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REPORT ON
PRO·G RESS OF
THE
WPA
HD
38BI*
: A4&
PROGRA
JUNE 30, 1940
\~40
June
c.opy 2
FEDERAL WORKS AGENCY
WORK PROJECTS ADMINISTRATi :'lN
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FEDERAL WORKS AGENCY
JOHN M. CARMODY, Administrator
REPORT ON
PROGRESS OF
THE WPA PROGRAM
JUNE 30, 1940
WORK PROJECTS ADMINISTRATION
F. C. HARRINGTON, Commissioner
CORRINGTON Gill, Assistant Commissioner
EMERSON ROSS, Director, Division of Statistics
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PREFACE
This report on the progr<'ss of tlH' Work Projrrts Administration
program contimH·s tll<' sPrips of stat<'m<•nts which lulY<' r<•vi<'wPd the
employnwnt, acromplislrnH•nts. and <'XJwndit 11n's of tlH' \YPA. The
pn'SPllt rnport. lik<' thos!' Jll'e'ce•ding it. contains a summary of WPA
activities in tlw fiscnl yPnr Pnding ,Jml<' ::rn. 1!)40, nnd C'Prtnin special
sections tlrnt provide• more ,!Ptni!Pd nrrounts of pnrtirulnr ns1wcts of
the ·wPA program. ThP s1wcial s<·ctions covpr \YPA activities for
strPngtlwning national dd<'llS<'. a s1111rn1ar,\~ of \YPA nirpmt and airway
work, and a hri<'f n·,·ie•,y of 01wrating poliri<'c- and proc('(lures. The
fivp other s<•ctions of tlH· n·port bring PariiPr accounts of mnjor nspects
of the WPA program up to date•. Th<•,\~ rovN th<• Pmploynwnt supplied through tlw WP.A. th<• a<·cornplishrrwnts on projPrt undertakings, th<' PXp<•1Hlit11n's of Fe•d!'ral funds nll(l of funds suppli0d by
various stat<• and local pu blir ag<·nciPs that propos<' and sponsor \VPA
projPcts, tlw l<'gislntivP proyisions for th<' rurrPnt fiscnl y<'nr, and the
plnc<' of th<• WP A program mnong the public work nnd assistance
programs in t.h<\ United St.at.C's.
III
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
lfrviPw of th<' WPA Progra.m During tlw Fiscal YPar 1940_ _ _ __
1
Provisions for ihP \VPA Prngrnrn Dming t lw Fisrul YPar 1941 _ _
10
The WPA and Nationa.l l)pfpns('
15
WPA Airport and Airway Work
2(i
Employment and Earning;;
Financial Summary _____ _
52
Project AccomplishnH•nts
(:i5
Opera ting PoliciPs and ProePd u 1·1';;
81
\)()
Ap1wndix: Tables_--------------------------------------
111
V
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LIST OF TEXT TABLES
Page
1. Number of Persons Employed on WPA Airport Projects anrl on Other \VP A Projects
Sponsored or Operated by Military and Kaval Agencies, by Selected Type of Project
and by Agency, .June 5, 1!)40_________________________________________________
2. Number of Persons Employ<'d on \VP A Airport. Projects and on Otlwr \\'PA Projects
Sponsored or Operated by :\Iilitary and Naval Agencies, by State, .June 5, 1940
3. Facilities Constructed or Improved on Projpcts Operated by \VPA for l'sc of :\Iilitary
and XM·al Agencies and for Development of CiYil Airports and Airwa~·s, Cumulative
through .June 30, 1940 _______________________________________ . _ _
4. Amount of WP A and Sponsors' FundH Expended on \VPA Airport Projects and on
Other WPA Projects i'lponsorerl or Operated by Military and Xaval Agencies, by
State and by Sponsoring Agency, Cumulative through .Jun<' 30, H)40 _ _
5. Physical Accomplishment~ on Airport and Airway Projects Operated by \\"PA, Cumulative through June 30, 1940_
·----------------------·. __ _______________
6. Selected Items of Physical Accomplishment on Airport and Airway Projects Operated
by WPA, by State, Cumulath·e through .June 30, 19,10_____________
. _______ .
7. Amount of WPA and Sponsors' FundH Expended on Airport and Airway Projects
Operated by \VPA, by State and by Source of Funds, Cumulative through ,June 30,
1940_________________
-- -----------------------------8. Average Number of Persons Employ<'d on \\'PA Projects, :\lonthly, August 1935 -June
1940 _____________ .
_____ . _ _
_ __ _ __ __ _ _ _
9. Number of ·women Employed on Project,; Operated by \\'PA, Quarterly, December
1935-J une 1940 _ _ _ _ _
__ _ __ __ _ _ __ _ __ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ __ .
10. Number of Persons Assigned to and Separated from Employment on \\'PA Projects,
Monthly, .July 1938-fonp 1940
__________
________
11. Average Number of Persons Emplo~·ed on \VPA Projects, b~- Agenc~-. QuartPrly, .June
1939-.J une 1940 _ _ _ _
_ ____ .. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
12. Number of Persons Employed on Projects Operated by \\'PA, by Type of Project,
.June 26, 1940 ____________ .
__ .. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ . _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
13. Percentage Distribution of Persons Employed on Projects Operated by ·wp A, by
Major Type of Project, 8electerl Periods, March 193(i -.June 1940________________
14. Percentage Distribution of Persons Employed on Projects Operated by WPA, by Size
of Community, Selected Periods, X ovPmbl'f 1937· -,June 1940 _ _ _ _ _ _ . _ _ _ _ _ _
15. Percentage Distribution of PPrso11s Emplo~·t•d on Projpcts Operated by WPA, by Type
of Project and hy 8iiw of Community, March 27, 1940_ _ _ _ _ _
_ __ _ _ __ _
16. Percentage Distribution of Persons Employ(•d on Projects Operated hy WPA, by Wage
Class, Selected Ppriods, .June• 1936--.J1rn(• 1940_______ ____ ____
________
17. Percentage Distribution of PPrsons Employed on Projects Operated by WPA, by Major
Type of Project and by Wagp Class, .June 26, 1940________________
18. Total Hours Worked on ProjC'cts OperatPd by WPA, by Major Type of Project, Cumulative through and Yc•ar Endi11µ: .JurH• 30, 1940_______ ________
19. Amount of Funds Available to WPA During thP Year Ending .Jun<' 30, 1!)-10 _ __ _
20. Amount of WP A Funds' AllocatPd to FNleral Agencies for WPA Projt>cts under the ERA
Act-of 1939, by Ageney, Cumulativ<' through .Jurw 30, 1940_____________ ___
21. Amount of WP A Funds Expended for Acth·ities Conducted by WPA and Other
Federal Agencies, by Fiscal Year, through .JurH• 30, 1940
22. Amount of WPA Funds ExpPn<INl for ActiYiti<•s Conducted b.,· WPA and OthPr Ft>dPral
Agencies, Quarterly, .July 193/i· .Junp 1!}38: Monthly, .July 1938-.11111!' 19-10_
23. Amount of WPA Funds Expc11dpd for A<'tid1i<'s Cor1ductc•d by WPA a11d Ot.hPr FPdPral
Agencies, by Object of ExpP1Hlit11rP, Years Ending .J111w 30, 1939, and ,l1111!' 30, H)-10_
24. Amount of WPA Funds ExpPrHled for Administration of WPA, by ObjPct of Expt>nditure, Year Ending .JurH• 30, 1910 ----------------------------·
25. Amount of WPA and Sponsors' Funds Expended on Projects Operated by \\'PA, by
Fiscal Year and by Sourc<' of Funds, through .June 30, 1940_________ ________ _
26. Amount of "'PA and Sponsors' Fund,s Exppndcd on Proj<~cts Operated by WPA, by Object of Expenditure and by Hou rec• of Funds, Y par Emling .Junp 30, 1940_ _ _ _ _ _ _
27. Amount of WPA and Sponsors' Funds Ex1wnded for :\'onlahor Purpost>s on Project~
Operated by WPA, by Type of Purchnsc or Rental and by SourcP of Funds, Cumulative through .JtmP 30, 1940_________________________________________________
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48
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VII
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VIII
LIST OF TEXT TABLES
Page
28. Amount of WPA and Sponsors' Funds Expended on Projects Operated by WPA, by
Major Type of Project and by Source of Funds, Cumulative through and Year Ending
June 30, 1940 ____________________ - ___ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - _
29. Highways, Roads, and Streets Constructed or Improved on Projects Operated by WPA,
Cumulative through December 31, 1939_______________________________________
;30. Bridges, Culverts, and Other Road Appurtenances Constructed or Improved on Projects
Operated by WPA, Cumulative through December 31, 1939_____________________
31. Schools and Libraries Constructed or Improved on Projects Operated by WP A, Cumulative through December 31, 193!)_________________________________________ __
32. Public Participation in Education Activities Conducted by WPA, Two-week Period in
.January 194()______________________________________________________________
33. Recreational Facilities Constructed or Improved on Projects Operated by WP A,
Cumulative through December 31, 1939______________________________________
34. Public Participation in Recreation Activities Conducted by WPA, Week Ending February 18, 1939______________________________________________________________ _
35. Public Health Facilities Constructed or Improved on Projects Operated by WP A,
Cumulative through December 31, 1939_____________________________________ __
36. Medical and Dental Services Provided or Facilitated through Projects Operated by
WPA, Two-week Period in January 1940_____________________________________
37. Accomplishments on Selected Types of Welfare Projects Operated by WPA, Cumulative through December 31, 1939____________________________________________
38. Conservation and Flood Control Activities on Projects Operated by WPA, Cumulative
through December 31, 1939 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
39. Schedule of Monthly Earnings on WPA Projects, Effective September 1, 1939_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
40. Number of Persons Employed on Federal Work and Construction Projects and Recipients of Public Relief, by Program, June 1940__________________________________
41. Number of Persons Employed on Federal Work and ConRtruction Projects and Recipients of Public Relief, by Program, Monthly, .January 1933-.June 1940__________
42. Index of Unemployment, Monthly, .January 1933-June 1940____________________
43. Index of Persons Benefiting from Employment on Federal Work and Construction
Projects and Public Relief, Monthly, .January 1933-.June 1940_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
44. Amount of Earnings of Persons Employed on Federal Work and Construction Projects
and Payments for Public Relief, by Program, Monthly, .January 1933-June 1940_ _ _ _
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LIST OF CHARTS
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Estimates of l-nemployment, January Hl3(i-.June 1!)40_ _ _ _
_ _________ . __ _ _ _
Airports Constructed or Improved by \\"PA, through .June 30, 1940________________
Employment on WPA Projects, through .J1mc 1!)40______________ ______________
Assignments and Separations in Emplo~·mcnt on \VPA Projects, .Jul~- 1938-Junc 1940_
Rate of Assignments and Separations in Employment, on \\"PA Projects, ,Jul~· 1938 -June
1940 _______________________________ . _ _ _ _ _ _ _________________________ .. _ _ _ _
Distribution of Employment on Projects Operated by WPA, by Type of Work and by
Size of Community, March 27, 1!)40_ ----------------------------------------WPA Expenditures, .July 1935-,June 1940________________________________________
\YPA and Sponsors' Expenditures on Projects Operated by WPA, by Fiscal Y car and
by Source of Funds, throug-h ,June 30, 1940____________________________________
Distribution of \\"PA Expenditures by Object of Expenditure, Y car Ending June 30,
1940______________________________________________________________________
WPA and Sponsors' Expenditures on Projects Operated by WPA, by Type of Project,
Year Ending June 30, 1940 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Highways, Roads, and 8treets Constructed or Improved by \VPA, CumulatiYe throug-h
December 31, 1939 ________ . __________________________________ .. _
.... _ _ _ _ _
Educational Buildings Constructed or Improved by \VPA, Cumulative throug-h December 31, 1939 ______________________________________________________ .. _
Articles Made on \VPA SC\d11g Room Projects, CumulatiYe throug-h December 31, 1939_
\VPA \\'age Rate Regions, EffrrtiYc Hcptcmlicr I, 1039____________________
Households and Persons Bl'nditing from Employment on Federal \York and Construction Projects and Pu hlic Rl'lid, ,January l !)33 -June 1940 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Indexes of Unemployment, and Pc·r~ons Benefit i11g from Employment on Federal \York
and Construction Project,s and Public RdiPf, .Januar~· 1933 -,June 1940_ ____ _
Persons Benefiting from Employment- on Fc•dcral \Vork and ConsLruct,ion Projects and
Public Relief, by Program, January 1933-.Juuc 1940_________________ _
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REVIEW OF THE WPA PROGRAM
DURING THE FISCAL YEAR 1940
WPA Employment in the Fiscal Year 1940
THE Emergency Relief Appropriation Act of
1939 appropriated to the Work Projects
Administration $1,477,000,000, together with
unobligated balances remaining from the previous year, to provide employment on useful
public projects <luring the year ending June
1940. This appropriation represented a reduction of about a third from the amount that had
been made available for the operation of the
WPA program <luring the preceding fiscal year.
During the 12-month period covered by this
appropriation, the number of workers employed
on WPA projects averaged approximately
2,054,000 per month, as compared with an
average employment of 3,014,000 <luring the
preceding 12 months.
The last half of t,he preceding fiscal year was
marked by improvement in private industry
and a downward trend in unemployment. In
line with the increase in opportunities for
private employment the number at work on
the WPA program had been reduced steadily
from a peak of 3,335,000 in the fall of 1938 to
2,578,000 in Jtme 1939. The appropriation
for the fiscal year 1940 anticipated a continuation of improvement in economic conditions.
Industrial production increased throughout
the summer and the rate of increase was accelerated after the outbreak of hostilities in Europe
in September. However, many industries had
accumulated large inventories by the end of
1939 and, as a result, industrial production was
reduced sharply in January and February,
offsetting much of the expansion that had
been generated by anticipation of increased
war business. More than 1,000,000 nonagricultural workers lost their jobs <luring the month
of ,January. This short but severe contraction
was followed by relatively small increases in
private employment which began in ~,1arch
and continued throughout the remainder of
the fiscal year. These increases were not
suffici<:>nt to offset the January-February setback, and in June 1940 total priYatc> employment wns at a level lower than it had been in
October 19:39,
Except for the normal seasonal increase during tlw winter months, when unemployed
workers are most in need of jobs and wages,
\VPA employment followed the general trend
of busi11ess nctivity and private employment.
From the ,Tune 1939 average of 2,578,000
workers, tlw number at work on the program
was rPduct>d during the summer by 857,000
to 1,721,000 during September. The rate of
this reduction (about :{3 1wrccnt) was much
more rapid than the rate of decrease in uncmploynwnl, which amounted to less than 10
percent during this pc>riod.
Becaus(• of llw seasonal increase in applications for \YPA jobs, avPrngc> ernplo_vnwnt on
tht• program incrc>ascd after Septemlwr by
about 1:30,000 workers pt'r month to 2,123,000
in DecPmhcr 1939. Seasonal factors togPlher
with tlw rapid decline of privatl' cmplo_vnwnt in
January and February necessitntt•d furthPr
1
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REPORT ON PROGRESS OF THE WPA PROGRAM
additions to the program , and the numb er
employed a vcrn.ged approxim a tely 2,310 ,000 in
F ebruary a.nd March.
A genera.I r eduction of a.bou t 554 .000 in t h e
numb er of WPA jobs dming April , M a.y , and
Jlin e coin cided with seasonal in cr eases in farm
employ m en t an(l th e gradual improv em en t in
the number of jobs a vailable in ot h er pri vate
indus try. The exten t of th e reduc tion , however , wa.s d et ermined lar gely by t he amount of
fund s availabl e for th e prngra.m . The 280 ,000
voluntary sep arat ion s from th e program which
occurred in t hese three mon t hs wC'r e equi valent
to a.bou t one-half of th e to tal d ecline in WPA
emplo_v m ent.
WPA Employees
Nearly 97 per cen t of all proj ect workers
durin g th e fiscal year ,verc eligible for WP A
employ m en t on t h e basis of th eis rel ative n eed
for work. The r em a ining 3 per cen t represen t
sup ervi sor y, technical, a.nd ot h er key perso nnel
wh ose ser vices were necessar y to permi t project
opern tion s but whose jo bs co nlcl no t be fill ed
from t h e a v a.il a.ble Iis t of cer tifi cd elig i blc
worker s. The relative need of a pplican ts is
dc-tC'r rn in ed locally . Lists of eligible ,,·ork ers
are r eferred to the WP A by public welfare
agen cies and those most in n eed of employ m ent
a.r e selected for WPA jobs . Th e n eed of
worker s assign ed to jobs is revi ewed p eriodically . ·w orker s ar e r equired by t h e WPA t o
accep t offers of pri vate employ m en t , and they
lose their eligibility if th ey rdnse such offer s.
Abou t 84 p er cent of the worker s employed on
projec ts during fiscal 1940 wer e m en and 16
percent were women . The WP A employs only
on e worker from a.ny family . That worker
us uall y is t h e family h ead or th e most employable m emb er of the famil y group .
Out of eve ry 100 work ers employed on projects in fi scal year 1940, a bout 3 w er e proj ec t
s uper visory cm ployces ; 3 were ass ign eel to
profess ion al or tecl111ical proj ec t work ; 10 wer e
skill ed workers , s uch as bricklayers, cem ent
finish ers, or o pera.tors of h cn.vy equipm ent ; 14
were intermedia te or semiskilled work ers, sucL
as carpen ters ' h elpers , tru ck dri vl'rs, and opera tors of ligh t equipment; and 70 were assigned
to unskilled mn.nun1 work .
Type and Location of Proj!lcts
Pr actically all W.PA proj cc t.s a.r e pla.nned a.n d
in it inted by locn.l publi c n.gen c1cs. Job s p eci-
WP A workers paving Harding Boulevard in San Fran cisco
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REVIEW OF THE WPA PROGRAM DURING THE FISCAL YEAR 1940
fications and cost estimates are prrpared locally
and submitted to the WPA for technical
review and approval as to suitability for operation. A condition of this approval is that the
project shall develop useful facilities or benefits
to the public. A further condition is thnt the
work shall not replace a regular function of the
local government, or displace persons who
would normally be employed on similar work.
A steady flow of project applications from local
communities provides the WPA with a large
reservoir of available proj ects which can be
brought into operation quickly. This is essential to flexibility of program operations, enabling
rapid expansion in employment when that is
necessary and permitting the selection of
projects on which the particular skills of available workers can be used to best 11dvantage.
At the end of June 1940, proj ects for the construction or improvement of highways, farmto-rnarket roads, and city streets provided 43
percent of all WPA jobs. T en percent of the
workers employed at that time were on projects
involving water supply and sewer systems, and
9 percent were at work on proj ects for the construction and renovation of schools and other
public buildings. Sewing projects, on which a
large number of women were engaged in the
production of garments for distribution to
needy families, accounted for 7 pcrcen t of total
employment at the end of June. The remainder of the workers were employed on a
wide variety of activities including the extension
of recreational faciliti es; the constru ction of
airports and airway facili tics; land nnd water
conservation; malaria control and other sanitation work; the teaching of subjects related to
literacy, naturalization, art, music, and other
fields and various other educational activities;
research projects and work on public records;
indexing and cataloging projects in libraries
and museums; serving lunc hes to undernourished school children; and other kinds of
work related to many different community
services and public faciliti es.
About 40 percent of the workers employed on
the WPA program at the end of June Hl40 were
working in counties in which there is a city
with a 1930 population of 100,000 or more; 16
percent were in counties having cities n1nging
between 25,000 and 100,000 in population ; 2:3
percent worked in counties in which the largest
town had between 5,000 and 25,000 inhabitn.nts;
and 21 percent were in rural counties having no
towns with as many as 5,000 inhabitants.
Although, in general, the distribution of
WPA employment reflects the concentration of
populntion in urban centers, the need for WPA
employment is not necessarily r elated directly
to the total popul ation of any area. Wide
variations in unemployment and need occur in
cities of approximately the same size because of
differences in types of industries, the regularity
of the employment provided in those industries,
the growth or decline of certain industries, and
related factors. Furthermore, an unemployed
worker's need for a job is likely to be relatively
more intense in an urban area, where the family
depends on money income for subsistence, than
in rurn.l areas where subsistence is possible for
som e families without much actual cash.
Relation of WPA Employment to Unemployment
Only a fraclion of the total number of workers
who do not hn.vc private jobs can be employed
by the WPA. Within the limits of available
funds , employment is provided for those workers who are most urgently in need of it.
The need for W PA employment is related
hnsically to the total volume of unemployment,
but hccause of a number of factors this relationship is not necessarily constant from month to
month or from year to year. The relative need
of 11n unemployed worker and his family at any
given time is determined by the amount of his
savings and the length of time h<' has been out of
work . Some workers are able to accumulate
more than others and so can provide for their
familiL'S without outside help for longer periods.
Some famili es can he supported by relatives for
at least a short period after the family head loses
his job. Some unemployed workers arc eligible
for unemployment conqwnsat.ion payments.
Some arc members of families i11 which another
worker has employment. Those with no resourcrs whatever need some form of public
assistance as soon as they arc thrown out of
work. In general, the relative proport,ion of
the unemployed workers who are in need incrcns<'s as tlw n.vcrn.ge period of unemployment
for the entire group lengthens.
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REPORT ON PROGRESS OF THE WPA PROGRAM
Board, the ratio declined from 331~ percent
during the calendar year 1936 to 28 percent
during 1937, 27 percent during 1938, and 26½
percent during the calendar year 1939. During
the first half of the calendar year 1940, the ratio
was 23½ percent. The decline in the ratio is
accounted for in part by the operation of the
unemployment compensation program and by
other factors affecting the proportion of the total
number of unemployed workers in need. In
part, it is an indication of the changing proportion of the need for employment that the WPA
program has met.
The need for fuel and clothing and other items
that must be purchased, and therefore the need
for jobs and wages, increases during the winter
months, causing an important seasonal factor
in the relationship between unemployment and
WPA employment. The winter increase in
need is intensified by simultaneous increases in
the total number of persons out of work, because
of the curtailment of outside construction and of
other enterprises during cold weather.
Another important factor affecting the relationship between the number of workers seeking WP A employment and the total number
unemployed is the need which exists among
rural and form families. A tenant farmer, for
example, is technically excluded from a count of
unemployed workers, although his need for a job
may be fully as intense as that of an industrial
wage worker.
Droughts that cut off farm income, and other
disasters and emergencies, such as hurricanes
or floods, that have no relation to employment
or previous need, have necessitated rapid expansion of WP A employment at various times,
further modifying its relationship to total
unemployment.
