Evening star., 1939-07-24

crosses, they said. although it is too
early to estimate the exact effect on
the Districts quota.
The 18-month rule will require a
lay-of for 5000, out of an overall
District quota of 10 800. by August 81
according to local officials. While
these workers would be eligible again
at the end of September. there may
not be immediate opportunities for
unemployment of all of them. The
overall District quota includes per-
sons working on Federal w. P. A..
projects here, like the Gravelly Point
Airport, who are drawn from the
local roster.
$189 500 for Non Construction.
For non-construction projects, like
the sewing rooms, the new 1910 Dis
trict Appropriation Act contains
$189 500 from which the local Is
per cent contribution can be paid
On construction projects, covering
the major part of the w. P. A. pro-
gram here, the District government
provides its contribution in the form
of materials and supplies for sewers,
highways and related Improvements,
with w. P. A. furnishing the labor
costs.
Meanwhile, Senator Murray, DEM
ocrat, of Montana, announced he
had drafted a bill to remove the
requirement that w. P. A. workers
on the rolls for Is months be given
30-day furlough.
Calling this provision "one of the
most cruel pieces of legislation that
Congress has ever enacted" Senator
Murray said his measure would be
introduced today.
He and 81 other Senators have
introduced q bill to restore the pre-
vailing wage on w. P. A. projects
Congressional leaders have in
dicated. however. there was little
likelihood of action on the pro-
posals at this session.
National Average % Per Cent.
In discussing the Is per cent con-
tribution rule, Senator Adams said
the testimony given the Appropria-
tions Committee was that the ma
tional average for the past year was
about % per cent. He also pointed
out that this does not mean all
cash, but includes materials, and
that it means the State average and
not an exact Is per cent Of each
project.
Defending the lay-off for those on
the rolls 18 months. the Colorado
Senator asserted that in New York
City ~ per cent of those on w. P. A.
work had been on the rolls three
years or more. He said the purpose
of the requirement was to give
some of those on the waiting lists
an opportunity to get work relief
employment.
Meanwhile, there was speculation
at the Capitol today as to whether
the plea of the mayors conference
would lead to move to add sup
Elemental w. P. A. allotment to the
final deficiency bill, which Congress
always passes just before adjourn
ment.
Senator Adams said the present
national w. p. A. roster is 2,50O, 900,
and that the estimate on which the
new appropriation was based con-
templated such reductions by next
June 80 as would make the average
employment for the year 2,050,000.
The report of the Mayors Confer
ence was prepared by committee
headed by Mayor La Guardia of
New York, head of the conference,
in collaboration with the mayors of
four other large cities.
Protesting against the wholesale
discharge of needy persons" the
report asserted that 100000 per-
sons eligible for employment cannot
be taken on by w. P. A. because of
the limited quotas.
The Is per cent local contribution
requirement was described as an
idle gesture" on the ground that
municipalities are not in a posi-
ton to increase their existing relief
load.
This is not an attempt merely
to dodge a responsibility or to shift
a burden to the Federal Govern
ment," the report continued. 1T
is . question of taking care of the
unemployed in the only way they