The Wilmington morning star., 1940-03-20
WASHINGTON
DAYBOOK
BY JACK STINNETT

WASHINGTON, March 19.-With the cleo
ton just around the corner and a lot closer
than prosperity was when that phrase was
first applied to it, the WPA is sailing into a
campaign to let the public know in dollars and
dimes and graphic description just what it has
accomplished.
The story behind the story of what you'll
be reading and hearing about WPA is this: The
republicans, committe to relief themselves,
can only hope to blast the WPA by concen-
trating on waste and extravagance-if any. The
democrats have to spike these guns (and first,
if ~possible) by making a relief ledger (books
that are always in the red, you know look
like the balance sheet of a going concern.
Works Program Administrator Col. F. C. Har-
rington and others of the administration have
been talking about telling the world all about
WPA for a couple Of years. But it took the
pressure Of a coming election to get the pro-
gram up on it's hind legs and bowling. Be.
lieve me, the two-fisted colonel and his press
department have got their work cut out for
them.
The Achilles Heel
The idea is to follow the radio and type
barrage on general accomplishments with forays
into the states, and finally a mop.up with re-
leases to the nations 5000 counties scouting
the idea that WPA hasn't been worth every
penny of the hundreds Of millions poured into
its hopper.
Their Achilles heel, at which the opposition
will keep sniping, is that WPA, being primarily
a vast made'work program, is costly and open
to all sorts Of waste and extravaganza. The
public, having seen red on the ledger for five
years, is likely to be pretty skeptical unless
it can be home convincingly that
there are black figures there that balance.
WPA's ammunition for battling criticism so
far has been mostly reams Of dry.as-dust fig
ures. But now, the colonels lads insist, it's
going to be different.
The folks in L(111pk oo,,ntv Lpoyy of oo,,rs
that they have a new courthouse. Lem Toxins.
back in the hills, is well aware that a fine con,
crete structure has replaced that old Chic Sale
antique out by the woodshed. Some Of the peo-
pie in New York city and all of those in New
ark (where eastern air headquarters used to
be) know that New York city-has a new air.
port at North Beach. But hardly anybody any
where knows all we've got for all the money
that's been spent.
That's what the opening barrage is about.
Come summer, when WPA is celebrating its
fifth birthday and everybody (WPA hopes)
knows what that daily payroll of from 100000
to 5000, 900 persons has accomplished in five years
they will be ready to 60 back to Klunk coln-
ty, and Lem and New York city and remind
| the folks all over again that WPA made 1t pos
sible.
WPA Has Been Kidded
It will be interesting to Watch. since WA
was born, it has been the object of more kid
ding probably than anything ever set up IN any
administration. In song, on the stage ana IN
story, from smoker to gilded reception ROOM
1t has been booted about as the antl-new zeal
ers' No. 1 Joe Miller. I'm wondering II all tnat
will be revived and opponents OF the program
| will start a. campaign of debating with laugh
ter what they dare not attack LOO openly oe-
cause Of the votes involved.
When the WPA press department gets oo"n
to handing out specific information, I'm gong
----- 49, - ~ ri oUSnlt CIV.