The proportion of the unemployed workers
who are provided with WPA employment has
declined since 1936. On the basis of the estimates of the National Industrial Conference
Turnover in WP A Employment
The volume of turnover in employment on
WP A projects continuecl to be large during
fiscal 1940, despite the fact that the level of
employment was reduced by one-third from
that of the previous fiscal year. While this
reduction · was in process about 3,850,000
separations occurred and more than 3,000,000
assignments were made, including replacements
and additional assignments during the winter
peak period. About 1,150,000 of the separations were voluntary, most of them representing
persons known to have left the program to take
private jobs. WPA employment has assisted
these workers in maintaining work habits and
skills, and they have been able
CHART 1
to qualify for new jobs in priESTIMATES OF UNEMPLOYMENT
vate industry when employJanuary 1936 - J_une 1940
ment conditions have improved.
MILLIONS
or WORKERS
or !1~';.1-~~:
A continuous movement of
16
16
workers from the program and
1 4 t - - - - - - - j - - - - - - + - - - - - + - - - - - - - + - - - - - 14
their replacement by other
workers from the certified lists
has characterized the operation
of the program. To insure the
continuation of this process and
to shorten the period during
which certified eligible workers
have to wait for WPA jobs, the
ERA Act of 1939 provided that
•i------+-----+-----+------+-------14
no workers, except veterans,
2
- - - - - + - - - - - + - - - - -_ _
2
should be retained in WP A
employment continuously for
0
0
r
more than 18 months. At the
1936
1937
1938
1939
1940
expiration of 18 months of
continuous employment, \VP A
- - - - - A.LtxANOCR HAMIL TON INSTITUTE
~~~:.::.s,::::.~;~~
~~*aATIONS
_
- - NATIONAL INDUSTIIIAL CONF'ER£NCE 80AAD
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J • ■ 4
■ J
J A I
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J J
A l'O M D
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■ A •
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,
■ ,. 1111 J
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REYIEW 01" THE WPA PROGHA:\I DURING THE FISCAL YEAH I 0-10
workers are automatically discharged and
cannot be recertified for a period of at least
30 da~Ts.
The initial application of the 18-month provision resulted in the separation of over 780.000
workers from the program d'uring the first two
months of the fiscal year. Th.is large forced
addition to the normal volume of separations
did not result in widespread reentry into
private employment of those separated. Only
about 13 percent of the workers discharged
during the first two months of the applicn tion of
the 18-month provision (,July and August)
were able to find private employment during
the next four months; in many cast>s tlH•y
were hired at wages considerably lPss than
those paid on the WPA program. Tho great
majority of them were forced to apply for
public aid and await their turn for rPassignment to WPA jobs. HowevN, this forced
rotation of jobs enabled the \YPA to provide
employment for huwlreds of thousands of
other workers who had previously been nwa1ting assignment.
After August 1939 the number of workers
discharged under the 18-month provision declined steadily. During Juno 1940, less than
one-half of 1 percent of all the ,rnrkers employed
on WPA projects were discharged because they
had been employed under the program continuously for 18 months.
Earnings and Hours of Work
During the fiscal year 1940 the full-time rate
of monthly earnings for all \VPA workers averaged about $57.50. This represents the average
of the full-time rates of individual workers as
determined by an established schedule of
monthly earnings. Standard monthly wages
are paid in accordance with the skill required
for the job to which the worker is assigned.
These standard wages vary only according to
the degree of urbanization of the various
counties, as determined by the population of
the largest municipality in the county, and
according to the location of the county in one
of the three wage regions into which the
country has been divided (Chart 14, page 84).
The ERA Act of 1939 specified that regional
differentials in wages paid for similar kinds of
5
work should be no greater than differentials in
liYing costs.
The full-time monthly wage for the unskilled
employpes variPs from $:31.:W in the rural
countiPs of the southt•m wag<' region to $.57.20
in the metropolitan arPas of lht> North and \Vest.
Intermediate or semiskilled workers receive between $42.90 and $68.90. The corresponding
rates for skilled workers vary from $54.60 to
$89. 70. Professional and technical workers receive the highest rates pa.id to certified employees, which range from $.'i.'i.90 per month in the
rural counties of the South to $94.90 per month
in northern and western cities.
The monthly rates of pay under the earnings
schedule have been pstablislwd at a level below
the monthly wage prevailing for similar work in
priYate industry. This prevents competition
with private cmploy<'rs for the services of unemployed workPrs and provides nn incentive to
·wPA workers to accept private jobs. On the
other hand, the standard payment is intended
to meet minimum subsistence roquirem<'Hts for
a family of average size dming the interval of
the family's emergency, when none of its gainful
workers has other employment.
In order to facilitate the scheduling of project
operations and to increase the efficiency of
project activitiPs, a standard work month of 130
hours was established by t.J1c ERA Act of 1939.
1,Inximum hours wcre set at 8 in any one day
and 40 in any WPek. Pxcppt in the case of disasters, enwrgencies. and cPrtain specifically exempt.Pd projects which may rcq uire deviations
from thes<' standards.
Expenditures
ThP total cost of operating the WP A program
is directly related to the number of workers employed. Expenditures from funds appropriated
to the WPA totaled $1,.'i20,106,000 for the fiscal
year 1940. ·wage pn.ynwnts to project workers
aggregated $1,:rnn, 1\l4,000, or 88 percent of the
total. In addition to thP wagc payments, a
limitcd amomll, of \VPA funds hns been made
availnblr for nonlnbor project costs, such as the
purchase of mnterinls and suppli<'S and the purchase or re:it of equiprncnt, in proportion to
thr am01mt, of emplo)'nwnt providP<l. Under
thr ERA Act of 19:39 this nonlabor allowance
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REPORT ON PROGRESS OF THE WPA PROGRAM
was limited to $6 per worker per month in any
state. During the fiscal year e>..-penditures for
these nonlabor costs amounted to $125,534,000,
or 8 percent of the total amount expended from
WPA funds.
Administrative costs totaled $55,331,000, or
3.6 percent of total WPA expenditures, and
miscellaneous costs, including the settlement
of property damage claims and special grants
for disaster relief, accounted for the expenditure
of $47,000.
Operations supervised directly by the WPA
accounted for $1,461,790,000 of the total WPA
expenditures ($1,520,106,000) made during the
year. The remaining $58,316,000 was expended
from funds allocated to other Federal agencies
for the operation of WPA projects.
As part of their sponsorship of WPA projects,
state and local agencies have provided substantial sums to supplement Federal expenditures.
Th ey have been required to meet engineering
and other costs associated with the planning of
the work. The sponsors have also supplemented the Federal allowances for project nonlabor costs by providing additional funds for
materials, supplies, and equipment.
The
amount of such supplementation has varied
depending upon the type of facility or service
which the communities have desired and their
financial ability.
The ERA Act of 1939 provided that sponsors
must meet at least 25 percent of the total costs
of all state or locally sponsored projects approved and placed in operation after January
1, 1940. Between January 1 and June 30,
1940, projects representing n.n aggregate cost
of $1,005,323,000 were approved. The sponsors
of these projects had pledged varying portions
of the cost of the individual projects, but their
combined pledges amounted to $313,752,000,
or 31 percent of the total cost.
The total amount of funds expended by
sponsors of projects operated by the WPA has
increased each year since the program began,
and the ratio of sponsors' expenditures to total
expenditures also has increased since the first
years of the program. During the fiscal year
1940, sponsors expended $494,378,000, or 26
percent of the total cost of all projects operated
by the WPA. In comparison, 19 percent of the
tot.al cost was met by sponsors in the fiscal year
1939, 21 percent in 1938, 15 percent in 1937,
and 10 percent in the fiscal year 1936, the first
year of WPA program operation. The increase
in sponsors' financial participation in WPA
operations has facilitated improvement in the
quality and value of the work which has been
done under the program.
Aitogether, a. total of $1,902,950,000 from
WP A and sponsors' funds was expended for the
operation of work projects by the WP A during
the fiscal year 1940. Of the total expenditures,
highway, road, and street projects accounted for
about 42 percent; public buildings, 10 percent;
parks and other recreational facilities, 6 percent;
water supply and sewer systems, 11 percent;
airports and airways, 2 percent; land and water
conservation, 3 percent; sanitation, health, and
other construction projects, 3 p ercent; adult
education projects, 2 percent; sewing projects,
6 percent; art, music , writing, library, and
museum projects, 3 percent ; and various other
types of professional and service projects,
12 percent.
WP A National Defense Projects
Legislation enacted in June 1940 enabled the
WP A to expand work on national defense
proj ects of the kind that it had been operating
since the beginning of the program. A large
number of WPA projects for the construction
and improvement of facilities of military and
naval agencies already had b een completed by
the end of June 1940. In conformity with
provisions of appropriation acts the WP A does
not manufacture munitions or implements of
war, but it has constructed many types of
facilities for military and naval agencies including barracks, garages , warl'l10uses, training
fields, rifle ranges, administrative buildings.
armories, roads, water mains, sewer lines, and
othe r structures at military and naval posts.
These projects lrnvc been sponsored or operated
by the Wn.r D0partment, tlw Dt>partment of
the Navy, the Coast Guard, and the National
Gunnl.
WPA workers have also completed extensive
improvcmm1ts at most of the military, naval,
and municipal n.irports in th e United States.
About 1,600 hangars and other buildings and
2,600,000 feet of runways had hewn constructed
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REVIEW OF THE WPA PROGRAM DURING THE FISCAL YEAR 1940
and improved through the operation of \,YP A
projects by the encl of June 1940.
An expansion of WP A work on tlws(' and
similar national defense projrcts was undl'rtakt'n
just before the close of the fiscal year 1940.
Special procedures have since been initiated to
facilitate the review and approval of projPcts
related to national defrnse. and tlwsp projects
will be given priority in th<' assignnwnt of
workers and in other respects.
Special provisions of the ERA Act, fiscal
year 1941, permit greater use of tlw WPA program as a means of strengtlwning tlH' country's
defenses. Several restrictions that ordinarily
apply to the operation of WPA projrcls have
been waived by law to expPdit<' thP 01wration of
projects certified by the Secretary of War or
the Secretary of the Kavy as important for
military or naval purpos('S. Such projPcts
are exempted from t.lw limitn tion of \YP A
Federal expenditures for nonlabor purpos(•s to it
ma:i,,.-i.mum of $6 per work(•r p<•r month. Th<'Y
are also exempted from th<' provision which
requires that sponsors provi<k n t !Past orn•fourth of tlw total rost of n011-F<·d<•rnl proj<•cts
approved in each stat(• nftpr ,Jnn11ar.'~ I, 1940.
Exemptions from other statutory prov1s10ns
hav<' bpen authorized in connection with certifipd military and naval projects.
In the Second DPficiPncy Appropriation
Act of 1940, the Congress gave sprcinl authority
to tlw "'PA to operate projects for training
workPrs in occupations n'quired for indnstries
<'ngag<'d in production for national defense purposPs. Und<'r this authority a projPct, sponson'd by the Advisory Commission to llw Council of .'.'Jational Defrnsp and cosponsored by the
Offi<>e of Education, was initiated in ,Jmw 1940
to 01wrat<' vocational training programs in
schools in every statP. In tlwse schools workPl"S
sekct<>d from WP A fil('S and otll<'r workc•rs from
rrgistrntion lists of public employment offices
nr<' hPing trai1wd in skilfod tra<ks and crafts
that arc ess<'ntinl to the roordinnied production
of mat<>rials and goods for cld<>nse purposes.
Accomplishments of the WPA
1'hP accomplishments of the vYPA program
can be endua.trd in various wn.ys, in accordance
with its various purposes. Of first importance
is thP total llll!llber of jobs thnt t.11(' ,vPA has
Thousands of persons enjoy this WPA-built aquatic park and the recreational facilities it provides
262Hi7°--40---:l
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REPORT ON PROGRESS OF THE WP A PROGRAM
provided . Since the beginning of the program
about 7,800 ,000 different individuals have
worked more than 130,000,000 man-months on
WPA proj ects. This statisti cal fact can be
translated in terms of the economic value of
individual workers' skills and the maintenance
of the total labor r esources of the country .
It can also be translated in terms of payments
to landlords and grocers or of the preservation
of h ealt h and morale in the families of the
Nation's productive workers.
Another pmpose of the WP A program is to
bring together the productive capacity of
unemployed workers, whose individual needs
must be provided for , and the needs of the
community as a whole, which cannot be met
if the labor of these workers is not put to use .
Through the WPA program public r eso urces,
that otherwise might h ave b een used to support
a considerable part of the working population
in idleness, have been directed into the co nstruction and improvement of essential public
facilities and the provision of useful public
services .
The types of work that WP A employees have
accomplished and the value of their contribu-
Road through Parley's Canyon (Utah) constructed by WPA
workers
tion to the communities throughout the country
have been determi11ecl primarily by the nature
of the proj ects that the communities themselves
have planned and proposed. The statistical
record of work completed on WPA projects is an
indi cation, rather than a complete measure, of
th e contribution whi ch the program has made
to the physical assets of the Nation.
The most extensive accomplishment of WPA
workers has been the construction and rebuilding of secondary and farm-to-market roads.
Work completed on all highways, roads , and
streets from the beginning of the program
thrnugh D ecember 31, 1939, exceeded 470,000
miles, and 412,000 miles of this represented
work done on rural roads. Roads that were
impassable during bad weather have been
straightened , graded, drained , and surfaced ,
bringing about a vast improvement in the accessibility of markets, shops , schools, and m edical
and other vitally important services to hundreds of thousands of farm families. Road improvement work also has included the replacem ent or reconstruction of outworn or unsafe
bridges, culverts, and viaducts. In all , the
WPA program has built or reconditioned nearly
856,000 structures of these types. The construction and reconstruction of drainage facilities
and roadside clearance work on more than
100,000 mil es of highwa,ys have been an essential part of these activities. Thrnugh its highway program the ,vPA has mad e an important
co ntribution to the safety and convenience of
hi ghway travel.
,vPA workers have constructed or improved
almost90,000 public buildings ,includiug schools,
librari es, gara.ges, storage buildings, town halls ,
and other administrative buildings. The overcrowding, obsolescence, and un safe conditions
that have prevailed in thousands of school
buildings have frequ ently been pointed out by
local and national educational authorities.
There has been a large dema11d for the construction and moclerruzation of school buildings
through WPA proj ects , and work has been
completed on more than 30,000 of them.
·w p A workers have conducted li tera.cy, naturalization, vocational training, and other adult
education classes in which the enrollment has
totaled millions of perso ns. Art and music
instrn ction cla sses as well a.s a.rt and music
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REYIEW OF THE WPA PROlH{AM Dl'RING THE FISCAL YEAH 1940
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A concert of the Colorado WPA Symphony Orchestra
production projects for the benefit of the public
have been an integra.l part of the educational
activities of the WPA, as have the library units
built, operated, or assisted, the millions of
volumes of public library books renovated, and
the cataloging projects for modernizing library
record systems.
The need for improvements in pnblic utility
systems and in sanitation and public health
facilities is evidenced by the volume of work of
these kinds that has been planned and sponsored
by state and local agencies. WP A workers h:we
built or improved 12,000 miles of water mains
and distribution lines and 18,000 miles of storm
and sanitary sewers. Malaria control has bcc11
greatly advanced by drainage work done on
3,500,000 acres of swamp lancl. In rural n.reas,
mostly in the hookworm and typhoid "bPlts,"
1,760,000 sanitary privies have been constructed.
The inadequacy of hospital and clinic facilities in many localities has been attested by
public health authorities. Forty percent of the
counties in the United States have no rPgistered
general hospitals, and the structure and equipment of many existing hospitals arc both inadequate and obsolete. The WPA has rebuilt
and modernized 1,500 hospital buildings and
has built 132 new hospitals. Projects for the
operation or assistance of medical and dental
clinics, for nurses' visits, and for home treatments have been conducted in cooperation with
local agencies. In a typical two-week period in
Jannary 1940, nearly a quarter of a million
persons were examined and treated in health
clinics with the assistance of WP A workers.
Projects for serving lunches to undernourished school children from needy families are
closely related to other WPA welfare activities.
On one day in January, 1,018,000 lunches were
served in 11,000 schools throughout the country.
From the beginning of the program throngh
December 31, 1939, WPA workers served n,
total of 384,000,000 1unches.
These examples il111strate the variety and
ext<'nt of public work that has been done through
the WP A program. The complete list includes
parks, playgrounds for children, airports for the
national transportation system and for the
national defense, soil and water conservation,
Hood control, reforestation, and many other
kinds of development of properties in which the
public has an interest and an investment.
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PROVISIONS FOR THE WPA PROGRAM
DURING THE FISCAL YEAR 1941
ROVISIONS for the operation of the Work
program during the
PProjects Administration are
year ending June 30,
contained in the
1941,
Emergency Relief Appropriation Act, fiscal
year 1941. 1 This act in general continues the
provisions made in the previous year's act,
which was cited as the Emergency Relief
Appropriation Act of 1939. The new legislation differs chiefly in the provisions designed to
facilitate cooperation of the WPA in measures
to strengthen the national defense and in the
allowances made for unforeseen changes in the
trends of business activity and unemployment
during a period of world-wide instability and
economic uncertainty.
The European war with its economic repercussions on the industrial life of the United
States has made it extremely difficult to forecast
with any degree of accuracy the extent of the
unemployment problem and of relief needs for
a pcriotl as long as a year. War orders of
foreign nations as well as national defense
expenditures tend to be concentrated in a few
key industries, such as aircraft, machine tools,
shipbuilding, and steel. Employment rPsulting
from these activities, therefore, will undoubtedly
be concentrated to u. large extent in s1wcinlized
skill eel trades. Other skilled groups and 1111skilled workers probably will not be nff Pcted
directly, and the indirect effects arn not, susccptibln to accurnte estimation at. this time.
Exports to nmny parts of the world lrnv1· nlrPady
been stoppPd, and there Pxists a V<'ry ddinitc
t
Public lksolution No. 88, i6th Congn•ss, npprovl•d .luiw :!H, 1940,
threat that further economic dislocation in the
world may continue to affect American industries seriously and to throw many people out of
work. Faced with uncertainty as to the
economic outlook for the next year, Congress
granted the President authority to apportion
the WP A appropriation for a lesser pNiod
than the 12 mon tbs of fiscal year 1941, if in his
judgment unemployment conditions necessitate
such action. The apportionment may not,
howcvcr, be for less than 8 months.
Appropriation to the WP A
The ERA Act of the fiscn.l year 1941 2 appropriates to tlw WP A tlw sum of $975,650,000
together with the unohlig-n.tcd balances of funds
made nvnilable to the WP.A by the ERA Act
of 1g:rn. This appropriation represents a reduction of npproximntt•ly one-third from the
amount made available for the 1940 fiscal year.
If unemployment conditions in the country o.re
such ns to require the expenditure of this amount
2 Ttw EH.A Act, flse11l yL•:u HHI. also made funds nvn.ilnble to otht•r
:1(:!;L'ncics ns follo,vs: $!1~).000,000 to the Farm St•etirity ..\.dministrntion:
$4,000,000 to tlw Pm'rt.o Hico H.econst.ruction Adminislruliou; $1,700,000
to t.lw B11n•au of lndiun Atfoirs; $\H,til t,a5i' to various administrative
agcncil's ((k1wrnl Accounting Olliet', Trt•asury Llt•pnrt.mt•nt. Public
llt•nlth St•r\'iC(', and tho Cidl AL•rom1ulit·s Aut.horit.y) to curry out the
purpost•s of this act; $7fi0,000 to thl' Olli('t' of Oo,·L•rnml'nt HPports;
$.110,000,000 for war rl'iid through ttw A rnl'rienn HL•d Cross or othl'f
ag-l'lll°iL'S; ,md $t,o,ooo.ouo for the :\gric11lt11rnl Adjustment Admirlistra~
lion. 'l'hl'.Sl' bring- tlw tot.nl appropriations mndl• tllldL•r f.tlis aet to
$1,1.~i,il l,:!51. In nnkr to furnish tlw 8Pcrl'tnry of :\l,!ril'ultun• with
additional fund:- with which to makl' rurnl n•habilitntiou loans to m•rdy
farm,•rs t h1• l\l'l'on:--1 rtl<'I io11 Fi11anc1• Curpornt ion i~ nuthorizpd und
din'l'h'd by this aL'I to makl' advancL'S up to $12fl,000.UOO to till' 8L•rrt•hiry
for t:hut purposL~.
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PROVISIONS FOR THE WPA PltOGRAM DURING 1941
in the first 8 months of the fiscal yN1r, the
funds appropriated will be suffi<'i<'nt lo mnintnin
the \VPA program at about the same kwl ns in
the previous year with an a n•rage mon Lltly
employment of nearly 2,000,000 pPrsons.
Apportionment over all 12 months of the y<'ar
would n<'c<'ssitate limiting nn•rngc> monthly
employment to about 1,300 000 1wrsons.
The financing of work important for national
defense is facilitated by the authority granted
to the Commissioner in the new act to use an
amount not exceeding $2!5,0tl0,000 to supplement the amounts authori,rnd for nonlabor costs
in connection with the prosecution of projects
which have been certified by the Secretary of
War or by the Secretary of the N nvy as being
important for military or for nnval purposes.
This proviso will permit the sponsoring of many
projects for the construction of airports, armories, and other facilities of military usefulness by state and local agencies that would
otherwise be unable to provide acleq 11ate fin uncial assistance to make possible t.110 prosecution
of such undertakings. It should be noted that
the extent to which Federal funds may be
used for nonlabor purposes is fixed by another
section of the act.
"\VPA expenditures for administrative purposes are limited by the new act as they ,verc by
the ERA Act of 1939. If the total appropriation is spread over the 12 months of tlw fiscal
year, up to $41,534,000 may be spent for administration. If it is apportioned for an
8-month period, however, the amount that nrny
be used for administrative expern,<'S is $30,87:i,0O0. In the event that the appropriation is
used for a period of less than 12 months but
more than 8, the Director of the Bureau of the
Budget is authorized to apportion the amount
that may be used for administrntion. The
fixed limitations for the 12- and 8-mouth periods
are 4.3 percent and 3.2 percent, respectiYely, of
the total appropriation to tlw \YPA nnd rnpresent a substantial reduction from the maximum
of $53,950,000 set for the previous _vear. In
addition to the limitation Oil the total administrative expenditures, definite restrictions have
been placed on the amounts that mn_v be
expended for salaries, communication service,
travel, and printing and binding under the two
alternative limitations.
