The full text on this page is automatically extracted from the file linked above and may contain errors and inconsistencies.
INTERESTING FACTS ctbottt the WORKS PROGRESS ADMINISTRATION WORKERS 3,000,000 unemployed put to work. FARM-TO-MARKET ROADS Under construction arc projects valued at improved roads for millions of farmers. $160,000,000, which will provide SCHOOL BUILDINGS 5,300 schools built or repaired. PUBLIC BUILDINGS (excluding schools) 4,200 structures erected or repaired. PARKS AND PLAYGROUNDS 5,000 parks and playgrounds constructed or improved. WATER AND SEWER SYSTEMS 6,300 plants built or repaired. CONSERVATION (flood and erosion control) 3,000 projects under construction. AIRPORTS 328 projects in operation. UTILITIES (electric) I 30 systems installed or repaired. AMERICAN YOUTH 289,000 young people of high-school a!ld college age being assisted to continue their studies. This keeps them out of the present over-crowded ranks of idle labor. A MORE DETAILED SUMMARY IS PROVIDED ON THE POLLO WING PAGES https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis SUMMARY THE \VORKS PROGRAM See page The Works Program is a consolidation of the emergency work activities of the Federal Gmunment. It is financed by funds appropriated under the Emergency Relief Appropriation Act of 1935, which gave expression to the policy that, in place of direct relief, aid for the unemployed was to take the form of useful public work. Under this program over 3,850,000 persons were employed at the end of February. I. WORKS PROGRESS ADMINISTRATION PROJECTS See pages r, :25-37, Sr. 2, The W. P. A. is conducting 69,000 projects throughout the country. Seventynine percent of the 3,850,000 workers are employed on these projects. LABOR AVAILABLE Sec pages 3, 4, Construction projects account for over four-fifths (Sr percent) of the total 20-23, 26--28. value of W. P. A. projects selected for operation. Four-fifths of the persons on relief rolls eligible for employment under the Works Program were manual and unskilled workers. Relatively these workers are more numerous on the relief rolls than in the general population, in which they compose less than three-fifths of the total number gainfully employed. This composition of the available labor supply is reflected in the program by the predominance of construction projects which require a large supply of manual and unskilled labor. "White collar" workers, on the other hand, are less than half as numerous in the relief population as in the general population. Accordingly, as the table on page 27 shows, only 7.3 percent of W. P. A. money is being used on "white collar" projects. SPONSORS See pages r9, 26-29. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis Four out of every five W. P.A. dollars go directly into workers' wages. Local governing bodies contribute approximately 19 percent (amounting to almost 222 million dollars) of the value of vV. P. A. projects selected for operation. These contributions consist chiefly of materials, thus permitting development of substantial projects without diverting too large a proportion of Federal funds from the major purpose of providing wages for workers. CONSTRUCTION See pages 2629, 33. Almost three qmrters of all W. P. A. projects arc for the four major types of public improvements: r. Highways, roads, and streets More than 23,000 projects, valued at $461,633,000 ( over a fifth of which is being contributed by sponsors), and providing more than 83,000,000 man-hours of ,vork per month (41 percent of the total), have been selected for operation. 2. Public buildings Nine thousand five hundred buildings, including over 5,000 schools, are being erected or repaired. These represent a cost of nearly $n6,ooo,ooo, of which local sponsors contribute almost a quarter. 3. Water supply and sewers Disease caused by impure water and lack of adequate sanitation facilities is being checked at its source in many communities by the construction of nearly 2,000 water purification and supply systems, almost 4,000 sewer systems, and the prosecution of 2,300 sanitation and health projects. 4. Parks and playgrounds In the interest of health and recreation, nearly 29,000,000 hours of labor have gone for the improvement of almost 5,000 parks and playgrounds. 5. Other construction Work on 16 generating plants and the installation of 52 transmission lines has enabled many communities to provide more adequate electric facilities to their citizens. Over $65,000,000 is being spent for 2,989 sorely needed flood control and consen-ation projects, which will help to prevent a recurrence of the recent disastrous loss of life and property occasioned by floods. FARM-TO-MARKET ROADS See pages 27, 29, 30. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis Farm-to-market road work is providing improved means of transportation for millions of farmers, making markets accessible for their produce, bringing schools within easier reach of their children, and enabling rural mail carriers to make more regular deliveries in rainy weather. Nearly 10,000 road projects, valued at $158,733,000 and amounting to 14 percent of the value of all projects selected for operation, are under construction. This program, of course, does not include work carried on under the Bureau of Public Roads. The bulk of Federal money spent on roads goes for pay rolls, since the 27 percent put up by sponsors for the most part takes care of materials. At the end of December over 360,000 men were working on farm-to-market road projects in 47 States. AIRPORTS See pages 30, 3r. The airport program looks to the needs of the future. \Vith :1ir travel growing by leaps and bounds in the United States, the fields of today will be