Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1941-06-19
D. T.. Officials
Study Deep Cut
In Quota
Slash in Workers
From 5000 to 1000
Stirs Protests

Qualifications offered by the w. P.
A. for ordering so per cent slash
in the number of relief project
workers here, while many other
communities will suffer much small
er cuts, were being studied today
by District officials.
Since enforcement of the cut,
causing dismissal of about 1000 per-
sons now working on Washington
projects, is expected to upset the
Districts budget plans for next hscal
year. members of the District APP
preparations Committees of the Sen
ate and House were reported to be
actively interested in the issue.
Protests were voiced Tuesday aft
ernoon by Commissioner John Rus
sell Young when he learned so
per cent cut in project workers had
been ordered for the District, eff
fective July /, whereas the country
as a whole would face an average
cut of but 90 per cent.
Hunter Issues Statement.
In reply to criticism of the order
a formal statement to the press was
issued late yesterday by Howard o.
Hunter, w. P. A. chief, in which
he declared news stories about i'm
pending cut were misleading" in
sisted that Job ALLEGATIONS were
based fundamentally on the increase
in private business and industry, and
asserted that employment and bust
ness conditions in the District were
Every near the top
About the time this statement was
being issued, District Commissioner
Young, in answering reporters
questions, said that while Federal
employment and some business in
the District were looming, the 1000
workers facing dismissal from Dis
trict w. P. A rolls were not of the
type who could qualify for civil
service or private business jobs
available here.
These people are not equipped to
get national defense work, or Gov
eminent jobs. and since they are
employable they are not eligible
for direct relief from the District"
Mr.. Young declared washington
does not have the private business
and industry that other large cities
have. These people face starva-
ton"
5000 Now on Rolls Here.
It had been brought out earlier
that the District w. P. A. now has
about 5000 on its rolls. If the order
takes effect, half of these would
have to be dropped Particular point
also has been made at the District
Building that about 5000 are en-
gagged on projects which have been
certified by the War and Navy De-
partments as directly related to the
national defense program, it was
said. This would leave but about
800 to be distributed over other
projects to be continued in opera
ton by the w. P. A. here.
w. P. A. Commissioner Hunters
statement follows:
News stories in Washington
papers today to the effect that
w. P. A. personnel in the District
of Columbia would be slashed so
per cent by July l are misleading.
These stories apparently were based
on confidential notice to the
w. P. A. administrator in the Dis
trict that his project employment
on w. P. A. projects would be re-
duced approximately so per cent
from the present employment for the
months of July and August. Such
a reduction obviously would not ap-
ply to administrative and super
visory personnel which are essential
to the carrying out of w. P. A.
program.
This reduction in project en-
ployment is in line with the ad-
ministration's plan for the employ
ment of an average of a million per-
sons during the coming fiscal year
on w. P. A. projects. There is moth
ing sudden or startling in this, as
such reduction has been contem-
plated in the Presidents message to
the Congress and the Bureau of the
Budget estimates.
d. C. Situation Discussed.
The reduction in employment in
the District is at higher per-
centage than the national per-
centage for the very obvious reason
that the increase in private business
and industry is one of the major
factors taken into account in al
locating w. P A. jobs. There cer-
tainly is little or no question but
that employment and business con-
ditions in the District of Columbia
are very near the top in the Nation.
Similar sharp reductions have been
made in other States which have
received benefits from the defense
program, and very much smaller re-
auctions, have been made in many
States which so far have not re-
Seived such benefits"
The impending District w. P. A.
cut was discussed yesterday by
members OF the Senate District APP
preparations Subcommittees. Some
Senators asked Commissioner Young
what steps should be taken, but he
suggested delay of a day or two
since the Commissioners as yet had
not had official notice of the quota
cut. He and other District officials
held some hope the order might be
modified.