Evening star., 1939-12-17
Biggest Spender in u. S.
Works Administrator Carmody Handles Billions in Relief Job
p. Brandt

Since the Presidents reorganization
plan became effective July /, the New
Deal spending-lending triumvirate has
been Loan Administrator Jesse H. Jones,
Security Administrator Paul v. McNutt
| and Works Administrator John Michael
Carmody. Mr.. Jones first became famous
during the Hoover administration for his
skillful handling Of prodigious Recon-
struction Finance Corp loans to business
and governmental units. Mr.. McNutt
quickly became front-page fixture be-
cause OF his efforts to secure the 1910
Democratic presidential nomination.
But Mr.. Carmody, who is supervising
more than fourth of the Governments
$40 1000, 100000 expenditures during the
current fiscal year, is barely known out
side Washington, although he has been
with the Roosevelt regime in important
positions since September, 1898.
The reasons for Mr.. Carmodys COM
parative obscurity are hard to find. He
does not seek publicity but he does not
dodge it. He is colorful figure and a
forceful personality, blunt to the extent
OF giving an impression of pugnacity,
with record of many successes in busi-
ness and government. Perhaps one rea-
son Is that he has been terrifically busy
IN every job he has undertaken in the
New Deal, from the time he was a volun-
teer labor mediator until today when he
Is the biggest spender in Washington,
with total budget Of 81 500 900 900 to
$4,000 100000 for the five divisions under
his control.
Until the reorganization plan went
into force, the biggest spenders were
Works Progress Administrator Harry l..
Hopkins and Public Works Administrator
Harold L. Ickes. Mr.. Carmody has taken
over supervision Of these two agencies,
plus the Public Roads Administration,
which used to be in the Department of
Agriculture; the United States Housing
Authority, formerly in the Interior De-
partment, and the Public Buildings Ad-
ministration, which was in the Treasury
Department.
Mr.. Carmody, a heavy set, spectacled
man in his late Sos, directs his work in
the enormous, paneled room which was
Secretary 1ckes' headquarters in the old
Interior Department Building. The door
is open as it was during Mr.. Ickes' ten
ancy and confidential conversations are
just as difficult.
Appointment Answer to Critics.
BY. appointing Mr. Carmody to the
biggest relief job in the world, President
Roosevelt inferentially answered New
Deal critics who have demanded "busi-
ness men" in Government-men who
have had to meet pay rolls.
Mr.. Carmody prides himself on his
reputation as business man" and
an industrial engineer. In every posi-
ton he has held in the Government he
has applied business and efficiency meth
ods to governmental operations. In the
Rural Electriflcation Administration, of
which he was chairman from 1887 to
1889, he reduced the cost of installation
of lines from $1,05O to $3.50 mile and
established production charts looking
II months ahead to stabilize the work.
| During the five months he has been
with the Works Administration Mr. Car
mody has installed on relief projects
production schedules" which set quotas
to be accomplished within weekly and
monthly periods. This was an innova-
ton on governmental works and in some
instances speeded up work as much as
200 per cent.
The key to Mr.. Carmody's methods is
the fact that he was originally follower
of the late Robert Winslow Taylor,
known as the father of scientific man.
agement. Later Mr.. Carmody improved
on Mr.. Taylors efficiency methods,
notably in the handling of labor prob
lens so that the workers received a
larger share in the rewards for increased
production.
Many organized labor groups have re-
sisted adoption of the production sched-
ules of industrial engineers It will be
recalled that the Duke of Windsor was
forced to call off his proposed American
visit because the arrangements were be-