As in the previous \VPA appropriation act,
provision hns been made in the new act for
allocations of \YPA funds to other Federal
agencies for expenditure on projects which are
similar in type to those operated by the WP A.
The act aut-horizcs the Commissioner of Work
Projects to allocate up to $40,000,000 to other
Federal agencies for the operation of such
projects, with the restrictions thu.t not more
than 4 percent of the total allocation to any
agency mn_v be used for administrative purposes and that at least 90 percent of the total
workers arc certified as in need of relief. The
$40,000,000 is only two-thirds as large as the
amount authorized for transfer in the previous
year, hut it represents about the same proportion of the total \\TA appropriation.
Several other relatively minor restrictions
have been placed on the use of funds appropriated to the WPA. The amount of funds that
may be used for radio broadcasting is limited
by the act to $100,000, and no funds may be
devoted to the acquisition, rental, or distribution of motion-picture films.
Types of Projects
The funds appropriated to th<' WPA under
the ERA A.ct, liscal year 1!)41, are available for
administralion; for the prosecution of Federal
and non-FPdernl public projecLs subject to the
approval of Lhe President; and for the prosecution of projects previously approved by the
President undPr llw provisions of tlw J<JRA Acts
of rn:H, l!):18, and 1n:rn. In the specification
of the Lypes of projPcts that may be prospcuted3
a 81•ction I {h) (•nunwrntes the following typ,-.s of projPcts: "Highways,
roads, and streets; puhlie buildings; parks, and ot.Lwr n•creal,ional facilities,
including huil<ling:s thl'rl'i11; Jmhlic utilith•s; rl<'etric transmission aud
distribution lines or systc•ms t.o scrn' pC'r:--ons in rural areas, including
projects sponson•cl hy 1md for the b<•npfit of nonprofit nnd coo1wrativr.
assoeial ions; s<'Wl'r sysll'ms, watn supply, and purifiration systems;
airports and othn transportation fu<'ilit it.•s; flood eontrol; drainage;
irrigation, ineluding- proj<•l't:,; sponsored hy c·ornmtmity ditch organizations; wall'r comwrvntion; soil <·onst'rvat.io11, i11C'h1(ling proj<'Cts sponsored
hy soil cons,•rvation distriC'ls arnl otht•r !)rnli,•s <it1ly organized under
stah• law for soil nosio11 t·ontrol and soil <·onst•rvntion, prrfl'renrc hC'ing:
givPn to projt•<"ls whfoh will <·0111 rihul.P tot lw rPhahilitn.tion of individuals
and nn in<ff<•asl' in till' national i11come; furPi-.t.nt.ion, rt>fort•staf.ion, o.nd ot.hor
impro,·c·nwnf.s of fon•st, arPas, including: the <'S1.ahlishment or fin~ Lnnrs:
fish, ganw, an(J oll1l'r wil(llifl' cons<•n·n.tion; ern.dieulion of ins<'ct, plant,
and fungus pc sts; thP produl'tion of limr and murl for fprtilizing: soil for
distribution to far11wrs und<'r such conditions as may he dC"trrmiiwd by
the sponsors ofsud1 projt,ds un<l<•r tlw prodsions of stat<• lnw; c<lueationaJ,
profrssional, ckrical, cultural, recreational, pro<luction, and service
projects, including training: for nursing: and for domestic service; aid to
sclf-twlp and C00J)('ral h·r n.s..,;;;odnlions for the lwnrfit of needy 1wrsons;
and u1iseC'llam•ous projt,C'I s."
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REPORT ON PROGRESS OF THE WPA PROGRAM
two minor changes have been made from the
list of <'ligibl(• types contained in the previous
act. First, the types of conservation projects
have been specified and divided into groups
such as water conscrvati011, soil cons('rvn.tion,
forest conservation, and fish, gam(•, and other
wildlife conservation. The only chnng(• madc
by this specification in the types of projPcts
permissible for operation is the extPnsion of th<'
class of irrigation projects to include thosP
sponsored by community ditch organizations.
The other change involves tlw specific addition
of a new type of training project to the kinds
of work that may be carried on; training for
nursing may now be given as wPil as the trnining
for tlomestic service that was permitted undPr
previous acts.
Training projects eligible for prosecution by
the WPA have been further extended to include
the training of workers for manual occupations
in industries engaged in production for national
defense purposes. This provision, however,
was not contained in the current ERA Act, but
was added to the eligible project list by means
of an amendment made by subsequent congressional action. 4 Such projects will serve the
dual purpose of providing jobs for unemployed
workers and, at tlw same time, of furnishing
training which will equip them to sectm• (•mployment in industries which are vital to the
national defense.
Certain types of projects are specifically made
ineligible under the fiscal year 1941 Act. None
of the funds made available by this joint resolution are to be used for the operation of any
theatre project or for the operation of any
project sponsored solely by the WPA. Neither
may funds be devoted to the establishment or
expansion of mills or factories which product'
articles for sale in competition with existing
industry; to the manufacture, construction, or
purchase of naval vessels, armaments, or munitions for military or naval forces; or to work on
penal or reformatory institutions, unless the
President finds that the projects will not promote the competition of products of convict
labor with products of free labor.
Several kinds of restrictions are imposed on
the operation of permitted types of project
4 By ttl(' Second Deficiency Appropriation Act.. HMO (Public, ~o. f;ti~,
76th Congr1•.ss), npprovPd Juril' 27, HltO.
activity. None of the ftmds appropriated to the
\VPA may be US<'cl for the construction of any
Federal or non-Federal building that would
requin· more thnn $100,000 of Federal funds.
This is to be compared with similar limitations
in the previous act which restricted Federal
funds to $50,000 and $52,000 for Federal and
non-FPdcral buildings, respcctiYely. Projects
cPrtified by thP Secretary of \Var and the Secretary of tlw Navy as being important for militar~•
or nava.l purposes are exempted from this provision. Also exemptPd are non-Federal buildings
for which the project was approved by the
Presidmt prior to May 16, 1940. for which an
issut• of bonds was approved at an election held
prior to that elate, or for thP complt,tion of which
fund,;: hnve been allocated and irreYocably set
itsid(• under prior re lid appropriation acts. It is
also specified that no Federal construction
projcct, with the exception of flood control and
wnte1· conservation projpcts authorized under
thP lnw, can be prost'Cllt(•d until funds sufficient.
for its completion are irrevocably set, aside.
Financing of Projects
'l'hP fiscal yt'nl' 1941 Act continues the requirempnt initiatPd in the preceding act that
sponsors must furnish not less than 25 percent,
of the total cost of all non-Federal projects
undertaken in any state that were approved for
operation nJter Jammry 1, 1940. This provision does not nwn.n that n.t least one-fourth of
tht> cost of each project must be borne by its
sponsor, but applitis to the totnl cost of all such
pmjt>cts in each state. ExPmption from this
requirement is made in thl' cnse of projects
which have been certifiPd ns being important
for military or naval purposes or projects
which authorize necessary temporary men,sures
to avert, dang-er to life, property, or hen.1th in
the t'vent of disaster or grnn' Pml'!'gency.
Sponsors of non-Fec!Prnl projects (except the
Pul'rto Rico Reco11strnctiou Administration)
an• required, ns undPr thP preYious n.ct, to
PIILl'r into a wriUt'n ng-n•enwnt to finance such
pnrt of the en tin, cost tbpreof as the Commissi01wr of Work Projects clt>knnines is an adequuk eo11Lributio11, nfkr ta.king into consideration the financial itbility of tlw sponsor. The
C'ommissionPr is nuthori,wd to prpscrilw rules
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PROYISIOXS FOR THE WPA PROGRAM DURING 19°11
nnd regulations relating to the valuation of
sponsors' contributions in kind, to \Yhich nn
actual cash value can be assign('cl. Cn•dit mn_v
be allowed, how<•vPr, only to the extent that
the furnishing of such contributions reprPsPnts
a financial burcl<•n to tht• projrct sponsor.
The nonlabor cost r0striction~ a provision
that, along with the 25 JWl'ePnt sponsors' requirement, serves as a control ovN the amount
of sponsors' contributions-is continued und0r
the fiscal year 1941 Act as uncln th<' prPvious
act. This limits the FPdPral expenditure authorizations for nonlabor costs in any statr to
an average of $6 per month per workPr for tlw
fiscal year. In cases where the incn•asPd cost
of materials would have the cffpct of raising
this average above $6 the Commissiom•r of
Work Projects may authorizt> an incrPast• in the
limitation up to as much as $7 to offset tlw rise.
Funds authorized for nonlabor eosts may not
be used to purchase construction Pquipm<•nt or
machinery if such equipment can lw n•nt<'d at
reasonable prices (as detNmined b_v thl' Commissioner). Also, as mPntion<•d earli<'r, an
amount not to exceed $25,000,000 may hr used
by the Commissioner to supplrmmt the
amounts authorized for nonlnhor eosts in c011nection with the prosecution of projPets which
have been certified as bPing important for
military or naval purposes.
The 1941 Act contains a new provision stipulating that when it is found that public proj<•cts
have been sold or disposed of for prini tP use,
as a result of bad faith, fraud, or misn•pn•sentution on the part of the sponsor, thP sponsor nnd
the transferee are made liable to tlw lTnitc•d
States jointly and severally for the amount of
Federal funds expended on the project.
Monthly Earnings and Hours of Work
The fiscal year 1941 Act continues the 130hour work month and tlw security wage provisions under which thr WP A hns opPratPd
during the 1940 fiscal year. 5 The Conunissimwr
may authorize the rxrmptions from thP lirnitntion on hours of work and monthly <•arnings t hn t
were permitted under ParliPr acts to prot<•ct work
already done on a projPct, to permit making up
• The wages and hours provisions nrt.1 drscrit><'d in dPtuil in a11other
section of this report, pp. 8.3 to 8,5.
lost time, to meet emNgencies involving the
public welfare, and to permit flexibility in Llw
hours and earnings of supervisory personnel
employrd on work projects. Under the new
act he may also authorize exemptions of
persons employed on projects certified as being
important for military or naval purposes and,
at his discretion, mu.y require a lesser number
of hours and correspondingly lower earnings of
certified workers with no dependents.
Labor and Employment Provisions
In general the employment provisions of the
pn~vious act are continued in the fiscal year
194 l Act. Tlwsr provisions deal with eligibility for employnwnt, criteria for priority in
assignment, Cl'rtification procedures, the period
of eontinuous employment, and other regulations aff Pcting thP vYPA worker in his project
Pinploy lll<'ll t. e
SOJm• n•q 11i r<•men ts, however, were modified
slightly and a fpw new provisions were introducPd. PrPference in employment formerly
grantPd only to \'<'LPrans wns extended to unmarriPd widows of vPtPrans and wives of veterans who nn• un<'mployable and in need.
Discharg<•d draft enrollees without servicecOJmcctPd disability an• not considered as veterans. ExPmption from the requirement that
all rclid workers who have been continuously
employed on WPA projects for more than 18
months must be removed from such employmPnt for at lc,ast :30 days and their eligibility
recertified befon• thl'Y can I)(' restored to Pmploymcn t is t•Xt(')]dccl to include unmarried
widows and wivPs of n•terans in addition to
the veterans themselves. A new provision
s1wcifies that blind 1wrso11s rPcPiving aid under
thP Social Security Act shall not be prohibited
from temporarily rdinquishini; such aid in order
to acc!'pt. Pmploymc•nt on a V\'PA projPct.
The previous act's restriction against providing rmployment for aliens was extended in
tlw 1941 Act to apply to Communists, members
of any Knzi Hund organization, or n.ny person
who ndvocntrs, or is a nwmlwr of an organization which advocates, th<' ovPrthrow of tlw
Oov!'rnmPnt of tlw United Stntt-s. An affidavit
Jl RmploymL'llt reg-ulations npplicahl(' during thr fisl'nl YL'ar 1\1-W are
dPsc•rili<'d in nnothn Sf'C'tion or this n•port, pp. 81 to S:l.
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REPORT ON PROGRESS OF THE WPA PROGRAM
regarding citizenship and membership in any
of the above groups is required from all persons
receiving funds under this act, and such an affidavit is to be considered prima facie evidence
in this respect. Another change was made in
connection ·with the requirement that the need
status of relief employees on work projects be
investigated at least oneP in every 6 months by
WPA; the 1941 Act requires an investigation
once every 12 months.
Other Provisions of the Act
A new provision of the fiscal year 1941 Act
permits WPA appropriations to be used for the
provision of medical and hospital facilities for
employees in work camps and for burial expenses and transportation of remains of deceased employees. Deductions are to be made
from the earnings of all work camp employees
in amounts estimated to be sufficient to offset
the expense to the United States resulting from
the provision of these services.
The usual provisions concerning the financial
aspects of the program are continued under the
new act. These provisions relate to receipts
and collections, revolving funds, purchases
amounting to less than $300, items allowable
as administrative expenses, property damage
claims, and the submission of required reports
to the Congress. Other provisions which remain
unchanged refer to employees' compensation,
authority to prescribe rules and regulations,
specifications concerning appointment and separation of administrative employees, cooperation
of the Commissioner with the various state and
local governments on the unemployment problem, prohibition of the promising of employment as a reward for political activity, political
solicitation, political nctivity of employees, and
prohibition of compensation to candidates for
public office.
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THE WPA AND NATIONAL DEFENSE
I EGISLATIVE action following the President's
L messages to Congress requesting a rapid enlargement of the program of national defrnse
has been chiefly concerned with appropriations
for the equipment, supplies, and personnel required by the Nation's armed forces. It also
has extended to the work of other governmental
agencies whose activities are directly related to
the defense program. These agencies, while
continuing their normal work, have been
directed and authorized to assume various new
functions in the interest of national defense.
Coordination of this work is a primary function
of the Advisory Commission to the Council of
National Defense, created in May 1940 under
authority of the Act of August 29, 1916.
The Work Projects Administration is one of
the Federal agencies that are cooperating in the
preparedness program. The function of the
WPA continues to be that of furnishing jobs on
useful projects to workers in need of employment; but at the same time, as much as possible
of the available manpower of WPA workers
will be devoted to projects which will strengthen
the country's defenses. To facilitate the operation of projects of military and naval importance, the Congress incorporated a number of
special provisions in the Emergency Relief
Appropriation Act for the fiscal year 1941.
Much of the work that had already been
accomplished through the operation of WPA
projects before this legislation was enacted is
of considerable importance to effective defense.
The roads and bridges, many of the buildings,
and numerous other facilities constructed or improved through project activity during the first
five years of the program were not originally
undcrtakPn as protective measun's but serve
that purpose to a great extent. However, some
WP A work, such as that sponsored or operated
by the War Department and the Department
of the Navy, was designed sp('cifically for
defense purposes. A review of WPA accomplishmmts that are of particular value in the
preparedness program is presented at the close
of this section following a discussion of the plans
for expanding defense work during the coming
fiscal year.
Legislation Facilitating Operation
of WP A Defense Projects
The Emergency Relief Appropriation Act, fiscal year 1941, contained a number of specific
provisions intPnded to permit greater use of the
WPA program as a means of strengtlwning the
country's ddenses. The act exempts all projects certifiPd by Pither the Secretary of War or
the S<'Cretary of the Navy as bring important
for military or naval purposes from certain
general statutory regulations applicable to other
WPA projpcts. These exemptions became
effective July 1, 1940.
Work of importance to defense plans, such as
the construction of civil airports located in
strategic arpas, barracks, National Guard armories, and similar focilitiPs, frequently involves
nonlabor costs which projpct sponsors would be
mrnhl<' to finance without more Federal assistance than the $6 per worker per month ordinarily permitted by law for nonlabor purposes.
15
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REPORT ON PROGRESS ON THE WPA PROGRAM
Financing of such work under certified d efense
proj ects was facilitated by an authorization
p ermittin g the suppl em entation of the usual
Federal nonl a bor allowance in amounts not to
exceed a total of $25,000,000.
Cer tifi ed d efense proj ects were exemp ted
from the requirement th at in each state 25
percent of th e total cost of all non-F ed eral
proj ects approved after J anuary 1, 1940, must
be m et by the state or its poli t ical subdivisions. The $100,000 limitation placed on WPA
exp enditures for work on any public buildin g
was also wa ived in th e case of cert ified defense
proj ects, thu s making poss ible tho constru ction
of many airplane h angars, mili tary hospitals,
and other buildings desirable for d efense
purposes, which would h ave been prohibited
under the r egul ations governing regular projects. An addit ional aid to the prosecution of
d efense projl'cts is a provision permi tting C'xcmp-
Over 200 National Guard armories have been erec ted by
the WPA-Santa Fe, New M exico (top), and
Birmingham, Alabama
t ions ft-om the regular sch edule of m onthly
earnings a nd hours of work.
WP A 's p articipation in still another ty p e of
defense actiYity was a uthoriz ed by the Second
D eficiency Appropriation Act of 1940. A prov ision of this act sp ecifies that WPA funds
appropriated by the Em ergency R elief Appropriation Act, fiscal year 1941 , m ay be used for
th e training of workers "for m anual occupat ions
in industri es engaged in production for nation al
defense pw·poses ."
Development of Defense Projects
Experience gain ed in operating public projects clmin g th e past fiv e years and the high
degr ee of flexibili ty of its program enabled the
WP A to adap t its acti vi t ics r ea dily to the n eeds
of t he in tensive defense program initiated in
the s pring and s umm er of 1940. The "\VPA
orgn ni zat ion, fun ctioning in every stnte and
n ea rly l'Vcry county of th e United States, h as
es tab li shed and coordin ated working arrangemen ts ,,·ith both local and Fl'deral agencies and
is a ble to assign q ua.lifiecl workers to defense
proj ects as rapidly as working plans nre
deve loped and approved.
Th e ERA Act of 1935 a nd subsequ ent a ppropriati on acts defini tely prohibi ted th e use of
vVPA funds for rnuni l ions, warships, or instruml' nts of war, bu t p ermi tted the constru ction
and impro vement of buildings a.nd a irport s and
o r ot lwr t_vpes of construct ion and nonconstruct ion work on military or n aval reservations,
posts, forts , camps, or fort ified areas. .:,.,Ia,ny
projects operated by th e WPA had been
s ponso red b_v t he vVar and Navy Depn,r tm en ts,
the Const Gu ard , a nd th e National Guard.
B eginnin g in July 1938 t he F ederal d efense
agenc ies th emselves opcrn.ted a number of
s imil a r WPA proj ects wit.Ii F ederal funds nllocn Led to t.hcm by th e WPA. In his testimony
bcfo n' I he SC' na tc Co mmi ttee on Approprinlions in regard to t.hc Emergen cy Relief Appropri at ion A.cl , fi sc nl _vcn.r 194 1, th e Commission er
nf Wor k Projects stresse d lh e work whi ch co uld
bl' done by WPA in improv in g or developin g
mili tn.ry and nav al a.ir bases, mobilizat ion
con Lc rs . arm ories, ri fi e ranges, housing for
troo ps, a nd other Lrnining fa ciliti es.
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THE WPA AND XATIOX.-1.L DEFENSE
In addition to its emphasis on proj eets of
thesC' general types during the fi scal YNlr l 04 I.
the "\VPA will continue its work on muni cipal
airport and airway proj('cts sponsored by s ta l<'
and local public bodies, most of which have an
important place in cldC'llsP plans.
The WPA will also eoop<'rntC' with thC' vVar
and Navy D epartments and \\·ith other ng-<'rH'ies
in the improvement of roads of slrn.L<>g-ic military importance. Accrss road s to army posts,
Lo naval stations, and to military and naval
depots, arsenals, and r esc rn1 t ion s, and roads
within these reservations will be d eYdop<>d.
Road shoulders of strntcgie higlnrn.,·s will be
widen ed sufficiently to permit tlH' parking of
army convoys without obstructing us unl traffi c,
and emphasis will be g iven to th<· drn' lopnH'nt
of auxiliary roads that parallc-1 main routrs included in the stra trgic high\\'ny net work.
Bridges will b e widened and s lr('ngtlwn<'d and
obstructions will be eliminatNI. Road s nnd
streets in industrial areas and t.hos<' proYiding
access to important civil, militnry , and nnrnl
airports also will b e improv<'d through WP A
project work.
Certain selected types of work which the
WPA has already do1w in <·omw<·tion with
national defense illustrate tll<' <'XlPnt and importance of the contribution tl1is program can
makC' to the expand NI defen se progrnrn. At
th e end of :M ay, bdore ntknt.ion lwrnnw <·011centrated on d efC'nsC" nwn s urrs , 740 proj <'ds
involving construetion and improv<' ll1<' nt of
Improvements made at Fort Monmouth, New Jersey, include
the construction of roods and turning circles, grading,
and landscaping
military or narnl fn eilities nnd rnuni<'ipal airport s \\'l'l'!' C" i tlH·r i11 opl'rnl ion or approved and
rwnilnble for 01wrnlion by tlw WPA. The
55!) net,ivc proj<,cts W<'l'C !wing <'Onduelcd nt 367
differC'nt sites lo<'al<'d Lhrnughout prnctirnlly
all the sta tC's . Available for initintion were 181
aclditionnl prnjccts loc:tt<>d at 1G2 diff<'rcnt sites.
ThC'sc totnls do not, induck Lhc projects t hen in
operation or a vn ilablr for opern.t.ion by the War
or Navy Department, or Lhe Coast Guard with
WPAfund s .
Ernploymrn t on pro.i<'Cts opC'rated by the
vVP A that W<'rC' s ponsor1·d or cos pon sorC"d by
the Arm.v , Navy , Const Guard , and ?\utional
Guard tota]1,d about 47, 000 workers in Lite
first week of ,Jurn• 1940. An uddilionnl 1:3,000
NuMBER OF PEnso:-.rs E~1Pr, 0Y1m ox \VPA AmronT PRO.JF. CTS A:-.ID 0:-.1 OT11En \\'PA Pno.1ECTS SroxS0RED OR OPERATED BY Mll , 11'AH Y AND NAVAL AGEX C I ES, RY f:iELE CTJ,;O TYPE OF P1t0Jl,CT AND BY AGENCY A
TABLE 1.-
J UNE .5, 10~0
===== = = == == = - - .. · - - ,- - - - -
- -
- .. ---_·_·_ -- ... - - - · -
Projl'ct.s 0[)cratcU h y \\' PA and S po nsor<.' d hy-- -- - - -I - - - - - - -
\\"I ' :\ I 'rr, jl'ct.s Opl•rn tcd hy-
Ot.l11•r
Na vy
Ornnd
Type of Project
Total
Total
\\'ar
Dl'pnr trn l' nt
H~l' /l ('i(> S :
D c1mr t- Nnlio11nl
m r nt rind (:uard
Coast
Ounrd
(fo r ni r - :
port s 1
and a ir- !
wa ys
I
on l y )
Total
,,·nr
~U\"\'
l)l' parl •
D1•1n1i-1 -
lll l'lll
m rnt
I
-- - · - - - - - ---
00. 112,,
Total
Public buildings .... .