inadcqmte tomorrow. Heavier planes require larger an<l more durable landing fields. Emergency fields are needed off the main lines to cut the toll of accidents. Airports are being drained, filled in, and leveled, new runways added and old runways paved, hangars arc being constructed, beacon lights installed, and markers put up. ART, MUSIC, THEATRE, WRITERS' PROGRAM See pages 22 , Less than I percent of the persons on relief rolls have devoted their lives to the 33-34. arts. These people have neither the requisite skills nor the physical stamina to engage in construction. To provide suitable employment to those of the relief population normally engaged in artistic endeavor, a Nation-wide cultural pro-gram has been undertaken. Although only a small percent of the appropriation is being spent for these projects, they were carefully selected with the aim of enriching the cultural life of the Nation. Writing, music, painting, and the drama have always been recognized as vital aspects of civilized life. YOITTH See pages 34- 35· https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis The National Youth Administration is helping to preserve the morale and selfrespect of 289,000 young people of high-school and college age who might otherwise increase the present overcro\vded ranks of idle labor. One hundred and sixty-five thousand secondary-school students and n9,ooo college students, as well as 2,900 prospective M. A.'s and 1,800 candidates for doctor's degrees, receive aid under this program. In addition to educational aid, the program includes youth work relief, job guidance and placement, apprentice training, and community activities. !_5] SUMMARY OTHER FEDERAL AGENCIES PARTICIPATING IN THE WORKS PROGRAM PUBLIC WORKS ADMINISTRATION See pages 3c;-- The Public Works Administration has issued grants and loans of approximately 2 4 · $480,000,000 to State and community governmental organizations for construction work in which schools and other educational buildings predominate. Water-supply and sewer systems, municipal buildings, hospitals, and other public buildings follow in importance. Funds provided locally account for 35 percent of the total cost of more than $743,000,000. Housing projects now being carried on call for an expenditure of over $100,000,000 in Federal funds and will provide facilities for about 75,000 persons. EMERGENCY CONSERVATION WORK See pages 43'r4· Through the Civilian Conservation Corps nearly half a million young men are being provided with healthful employment in conserving and developing the Nation's natural resources. The table on page 43 bears eloquent testimony to the value of the work accomplished by this section of the Works Program. Over a million rods of fences have been built or repaired, almost rr5,ooo,ooo forest trees have been planted, harmful rodents have been controlled on over 5,000,000 acres of land, more than 900,000 man-days of labor have gone toward fire fighting and fire control, nearly 2,500 bridges have been constructed, and almost 500,000 soil-erosion check dams have been built. RESETTI.EMENT ADMINISTRATION See pages 4547. Under the Resettlement Administration more than 333,000 destitute farm families in all parts of the country ,vere being assisted, as of November 30, in readjusting their debts, obtaining necessary capital goods, and the like. Plans are being perfected for the transfer of 20,000 families from submarginal lands ( which will be devoted henceforth to forestation, grazing, and wildlife protection) to places better suited to agriculture. PUBLIC ROADS See pages ',g---50. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis Under the Bureau of Public Roads of the Department of Agriculture 73,353 persons were at work by December 28 on the construction of highways throughout the country. For grade-crossing elimination $200,000,000 has been appropriated, and $300,000,000 for other highway projects. 011--IER AGENCIES See page 51. Other governmental agencies, including the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Interior, Labor, Navy, War, and Treasury, account for allocations of over $375,000,000 through December 31, 1935. See pages 6062, 64. The Corps of Engineers of the War Department is spending the largest portion of this sum, with $88,000,000 going for dredging, channel improvements, and general improvement of inland waterways, and $42,000,000 for 34 flood-control projects. The Bureau of Reclamation of the Interior Department is using $82,650,000 of the total on irrigation projects. See pages 5355. Allocations totaling $16,559,817 have been made to the Bureau of Entomology and Plant Quarantine. The Forest Service has received allocations of $13,827,500 for fire prevention and control, shelterbelt and forest planting, and the development of fish and game preserves. The Soil Conservation Service is spending $21,000,000 to prove the value of erosion control to farmers. https://fraser.stlouisfed.org Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis The Treasury will spend over $6,000,000 of its allocation on taxation studies; $5,263,995 on repair and construction of Coast Guard Stations and equipment; and $3,450,000 on public health studies. The Navy's $17,345,470 goes for work on yards and docks. The Commerce Department will spend $10,207,944 on business census projects, improvements to fisheries and lighthouses, and tests of building material under the Bureau of Standards. Over $rr,ooo,ooo is allotted to the Rural Electrification Administration, $1,234,120 to the Veterans' Administration, $211,500 to the Library of Congress, and $200,000 to the Alley Dwelling Authority of the District of Columbia. I. S. GOVE!\Nli!ENT P-RINTINI. OFFICE: 1936
@FedFRASER