The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1941-07-03
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degree of certainty that they
{ will be opened this fall, I sin
cerely hope that they will.
Thanking you for past assist
ance, I am
Very sincerely yours,
Joseph E. Parker,
Administrator.
Also printed here is a copy of
che letter written by Senator
James E. Murray protesting the
action taken by WPA officials
in s~uspending labor. The letter
Is to Howard o. Hunter, Com
missioner, Works Project Ad-
miniStration, Washington, D. C.
Washington, D. C.
June "a, 1941
Hon. Howard o. Hunter
Commissioner
Works Projects Administration.
Dear MIR Hunter:
1 have just received informa-
ton from the Works Projects
Administrator for Montana in
forming me that WPA opera
tons will be discontinued in
thirty counties in Montana, eff
fective June 80. If this drastic
curtaillnent of your program
occurs in Montana, the results
will be disastrous.
1t appears to me that offic-
ial Washington fails to recog-
nize the fact that Montana,
along with a few other Western
statec, has received practically
nothing from the millions being
expended on the National De-
tense program I realize that
your appropriation for the next
fiscal year has been reduced
and that your quotas must be
reduced proportionately. How
ever, it is my contention that
/ Montana should not be cut as
much as other states where mil
lions In Federal appropriations
are being expended for National
Defense work. This situation
has been brought to the atten-
ton of officials of the eXecu-
tive departments repeatedly and
I sincerely hope that you will
be able to give sympathetic
consideration to the problem
we are faced with.
I know personally that the eff
feet of this reduction in the
Montana WPA quota will be
severe hardship for numerous
relief families. Our smaller
counties, which will be closed
under the WPA order, have suf-
fered from drought and econ
omic depression for the last ten
years and are not in a position
to assume the relief load. I hope
that you will visualize the sit
uation that will exist if this
order is put into effect, because
if you do I am sure you will
want to make adjustments that
will allow the WPA to continue
its operations in the small coun-
ties: Unless some adjustment is
made hundreds of our citizens
in actual need, through no fault
OF their own, will suffer. I
should say that it is absolutely
necessary to increase the July
quota, which you have already
set, by at least 1900.
Your earnest consideration of
! this request will be deeply ap-
preciated, and I would like an
opportunity to discuss this mat
ter with you tomorrow.
Sincerely yours,
James E. Murray.
P. S. For your information I
enclose herewith several mes
sageS I have received from Mon
tana protesting this action by
the WPA. Please return these
when they have served this pur-
pose.
j. E. M.
Following is a copy of a letter
from Howard o. Hunter, Com
missioner Work Projects Ad-
, ministration to Senator James
E. Murray.
Federal Works Agency
Works Projects Administration
1884 New York Avenue
Washington, D. C.
June Is. 1941
Howard O. Hunter
Commissioner of Works Projects
The Honorable
James E. Murray
United States Senate
! Dear Senator Murray:
I am Fastening to reply to
your letter of June oath regard
ing the Montana WPA employ
ment authorization because I
want to correct what apparent
ly is a misunderstanding.
I want to assure you that the
national defense industries and
Unemployment are the major
factors taken into consideration
in our assignment of WPA en-
ployment to the various states.
For instance, the reduction in
WPA employment for this COM
ing July over the previous year
is about 80 per cent in Mon
tana, whereas it runs as high