Airport s and airways
________ .
.
Profrss ional and sl'r vicc (rcs<.•arch and rl' c- ·
ord s) . . .. ..
Otbrr. . . . . .
6·1. :1~;
:m,:> 11
24 .fi!i:i
2 1. -1\XI
1. 20;
s. ;u;
I , 1:q
n. n:iri
34, f>f,5 •
G, -167
22. 2:10
6, 9i f>
:i. 040
I. ,; 59
51I
2~3
4, 8-IV
67\)
Coas l
U unrd
-- JO. 7:37 I
:n.
.1, :fj ,1
lfl'.l
12, 7!M
iSH
:1. c~ J:l
i ·I
2. 1n2
'.!: t. Iii
1, \}()/
Ill. 2:14
!
m ;
;~
J,X8IJ
270
A Limit.Pd to project s sponsorl'd or opt•ratt•d hy tlw \\"ur a nd Navy D cpart nH.' nts, tllc C ons t G uard, and LIil' i'\u tional (hmrd, a nd nil uirµon a nd airway proj cC' ts sponson·d by sta te a nd loeal civil ngt• ucics,
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REPORT ON PROGRESS OF THE WPA PROGRAM
t he constru ction of buildings at an army post
and a landing field at th e air base in Puerto
Rico , n early 1,000 on proj ects operated by the
WPA in Hawaii , and so me 300 on an airport
and various transportation projects in the
Vir gin I slands.
T ABLE 2.- NmrnER OF PERSONS E MPLOYED ON WPA
AIRPORT PROJE CTS AN D ON OTHER WPA P ROJECTS
SPONSO RED on OPERATED BY MILITA R Y AN D NAVAL
A GENC JES, B Y STATE A
J U NE
At the Wilmington (Delaware) marin e terminal WPA worke rs
State
erected this brick admini stration buildin g, recondi tioned the towers, and laid new concrete
walks alon g the riv e r front
persons were working on airport and airway
proj ects sponsored by state and local agencies
and 39,000 persons were employed on WPA
proj ects o perated by the War a nd Navy D epartmen ts and the Coast Guard , bringing employ men t on projects of impor tance to national
d efense to about 100,000 (Table 1).
More th a n h alf of th e employees were engaged
in th e constru ction or impro vemen t of arsenals,
barracks, armori es, and other types of buildings essen t ial to mili tary and naval opera.tions.
Of th e r em a ining workers a majority (25, 000)
were employed on airport and airway proj ects;
among th em were almost 10,000 persons working on airport proj ects that were sponsored or
operated by th e War D epartment .
More th an 1,000 persons were employed on
profess ion al and service proj ects sponsored by
the chi ef defense agencies. Almost half of Llwse
wo rkers were engaged in engineering sur veys and
the others were in d exing state mili tar y r ecord s,
pre parin g h an dboo ks of mili tar y term s, drnf Lin g
maps n eed ed by t he War D epartmen t, and performing similar work.
P ractically every state was re presented in th e
list of proj ects on which t hese WPA workers
were engaged. Th e number employed was
largest in Cali fornia (9,823) an d New York
(9,372). In Massachusetts 6,655 persons were
at work and t h e number engaged on su ch
projects in 13 oth er states ran ged between 2,000
and 5,000 . In addi t ion to th e workers employed in con tinental United States, about
8,000 workers were employed on projects for
5. 1940
Total
TotaL __ ___ _____________ _
Projects
Operated
by WPA
WPA
P rojects
Operated
by Other
Federal
Agencies
99. 024
59. 799
39,225
909
183
453
9,823
2.85f>
75 1
14
400
7,383
1. 92'
15.S
169
5.1
2.440
931
Connecticut . . .. __ ··· ·· ·-- ·-··- Dclawarc _ -- ····- · -- -- · -·-- Dic.:tri ctof Colu mhia - --·-···· · - ·
F lorida .. ....... .. _ --- -·······-·
Georgia.··- - __ ...... . . __ _____ . __..
622
3.57
3,9 13
292
320
2,566
3, 487
387
330
37
I. 347
I, 136
902
Idaho .. --- - --- -- - ------ - --- - ----fllin ois __~- --- - -- - ---------------- Indiana ... ........ ··· - -··· • --·- ___
63
3, 786
I , 24 4
l O\\~R
72-1
I, 995
63
3,061
l , 177
392
1,002
72.i
67
332
993
l\1ainc• _ .. . . --- · ·····-·· - ··- --·
l\ fo ry lnnd ___ ·-· -· · ··- ·· -· - -- ··rv1as~mchusctt<; . _.. . __ -----·-· ... _
2, 097
I , 305
57 1
3,210
6. 655
1, 0SO
876
477
2.00~
4, 429
1, 017
429
04
l,~7
2,226
1\1irh i~an - -- ·· - · -·· · ···· -·-·· · · ·
1vJinnC'sotn · ··· --··· · -·- --· ·· -i\tliss iss ippi _____ - ···---- ---- · . .. _
l\1is<;ouri ---- · - ··-···----- ·-··-l\10ntnnn . · ··-- · -····--·--· -···
I , 379
I, 637
142
862
290
l, 197
I, 226
142
724
147
---- ----- i~
Nrhraska . .... _ ··· · · -- - ---·- ·
N<'vnda .. ...
·· ···- --- ·--·· ·Nrw Hnmpshirc ·· ··-·-- - ---·· -Ncw JL•rsry ----·-·· ---·-----·-· Nc•w !vkxiC'o . ... __ . .. .... _....... .
480
318
162
Alabama ____ _____ _____________ _
Arizona ___ __ __ ________________ _
A rk ansas ... _ - · ··· · ······-···· -
Ca li fo rnin __ ___ ______ ___________ __
Colorado .....
-··· --·-----·-- --
__ __ . . . . . . -------· .. _ . . . . . . .
Kan sas .· - - -· ··- ···· · ···· ·_ ···-- ..
fit~i\i~~-: -_~:::::::::::::::::::::_
1
4. 623
l. 289
- ---··- ••4+
504
2,054
36
- ·-·--·- - · - -
182
41 1
143
95
I, 956
36
409
!J9S
1,56.1
389
NcwYork
----·- ···- --- --- -·
North
·· _____
---- - --------No r th Carolina
Dakota ___
___ ___
__ _
Ohio
__ _____ ________ _____ _
Ok lahoma _____ __ ____________ _
9, ~i2
677
199
2,987
I. 69-1
7, S07
288
199
l , 4iS
5-19
1.l, .m
135
On~l'.,!'o n ... ·- - ---- - -- --· - ---·-
325
4, 32fi
3•17
2, ifi3
302
2.'ll
2, 818
65
I, 508
109
i!
J,5(\'i
2S2
J, 16.I
193
T'c nrwssrc . ____ ... ___ . .... ___ _
rrrxns .. - - --- - -- .. - ··------ · - -lltah
_ - -- - -- - ------- - ----- ---
321
3. JS.I
1,048
31 5
2, i 52
321
859
046
2,326
428
2,m
2,835
73;
419
I , 052
737
357
----- -----62
Prnns Yln1 nin ---- -- ·- --···- ···
nhodP f,;; Jnnd _ ·- --·-···- -· - South f'nrolino. . _. _. ____ ____ . __. _
Sou th Dakota ________ _________ _
Vnmnnt .. ___ ___ __ _- - -·- ___ . _. . . .
Vircinin _ - -- - · · -·------·---· ·--
\V nshinc:ton ________ -----·
\Vr.;;1 \·in!i nin . __
--·--···· .
\Visc-ons in __ ___
\ Vyornin ~ -- -- - ··---- --- - - --H awni i . . .
Purrto Ri co
VirJ:?; in Tslnnd s .
IZi
73
64
102
242
&13
63
96•1
064
8. 010
35i . ·---- -- --- -
~ Limil cd to projects sponsored or oprrn tcd by the , vnr nnd ~avy
Denn rt mont s, tho C'oost O un rd. ond t hr Nntionnl O unrd , ond all 01rport
and airway projects sponsored hy state nnd loco l civil agencies.
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THE WPA AND NATIONAL DEFENSE
As one of the first steps in expanding WPA
participation in the preparedness program, instructions were issued on June 5, 1940, giving
priority status to work at 73 locations in 31
states, the District of Columbia, and Hawaii.
At some of these locations projects were already
in operation. At others, approved projects
were to be started immediately and all were
to be completed at the earliest possible date.
Work on the priority projects includes camp
and cantonment development and construction
and improvement of airports in strategic areas,
of housing for military garrisons, and of facilities
at navy yards and military reservations.
During June, Presidential approval was given
to many other applications for projects of importance for the defense of the United States.
illustrative of these are projects sponsored by
National Guard units, state military departments, and other state and local public bodies,
such as the projects' that were approved for
the construction of armories or additions to
armories at Williamsburg, Kentucky; Elizabethton, Tennessee; and Jacksonville, Florida.
WPA projects sponsored by the Army or
Navy were approved during June and July for
the construction of motor vehicle sheds, warehouses, and target houses at Fort Sheridan,
Illinois, and for the installation of gasoline
tanks and pumps and the construction of rifle
and pistol ranges and other facilities at Miller
Fir!d and Fort Wadsworth, N rw York. Proj-
WPA
ects were also approved for the improvement
of magazines at the Curtis Bay Ordnance
Depot, located in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, and for the rehabilitation of warehouse
facilities at the San Antonio Arsenal in Texas.
Predominant among the first allocations of
newly appropriated WP A funds for WP A projects operated by other Federal agencies were
those made to the War and Navy Departments.
Projects approved immediately after July 1,
1940, for operation by the Bureau of Yards and
Docks of the Navy Department include a
$1,000,000 job for the construction and rehabilitation of buildings and improvement of the sea
wall and of the barracks at Mare Island Navy
Y arc! in California. Also approved for operation by the Navy was a $900,000 project in San
Diego through which rifle ranges will be extended, buildings constructed and renovated,
landing fields improved, and railroad tracks laid
at the Marine Corps Base, the Na val Air
Station, the supply depot, the training station,
and the destroyer base, For the Army, a
$750,000 project was approved for construction
work on roads, buildings, and utility systems tt.t
Fort Knox, Kentucky. Construction work will
also be undl'rtaken on projects approved for
operation at Lowry Field near Denver, a key
site in the Nation's military air system, and at
Fort Sill, Oklahoma; Fort Bragg, North Carolina; and Edgewood Arsenal near Baltimore,
Maryland.
Workers rebuilt the hangar and added adminisfrative offices and recreational facilities for the National Guard al the
Little Rock (Arkansas) municipal airport
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REPORT ON PROGRESS OF THE WPA PROGRAM
While as much project employment as
possible is being devoted to defense activities,
continuous efforts will be made to place project
workers in private industry and special efforts
will br made to aid project workers in finding
employment in industries connected with the
defense program. Registers are being establislwd that will facilitate selection of WPA
workers who possess skills or abilities that are
useful for defense industries. Many of these
workers arc already q un1ificd and are available
for immediate employment in defonsP industries.
Others who would be qualified after brid retraining or reorientation are being assigned to
the nation-wide vocational training project
approved July 1, 1940; such workers receive
WP A monthly wages during the period of their
assignment to the training project. This project, sponsored by the Advisory Commission to
the Council of National Defense and cosponsored by the United States Office of Education,
was certified by the Secretary of War as important for defense purposes. Under it WPA
employees and other workers will be trained for
jobs in strategic industries. Regular sta.ff
members of state a.nd local vocational educational authorities will be assigned as instructors.
For many of the trainees, already grounded in
the fundamental skills. the work will be i11
the nature of "refresher" courses. Others
TABLE 3.-FACILITIES CONSTRUCTED OR IMPROVED ON PROJECTS OPERATED BY WPA FOR l'SE OF MILITARY AND
NAVAL AGENCIES AND FOR DEVELOPMENT OF CIVIL AIRPORTS AND AIRWAYS
Co~TISENTAL UNITED STATES
CUMUL.HIVE THROUGH JUNE 30, 19·10
Agency Owning or Usin!,!: Fadlitics
Item
Unit of Measurement
Total
War De· Depart.ment of
partment tbeN,wy
--
Highways, roads, rmd streets _
___________ ____ _
__________ _
Bridges, viaducts, and culvert~-Public buildings (excludin~ utility plants and airport
buildings):
Total:
~cw construction____
_______________ .
Reconstruction or improvement _________ . .
Additions_ ___ ______
···----------- · O!llce and administrntive buildin~s:
)J"ow construction ____________ -____ _
Reconstruction or improvement_ __________ _
Additions _______________________________ _
Hospitals and infirmaries:
New construction ___________________ ___ _
Reconstruction or improvement ____________ _
Additions ____________ ·-- _______ _
Oarae-es:
Newconstruction _____ ___________________ _
Reconstruction or improvement_ ___________ _
Additions ________________________________ _
Stornge buildings:
Now construction___________
_____ _______ _
Reconstruction or improvement . __ . __ . __ . _
Additions__
_________________ _
Armories:
New construction ____________________ _____ _
Reconstruction or improvement _____ ____.. _
Additions _____________________________ _
All other buildings:
New construction _________ ___________ . _. .
Reconstruction or improvement ______ . __ __._
Additions_
Utility plants:
New construction _____________________________ _
Reconstruction or improvement. _____________ .. _
Water mains and distribution lines:
New construction. ______________ . ________ _
Reconstruction or improvement. _________ _
!
Storm and sanitary sewers:
New construction__
__ .
. __
!
Reconstruction or improvement _
Telephone and telcgrnph lines:
New construction____ ___
_____________ _
Rcconstn1ction or improYcmcnt. ------------·
Electric power Jines:
New construction _____________ _
I
Reconstruction or improvement
1
_.,. Less thn11 onc-haJf mile.
-~~
----
Miles.
Number ___ _
1.0119
I, 125
727
712
32
23
:-.iumber _________ _
Number _________ _
)Jnmber __ _______ ___ _
1,615
9. 88fi
966
7, 727
107
5()7
193
Number ______ _
Number ____ _
Number __
53
301
II
35
237
3
~umber __
Nnmher_
Numbrr
20
151
16
)Jumbcr _
17:l
.\62
14
~
Numhcr_
Xumber_
Numhrr _. _
)Jumber
Numhcr_.
121
.120
------
------- -
9
10
17ti
276
23
1,629
78
17
I
JR
45
2
------ -·-· -
1
l1
3
12
l
46
26
3
6
Hi
I!
158
14
1, 21:i
ln3
49
lfii
3
14
2
231\
2
2
232
:l5fi
8
:J
H,I
38
:rn
n12
9-111
G,1
101
001
8
221
rn
Other
Nationnl
agencies
Guard (for airporls
and airways)
48
1, .'"1/fi
-:'\umber_
~um her
>Jumher. _
~umber
~urnht•r _
Xurnbl'r _
127
3
U.S.
Coast
Guard
I
2,1:l
1,034
27
IOtl
t\34
5,622
7,5
IO
.12
21
87
1.16
00
80
66
15
I
(A)
llliles. _
42
19
2 ·-----------
1lilcs_
Miles.
252
61
96
01
10
I
i~l
10
:Vlilus_
:rvliles.
114
4H
94
36
(A)
9
3
3
12
1
2'l
19
101
5
Number.
Number,
~1iics_
Mil('S. -
Miles
(i,
210
Ofi
!i24
128
25
2fii
17
8
17
3
8
:isn
(Concluded on next page)
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2
2
106
(A)
21
THE WPA AND NATIONAL DEFENSE
will receive training that 1s supplemental to
employment experience.
Work Accomplished on Projects
Related to National Defense
Although the resources of the WPA were not
specifically directed towa.rds defense purposes
until the spring of 1940, the WPA had been
performing many aspects of this function during the entire period of its existence. In carrying out the objectives of the ERA Acts, the
WPA has helped to maintain the morale and
health of over 7,800,000 unemployed workers
and to preserve or increase their skills by
providing work which utilized their abilities.
Among the 7,800,000 individuals who were
employed on projects at some time in the
five years ending June 30, 1940, are carpenters,
bricklayers, mechanics, asphalt workers, cement finishers, power shovel, crane, and other
machine operators, sheet-metal workers, electricians, plumbers, and workers in many other
skilled occupations. Also included are white
collar, professional, and service workers with a
variety of occupational backgrounds. Some
workers in sewing rooms have acquired experience in making surgical dressings and hospital
supplies and others have been trained in the
TABLE 3.-FACILITIES CONSTRUCTED OR IMPROVED ON PROJECTS OPERATED BY WPA FOR UsE OF MILITARY AND
NAVAL AGENCIES AND FOR DEVELOPMENT OF CIVIL AIRPORTS AND AIRWAYS-Concluded
CONTINENTAL UNITED STATES
CUMULATIVE THROUGH JUNE 30, 1940
Agency Owning or Using Facilities
Item
l"nit of Measurement
Total
War
Depart·
mcnt
Other
National
agencies
Guard (for airports
and airways)
I Depart·
ment I
i
U · S.
Coast
, Guard
or the
:N'a,·y
Facilities at airports and landing areas:
Landing fields:
New construction _______________________ _
197
23,454
182
21,466
10. 8:30
5. 500
12,402
I, 702,029
405, 218
220,208
au
14
21
5
1, 12fi
3
72
I, 9i!, 414
4:32, 504
220, 708
17(3, 253
21,786
Number.
Number
Number
478
I, 091
{-i.5
102
804
19
Number
Number.
Number
74
60
14
2
14
2
Number
Number
Number
168
260
I
136
I
Number
Number.
NumbC'r ___ _
2:J6
771
41
Reconstruction or improvement ________ _
49, 80:J
.10
2, 84.5
Additions .•............................
Runways:
NP.w construction ______ ---------------------- __
!:eco~truction or improvC'rnent_ _____________ _
,;urfacmg...... ... ....
. ................ .
Airport buildings: -'
Total:
New construction ____________________ _
Reconstruction or improvement _______ _
Additions ............................. .
Administrative and terminal buildings:
New construction _______ ·--- _____ _
Reconstruction or improvcmcnL _______ _
Additions ............................. .
Hangars:
New construction _______________________ .
Reconstruction or improvement_ __ _
Additions ................. .
Other airport buildings:
N cw construction. . . . . . . . . ....... .
Reconstruction or improvement. .. .
Additions .................... .
Seaplane ramps and landing platforms:
N cw construction.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Reconstruction or improvement. ...
Landing areas floodlighted:
New construction .................... . ..... .
Reconstru~tion or improvement ..
6
769
5
070
I
8
1. 209
18
6. 131
:<
2-50
:n,
Length in feet. ...
Length in feet. ..
Length in feet. ...
10
10 :
8
.j(J()
99
654
16
48
16
z
I
2 i
---- I
5
11
2:J
3.5
14
i·
331
213
25
2
3
3
68
41
4
158
08
5
2
13
2
I
3
8
2 '
286
41,057
44
2,523
g
105
74
11
5
I
Number.
Number
25
2
24
Number.
Number. ... . .......... .
69
17
66
16
I
.-\irway facilities:
Airway markers:
New construction ............ .
Reconstruction or improvement..
Airway beacons:
N cw construction. . . . . . . . . . .
Reconstruction or improvement_
.
Number
.. 1 Number
10,493
2,870
Number
67
15
'1
_ NumbC'r_
710
635
5
65
0, 768
2,170
67
14
-< Includes seaplane base buildings.
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22
REPORT ON PROGRESS OF THE WPA PROGRAM
use of power equipment for the production of
clothing. Through courses taken on housekeeping aide and adult education projects,
workers have become proficient in first aid.
Thousands of certified workers have been employed in hospitals, public institutions, and
convalescent homes caring for patients unable
to pay for nursing care and many more have
acted as technicians in laboratories, clinics, and
public health departments. Skills such as
these are of fundamental value for purposes of
national preparedness.
Project accomplishments are more specific
evidences of the contributions that the WPA
has made to the defenses of the United States.
Professional and service projects that arc of
direct value include numerous projects for engineering surveys, the drafting and reproduction of maps of military importance for use by
the Army, the indexing of military r(•<·ords,
and the production of surgical dressings and
hospital supplies.
Among construction projects operated for defense agencies public buildings and airport
work have predominated. By the end of June
1940, about 600 armories had been constrnctcd
or improved on projects operated by the
WP A, nearly all of which were sponsored
by the National Guard. Through other projects operated by the WP A that were sponsored
by the War and Navy Departments, the National Guard, and the Coast Guard, about
1,800 storage buildings, 750 garages, 180 hospitals and infirmaries, and 8,300 other buildings
including barracks, quarters, mess halls, and
kitchens were constructed, improved, or enlarged. Other WP A construction work done
for these agencies is shown in Table 3.
An outstanding contribution of the WPA
program to national preparedness has been the
expansion and improvement of airport and
airway facilities. Work accomplished through
,Tune 30, 1940, on airport and airway projects
operated by the WPA is discussed in a separate
sectionofthisreport (pages26 to 37). Additional
work has been done on WPA projects operated
by the Army and Navy Departments for the
construction or improvement of military and
naval airports. At the end of March projects
either had been completed or were in operation
at 24 of the Army's air stations and flying
fields. For the Navy 13 projects had been
completed and 10 projects were in operation at
that time.
At Fort Sill (Oklahoma) military reservation, these quarters for noncommissioned officers were built under a
project operated by the War Department
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WPA
23
THE WP.-\ _.\);D NATIONAL DEFENSE
Fort Dix, located abou t 15 mil0s from Trr nw J ersey, is one of t bl' nrn1y rest•n·aton
tions on which extensiv e work has been do11e
by the WPA under the spon or hip of th r \rnr
D e pa.rtment. The first proj ec t at Forl Dix wn s
tarted in D ecember 1937 , nnd 16 proj rc ls hnd
been ompleted by May 31, 1940. Cn mp-wid e
impro em ent were made includi11 g- co n tru t·tion of rifle pi ts and ranges , ta rget els, a nd gun
upports and grading and sodd in g.
even proj ects were in opcrn t ion at Fo r t Dix
on .Jun e 5, 1940. Over 500 per ons wcn· t•rnploycd at that tim e, and it wa a 11 t icipatl'd tha t,
employm ent would reach approx im ately ' 00 in
July. Given priority statu by a n ordl' r of
Jun e 5, foul' of the proj ects wr re expected to be
completed by the first of Aug ust. The (' nclive
proj ects includ e a wide ran ge of improv(•me nl s
whi h will increase the ad eq uacy of t,his ' lrategically located reservation . BnrrnC"ks wilb
capacity for 00 men have been n•constnl('l<•d .
