The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-01-06
State WPA Administrato Answers
 GoUernor BaLdUin's Criticisms
Claims Rema Unfavoray Federal Work in Connectcu-Demands Excencys Attitude Fu-
 tWe Projects for State.

The "WPA Side of the Story" inspired by criticism of the agency in the inaugural address of Gov- ernor Raymond B. Baldwin last Wednesday afternoon marks the first public letter directed to the newly installed chief executive of Connecticut.
 Vincent J. Sullivan, State WPA Administrator, not only reviews rehabilitation work carried on in Connecticut since the recent hur- ricane, but cites instances of work accomplished and work planned, and closes with direct question as to whether Governor Baldwin and his department heads desire to continue the WPA program in Connecticut.
 MT. Sullivan's letter reads as fol- lows:
 January 5, 1899 Governor Raymond E. Baldwin, State Capitol,
 Hartford, Connecticut.
 Dear Governor Baldwin:
 In your inaugural address given January 4, 1889, as reproduced in the Harfrod Courant of January 5, you are reported to have said that: "The hurricane last fall wrought havoc with our state parks on the seashore. The cost of re- storing them has been estimated at $400,000. A WPA project has been asked for, but to date little or nothing has been done. We should anticipate the possibility that the state will be required to restore these parks at great ex- : pense. ..."
 The newspaper quotes you fur ther, relative to the extent of the damage caused the state for ests as follows: 'The storm did great damage in our state forests ... The storm has created great fire hazard, particularly in the eastern part of the state. The state forester is building fire lanes so that a forest fire, if started, can be confined within some Him. it. It is hoped that some federal funds can be made available. /. ="
 Early Rehabilitation These two parts of your address are of great interest to me as state administrator of the works progress administration. Early in October, just few weeks after the hurricane and after careful survey of the extent of the storm damage in our state parks and forests, this administration set up projects for rehabilitation total ing more than $1,G90,0OO in fed- eral funds.
 The largest single appropriation was for the reduction of the forest fire hazards, particularly in the eastern part of the state, the amount of federal funds being more than $555, ,000 which, added to the requested sponsors funds of $36,000 makes grand total of more than $571, ,000.
 Showing as we do that the need for this type of work has for sev- eral months been anticipated by your federal government, this in- formation should dispel whatever doubts you may have been enter taining in your mind regarding the restoration of our state for ests and reducing the forest fire hazards therein.
 Working in conjunction with the US. department of agriculture through their foresty service and in cooperation with the state for estry department, the WPA has ex- pended more than $60,00O in fed eral funds in the opening of ex- isting fire lanes, establishing new fire lanes and doing other types of appurtenant work incident to the reduction of forest fire haz- ards. At the present rate of opera tion, the federal government is spending about $9000 per week in wages for the men engaged in this work alone. And this, you may be astonished to learn, has been done without the aid of the sponsors namely the state forestry depart ment. To date, no part of the sponsors contribution has been made available for the prosecu- tion of this work.
 Land Clearance
 Reports of actual progress by our workmen show that roughly $50 acres of forest land have thus far been cleared in the Norwich, New London, Putnam, Manchester and East Hartford areas.
 Rehabilitation projects, consist ing largely of clearing state high ways of fallen tree debris, spon- sored by the Connecticut state highway department and operated by the works progress administra-