland,
which Mr.. Shillito likewise investi-
gated. In regard to both projects,
MIR. Raymond advised Mr. Shillito
to seek information about receipts
and expenses from w. P. A. head
quarters in Washington