Two n ew dining balls are being huilt nnd 13
have been improved. Concrete floors for 75
tents for enlisted m en arc in proce of rcco nt rn ·tion. Both t he combat, and aerial g unnery rn.ngcs are also being reco nditi oned . A
mili tm·y landing area is bein g O'f'll d(•d . backfilled , seeded , and sodd ed. Hnn g11r a pron. with
low ty pe sw-facing a.re to be co n Lnl('Lcd .
Narrow-gauge rnilroad t rn ck arc brin g extended 5,000 feet to connecl wi tl1 t he nnli nircraft target rnnge. Topogrnphi c nnd bo11 11d nry
urv y are being mad e prdiminary lo th(• dnrn·i.ng of detail ed maps of the boundari e , road s,
and land contours of th e rcscrvaLion. A 70acre pn.rade ground is being grad ed and drained.
Thes specific items a.re indi cat,ive of the L_y prs
of work being donP but nrr far from nn <' Xhaustive list of the total accomp li sh111 cn L at
The WPA -bu ilt runways seen from lhi s control tower al the
Harri sb urg airport were pa ve d with different kinds of
surfacing materials to lest their relative durability
t ions t,hroughoul t h(• co un try. Among t hese is
Ca mp Ord , locat ed 011 t he P acifi c eonst, roughly
5 mile out h of Sn n Frnncisco on t he i\lon tcr cy
Penins ul a. Th e \\ nr D cpnrlml'n t has spon orcd \i\ P \. proj ecl for t he dc ,·clo pmen t of t hi s
17,000-ucre re crvn Lion ns an importan t mili tary
t raining o-ro u11d. Durin g t he lnsL Lwo _ycn rs
spon sor ' fund s L0Lali11 g more t lrnn a million
clollnr lia.v e been cxp c11dcd on this site. Th!·
work in clud ed t.hc c!Pn.ring of lhousa.nd s o f
acrl's of brus h-con·r('d tc rrn i11 for mn ne11Yt•r
ground s and t,hc• co11st.ruction of ma11_y miles of
rond s.
Fort Dix.
Sev n other proj ects at Fort Dix hnd IH'(' ll
approved but not yet placed in opl'raLion II of
May 31 , 1940. Th ese projec t i11dt1d(• t he
drainage of the training area, climinn.Lion of
hazru·dous opon ditch es, rccondit,ioning 1111d !'( ' surfacing of additional tenL floors, pni11t,in g o f
magazin es and bal'J'acks, constru cLion of g m ,·(•I
founda tions for rnacndam road , co nst ru cli on of
macn.dnm floor for motor hr ds, n11d flll'lhl'r
impro,emcnt of the riflr range.
imilnr work has been don<' on ot lH•r n •sc•n·n20215i 0-4
Comp Ord (Cal ifornia) , on important Wesl coast lro1n1n g
ground , is be ing equippe d wi th new SO- lo 500: yord
rifl e ranges (on e shown above) , 10- lo 26-lorget pistol
ran ges , and machine gun and artillery ranges
3
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REPORT ON PROGRESS OJ<' THE WPA PROGRAM
A project at Camp Ord that was started in
April 1940 employed 1,000 men in June and
will probably be completed by the end of the
year. Under this project, a 1,361-acre maneuver area is being reconditioned and srcondary
dirt roads are being graded. Twelve officers'
quarters arc being painted and otherwise renovated. The foundations and the electrical and
plumbing fb,tures of five mess halls are being
improved, and other work on four stables with
an area of 4,800 square feet each is under way.
Gun ranges for rifles, pistols, and machine
TABLE 4.-AMOUNT OF WPA AND SPONSORS' FUNDS EXPENDED ON WPA AIRPORT PROJECTS AND ON OTHER WPA
PROJECTS SPONSORED OR OPERATED BY MILITARY AND NAVAL AGENCIES, BY STATE AND BY SPONSORDIG .-\GENCYA
CUMULATIVE TITROUOH JPNE
:m,
Hl40
[In thousands of dollars]
Total
State
War
II DcpartmPnt
- - - - - - - - - ---------- ----
Department
of the Navy
U.S. Coast
Guard
- - - -·-- - - - - - - - - - - - - 1 ~ - - - - 1 - - - - -
TotaL.
432,272 I
154, 131
44,591
l-----·-·-----1---~
,I, 205
I. 8,11
Alabama. ___ ---- •• ......... ·--·-··. --···. ·-··· ... __
Arizona _________________________ _
f.19
1, :174 '
!14,I I
31
Arkansas_····-··-············-···
_. __ -· ...... ---· ...... -·
39,318
16, 447
9,276
California_··················· · ···-- .. . .
9,330
fl, i83
Colorado ........................ _....... -··
Connecticut. ..................... ·- ......................... .
Dela'\\·are _____________________________________________ _
District of Columbia .. _................ . _. __ ... • .......
Florida_.·····--·-·- ................. ··-··- ..... -·.-· ..
Georgia ................................ -·· ...... ·-· .. -.
4,158
901
5, 152
8,259
4,488
Idaho ...................... . .... __ ... _. . ... _.. . . ... -· ... . . .
Illinois ........................ __ .... .
Indiana .................... _.-·_._.
Iowa ...................... _. .. .. __ _
Kansas _________________________ __ _.
1,012
21, 127
f;;~i;Y~!L .......... _.................................·
Maine ..................... • · •· · · · ·-· •·-· · ············
Maryland .............. . . . .... . .... .. -· .... .
Massachusetts_ ..... -····-······ ···- .- ... _
Michigan .. --·•··········· ....... •-·- .. . .. .
Minnesota. ______________________ _
MississippL. ... _................ _........ _-·
Missouri_ ________________________ _______ _
Montana ................................... .
Nebraska_ .. -·············- ·· • · ·····--·•···
Nevada.-··-··-._ ..... ·-···
New Hampshire........
·---········
~~: 11~':~o:::::::::::::::···
····· ····::::::::.:::::: :: ·
Other
Agendes (for
airports and
airways only)
National
Guard
1.201
182. l!17
2. 090
484
l, 251
271
,529
41
687
890
437
4
5
3, 34fl
I. 692
2,357
103
1.299
2. 341
50,152
657
113
I
1, 97,;
,"17fi
2
2,345
114
533
137
3,967
2,010
171
4. 494
841
~- 32S
7,547
2,662
396
758
3,266
52
49 I
4,495
3,993
2,875
6. 545
22. 298
3,879
650
.182
78
2. 485 i
48 I
7, i45
2,802
4. 915
:~. 47H
fl, 5!i8
26
2.
~~~
I
3;; I
827
1,182
5,463
210
109
38.1
12.897
,\72 ,
l, 0fif1
I
4.084
2, ffiS
1. 663
1,548
581
i80
l,41S
fiOS
3. 084
0, 472
,I, 18:J
9,866
2,543
4,342
231
I. T;fi
7. 029
:1. r,49
2,0'iO
208
7
3, 63·1
9
8.097
], 751
423
935
:1, 0.52
953
1. 0:1~
2lfi
882
5. 61\I
893
215
1,132
J.I, 7.54
I, 310
15
7,922
32
1.003
27, 7i!i
-1:m
3, fi37
New York_ .............. ___
··-·-----··-····-·-·-·····•·
North Carolina ... ·······-·-.-·
North Dakota .. ········- .....
Ohio. __ ··-·········•····· ••···
Oklahoma .................. .
98, 180
11.094
!i, i70
2, ,121
1, 702
Oregon ............................................ .
Pennsylvania...
--···- · ········· . .
Rhode Island.
_. .............. .. . ... . .. _
South Carolina . .. _··--·---······ ............. _............... .
South Dakota ....... _.......... ·····- ... -··· ............. .
,\ 231
:lO, 012
:io2
5. 21.1
171
1,401
185
4.0G2
I, 207
I, BS2
:-\, fili
1.mm
Tennessee __ _________________________ --- ----- - - -- - - -
5,112
Texas .............. -··· ....................... . . .
Utah ................................................ .
Vermont .............................. • . .. _............ . ..... .
Virginia ........................................... .
9. IOI
r.. 20,1
1, 04f,
5,970
49
45
3M
6, 94H
1, 2iH I
552
;m:1
3, Ifill
\j
4,5-12
499
2,798
59, Si4
1. 999
400
7.S61
899
3, 40.1
17, 21()
1,1.1
a, 013
8fi8
!Oli
Ii, 62-1
30
4, 137
614
533
37
305
7fil
5,007
1, 83.1
1,5.'l.l
248
9.19
l,fi411
3.079
13, f,23
2. 782
:i,1m
8f>3
4, l5f>
12
5,950
403
125
335
Huwnii ____________________________________ _
Puerto Rico ................ ····•--.-·-········.
Virgin Islands .................. . .. . . ........ .
:l,61:l
:l, 171
48
2,188
19
801
Undistributed by state .........•.• _•••••
1,407
1,407 ...•
Washington .................................. .
~~iiffft·::::::::::::: :::::::::::::::::::••··· ·
:iso
61
123
303
127
243
3,088
3.091
2. /iS2
2,405
.-\ Limited t.o projeet.s spon:-:orcd or operated hy the War and Navy l>t>pnrtments, t.he Const Gunnl, nnd the Nn1ionul Ounrd, nnd nil airport and air~
wny projects sponsored hy :-:tote nnd lo<'nl C'h·il ngrndes.
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25
THE "\YPA AND XATIOXAL DEFENSE
guns are being devolopPd nt C'nmp Ord. A
bombproof shelter has be0n complPtl'd and nn
ample water supply assured through tlw construction of storagP tanks and wdls and the
installation of pumps.
Total e:\.l)enclitures on all 1YPA projects
sponsored or operated by the \Yur nm! Nin-_v
Departments, the Coast Guard, and the N fttional Guard, and on the airport and airway
projects sponsor<>d by statl• and locn.l n.g(•nciPs
amounted to approximatdy $4:32,272.000
through June HMO. About $:{52,491,000 of
the total was supplied from \YPA approprifltions. Expenditures for civil Rirports and ftirways sponsored h:v mtmicipalitiPs, s\ntPs, cmrnties, and otlwr political suhdiYisions nm01mtPd
to $182,197,000. PrnjPcts for th<' \Y ft I' Dt>partment accounted for $1.'54,131,000, nParly
onP-third of tlw total. Sta tP distributions of
th<>sP PXJwnditures nnd of tlw amounts cx])PIHkd on WP A projects opemted for or by
thP Dcpu.rtnwnt of the> Navy or the Coast
Gunn! and for the Nn.t,ionaJ Guard al'<' presented
in TablP 4.
At thl• dos(• of tlH' lisc-al _nnr 1!!..JO, tht' V{PA
was thus 1wrforming a signilicm1t rnlP in national d!'f'p11sP. Pn•fl'n•11cc was aln·ndy lwing
giv<'n to projPcts in strntegic arens and new
ddt•ns<• proj<•cts were rapidly being approYPd
and placed in opl'ration. A t!Pfo1it<' prng-rnm
lwd heen undertaken which will mt•asu rnhl.'·
stn·ugtlwn Lhl• physical defrnses of tlw country
and will dPvdop train('d mnnpowp1• for <•mployment in key defrnst• industries.
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WPA AIRPORT AND AIRWAY WORK
in the aviation industry duri11g recent years have brnught faster and heavier
airplanes into use and have extended tremendously the scope of a,ir transportation. Essential
to this development has been a parallel expansion of ground facilities, particularly of longer
runways and types of surfacing that would be
adequate to withstand the shock of landing and
the static load of heavy equipment. The need
for housing for planes; nrn.intm1ance, repair,
and terminal facilities; administ.rative offices;
lighting and ntdio facilities; and airway marking has also grown. WPA project work has
been an important medium through which
ground facilities have kept pace with the swift
development of flying equipment.
WPA airport work has been particularly important along scheduled commercial air routl's.
·when an air-line-stop airport has been found
inadequate for the modern transport planes
which can land with safety only on long paved
runways, the WPA in cooperation with local
sponsoring agencies has made the improvements necessary to bring the grnund facilities up
to the standard of the air equipment. The
extent to which vVPA airport work has been
related to the requirements of schedukd air
transportation is gauged by the fact that more
than 90 percent of the· 191 airports that were
air-line stops on ?viarch 31, 1940, had been
improved or constructed through WPA prnjeet.
activities. Among them were major air terminals such as those in N PW York, CkvPlnnd,
Chicago, and San Francisco, as well ns many
other important stops along the principal airways in the United States.
ADVANCES
M
vVPA nirpol't work has t'lrnbled many communities to retain air mail, passenger, and
express services which they otherwise would
hnvc, lost. Project activities also have brought
tht'SP adva11tages for the first time to other
municipalities through construction of new
airports or extensive improvements to those
thn t were formerly inadequate for such services.
Si11ce the beginning of WPA airport work in
193.5 more than five thousand miles of new air
rnutes or extensions have been developed.
These include the new route from Huron,
South Dakota, to Cheyenne, Wyoming, by way
of Pierre, Spearfish, and Rapid City, South
Dakota. This route not only opened up new
commercial possibilities in an area where there
is no through rail transportation, but also
provided easit'r access than had previously been
n vailable to the recreational opportunities of
tht> Black Hills.
Swift trnnsportation to all parts of the
country is in itself one of the first requisites of
adequate national defense. WPA airport work
not only has co11trilmtPd greatly to this end, but
also has been coordinated with national defense
plans in a more s1wcilic sense of the word. A
report by the Chid of the Air Corps, submitted
in November 1937 to the Conference on National Program of Airport Planning, 1 indicated
tht' importance to the nationnl defense of three
en tq:?;ol'ies of W PA ai rpnl't work: the improvenwn t of Ai1 Corps flying f-idds; tht' establishmPnt of facilities that would accommodate large
1
~,[njor Oenrral Oscar Westover, "Airport Planning," Army and Navu
Reyi:iller, \\rashington, D. C.: Army an<l Navy PuhlLc:;hing Company,
Dt•eembl•r 18, H):J7, Vol. 58 1 No. :l02S, p. 2.
26
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CHART 2
AIRPO RTS CONS TRUCT ED OR IMPROVED BY WPA
-"'t'
'Through June 30, 1940
...
~ t scc
~
0
ca·
;::;:
;;:;·
(I)
Q_
~
C"')
0
a
•
Airport constructed or Improved by WPA,
Regularly scheduled commercial air ro11tN
In operation on June 1940 , •• ahown In
• The Offlclal Aviation GuldeN.
WPA 3567
lt.,l('A.
(v
"""""""
-~
28
REPORT ON PROGRESS OF THE WPA PROGRAM
concentrations of nireraft in areas of possible military significnnce; and the provision of airport
facilities necessnry for tlH' movement of nircrnft
between sueh nreas.
In surv0:ving the :;\'"ntion's airport facilities
of nll cntegmics the Air Corps adopted certain
minimum nnd maximum standards. Developments in military aircraft, which have increased requin·mPnts in respect to ground
facilitiPs nt Jpnst as mnc-h as have the improvements in eivil nircrnft, ,n•n• a basic consideration in cktermining tlwsc standards. Anothn
factor c-onsidered wns the advance mach• in
equipment available for all-weather flying
which also makes 1ww demands on ground
facilities. Only about 100 airports were found
at the tim(' of the survey to measure up to tlH•
minimum requirements although several times
that numlwr were considered to be necessnry
for Air Corps concentrations. The progress of
WPA airport work since 1937 has substantially
increased the number of airports suitable for
concentration of military aircraft. NeverthPless, tlw fad that only two of the seven geographieal nrens into which the Air Corps
divided the country had as many airports as
were at that time considered adequate for
defense purposC's, combined with the fact that
these requirements will probably be raised in
the light of r!'cent ennts, indicates thC' scorw
of the work thnt remnins to bC' done in furtlwring the plnns for national defense. The \VPA
in coorwrntion with state and local agencies,
as well ns with the Army and Navy, is conti1111ing and expanding its work to translate these
plans into airports ad0quate to serve the
Nation's needs with respect to military as well
as civil nvintion.
Project Procedures
Resp011sil>ility for WPA airport and ainvn~T
work is slinrPd nmong the Civil Aeronauties
Authority," the sponsoring age11cies, and tlw
WPA. The role of tlw CAA is dictated in part
at least h~- thl' prnvisions of the CAA Act of
1939 whieh require thnt no Fl'dern.l funds mn~be spent on the {kvdopmt•nt or improvenwnt
2 Em,etiY'.:' July 1, HHO, tlw Civil Al·ronnntics Auihorit.y nnd it.s functions Wl'rt' trnn~f•·rrt•d to thP l)«-p;trt1111'nl of C'ornnwrcP by ll<'on.rn11i1n-
tion Plan Kn. JY
of any civil landing area except on the written
certification of the CAA that the proposed
facilities arc reasonably necessary for use in air
commerce or in the interests of national defense.
All airport projects, therefore, must be certified
by the CAA as met'ting these requirements
before they cnn be operated by the WPA.
Detailed proj('ct information is submitted to
the CAA by tlw \YPA for certification purposes.
It must show the roads, power and telephone
lines, and all n•rtical structures within specified
distances of the airport as well as existing
facilities and proposed developments. Detailed
plans and specifications must support the
proposals for all projects involving grading,
drainage, surfacing, nnd lighting. In addition
to its certification functions the CAA through
its own regional officprs furnishes advice, consultation, nnd general teclrnical supervision of
the aeronautical plwsPs of the designing and
plnnning of ench airport project to be carried
out under the \VPA.
Sponsors of airport and airway projects have
extensive responsibilities in the initiation and
planning of projects. They must provide the
necessary ln.nd and must operate and maintain
the compkted aviation facilities in the interest
of the public without grnnt,ing exclusive rights
for their use to any private individual or corporation. Project sponsors must supply detailed plans, specifications, and estimates for
the work proposed n.nd are also responsible for
the tl•clmicnJ supervision of the construction.
S1wcin.l provision with respect to ownership is
made for the 01wrn.tion of projects relating to
air navigation facilities on property leased by
the CAA. Such project,g include work on
intermediate fidds, rn.dio-direct,ion-finding devices, instnmwnt nppronch systems, and similar
facilities and mn.'- lw sponsored by the CAA or
by state or locnl governmental agencies with
CA.A nut.l1orizntio11.
WPA responsibility for n.irport and airway
projt•ets involvl's t'nginecring review prior to
the initiation of work ns well as the assignment
of workl•rs and the actual 01wration of the project. The \VP.A is responsible for project
administration, work proccdmes, a.nd the utilization of labor and equipment.
Plans for th<• coordinat,ion of WPA airport
and ninrn.y work with ni1timrnl defense measures
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29
WP A A IRPORT AK O A I R W A Y WORK
Seaplane landing
facilities, runways ,
an administration building, and
a hangar have
been cons tr u ct e d
by WP A workers
at Tampa, Florida
involve closer relations wi th the governmen tal
agen cies most concerned in airpor t work b u t
requirn no important d epar t mes from t he esta bli sh ed procedmes. R ecen t statutory provisions
rela ting t o proj ect s cer t ifi ed b y th e Army and
Navy as importan t for military or n aval purposes , have, how ever , r equired t he d evelopnw n t
of m ethod s to facilitate th eiJ· a ppli cation.
These provisions, as explained elsewh ere in t hi s
report (pages 15 and 16), permi t t h e lib erali zation of r equirem ents con cerning nonla bor costs,
sponsors' contributions, and t he amow1t of
F ederal expenditures on building proj ec ts, as
well as hours of work and mon t hly earnin gs .
Examples of WPA Airport Work
The hundreds of airports buil t or improv ed
in th e p ast five years t hrough WPA project
work in clud e ground facili t ies for t he use of a!J
types of pla.n es, from large mili tary and air
trans port equipment t o tiny pleas ure cra ft .
Th ey range in size from the hu ge in tern ational
air t erminal in New York City, through most o f
the m ajor stops on the Nation's airw ays, to
sm all fi elds lilrn those a t H yannis, M assachusetts ; Aberd een, Mississippi; and P ang ui tch
(Bry ce Canyon ), U tah . To illustra te t he
varie ty of facilities con s tru ct ed a t airpor ts b_v
the un employed work ers on WP A pay rolls, a
few of th ese airpor ts are describ ed briefl_y 111
the followin g paragraphs.
An outs tanding example of WP A airport
work is the municipal airport (La Guardia
Field ) built on New York's E as t River betweeJl
Flushing and Bowery B ays in coop eration with
th e City of N ew York . From this 560-acre
air por t with its extensive facilities for both
la ndpl anes and seaplanes, air trav elers take off
to Europe and B ermuda as well as to points
all over th e U nited States, including those providin g connec tin g services to SoutL America,
the W est Indies, and the F ar E as t . Four
m acadam-paved runways, th e longes t 6,000
feet in leng th in th e direction of tli e most
frequ ently prevailin g wind (northw est-southeast), offer safe landu1 gs to the larges t Jandplan es. T axiways conn ec t th e run ways witl1
an apron large enough to permit th e loadin g or
unloadin g of as m a ny as 15 transpor t plan es a L
th e sam e t ime.
Separate terminals for t ransoceanic seaplan es
and transcontine111 tnJ landplan es h ave been provided , eacL with its ow11 administration a nd
Jrn,ngar builclu1gs, and connected by a taxiw ay
for planes and by an interior ro adway pa rallel to
Grand Cen tral P arkway , one of the main
a pproaches to the airport from lVIanlrnt ta n.
Tl1 e la nclplnne administra tion building h as as
its center a 90-foot rotund a smround ed by
ticket offi ces and vario us passenger facilities.
Above it is a circul ar lounge and terrace
restaurant. In the win gs are bn,ggage, express,
a nd post. offi r.r rooms. as well as offi ces and
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A GUARDIA
FIELD
iw Y crk's Municipal
Airport
A full view of the field may
be had from the promenade
on top of the enclosed circular loading platform (top) .
The landplane administration building (left) is surmounted by a copper and
steel control tower (inset) .
In the marine terminal
building (above) all facil iti es of a port of entry are
provided for air passengers
from Europe and Bermuda .
Three of the field ' s mammoth hangars and part of
its parking areas are shown
telow.
·•
~:"',.,_,.,
:.://\'·l ·: ~
; .,
•:~ ~-tif~:,: : :i[;;;;~
,:._-~-1 '"14,-]t '
I
~
•
'
31
WPA AIRPORT AND AIRWAY WORK
essential facilities for the large airport staff.
