Evening star., 1940-05-16
Unsettled Conditions
Bar Relief Slash,
Cannon Contends
Declares CurtuiIment
Would Cut 100000
From W. P. A. Rolls
BY the Associated Press,

BY the Associated Press.
Representative Cannon, Democrat.
OF Missouri asserted to the House
today that world and domestic con-
ditions were so unsettled that Con-
gress must abandon original plans
to slash relief appropriations and
provide enough money to help the
same number Of unemployed that
have been aided this year.
Opening debate on 1915 900 900
w. p. A. bill before President Roose-
welt arrived to deliver an extraord-
mary defense message, Representa-
tive Cannon said: 4
Here is the situation: Under our
present schedule of $500, 900 900 we
are employing 100000 men. If we
curtail the program we can employ
only 100000 men. In other words,
we would have to drop TOO, 900 work.
ers in America. r1.
80 radical transition would be
AIOot uASdSGIUuS.
Backs Roosevelt Request.
Representative Cannon pleaded
with the members to agree to Presi-
dent Roosevelt's recent request that
he be permitted to spend the $975,-
600 900 in eight months if necessary.
In his budget message last year,
Mr.. Roosevelt recommended that
amount for the full 12-month period
starting July l.
Il doubt that there has been q
period in history when conditions
changed as much as since that
(budgeD message" Representative
Cannon said. WAR abroad has de-
pressed unemployment. There Is no
market left for our products except
few, very few.
LAS a result of this situation, 1t
has been necessary to revise our
work relief program"
AS debate began, one group of
House members wanted to raise
President Roosevelt's recommended
tions to 81 SOC, ,0O0, 900, approximately
the amount voted for the year end
ing next July /. The President seeks
authority to spend the smaller fund
In eight months, if necessary.
Republicans, on the other hand,
renewed their appeal for decentral-
izing the relief program. Repre-
sentative Taber, Republican, of New
York drafted an amendment to use
the $975, ,650, 900 for grants-in-aid to
communities, with the Federal Gov
ernment putting up IS per cent of
relief expenditures and the local
tiles giving the remainder.
Representative Taber was one of
four Republican members of the
House Appropriations Committee
who declared in minority report
yesterday that some w. P. A. condi-
tions were "scandalous" and involved
"incompetency, graft and corrup-
ton"
Majority See improvements.
The committee majority, in ap-
proving the Presidents recommended
tions for next year, held w. p. A.
guilty OF many past misdeeds" but
found noticeable trend toward
better administration"
The committees report said that
1915, ,650,0 900 would provide w. P. A.
employment for an average of
1.950,000 persons if spent during
eight months. The average for the
current year is 2,042 900.
1t was learned that Represents
tive Woodrum, Democrat, of Vir-
ginia, floor manager of previous
relief appropriations, had stepped
down from that assignment because
OF his opposition to the bill.
Representative Woodrum failed to
get the committee to hold up the
bill while working out a plan for
eventual liquidation of w. P. A.
Faults Pointed Out.
As background for the debate.
which is expected to continue into
next week, the committee minority
declared that 14-month investiga-
tion by the w. P. A. Subcommittee
had served Ito re-emphasize certain
fundamental faults under the pres
ent system of relief"
There Is no uniform standard for
determining need" the minority
said. There is no proper supervi-
sion, or control, of sponsors contri-
buttons, inventories, engineering, ex-
penditure, purchase of equipment or
supplies, or other important features
of the work.
"The investigation has also dis
closed incompetency, graft, corrup-
tion, the selling of jobs and promo
tions, the diversion of relief funds to
private use, ruinous competition
with private industry, the existence
OF subversive activities, political
manipulation and conditions which
may fairly be characterized as
scandalous in a number of States"
Convicted of Many SINS"
The minority added that there
was no justification for continuing
"a system of relief administration
which has served to deprive the
needy of millions upon millions of
dollars appropriated for their relief
and which stands convicted of SO
AAdAAy oA1Ao VI Ol1A4SSlUll dIlQ COIIlIllS.
sion"
The minority report was signed
by Representatives Taber, Wiggles-
worth Of Massachusetts,, Lambert
son Of Kansas, and Otter of Penn
sylvania.
The majority report said that mis-
deeds within w. P. A. ran all the |
way from minor abuses to major |
offenses."
1t asserted however, that provi-
slons of last years relief act and the
Hatch law, prohibiting Federal en-
ployes from engaging in political ac-
tivlty, have gone far to assist the
administrative officers in bringing
about improvement"
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