Evening star., 1939-04-25
Part 3-Federol Works
Agency

In order to carry out the pur-
pose of the Reorganization Act
of 1899 I find 1t necessary and
desirable to group and CONSOLE
date under a Federal Works
Agency those agencies Of the Fed
eral Government dealing with
public works not incidental to the
normal work of other depart
ments, and which administer
Federal grants or loans to State
and local governments or other
agencies for the purposes of con-
struction.
The agencies so to be grouped
are the Bureau of Public Roads,
now in the Department of Agri-
culture; the Public Buildings
Branch of the Procurement Di-
vision, now in the Treasury De-
partment, and the branch of
Building Management of the
National Park Service $50 far as
1t is concerned with public build
ings which it operates for other
departments or agencies) now in
the Department of the Interior;
the United States Housing Au-
thority, now In the Department
of the Interior; the Federal
Emergency Administration of
Public Works (familiarly known
as P. w. Az, and the Works
Progress Administration ia
miliarly known as w. P. A.
except the functions of the Ma
tional Youth Administration.
The transfer of both the Pub
lie Works Administration and the
Works Progress Administration
to the new Federal Works Agency
would provide for both principal
types of public works that have
been carried on by the Federal
Government directly or In CO.
operation with the State and
local governments. I find that it
will be possible to reduce admin
lstrative costs as we'll as to i'm
prove efficiency and to eliminate
overlapping by bringing these
different programs of public
works under a common head.
But, because of the differences
that justified their separate oper-
alton in the past and differences
that will continue in the future
to distinguish certain phases of
major public works from work.
relief, I find it necessary to main
tain them at least for the pres
ent as separate subordinate units
of the Federal Works Agency.
The present Federal Emergency
Administration of Public Works
is placed under the Federal
Works Agency under the shorter
name of Public Works Admins
tration.
Name Is Changed.
The name of the Works Prog
ress Administration has been
changed to Works Projects Ad-
ministration in order to make
its title more descriptive of its
major purpose.
The Bureau of Public Roads
Is transferred from the Depart
ment of Agriculture to the Fed
eral Works Agency and as a
separate unit under the name of
Public Roads Administration.
This will bring the administra-
ton Of the Federal roads pro-
gram with its grants-in-aid to
the States into coordination
with other major public works
programs and other programs of
grants and loans to the States.
The construction and opera
ton Of many public buildings is
now carried on in two agencies
which are consolidated under the
new Federal Works Agency,
namely, the Public Buildings
Branch of the Procurement Divi-
sion of the Treasury Department
(Which is concerned with the
construction of Federal buildings
and with the operation of many
public buildings outside the Dis
trict of Columbia) and the
Branch of Building Management
Of the National Park Service, of
the Department of the Interior,
which is connected with the op-
GRAFTON of public buildings in the
District of Columbia. These two
separate activities are consoh-
dated in one unit to be known
as the Public Buildings Admin
istration. Improved efficiency,
coordination of effort and saw
ings will result from this transfer
and consolidation.
Then, also, there is transferred
from the Department of the In
terror to the Federal Works
Agency the United States Hous-
ing Authority. The major pur-
pose of the United States Hous-
ing Authority is to. administer
grants-in-aid and loans to local
public housing authorities in oc-
cordance with its established
standards of construction in that
part of the housing field which
cannot be reached economically
by private enterprise. For these
reasons, 1t should be grouped with
those other agencies which have
to do with public works, with
grants and loans to State and
local governments and with con-
struction practices and standards.