The building is surmounted by a tower housing
t-he most powerful rotating beacon in the
country-13,500,000 cnndlepower-o.Jl(l the
la.test type of wind Yelocit,y und direct.ion
Three huge landpln.ne hangars
indicn.tors.
flank the administra.tion building on each side
and are joined to it by a 1,500-foot arc of
covered concrete platforms. The hangnr doors
give a clear space of over 163 feet 011 either side
of the center pillar, admitting the la.rgest transports now in use.
The marine terminal, occupying th<• <'Xtr<'me
western section of the airport, is udnpt.Pd t.o
the needs of transoceanic seaplanes. Its udrninistration building contains all the fociliti<'s of a
port of entry, including customs offices, immigration inspectors' and detention rooms, and
quarters for the public health se1Tice. The
seaplane hangar, with its roof supported by an
unusual system of trusses radiating from a
single pillar to eliminate tlw need for nny
interior supports, has five sides; two of them
provide door openings 204 feet wide. A
passenger landing float, a rump up which seaplanes a.re hauled from the wu tl'r on standard
gn,uge railroad tracks , and other css<·n tial
facilities were constructed as part oft.he projecl
operations.
Other work completed by WP A ,rnrkPrs n.t
La Guardia Field has included <'xtensin li~hling systems, equipment for nighl nnd instrument landing, construction of va rious maintenance a.nd storage lrnildin1;s, H]l(I other
facilities required for modern air trnnsport,
operations. Development of the airporl sit.c
was a tremendous undertaking in itsdf, since
over 60 percent of the airport nrea is made
land. Cinders, ash, and refuse to fill owr :3;'>0
acres were brought by hunclr<"cls of trucks onr
a temporary trestle from the RikPrs lslnnd
dump across the channel. Thousands of f<'et
of drainage ditch and pipe a.s well as sirnilnrly
great lengths of sewer and water mnins nnd
underground electric cable had to be instnlled,
and other related work done on a lurgn scnk.
In the spring of 1939 more thnn 20,000
workers were employed at t,he airport. By
::VIarch 1940, however, mosl of the major construction work had bc<'n completed and the
number working had be<'11 1wluccd to about
3,000 persons. They were engaged chiefly in
finishing one of the landplane hangars and
several maintenance buildings. Work on an
adminislrat.ion building for t.he CAA and a
smalkr hangar for iti1wrnnt priva.te planes was
just g<'t.ting under way clming the last quarter of
the fiscal_ year.
Snohomish County .Airport . built on a ridge
ashingt.on, is another of thf'
near EYerett,
WP A's major airport jobs. Above the al titude of most Pacific coast fogs, it has been approved as an alternate landing field for the
planes that come in t,o Seattle (22 miles away)
on scheduled flights from San Francisco,
Alnska, nnd thf\ East. On the first project at
Snohomish, begun in late 1936, between 300 and
400 men were employed in clearing and leveling operations, remoYing tree trunks, and grading the large area necessary for four runways.
Narrow-gauge railroad equipment (the locomotives fired with wood salvaged in the clearing opcrat,ions) as well as t,rnctors and scrapl~rs
W<'re us(•d to trnnsport t.he several million
cubic yards of material that had to be moved.
Later, extensive drainage and related work
was clone in preparation for the nmways.
The north-soul.h nmwa~· wns given a five-inch
gravPl base and bituminous surfacing over a
length of 4,800 feet.. This runway, which is
200 feet. widf\, will enntually be extended to
5,800 feet, and three other runways 150 feet
wide with a tot.al length of 14,400 feet will be
conslrnct,ed.
The work at Snohomish has been dircct.ed
towards the maximum immediate usefulness of
the airport. Lighting for the north-south
runway has been JH'OYidl:'d through flush-type
lights along the landing strip. A revolving
lwncon light on a tempornry 50-foot tower n.nd
lighted wind cone luffe been completed, and
boundary lights iuc being installed . Even
wit.Ii the limited focilitiC's then available, about
50 landings and take-offs \Wre made in 1 939
at. this fi eld by air transport pla.nes. The construction of u hangnr, nclminist,rntion building,
taxi strips, aprons, turning circles, and nddiLio111tl nmways thnt arc indwled in t-he project
plu.ns ancl soml' of whir.Ii \\·(•)'(• mHkr wny at the
end of ,Jurw, will make this 11.irport a notable
:tddit.ion to tht' air transportation facilities of
t.he Pacific ~ orl.h\\·est.
,v
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32
REPORT ON PROGRESS OF THE WP.-\ PROGRAM
Albuquerque, New ~vlexico, is not a large
city but, sillce the construction by WPA of an
airport with accommodations for large transcontin ental skyliners, it has become an important spot on the airway maps. For passengers from New York or Los Angeles it offers
connections north to Denver and south to El
Paso and Mexico City , as well as to the oil
fields of eastern New lVIexico Hild the vacation
center. Carlsbad Caverns National Park.
The airport, located about five mil es southeast
of Albuquerque, has four runways; the shortest
of them is 5,200 feet long. Two of the runways are paved, as are also the two 150-foot
taxiways and two aprons. In addition to the
construction of these landing facilities and the
related grading and drainage work , project
operations included the erection of hangar and
administration buildings and th e installation
of runway and obstrnction lighting and floodlighting systems.
The administration building, resembling the
Pueblo architecture typical of the Southwest,
is designed to meet all the 1weds of air transportation . It includes a radio station, weather
bureau , and pilots' rooms, as well as the usual
passenger facilities. The 207- by 200-foot
hangar is of steel and reinforced concrete with
a concrete fioor. Its longest door, 165 feet
widl• and 35 feet high , will admit the large
transport planes which land at Albuquerque at
least 12 times each clay. In addition to the
work on the airport itself, which was nearly
complete by the e!ld of June 1940, the const.r11d-ion of an Army Air Corps barracks to
liousl' 50 111l'l1 was under way at that time.
At Nashville (Berry Field), Tennessee, extensive airport development work has been
carried on through a large number of
". "Ji
projects, the first of which began shortly./
the initiation of the WPA program. T .
the most recently started work at this 540airport , from which frequent air service nt
thun 30 scheduled stops a day) is now availa!.hlei
to Chicago , Washington, Miami, Dallas, ~ ·
otlwr points, the landing field is being enl , e •.
and several taxi strips are being paved
bituminous macadam. Two new hangars are
also being built with a concrete apron common
to both of them. A completed hangar now
houses planes of the 105th Aero Squadron of
the National Guard and is used also by visiting Army and Navy aircraft. The earliest
projects at Nash ville involved extensive clearing, grubbing, grading, and drainage work
prrliminary to rnnway construction. The runways were then paved with asphaltic concrete.
Two of them are 4,000 feet long, and one is
equipped with facilities for blind landing when
Cumberland fogs obscure the field . WPA
workers also built administration buildings,
auto parking areas, and other miscellaneous
buildings constituting a service center easily
reached from the runways by concrete ta.xi
strips.
i\lolinl' Airport, built entirely through WPA
projects sponsored by the City of Moline,
Illinois. not only is a unit in the Nation's air
transportation system and a center for privnte
flying operations, but also is of military importanrl' because of its nearness to R0ck Isla.nd
Arsenal and the Savanna Ordnance Depot
At Albuquerque, New Mexico, WPA workers have completed an administration building and a large hangar, various
runways, and other landing area developments
<\dministration building and one of three new hangars at Nashville's WPA-bui!t airport; the hangar houses National Guard
planes and is used by visiting army and navy aircraft
located a short dista.nce up thr :\Iississippi
Riwr. The work of transforming on'r 200 acres
of pastureland and lake into a modem airport
begnn late in 1935. Large crews of workers
filled in the lake and leveled the fidd , which
was nine feet higher at the north than at th(•
south side. In addition to moving all tlw
fill essential to the leveling of the /idd. they
installed thousands of feet of dra.inag-e t.ile,
sewer pipe, and electric cable in pn•pnration
for the runways. These rangP from 2,950 Lo
4,040 feet in length and are panel with blnC"ktop nsphalt to a width of 100 feet with 50-iooL
g:rnn'l shoulders on each sidl'. Taxi strips
and turning circles arc similarly pa vNI. vY PA
workers also have built a hangar , an administration building which contains a rcstauran t nnd
facilit.ies for air-line passengers. and a pump
house and water system utilizing t.lH' airport's
own 350-foot well . This new airport, , about
J.50 miles west of Chicago, makes scheduled air
transportation facilities available not, only for
~loline but also for East ~lolinP , Rock Island,
and Davenport, which with their submhan ureas
include a population of about 200,000 persons.
At :\forgantown, West Virginia , an industrial
center and university site, the WPA has bc•c•n
cooperating with the city in building n npv.·
airport which not only brings safr la.Jl(ling
facilities to this locality for the first time lrnt,
also is considered of strategic importance in
the protection of the ind us trial arPa het wc•Pn
Morgantown and Pittsbmgh, abo11L 60 mill's Lo
the north. WPA workers have clt•arNI , kn•led,
and drained an area of nearly 200 anes practically on a mountain top about, n. mil<' outside·
Llic• city. They han• built thn'e paved runways
rn.nging from 3,100 to 3,GOO feet in length . all
100 feet wide. Turning circh•s and aprons with
tht• same> high type surfacing have been completed and three 75-foot taxiways are under
construction. The airport as yet has no buildings except a temporary wooden hangar.
Proj t'ct plans include the construction of
hangar and administration buildings and other
rnisePllaneous improvements.
WP A work at thr Idaho Falls Airport, a stop
on thr ainrn:v lwtween Salt Lakr City and
H Pkna. ).Jon tanu . has provided landing fn<'ilitit•s adequatt• for the air li1wrs whi<'h fly the
route n•gularly and in summer earry tourists to
Ydlowstoiw Pnrk, less than a hundred miks
away . The :3,000-foot north-south runway was
eonstrueted nnd boundary lights wen• instnlh•d
for night ust• , nnd thP rsscntial grnding and
l<'nling work done on tilt' W PA project. OLher
products of vVPA work arc the hangar, adminisLration building, and enrdakcr's quartNs, built
of logs in a rnstic style. Tlw hangar rnn
nccommodate eight planes. Its two wings
provide a repnir shop and gnrngr and also
locker and clnss rooms for the flying school
maintained at the airport. Tlw Lwo-story
adminisLrn tion building has room for tlw airways rndio stntion nnd living quarters for tlw
rndio 01wrntors as W<'II ns tlw usunl fn<'ilitics
for nir-litll' pnss<'ng<•rs.
Among th<• militnry and naval air stations
which havt' bet•n <levdo1wd and improvl'd
through WPA project 01wratio11s an' 1'laxwdl
Fi<'ld m•ar ~lonlgomt•ry, Alnbnma, and Ht•t•\·es
FiPld in Los Angt'IPs (Sa n Pt>dro) , Cnlifornia.
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,
34
REPORT OX PRO<;HESS OF THE WPA PROGRAM
\
One of the 168 new hangars built by WPA workers at airports throughout the country
Under some of the m:rny ,vPA projeC'ts thnt
hn ve been opPrn.ted at ?\lflx,n•ll Fir kl sin C'e
l'ndy in the history of Lhe program the clrninagc
of the landing field hns been extended , t hree
rnnways nnd a taxi st rip lrnn· been p:Fed,
runway light s hnve been instnlled , nnd nn nrl'a
drnrcd for the sile of n rndio hrncon. Other
proj ects hnvc involved ext r nsin• construeti on
nnd improveml'nts of fncilitirs, induding n
number of bnrrndrn (so nw hou sing 40 nnd othl'rs
80 men), mess hnlls, nnd gn rng:Ps, n qunrll'l"master's warehouse, nnd nclditions to th e office rs' mess, recrcntion nnd lnundr_v buildings,
and the post hospital. Extpnsin• clea ring,
londscaping, and road nncl sidr"·n lk constrnction have nlso been done .
Th e WPA work at Reeves Field, the Navy's
nir bnse on Terminal Jslnrnl in Los Angeles,
Markers pointed on roofs or roadways identify communities
to pilots ov1crheod and also direct them to nearby airports
hn s inYoh-ed the construction of a complete
nirport "·ith facilities for both landplanes and
seaplanes. In addition to three paved runways, 200 feet wide and ranging from 2,200 to
3,600 feet in length, WPA workers have built
n concrete seaplane houl-out ramp and platform, six pnYed taxiways, and a paved hangar
npron, and have installed floodlighting and
boundary, runway, and obstruction lighting
sntcms. They also have constructed numerous buildings. These include two ha.ngars ;
barracks, mess hall, and galley to accoillillodate
200 enlisted men and quarters for 50 officers ;
n]l(l garages and storehouses of various types.
This ,rnrk hn s been done through the operation
of a number of different projects, the first of
which began soon after the initiation of the
WPA program . ·work under way at the end
of Mnrch 1940 included the construction of a
clispensnry, storage buildings, and shoplean-to's,
as ,,·ell as further improvements to the landing
fi eld and the seaplane base.
Work Accomplished on Airport and
Airway Projects
Descriptions of work clone at individ~al airports, nit.hough illustrntive of the nature of
acti,·it.ies and their importance to specific communities and for specific purposes, do not
rernnl the broad scope of WPA accomplishments in the field of airport development,.
This is better indicated by a recent inventory
of work completed over the entire period of
Wl'A operations through June 30, 1940.3 In
thi s period about 250 nirport lnnding fields were
deYeloped or enlnrge<l and a considerably larger
number were modernized . They include many
airports along t.lie Nation's major air lanes and
strnt,egic rn iii ta ry airfi elds, as well as smnll airports in less populous areas off the regular lin es
of fiight "·hi ch previously hnd no facilities for
landing or se rvicing of plnnes.
Among the gren test contributions to the
airport fncilit.ics of the Nation made by vVPA
project ncrnmplishments was the completion
of 1,970,000 linear feet (or 370 miles) of new
rnmrnys and the improvement of n.bout 650,000
:i 'l'lu•
sun11n nry do,':-: not inc111dr work rom plC' tcd on \VP .·\ projrcts
(1 11,,ral l'd I,:,.· c11 h1·r Ft•1l1 •rn I n~t•neit'.s .
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35
,vPA AIRPORT AND AlRWA Y WORK
WP A project work
has included numerous install<lt ions
of field lighting
systems to make airports adequate for
night landings
feet (or 120 miles) of ex isting runw ays, as ma~'
be noted in T able 5. Nearly 60 percent of the
newly constructed runways was paved with
bituminous, concrete, or other high type surfacing material. A smaller portion (40 percen t) of the reconditioned runways was of an
equally high type of surface.
New runways were built in nearly all states.
Th.is type of airport work was particularly extensive io Pennsylvania and Colorado , where
new runways totaling 144,400 feet and 127 ,300
feet, respectively, had been completed by
June 30, 1940. (See Table 6.)
A small part of the WPA airpo rt work has
been directed towards the provision of facilities
for seaplanes. Twenty-five new ramps or
landing platforms have been constructed , most
of them a.long the Atlantic seaboard. The one
recently completed at La G uard ia Field in Ne ,,·
York City is the regular base for transocea ni c
seaplanes. In addition to the new construction
work, one seaplane ramp in Massachusetts a nd
one on a Wisconsin lake have been reconditioned
through WP A work.
New airport buildings completed by WPA
workers by the end of Jun e 1940, numb er ed
478. Of these, 168 were hangars r anging in
,ize from the immense struct tu·es at La Guard ia
F ield t lrnt can accommodate 14 large transpor t
planes to small hangars that house a few smnll
pleasure craft. Also in cluded were 74 admin istration and termin al buildings and 236 m iscella neo us structures euch as repair sho ps, maintenan ce and storage buildings, and garage:-.
TABLE .~. - PHY S I C AL A CCOMPL I S HMENTS ON AIRPO RT
AN D AIH\\'AY Pno.rnc T s OPE IU 'l'ED BY WPA
(' oxT l ~J-: NTAL UN I T E D S TATE S
C't· ~n· t.\T l \·E T II R OUG II J UN E
30, 19•10
N umht·r
Item
U nitofMcns urcm cnt
Rcco n•
~~~~ffo~;
st~ ~l j~,\l~ll
J)fO\'l' ·
mcnt
- - -- - - - - -1- - - - - - - - --- - --L anding- fl elcls ________ ___
Runw ays ______ ----······
Number. .
"247
Lc n ~Lh io fee t. .. . .. _ 1, 071.4 1-I
:\ ir pur L bui ldings c _
Adn.1ini strotiv c and ter minal_ _____ _______ __
I Ian gar s ___ . _. ____ . _.
OtheL .............. .
D
N um ber ... · -·- - ·- ··
N umber .. . ...... . . .
N umber . ... . . . . . . . .
Sca pl u r1 c rampsn nct lanrl in!! ,
platforms ............... N umber _______ ____ _
Numbcr ofn rcns _
Laoclinga rcas noo,ll i~htecl { N"umher of ligh t ;
standard s ____ . __ . · 1
Air way ma rk crs ___________ NumhP r ... . -·-----Ainva y bcacons . _________ __ Number ___ ___ ___ . __
5-13
I
:1 17
u n.=i:t 21:2
1, 1111
88
178
2Ti
25
69
1. 9 15
10.4V:l
6i
2
17
JUI
2, 870
15
" I nclu<les 50 lnndin!! fi el d s to \Vhic h additio ns Wl'rc made.
u Jncludcs 5urfac i1w.
c l ncludcs s<'aplanC' bnsc bui ld ings.
n I11 r lwlC' s fiS 111•wnd<li1i n n:- lnrx ist iTH! h11ildin l!:-:.
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36
REPORT ON PROGRESS OF THE WPA PROGRAM
TABLE 6.-SELECTED ITEMS OF PHYSICAL
AccOMPLISRMENT ON AIRPORT AN D AIRWAY PROJECTS OPERATED BT
" ' PA,
BY STATF.
C O NTINENTAi. UNITED ST.-\TES
CUMULATJ\'E THROVCTII .T U~E 30. 1940
State
1 N um ber or Landing Fields
I Length orFeet
Runway~ in I N umb,•r or Airport •, Number or Airway
I
Buildings •
Markers
'
: New u 'Impro,·ed l
Unite<! Stat,,s . .. ··-···· - •• --· -·- -· ·- ·· · · · · ·······-· ... .\. laba1.na ___ _______ ---- ----- -------------------· --· - · ·· -·· :
.\ ri zona · ·· ········· ··-···•························ · ···· · · · ··
.-l.rkansas . . .......... _. . ........ .. .............. . .... .. . . . . .
f~l~~~3~~::::::::::-::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ..
Connecticut .... .. . .. . ----- ·-- - -·- ·--··· ·· ·--· · · · · -·--·· ... .
Delaware . .... ..... . ··-- ·· ·-··---· ·· ·· ---· ····- · ·· ............ .
District of Columbia _ ··-- ·--·-····· -·-•·· ·· · ... -·. ·- · - · ... .
F lorida . . ·- ........ . ... · ·-- -- - -·· - · ··· ·· - · · . . . . .. . . . ... . . .
Georgia .... ---·..
·- . --··-- · -··· .•. . . . ... . . . _. -· . . .. ... .
Idaho.. .. _.... . . _._. __ ._._ . .. ·-.·-··· ...... . . ...... . _.. _.... .
Illinois _.. . . ...... ·--·-- · ··---·--·-········· .. . . · -·· ........ .
Indiana . .. - ••··· ... ····-· ·-···-·--· -······ ··- · · · -- - ·-· ...... .
Iow• -- ·· ····· ···--··--· ··-- -----·······-· - · -· ·-··-········ ..
Kansas .. ... ..... __ . _.. __ . -- .. -- -......... . -. . . ... . . - . - .... .
ti~its~~~L ·. : :: :: : ::::: : :: ::: :: : : :::::::: ::: : : : : :::::::: : : : : :
Mnino . . . . __ . __ ... . ---- ----- --- -- -- - _____ __ ... ____ . ______ __. .
:\faryla nd . . .. ... ·--·· · -·. · - -- · · .......... . ... . .. .... . · - · ..
Massachusetts
··· ·· -· ·-· --·• ...... · - · ·- ·· . . . . . . .. .. ... .. .
- ~/
'1
2 '
I ,
~
1,5 '
3 '
3
!
~I
8t~11.cinin·::::::::::::::__ ... _....... :::...:::::::::::::::::1
Oregon .. ...... .. · -· ·-- ---·- --··- · - · ··---- · · · . .. .. ... . . . . ... .
Pennsylvania .. ... ·· -··--·. -· -· - - ·. __ .. . ·-· ·· ...... .. . ..... .
Rhode Islnn<I ..... ... ·-· .. . ___ __ . . ·- · .. .. . . . . . . ... .. . . . .
South Cnrolinn . . .. .. . ·-- ----- -· · -- -- -· ... .. ... ..... . ..... .
South Dakota .. ... · · --- ·-·.- -· -- -- · . . .. . .. . ...... . . .. . ... .. .
Tennessee . ... .... ..... ·--··-·- ·· .............. . . · · - ··· ..
Texas .. .. . . . ... . .. ······- --··-·-· ........ .... . · · ··- · . . ··- ... .
Utnh . ···-····-··--· · _____
·-···-·
· · · · ·_·. __
···____
·- · ··
· · ______
··-··· _·
Ver1nont
. ___· -__···
. _____
____ . _.
______
__ ·. ·__· ..
\ 7 ir~inia.
__. --- -. _____ . ----- _______ ... _. __ ___ _.. ____ . ______ _
1
•1
I
24
3
I
2 ·
12
I '
2
3
I
s!
4
262 i.
41\
2
I
I
2
2
12 I
'I
I
3 '
4
13 I
~I
I
1~ 1~
I
I
156
I
162
139
196
136
16
34
3
I
Ii
169
191
2:
fi,700
6,700 . • ..
-- ---------· · ··--- ·
---- ----- -54, 100
30()
28, 30ll
10,200
4
fi
I
23. 100
14, 600
I,
12'2, 800
3. 0()(1
2;
I
2 1
5
4
'
3
A Includ rs sunp lom• hnst.> huihlings .
n lnclu cfos n<hlitions.
Among the 1,090 airport buildings tlrnt were
remodeled by the project. workers were 260
hangars and some 830 other buildings of miscellaneous types. In addition 65 nirport. buildings
were en larged. A considern bl e portion of the
airport building con:"tn1ct.ion, pnrticnlnrly the
renovn.tion work. was concent.rn.t.ed in Texas,
Californin. !1-ll(l NPw York , :ill-hough some ,vork
wn.s done in prn.cti('.n ll:v P \ ' Pl'r sln.t0 .
