Milford chronicle., 1942-12-11
President Orders WPA
Ended February 1st
CcOntinusd -rOm First Page,

NCSe@N~~@N~N
(The WPA nursery schools
for children of working mo-
theirs will be continued by
means of support from the
school system of the state,
Ableman said.
(He will confer in Washing
ton, d. c., with George H.
Field, deputy commissioner, on
procedure.)
Seen No Longer Needed
In a letter to Philip B. Fleming,
Federal Works administrator,
whose Office includes the WPA,
Roosevelt said the time has come to
eliminate the agency because en-
ployment now offered by war in
dustries has reached the point
"where a national work relief pro-
gram is no longer necessary"
with the satisfaction of a good
job well done and with a high sense
of integrity" he said, 1.-The Work
Projects Administration has asked
for and earned an honorable dis
charge. The knowledge and expert
ence of this organization will be of
great assistance in the considera-
ton of a well-rounded public works
program for the postwar period.
During the six and One-half
years of its existence, the President
said, the WPA reached a creative
hand into every county in this ma
tion" added to the national wealth,
repaired the wastage of the depres-
sion and strengthened the country
to bear the burden of war"
Likewise, he added it has justified
his belief a work relief program is
superior to an outright dole.
BY employing eight millions of
Americans, with thirty millions of
dependents, it has brought to these
people renewed hope and courage"
he said. 1T has maintained and
increased their working skills and
it has enabled them once more to
take their rightful places in public !
or in private employment"
Has Impressive Record
The WPA was the last in series
of Federal relief agencies which
originated in May, 1888, when the
nation, under the new leadership |
of President Roosevelt, was seek
ing ways of rising out of the eco
nOmic doldrums following the
crash of 1929. The first agency was
the Federal Emergency Relief Ad-
on-FERA-which spent
So, 3,OS0, 1922, ,679. Then came the Civil
Works Administration with eXpen
ditures of $S17, ,87S,S50.
On May 6, 1885. two years after
the birth of the FERA, Roosevelt
created the Works Progress Admin
istration which was subsequently
expanded and renamed the Works
Project Administration. The two
WPA's expended a total of $1O,-
AIS, S,594,297.
Congress, which followed Roose-
velt's relief recommendations with
out a word in the early days of the
New Deal, finally began criticizing
the lavish expenditures with
charges the administration was
using the funds for political pur-
poses and for 'boondoggling."
The WPA's record is impressive,
however. Since May, 1885, the
Works Progress Administrator and
the Works Projects Administra-
ton have built 10000 new build
ings, including $4,000 for the arm
ed forces; $1,000 bridges and 644,- !
900 miles of roads; 800 airports
built or improved; established 1900 {
nursery schools to care for $4,000 ,
of employed parents, and {
400 recreation centers {
near war industry and military J
camp areas. s
TO Close February 1, 1943 $
WPA funds also bought SS7 ,OOO,-
100 hot lunches for school chill q
lren. S
The WPA appropriation for the
current fiscal year is $2,250,000,0O e
This can be eliminated in the forth G
coming budget and earmarked for 2
lirect war purposes. il
Relief expenditures reached a 2
,eak during November, 1889, when
,340,594 persons were on the rolls v
t an annual cost of $2.25O 1000, 900. il
)nly about 100000 are now on the 6
oils. a
Roosevelt said prompt dissolu- Ii
ion. of the WPA would make it
to close operations in {
many states by February 1, 1943, =
nd soon thereafter in other states.
he action, he said, will work
on no one.
Certain groups of workers still
emain on the rolls who may have
D be given assistance by the states Is
nd localities; others will be able e
} find work on farms or in indus Is
y at prevailing rates of pay as II
rivate employment continues to in
rease," he said. cl
Another phase of the program W
'as curtailed when the WPB re- u
oked priorities for materials for q
FWA school projects in IA &c
tates. The WPB said the action is
l keeping with its policy to save u
laterial and equipment on less ~
isential projects. Io
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