Evening star., 1940-06-30
P. WA. Near Oblivion
Unless Merged With
Defense Program
All Projects Completed,
Which Coils for 1941
Liquidation
BY NELSON M. SHEPARD.

Vic ldst ScVcH years, unless IL is
made to f1t into some phase of the
national defense program.
This was the reluctant admission
made yesterday by officials, who
apparently have given up hope of
Congress authorizing the New Deal
agency to embark on another inde-
pendent construction program f its
own. That hope largely died with
the futile efforts to earmark funds
for the P. w. A. in the l941 relief
bill.
Because Of the situation now fac
ing 1t, officials said that admins
tration supporters are now trying
to affiliate the P. w. A. with the
National Defense Advisory Commits
sion, or to utilize its engineer force
with the Army Engineers Corps in
emergency construction work. the
former proposal, it was admitted
has little chance of succeeding. so
negotiations are being directed
mainly in the hope of the War De-
partment, and possibly the NAVY
Bureau of Yards and Docks, work.
ing out plan for P. w. A. CO.
operation.
Has Many Engineers.
The agency, it was pointed out
has between 500 and 600 competent
engineers on its rolls as OF June 30
It's own construction program is
virtually completed and most of the
engineers will be released during
the early part of the liquidation
period. They have had experience
in many of the phases of Army and
Navy construction work that will
be necessary during the defense pro-
gram, such as river and harbor i'm
proyements, the construction of
wharfs and docks, highways and
buildings.
In addition to engineers now on
It's rolls. officials said, considerably
more than that number had been
released since the agency began
reducing personnel nearly YEAR
ago. A great many of these. as well
as others who are now connected
with hold-over jobs, would be avail
able for defense work.
The outlook for the P. w. A. how
ever, is none too encouraging. Be-
cause the Work Projects Admins
tration is launching on a full wears
program, the services of that agency
already has been engaged in the
emergency program. In order to
speed up w. P. A. projects of essen
tial military value, Congress re-
Gently authorized an additional $25,-
900 to relieve local communities
from the need of putting up their
share of the costs.
Housing Also Figures.
The United States Housing Au-
thority, which is affiliated with the
other two agencies under the Fed
eral Works Agency, also is trying
hard to fit itself into the national
defense program. Legislation is
pending in the Senate to enable the
U. S. H. A. to take care of emer-
gency housing needs through the
450 local housing authorities.
At a recent conference of housing
officials with Army and Navy rep
resentatives of the Defense Com
mission, Administrator Nathan
Straus pointed out that in a de-
fense program housing must be pro-
vided for the following in cities and
other areas where expansion Is
going on:
Families of enlisted men at Army
and Navy posts and establishments.
Families of workers in munition,
airplane and industrial plants, or
reservations contiguous to them.
Provision also should be made, he
said, for the housing of single men
and women working in the same.
The Washington Housing Associa-
ton. which is interested in these
matters, reported that a move to
meet some of these needs was seen
in the authorization by President
Roosevelt to the U. S. H. A. to lend
funds for construction OF low-rent
housing projects adjacent to TWO
of the Nations largest air bases.
The approved loans are to the local
authorities at Montgomery, Ala. and
Pensacola, Fla. Because OF the ex-
pansion at Maxwell Field, the
Army's base outside Montgomery,
424 dwelling units will be built.
Cory field, the naval base at Pen
sacola, will have the benefit Of 200
new homes.
Gradual Liquidation.
At the Public Works Administra-
ton. unless it is willed otherwise,
the process of liquidation will pro-
ceed in a gradual manner so as not
to dislocate the smooth performances
of the agency. From a peak OF TO-
400 employees when the construction
program authorized in 1888 was In
full swing, the personnel has been
reduced to 1881 as of June 80. or
these, Ills are in the washington
offices and 1,216 are in the field.
One reason why the Washington
force appears so large is because it
includes the Atlanta regional en-
ployes who were transferred here as
an economy move. They supervise
all projects in the Southern States.
The employees in the field operate
out of the regional offices located in
New York, Chicago and San Fran
cisco.
The 1898 P. w. A. authorization
directed that all projects must be
substantially completed by June 80,
1910, and that liquidation must be
completed on or before July l, 1941.
In these two years approximately
$500 900 900 in loans and grants had
been expended on the non-Federal
program for construction and pay
rolls, with local communities put
ting up almost as much. The total
authorization for such projects was
$750,000 900. In its Federal program
the agency to date has spent $175,-
100000 out Of the soc, 600, 900 avail
able. The remainder of these funds
will be used up to complete all work.
$3.50 Projects Completed.
Records show that 5,760 projects
II, fha MN -Eedarol rroorro,,, oa,t ~