2
133
14
l
84i
602
,--·····t~
33
461
! i--·· .. . ·2
i
53
182
...
4
5
2
4. 900
s
I
19
26
56. ;on
4. 800
47
22
8
I
2
5
5i2
540
236
57
146
40
5
10
I
4
ao. ;oo
13
:19, 100
6
4
11. !llXI
i. ;oo
1:i. 700
27. :1()1)
I
8
6
99
137
61
116
255
I
218
74
20
9i
152
13
3
595
98
Iii
f\
I
:l
13. l~Xl
Ii, 200
S2
10. 000
3
4
109
i
" ' · 200 .
4, ()00
9. 400
3
2
14
2.'l. !Oil \
3
51
:I
'"lS llOO ·
I
4llll '.
:i1 , 300
24. 400
2
2
211
409
4 ;
31
I
II
11
41
t:mo
:"i.'i,
liOfl
li(i,'.ltlO
,5
369
2()
170
~,
r,
14:
1··_______
_....
..
___ _____
;:t:
I
21
I
4
1
5
5
2
i
2
87, 400
11
2
331
20, 400
5
4
1.i«lO
21.1\0ll ·
I
II . 000
9
I
12
53. 2tMI
4. 41Ml
23. 300 ,
; , :~on
18
33, 5011 I
:lfi.0011
8
10.
12, 2m •
I~~:
1·
lfo. CM)()
23, -IOO 1
i
8
47
· · -- -- -----·
····· · --
14. 800
_ 11 . 10(1
31
39
16
I ~. 600
69. 500
4. 800
26, ;oo
3
2
2.\, 300
16 ,
I
~
;\
~
6 I
69 .
12
.'43
i·····-······
II
I
Ill .
Impron,d
12,200 1··-· · · . ..
8. 100
102. 500
53. ()(Kl
12i. 300
51\, fi()O
3i, 90!)
12,000
3i. 50n
:l4. 400
2 I
New
13 I
13. 900
"
!Impro,-cd j
!M~l
34, 000
II
2
8
1\53. 200
36, 4(Xl
Si, 000
49,300
20,500
35,000
!
New
I
81.900
71. 000
i
I
25. 900 '
22,
3
6
4 .
N ew York . . . ···-·--· ··-------··· ....... ·· ·· ·· ··- · · ···· ···· · )lorth Cnrolina .. . ·-- ------· · .. ··-·· . .. . . .. ··· · · ···· -·- · - ·· . .
:'.'forth Dakota .. ... ·---- -- ---- .... . . .. ... .. .... . · · · ·· - · .. . . . .
4
1
; I
.5 I
:-lebraska . .. . . . ... _·- .... ·-· · - · -·- -- · · ··-· .. . . ....... .. .. .. . .
Nevada .. .. ....... .. . ·--··-·- ·· - · -·· ....... .... ...... .. ... .. .
New Hampshire . .... ··- ·- -- ----- - · ··----···· ·· - ·· ....... .. . .
:-low Jersey . . --·- ·-·-··· -·-- ---· - ······· ...... . . ..... . . ... .. .
~<.\W Mexico ___ _____ ____ _____ ___ ___ __ ___ ____ ______ ___ ____ __ _
12
1
6 :
I
27 ;
: Im1>rowd
3 17 1 I.Oi I. 400
~
12
New
i
r.oo
1
~I
5 I
3 .
105
Ji~
1·.
57
874
--
374
I
516
2<i9
i·
1,340
j- -
- -- - - - - -- - - - - - -- ·---- -
The lighting facilities that are essential to
make an n.irport adeq uate for use by air transports lrnve been considerably expnnded through
WPA proj ect activities. Floodlighting for
nigh L landings hns been newly installed at 69
landing areas in 28 st,n.tes and New York City,
and floodlighting facilities of 17 landing areas
have beell improved in 14 states and the Dist,rict. of C'olnmbia.
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37
WPA AIRPORT AND AIRWAY WORK
Another phase of WP A work rda t<.'d to air
transportation is the establishnwnt of uids to
air navigation, such as airway markPrs und
beacons. Among th<' 10,490 new airway markers made by WPA workers an• thr 85-foot stone
letters that identify New York's mtrni<'ipnl airport from high in the air, as WPll as tlw much
smaller markers painted on roofs and roadways
in many sections of the country. Airway
markers that were improved numlwr 2,870.
In addition, 67 new airway bPacons havl' i>(•Pn
built to guide night flights and 15 lwacons have
been reconditioned.
The accomplishments mentioned above rplate
to specific facilities completed bntwPPn the
beginning of the WPA program and ,June :-w,
1940. They do not give aclc•quate indication,
however, of the actual amount of tlw work involved. Extensive clearing, grading, and drainage work was done in the construction of runways. Thousands of feet of drainage pipe,
water, sewer, and telephone linl's Wl'rt' installPd.
Ylillions of square yards of paving was completed in parking areas, roads, siclPwalks, taxi
strips, and hangar aprons at airports.
Expenditures on Airport and Airway
Projects
The construction and improvem<.'nt of airports during the five years from tlw initiation
of the WPA program through ,June 1940
has been done at a cost of $200,505,000. Of
this amount $150,812,000 was from funds appropriated to the WPA. Although somr work
has been done in practically evPry statr, it has
bren much more extensive in some than in
others. Expenditures were larg<•st in sta tcs
where large-scale improvem(•nts have hPl'n
made on major airports and air-lin<' tNminuls.
Recognition by project sponsors of the value
of airport development is evident from the
l'Xtent of their financial participation in WPA
projects of this type. During the 1940 fiscal
yl'ar, sponsors carried about 40 p<•rc<·n t of the
total cost of WPA airport and airway proj<•cts;
they provided $15,018,000 of tlw total of
$37,279,000 spent during the year. This con-
TABLE 7.-AMOUNT OF \VPA AND SPONSORS' FUNDS
EXPENDED OX AIRPOHT .IXD AIHWAY PROJECTS
OPERATED BY \VPA, BY ~TATE AND BY SOURCE OF
FUNDS
C't·Ml.LATIYE TIIHOt·<;n Jt"SE 30, 1040
State
Total
Sponsors'
WPA Funds
Funds
----
Total
. $2(Xl, f,05, 453 I $Ir,(), 81 I, 719
Alabama ________________ , __
2,(Xl2. 731
244, 490
5J.l,:lll
$4\1, liO:l, 734
California __________________ ._
Colorado ____________________ _
17,078, 771
3, 3:J4, 063
I, 695,870
166, 306 '
392,370
13,140, Oi7
2,687, 150
Connecticut
___________ _
Delaware
------------ -- ·
District of Columbia _________ _
Florida
Georgia
__________________ _
2, 61(), S60
2,052,276
I. ,5113, 023
4, :!53, 698
2, 01(), 242
I, 496, 327
3,485,826
1,525,803
Idaho
___________________ _
Illinois ____________________ _
Indiana _____________________ _
Iowa ______________________ _
Kansas ____________________ _
840. 824
0, 110, 105
3,125,598
I, 662,955
1, 62fl, 368
583,947
8,175,448
2,620,945
I, 271,212
I, 290,473
61U. 46S
698,606
166,809
128,382
244,898
61, 158
775, 138
Arizona ____ ______________ _
Arkansas _ __________________ _
Kentucky ___________________ _
306,861
78,184
121,941
4,832,094
646,904
558,284
- ---------.
96,696
867,872
484,439
'
'
'
,
256,877
934, 657
504,653
391, 743
33S, 895
I\Iaine ___________________ _
I\Iaryland __ --------------·
Ma.ssachusetts ______________ _
608, f,27
4, 05S, S24
452,656
570,224
1,131.696
547,•160
3,280,381)
Michigan
Minnesota
MissLssippi
Missouri
Montana
3, S79, 88:l
3,083.920
I, 700, 158
2, 269, I:lO
961,963
3, 114, sou
2,410,279
1, S,50, 707
1, 6-10, 603
719,962
465, 284
673,641
230,361
628,527
242,001
Nebraska _________________ _
Nevada
_ . -------------·New
Ilampsbire
_____________ _
New Jersey_. ______________ _
New Mexico ------------·---New York ________________ _
North Carolina ______________ _
North Dakota _______________ _
Ohio
. _________________ _
Oklahoma-- - ------·------·-Oregon _____________________ _
Pennsylvania ________________ _
Rhode Island ________________ _
South Carolina ______________ _
South Dakota _______________ _
I, 94:J, 344
I, 762,408
216,067
862,325
6, 384, S70
892, ,520
111,630
617,350
4,008.361
716, S47
180,936
104, 437
24-1, 975
1,476,209
175,073
62,020,917
2,351, 191
402, 113
8,070,280
889, 123
39, 126, 725
I, 799, 521
285, 879
7,188,322
636, 186
22,894, 192
551, 670
116, 234
881,967
252,937
3, 38fi, f,5,5
17, 68.1, 149
17:l, 226
2,488,014
860,307
2, 773, 882
15,274, 703
121,410
2,141,832
641,860
2,408,446
.51, 816
34fi, 182
2Z:i, 537
Virginia ___________________ _
4, 93:1, 71!2
2, 321. :J54
1, 6.58, 053
2.53, 9.57
1, 4:lR, 073
4, 466, 347
1, 47.5, 796
l,2c.l, 118
182, 2·17
1, 038, 3:l5
467, 44.5
845, ;,58
407,930
71, 710
390, 738
":ashit;f{t~n: ________________ _
"est\ irgmrn _______________ _
\Viscon.sin ___________________ _
,vyoming ____________________ _
.5, 370,819
2, .574, 51fi
2,121,409
3:l5, fJOO
3,811,621:
1,964,612 I
1,734, 32-1 I
222,331 !
Louisiana
_________________ _
Tennessee ___________________ _
Texas _____________________ _
Utah
_____________________ _
Vermont_ ___________________ _
I, 376, ,594
Hawaii
817, :J12
541,062
61:!, 773
1
1, 559, 198
609,904
387, 135
113, 278
276, 250
Source: WPA state office reports.
tribution wus rPlativPly grl'ater than that of
sponsors of nny otlwr nrnjor typ<' of "\VPA project. It, nlso was som<•whnt- grPntPr than that
of airport proj<•ct sponsors during Putfo•r y<•ars.
Altho11gh sponsors providPd about, 17 1wn•pnt.
of the nirport projPct costs durini; tlw (•nrliPr
yPars of PA 01wrations us a whoh•. tlwy mndc
avnilab!P 1warly 32 p(•rcent of the totnl in the
fiscal yenr 1939.
,v
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EMPLOYMENT AND EARNINGS
URING
the fiscal vear 1940 thr WPA em-
D ployed an aven1gr of 2,054,000 workers, or
about a t.hird less than the average number
(3,014,000) employed in thr fiscal year 1939.
Starting with about 2,282,000 in ,Jnly 1939, average monthly employment declined to a low of
1,721,000 in September, gradually increnscd in
the autumn and winter until it excrc•dt•d 2,:309,000 in February and ?vforch, and then dropped in
the spring months to a June avcrng<' that w11s
only a little higher than that for the preceding
September.
The numbers of persons employed hy tht•
WPA in the months since it was csLn.blislwd in
the summer of 1935 hn.vp fluct11n.tcd considrrn.bly in accordance with the amount of funds
n.ppropriated, reflecting chn1ig<\s in the volume
of need arising from unemployment n.nd from
distress in n.gricultnral areas. In the first
months of its 01wration the program developed
rapidly, until an 1wp1·agc of 3,019,000 persons
had project jobs in Felmrn.ry 19:36. From that
time until September 1937, a period of cxpn,nding employment in private industry, the nnmlwr
of \VPA workers wns reduced gra(lunlly, except
in the drought areas when· sPveral hu1Hln•d
thonsand drought victims WPn' provided with
jobs in the last six months of 1~);36. In September 1937 only 1.4.56,000 workers wcr<• employed
on WPA projects. The sharp n\CPssion in business nctiYity that hegn.n in LIH• fall of 1937 and
the high level of 1memplo.vmPnt dming t.!u· ensuing yenr necessitated n.n incn•ase in WPA
employment which continued for more thnn 12
months. The Pxpan~io11 was ncce11t11nt.ed h~· thl'
serious condition of thl' t<•nnnt farnwrs and farm
lahon•r·s in tlw South in tlw summer and fall of
19:38 and by thP N cw England hunicane which
oecurTt•d in September of thnt year. Subseqiwnt curtailment in operations reduced the
av<'rngc number employed to less than 2,600,000
in ,June, the Inst month of the fiscal year 1939,
and further to 1,721,000 persons in September
1939. In order to meet the greater need for
assist.ance that arises in winter months the
numlwr of \VPA jobs was gradually increased to
tlw 1940 penk in March. Seasonal reductions
thrn brought employment down to 1,756,000
nt tlw end of the fiscal year, the lowest Jmrn
avrrngP in WPA history. (Table I of the appendix shows the number of persons employed
on ,vPA projects, by weeks, from August 1935
through ,hmP 1940, and Tables II and III give
state distrihu tions by selected periods.)
Th<> ge1H•rn.lly lower level of WP A employment in tht· fiscal year 1940 as compared with
tlH• tiscn.l .V<'tU' 1939 is attributable to the smaller
appropriation mnde for the operation of the
program in 1940 as n consequence of increasing
privn.t<• employment. Fluctuations during the
year, howPvt•r, rdiect the operation of m1 employnwnt scht>duk planned to reduce the nun1lwr of 1w1·sons working in the summer months so
that morP jobs cnn be provided in the winter
wlu•n nPed is gn•ntest. The unusm1J steepness
of tl11• decline in Pmployment during the first few
months of tlw fiscal year was chiefly the result of
thP 1n::rn KRA Act provision which required that
nil certified workers, except veterans, who had
lwPn continuously employed on WPA projects
for 18 months or longer must. be separated from
tlw progrnm. ThP act required that thl' ter-
38
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39
EMPLOYMEXT AND EARNINGS
mination of all workers whose 18 months of employment had been completed by the beginning
of the fiscal .vear be eff Pcled by the end of August. Because of the larg<' numbers of workprs
,tffected, replacements could not be made as
rapidly as terminations were required. \Yorkers dismissed under this provision WCI'(' not
eligible for reemployment until :30 days nJt<•r
their remoYal nnd until they had hcen recertified
as in need of employment.
).Jost of the workers on WPA projl'C•,ts arP
certified persons rpfenwl to tlw \VPA by local
public relief agencies. At tlw end of ,Tune
nea.rly 96 percent of tlw worlwrs paid from \YPA
funds werc certified persons. ThP largP majority of those who were not certifiPd WPre c•mployed as project supervisors and the 1•pmairn1Pr
were engaged to perform skill<·d jobs nN'Pssar·,v
for project operations for which Cl'rtifi<•cl work<•rs
were not available in snfficil'nl numlwrs. Soml'
of tlw project supervisory workers had originally been certified as in neNI of employnwnt
but were given noncPrtifi(•d status wl1Pn th<',V
Wl'r<' assigrn•cl to st1p<'1Tisory dutil's. The J)('rCPntagP of workers on projl•cts opPratPd by thc
WPA who nH' certific•d as in need did not
change much during thP past y(•ar, but, in
accordance with WPA regulations. a slight
incn•as<' occurred in tlw rl'lativP numbers of
certified workc>rs on the WP A projects opl•ratPcl
hy other FPderal agc•11cics. At no tim(~ sine<·
the beginning of tlw program, howl'V(•r, have
CPrtified persons constitut(•d less than 94 percent
of tlw Pmployml•nt on projects opPrntcd by
tlw WPA.
SomP of th(• p<•rsons working on WPA projects
an• wonwn who serve' n•gularly as the economic
hPads of tlwir familiPs or temporarily whil<' the
nsllttl economic lwad is incapacitated or otlH'rwise 1111n.Yailable for employment. Most of
the womP11 workers are cmploy<'Cl in sewing
rooms, on h011sc•]((•(•ping aidP proj(•cts, on units
of thP Pducntion and recn•ation progrnms, or on
clerical and other types of prnfessional and
CHART 3
EMPLOYMENT ON WPA PROJECTS*
Through June 1940
MILLIONS
OF PERSONS
MILLIONS
OF PERSONS
4
4
!I
: I
~ !
I
I.
I/
I
iI!
,
,I
II
I
I
II
I
,
i
i
I
3
3
EMPLOYMENT
2· ------
'
-
--· + •
L ·-·___
'
;__t f--+-~
,
,
I
1935
.1936
1937
1938
2
, i I .
I
'
1939
1940
• Includes persons employed on WPA projects operated by other federal agencies.
WPA 3600
:.!U:!J:.7°--JO-- --l
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40
HEPORT ON PROGRESS OF THE WPA PROGRAM
TABLE 8.-AVEHAC:E "\"t·~IBEH OF PERSONS E~IPLOYED
oN
\YPA Pno.1Ec-rs
A
"·p A Projt'~·ts Operated by
Other
Federal
Projects
Total
Month
Operated
by WPA
service projects. At the end of June 1940 the
women working on projects operated by the
WPA numbered about 243,000 and represented
slightly more than 15 percent of the total employnwnt. Although their numbers were about
TABLE
9.-N UMBER
:\1.1encies
1935
B
220, 163
374,317
I
!
2, 87\J, 733
3. om. 098
2, !J60, 315
220. 163
374. 317
70[1, ln!J
1,814, !J57
2,067, Hill
2. 87\J, 733
3,
09s
2,UG0,31,1
2. 02(;, 307
2. 396, 718
2,285,622
2,620.367
2.
:,nn, its
2. 245,328
\\"orkers
_
December 24
I
1937
2,021,579
1,878, OOS.
July_
August_
September __
October
November_
December __
l,(i:ll,20:l
I, 510,894
1,631,203
I,
894
l, 455,977
1, 45.5. 977
I. -102. HO.I
I, 5(J:l, 7211
1. ·IG2, 605
I. .103, 720
1, 5!l11, 676
1, o9G, 676
2, 12tl, -17.5
2,078, 221
:\Iarch 30
June 29
September 28 __
December 28_
I. 80:J, IOI
2. 003, 840
2,321,.541
2, !i40, 4-04
'.I-larch 29
June28
3,213,
:\farch 2,
.lune 26 _
2, fll4, 121
3, 040, 23n
3, 123, .ins
3, lflfi. 5<i7
3, 2-11, !1,17
3. OG!I, 3-11
non
3. 28G. fil I
:i, 334, 5!1-1
3, Jf,1,080
8-1, HOl
85, 00,
\10, 041
!II, 044
3,021, !i95
2. H9f1, 554
3, 00\1, 110
2, 7H2. 3fi2
2,11-lfi, !i.50
2. !'17S, 041
2,931,401
2, !107, 35G
2,282. O~li
August_-------· __ -
I, H70, 1188
1. 720,
2, 2an, UIH
1, non, ssn
f[l, lfi7°
fiO, R02
1, (i!i(),0I!1
fH, nii
I, 882. i!i•l
2,045, 88!1
ii, in4
Ti, .'i·12
2, 144, (MO i
I, !l8I, GGI
2, 112. ,18,~
2. :m,.195
2. 23.'i, 3Gl
'2. OM. 452
I, SO!l. lH2
73, 72G
74.r.23
i,1, 180
7H, ,r;:,.;~
,"',[), 01!1
l. iMl, 52G
l, (lfitl, !i72
June _______________ _
Ii. 2
639 :
275
3G9
I
16.S
18. 2
005
17. 7
17. 0
335,612
372. 058
-109, 954
40,1, 66.5
13.,
13. 3
13. I
13..;
I
13.6
i
14. 5
14, 6
16.1
367, 062
2-13. 276
i
16.6
15. 4
100.000 less t.lmn a. yt>tU' ea.rlier, women workers
,Tmw 1940 constit.nted a larger percenta.ge
of thl' l'lllployml'nt total.
111
Labor Turnover on WP A Projects
1939
January ______________ _
February _________________ .
March _________________ ._ .
April_ _____________ --- _
May __________________ _
15. 3
U2, fi3i
01, i39
January
February _____ . .
:'v!arch ____ _
April__ ___ _
May_
June-------- - ·-··
.July__
___ _
September _____________ .. _
October ______ _
November. ____ _
December ___ _
1
354,
323.
256,
281.
391.H2
352, 784
251. 071
333, 660
___ _
~eptemher 27 ____ _
DeC'emher 27 _. __
1,803, IOI
2,003.840
2,321, .1-11
2, .140, 4114
2, MO, 24n
2, 743. 02.1
2, nun, 022
3, 125, 24:l
August.
15. i
16.4
1940
2, 743. 02.1
September
October_
November
Decomher_
440,193
387,841
393,825
352,963
1939
,,10,
2, (\40, 241)
July_
-~~~~~-~~~~~::_
1938
19/JS
Murch ___ _
April_
May __
June __
--------------------1
:\1arch 31
June 30 __
Septem her 29 __
Decemher 29 ____ _
2. 5.51, 0,11 i
2,247, 4GI
2, 131,078
2, HU, 3!11
2, 129, 47,I I
2,078,221 I
2,021, 57\l
I, 878,008 I
12. I
1937
2. -153, H03
2, ,5;}2, 574
2,131,078
2,149,391
330, 732
I
1936
January ___ _
February __________ -·. _
March_
-------- · ------••
April __
May __ _
June_
Februriry _________ _
_ _ _ !_ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
-----------------1
~larch 25
June 24
_ _
September 30 __
December 30 _
2,245. :l28
2, 332. 3811 I
2. :!32. :iso
2, ·15:l. f>O:l
2, ti 52. !"17,1
2, 5f>I, 041
2, 247, 4111
January_
:. :--umber I Percent
of All
Date
om.
2, 285, r.22
July
August.
September _
October_
November __
December_
WP A
1935
I
__ I
l\Iny_
OMEN EMPLOYED ON PROJECTS
ll
i05, !{if)
1,814, U/ii ,
2, fiOi. 1no I
19S6
June
"T
QUARTERLY, DECEMBER 1935-JUNE 1940
August. ___ ----------------September __
October ___ _
November __ _
December_
January ___ _
February __ _
Marcl1. __
April. __
OF
OPERATED BY
90, 194
89, 1!18
8!1,0H
I 13. 316
1:lo, fi7,I
2, !120. Q(i(-i
2, f1iH, 04fi
2, .10!1, 87.1
2, -13s, rn2
min
1::l\l, (100
1,804, on:i
I, 877, 43!1
I. 960,518
2, 123, •l:ll
2, 2111,:ll,J
'
2,:l09,21H I
2. 310. 541
I
n.3ifi
!
S!i, O!i•1
A Data represent n,·crnge~ nf weekly employment counts made during
t.he months.
B Average for last thn•(• ,n•eks.
Tlw group of workers l'mployed by the WPA
1s constantly changing. Thousa.nds of persons
kn n' vVP A proj ('C ts l'nch month. and thousands
of others a1·p ndckd t.o the program. The
number of diffPn•nt individuals employt>d by
\VPA at SOl11l' tinw bntwc•en the lwginn illg of
tli<' program and ,Jrnw 1940 is estirnnted at
7,800,000, nltho11g-h only 1,750,000 were employed on projects nt th!' end of this period.
Between ,July 19;39 1111d JmH' l 940. n year in
which \IVPA employnwnt declined substnntially,
11Pnrly 700,000 pt'l'sons who had never before
workl•d on the \VP A program were assigned to
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41
EMPLOYMEXT AXD EARNINGS
CHART 4
project jobs. During the same
period large numbers of formrr
ASSIGNMENTS AND SEPARATIONS IN EMPLOYMENT
ON WPA PROJECTS•
WPA employees who had lrft
July 1938 - June 1940
THOUSANDS
THOUSANDS
the program for private emplo.YOF WORKERS
OF WORKERS
600
ment or been separuted for otht•r
ASSIGNMENTS
reasons were reassigned to proj. 400
T
ect jobs. ReassignmPnts, whieh
200
ranged between 100,000 and
----~--- 200
300,000 per month (see Chart
t..,;.s•-r;~~-T::_'-..
0'
'
4), totaled nearly 2,375,000 dur------~eoo
6001
ing the 12-month period. Some
600
persons, however, were rens1600
signed more than once during
the year, following brief periods
of temporary private employment or of separation for other
400 ~
'; ,
; , ; ;
' ,~
• •.
, .
, ~
' ~
. .
• •.
•
.
reasons.
Separations from the WPA
1938
1939
1940
program, ranging from about • lncludee persons employed on WPA projects operated other f"ederal a1enclee.
200,000 to 800,000 per month,
.\.ugust. .\.fter Sc•plPmber 1, 1939, tlw number
totaled over 3,850,000 for tlw yt~nr. Approxiof workt•rs sc•1mrnll\d in n.ccordancc• with the
mately 1,150,000 of these wPn• voluntary sepa18-month provision dl'c·liiwd eonsidernbly, totalrations, most of which wpn• made in onkr to
ing only about 2!i7,000 in tht• four months from
accept temporary or pcrmaiH·nt jobs in prin1 tt•
SPpll•rnlll'r through Dl'ct•mlwr 19:rn and :20(i,OOO
industry but some of them Wl'I'l' for such n•nsons
in tlw six months from January through June
as new sources of income, illness, or injury. The
1!)40.
number of voluntary separations varied lwtwt•en
\VorkPrs dismisst>cl unclC'I' tlw 18-month provi64,000 and 148,000 each month, rl'fkcLing for
the most part changes in privatt• employnwnt
sion wc'l'C' made' iJll•ligibk for W PA t•mploynll'nt
for at knsL :30 da?S; at tlll' end of tha L 1wriod
conditions. In the fiscal year 1940 tlw rat<- of
voluntary separations (separations during the
thP)' might he rt•cl'l'tific·d if still in lll'l'd. That
month as percent of cmploynwnt at the begina consickrabll' n111nl>l'r of tlw workc•rs dismissed
ning of the month) ranged between 3 and 7
under this provision wen' suhst•qttl'lltly n•percent and averaged approximately tlw same
assign<'cl lo \VPA jobs is indicatPd b)- tlw results
as in the preceding year. The highest rates
of a snrve.v co!ldllet!'cl in 2:3 largl' citi(•s. l\llore
occurred in September and October 1939. (Sec
than a sixth of tlw 78:3,000 workc•rs dismissed in
Table 10.)
tht•S(' citiPS in July nncl August 19;39 Wl'l'l'
The total volume of turnover in tlw 12 months
intPrvirwod in Sq>lembrr and l\OY<'rnbn lU:-39
ending with June 1940 was grrntly influcncc•d
and Frhrnary 1940. Th<' f-irsl intl'tTit•w, mack
by the provision of the ERA AcL of I 9:39, which
thret• or four \Yl'l'ks nft.c•r tlw workers had bl't'll
required the dismissal of all certified workPrs,
tPnninnkcl, indicated that only 8 1wrct•nl, had
except veterans, who had been continuously
found private omploynwnt. B.'' :'\o\·pmlwr,
employed on the program for 18 months or
about 27 pt•rc•pnt had !wen n•assig1wd t.o \YPA
longer. Approximately a third of the workers
jobs nrnl 1:3 ])Pl'('l'llt hntl obtained t•mploymt'nt
employed on WPA projects at thP beginning of
in privatl' industry. Scnrcp[y any more of the
July 1939 had been continuously employl'd
dismissed workc•rs hnd scctll'l'tl privntt' emunder the program for 18 months or mon'. The
ploynwnt by LIH' tinw thP last inll'l'YiPw wns
statutory provision made it necpssarv to tNmimndl' in Fehrnnry 1940, hut 54 [Wl'Cl'llt of lhcm
nate these workers by August 3.1. Co11st•hnd bc'<'Il n•nssig1wcl to WPA.
quently, nearly 783,000 \VPA workNs Wl're
Till' volumt• of turnon•r, rpflc•ctiug wide
separated from project jobs during ,Jul)' and
flnrluntions in lot.al \VPA ernploynH•nt as wdl
=r ~-- ---
i-lT~'
~~
by
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42
REPORT ON PROGRESS OF THE WPA PROGRAM
TABLE 1O.-l'\U~IBER OF PERSONS ASSIGNED TO AND SEPARATED FROM EMPLOYMENT ON WPA PROJECTS A
CONTl~E~TAL CXITEll ST.\TES
MOXTIILY, Jl'LY l9:!8-.ft XE l\HO
Assignments
Separations
Rate of Separations (Percent) B
Rate of
Discharges and layoffs
Assign_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ments
I18
(Pertl
t) B
I
1
Month
Initial
Total
Reassignt
ass,gn-
T,ital
\"t olunc
_:::_! ~::_ ---~ _::__ -
~!~~,r
Total
1938
July
August_
Scptcn1ber __
October_
~OY('mber
December __
:JI\, 5u8
308. 052 ,
27li. 84ti I
32i, 085
164 774
u,:
050
lLii, 170 1
lll2 915
140: 430 ,
17\J, G73
64,871
29. 703
1
164. 398
146,037
127, ml
147. ·112
99, 903
67. 353
HII. 19.5
22i, 82:!
l l i, i!J~I
137, 271\
172. 581
45, 263
-53, 919
212. 827
237. 812 ,
201. 146
l.=ii. 98ti
H\\. 192
l J.5, 478
,54. 841
91, l\20
178, Hfi8
1G3. OG2
I
I
Other
I cen
Total _Volnnl_ _ _ :_tary--
I
45,263 I
53,919
55,241
,54, 8·11
91,620
.).5. 241
178,668
11. 4
10. 7
9.0
5. 9
6. 6
10. 5
6. 8
7. 4
9. 3
5.1
3.1
1939
January_
110,301
2:39. 754
177,477
114,938
130. 592
130 . .574
Fehrunry
\larch
.\.pril
\[a,-_
Jun'e
July_
Angus\._
September
October.
~ovL•mber
DcccmbPr
131,97Y
202,807
40-1, 188
3-19. 154
329 439
303: 348
36,664
73. 637
120. 688
1 JU, OGG
106. 9•1G
70. 531
29,489
31. 030
85. 44\l
98. 962 ,
107, 709
:31, 775
25.
85,
10.5.
54,
61
GS'.
I
509
577
901
230
498 '
2fi5
21.s.87<; I
180. 183 ,
2-16. 314 I
340, 427 I
275, 424
22,5. OM
JOG. 470 , ·185, 82;°)
207. :J20 I
2(18, 287
294. 924
2G7, 941 ,
23[1, 083
I
78'1. 63:l
230,ll41i
243, 821
197, •173
103 322
94: iOi
112. 554
133. 527
123,582
112,
216,
159.
122,
115, /48
103. ll\9
I
787
8•1.5
ff/!)
7;35
J.18, 304
10,1, 200
108. 069
113. 831
79, 284
64.
337. 431
li80. 428
]22, 877
129, D8i
118. 189
121, .54,5
79, OiS
i-1. !199
9-1. 91i3
104. :358
mo
1S5. 945
112,554 I
85. 476 .
112,787
_I 21G. 845
I 159,676
122, 735
85,470
I
171,074
llll. 733 ,
166, 357
GS. 695
86. 364
I
36,513
I
6G, IG7
62,264
70,819
63. 820
~ri: ~~~
3. 7
8. 4
6. I
4. 0
5. 0
5. G
5. 4
7. 3
6. 3
5.8
5.1
i
I I. 9
10. 5 ,
9. l '
14. 6
23. 0
20. 5
18. 2
10. 9
15. 7
9.6
85, 128
81,Gl8
153,954
15. 5
11. 5
10.0
8, 9
12. 7
195, 241
190,343
287. 396
7. 6
7. 6
5. fi
19.8
4.3
4. 7
4. 5
3. 7
8. 5 '
19. 8
39. 2
13. 1
14. 3
1
I
7. 4
3. 5
3. 3
4. 6
4. 3
4. 4
4.1
6.0
15. 2
6.1
6. i
4. 4
3. 3
1940
January
331,857
259, 789
205. 803
February_
I\farch __ _
,l.pril. __
\1ny __ _
Jun(' ____________ _
85, 155
G7, 9371
49,076
29,939
JriG, 7431
155, [)10
24,662
JOG, 987
12,343
213. S08
20-1, 837
246 702
191'. 852
15H, i27
136,80<1
130, 348
04, 64-1
!
I
304, 292
911. 780
134. 730
120,838
197, 771
234. 262
207. 512
377, i-12
Sl, iS.~
2n.~. Hfli
292, 734
:338. G20
1
49. li02
-18. 220
•13. 817
39,021
17, 169
8. 5Gl
9. 1
15. 5
14. 9
3. 7
3. 3
4. 2
4. 8
4. 7
4. 3
,\ Prior to January 1940 dn.tn do not indwlc no11n.•lief cm11loymcnt. I >at a for \\"(irkl'r:-- l'IIIIdoyl'd on \YP A projects operated by other Federal
ag:encil'5 are not included prior to Scpt<'mbcr 1938.
n Prrccnt of total employment at bcginninl! of month.
r Includes separations ma<l<' for such reasons a:- new sourcrs of incornt•, death. or illness, ns well ns separations of persons leaving for priYnte
employment.
D ~eparated in accordance with section 10 (h) of the ERA A.ct of 193U n~quirin).! _..:pparation :1fter c·untinuous ,,.PA employment of 18 months.
as the effects of the legislat,ive provision concerning duration of continuous employment,
was greater in relation to tht' lcwcl of employ-
ment in the year ending June 1940 than in the
prt'cC'<ling year. This is indicated by the
monthly accession and separation rates shown
in Chart 5. During the fiscal yenr
19:39, sepnrn.tion rntes ranged
CHART 5
from
6 to 12 percent of employRATE OF ASSIGNMENTS AND SEPARATIONS IN EMPLOYMENT
ment at the beginning of the
ON WPA PROJECTS•
July 1938 • June 1940
month, whereus in 1940 the lowPERCENT**
PERCENT••
-·:40
40
t'st rnte recorded for any month
,,,i
was 9 pcrcPnt and the highest 39
:~
:1
1wrcent. The maximum of 39
30
I \
30
I
I
percent occ·urred in August 1939
I
I
I
I
I
when tlw large nmnbers of WPA
I I
20 - - - - - - ··------·--I
,,·orkers who had been employt'd
I
,
I
continuously for 18 months or
I
SEPARATIONS '-/'
/,.,,
more WCI'<' being terminated.
10
_j. __
,,.,.....
,,.'
Assignnwnt rates had ranged
_......----.. , . I ''" ..
- ASSIGNMENTS
lwtwl'en ;3 and 11 percent in the
fiseul
year 1939 as compnred
o~~~~~~._L~~~~~-~~~~~~__[_~~~~~o
with
a
variation of from 5 to 23
1938
1939
1940
percent
during 1940; the highest
• lnoludM pel"'eON_ employed on WPA projecta operated by other f"ederal •1enclea.
• • Pwcent of total employment at be&lnnlnc of month.
rn te reflects the large numlwr of
I
I
I
!.__
---l---,,"--.. . .
I
I
,-_ /· ·.=J10
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43
E.'.\IPLOY.'.\IEXT A:N"D EARNINGS
assignnwnts ma.de in Scptembt>r 1939 to rPplncc
workers dismissed in acconlnncc "-ith the
manda.tory termination provision.
Employment on WP A Projects Operated by
Other Federal Agencies
l\Jost WPA workers wprc (•rnplo;n•d on
projects operated by the WPA during th<' 1940
tiscal year, but a. few, represpnting from 2 to 5
TABLE
11.-AvERAGE Xu~rnER oF PEn,-;oxs
percent of the totul, werP assigned to projects
operatt•d by oLhPr FPdl't"nl agpncies wiLh transferred \\'PA funds. Less than 65,000 workers
\\'NP employed on projPcLs operated by other
FPderal agencies during July, August, and SeplPmbN 19:39. Dming the next seven months
,n-(•rngt> ('mployment on tlwst> projt•cts tluctuatcd around 7.'i,000, and during :May and ,June
1940 it renclwd approxinrntt>ly 85,000. The
UYNuge for the yt•nr ending June 1940 was
about 73,000 workers.
E~1PLOYED ON \YPA PnoJECTs, BY AGENCY A
1940
Agency
June
TotaL ______ _
--- - -----12,,578.041
Work Projects Administr<ition __________________________ _
___________
Other Federal agencies
Department. of A~riculture
2,310,541 .
2, 04fi, "'Stl
2, 23fi, :J61
I, 7.55, 52fi
1-1,f,t~, f-7;
I:l9,fll\l
77, ,")42 '
20,-ifitJ ~~2=2=,r,=,,=r,=f===2:l=,=f,.=54=!106
7. 8,52
fi, 5fi5
153
{it'iH
211
!i, 170
U09
243
18,246
(l:J
75, 1~0 '
103
105
25
~fl. 9T,t
;,~
9\1
31lS
2Ili
185
.5. 276
7. 158
211
592
;xi
-0, 3911
5,709
9,233
2f,5
.574
12. 1>:12
2,52
5:Jti
IU9
200
:?OU
9,051
59
7,216
!i,85r1
66
7ri
34
38
·lli
---Ia, 111,
51
21, 2\18
'i, fi!Ji
IO, 3(Kl
10, .584
2,031
642
l,o:J\I
I, 168
111
284
I. 148
475
93
57
76
.52
fl. 189
10,03.5
I, 817
7()t1
IIKI
47
tor)
7,463
7,341
8, 78,\
17U
105
1,152
381
1,090
21f>
1,-141\
2. 182
121
1,784
2, Ii~
34.5
2fl
284
I,3m
Department of Justice:
Bureau of Prisons -------------------------- __ .
Department of Lahor:
Bureau of Labor Statistics __________________ _
Library of Con1?rcss _______________________ . __
Department or the Navy:
Bureau of Yards and Docks _____________________
________________
Fedl'ral Security A!!cncy:
Office of Education-------------------------------------- ----------------- ___
War DeparI.mrmt ---------------------------------------------------------Corps of Engineers ___________ __
Qunrtermaster C'orps_ ______ _
2, 12:l, 131
l,6.5fi,0111
1==4=,~.=49=5=- ::---
14,022
13,468
42!i
Bureau of Biological Survey ___________ _
Bureau of Fisheries __________________ ___
Office of Indian AfTairs ________________ _
General Land Office n __________________ _
::-.ational Park Service _______________________ _
Bureau of Reclamation ___ ----------------- ·
Territories and Islancl Possessions:
Alaska Railroad ____ . ______________________ _
Alaska Rond Commission ________________ _
Alaska-miscellaneous ____________________ _
Virgin Islands _____________________________ _
VeWrans' Admini';tration______________ _____________________________________
June
4
Department of the interior_ ___ _
U.S. Coast Guard________
____________
__________________ ___
Bureauoflnternnl Revenue
______
_
_____________________
Office of the Se~rc•tnry (Division of Tax Hosoarch) ________________ ___
March
1, 720, HUfi
182
Department of Commerce:
Coast and Geodetic Survey____
-------------- · ·
Executive Office of the President:
Xetional Resources Planning Board B
----------·----------- ------
2,l~~m
l)ec:t~mb~·~i·
- - - - ------
Agricultural Adjustment Administration _______ __
Bureau of A~ricultural Economics_
________ _
Agricultural Marketing Service ____________________ _
Bureau of Entomology and Plant Quarantine _______ _
Forest Service ______________________________________ .
Bureau of Home Economics _______________________ _
N atlonal Agricultural Research Center ____________ _
Rural Electriflcetion Administration _____________ __
Soll Conservation Service_ ---------------------·
'\Veather Bureau
____________________________ _
Department. of the Treasury____________________
~(•pkmh1 1r
1
222 '
1.rm I
1Hi
I, r,,\l
·16
19. t:J8
10. !i67
=!'.'L],
3,ll:J2
~-=~
:11n
l.!iH:I
---3811----1:i:;-1·830
I, 81.5
4:Jo.
130
12'.!
IO. 804
111,•ti,
3tkl
a:w
40\I
1,6·1:l,
105
6fi:l ~- ~178 1
I
·1
I, 478
-
-
_-
41.1.l
- 1s:1
48.5 _ ~---_--___ 2,,0
1
9:lH ·
fifli ==~l=,2=f=>7:
1,2.'lH i
---~--~----=-: _______ ., _ _ _ - - , 21, ii!/
26, 96H
2!i, H24
-1
44,877
I, fi:!S
I, 1120
:H4
41: ~b~
211. l~l
25. 949
25,580
1,r-12
:!i, r,!lfl
1,lfitl
211. 44n
A Data repreS(!Dt averages of WC'{'kly employm<'nt c•mmts madr during" tlw months.
8 Public land mventory projects operated hy the N'ational Hesourecs Planning noard of the Executive Office of the President with 1938 Aet. funds
WPre eontinupd with 1039 Act funds originally allocated to the N'ntional Resources Planning Bonrd nn<! subs.,quently transferred to t.11e Ocnprel Lund
Office or the Department ol the Interior.
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44
REPORT OK PROGRESS OF THE WPA PROGRAM
Th<' largest portion of the workers employed
on WPA projcets operntcd hy other Fedl'rnl
agencies during June l 940 wen' l'ngnged in ,,·ork
for the Quart<'rmaster Corps of the ,;var Department. This ngeney employNl nearly 26,.500
persons on projects for the general improvem ent of army posts, forts, stations, and airfidds.
Abont, 12.900 1wrsons Wl'l'l' working on prnjPcts
opernkd by \,hl' Forest SPrvic(• of the Depnrtnwnt of AgTicultm·<· for th<• co nsrrvation and
improvt'nwn t of fon,st, and rnngt' areas and for
the dcn'lopmcnt. of ,·ecn,at.ionnl an•as and facilities. Approximnt<'ly 10,.'i00 " ·orkl•rs wen' employed on proj<•cts of the Bnn•nu of Ynrds and
Docks of the Navy D<'p11rtnwnt that were
undertnken to improve 11n rn I nnd air base
faciliti es nnd to dcvdop n suhnwrine base.
WPA projl'els of only thn•<• other FPderal
agencies were employing mol'<' thn.n .5,000
persons- the Soil ConsPrvation S<•rvice and the
Bureau of Ent.c,mology n.nd Pinnt, (Jun.rn.n tine
of the Depn.rt.nwnt of Agriculture, u.nd tlw
N nt.iona I Park Servic<' of the Dcpn,rtmen t of
lntNior. The proj<'cts of the Agriculture burenns were concc•rnNI with tlw conservation of
soil and moistme throt1gh land drninage and
erosion control measures and wit,!1 the pn·vention, control, and Prncli<·ntion of various
plant diseas<'s and nnimnl p<•sts. The chiPf
proj ect work of the N n.tionnl Pnrk Service wns
the devclopnwnt of public n•crentio11nl :ll'<'HS.
(See Tn ble VI of tht• app<'1Hlix for stn.k distributions of employment on WPA projt>cls opl'l'atcd by other FetlPrnl a.gl'n<·ics. )
Employment on Different Kinds of Projects
T.\BLE 12.-NU~IBER OF PERSONS EMPLOYED ON PROJECTS OPERATED BY WPA, BY TYPE OF PROJECT
JllSE 26, 1940
Number
of Persons
Type of Project
Total. ... _.... ...... . ······-······ ····-···
I, 583,242
100.0
Ilighwoy~. roads, and streets ___________________ _
673,036
42.5
t - - - - - 11- - -
Primary roads ...... - ........... -... -.......
Fnrm·to·mnrket and other secondary roads_ .
Strr rl.s and alleys . ........... -·-· ........ ·-Other.-·-··-···············---··-··....... . .
80.827
29-1, 152
171,219
126,838
5.1
18. 6
10. 8
8.0
143,952
9.1
49,029
94,923
3. 1
6. O
90,224
5. 7
l= = = = I = = =
Public huildin~s .. ................... _..... _·- ··
Educutional. .... . ....................... _...
Other. .. .................. _.............. . ..
Recreational facilities. excluding buildings.......
l====I===
157,921
10.0
Sewer systt:'m~ and other utilities________________
Wnt,, r purification and supply __ ········· -··
8cwn~l' co lll'ct ion nnd disposaL _________ ____
Otlwr .. . ·- ·- ··· · ··-················---·· · · · ·
2.1
6.3
1.6
33,059
99,947
24,015
1.4
22,174
Airp,.,rts and nirways_____ __ _______________ ______
1====11=-=
2. 5
39. 578
Cons,,n·ntion .. _..... . . . ......... ······-· . . _... - ·
t. 5
23, 24,5
16,333
Lnnd anti water conservation____________ ____
Other ....... -.... . . -.. ················-·- · ·
Sa nita(.ion . . ___ . _____ .
24,067
1.5
Prof<' s,ionnl nn,1 S<•rv icc ................... ·---- ·
399. 214
25.2
1, 0
1----1---
6.8
109,291
Community s,•r vice .. -·················-····
1----1---
Writin~ ·········· ··············-· ·-··· -Ilcgrnrch nnd rpcor<ls _______________________ _
26.S90
36,336
21,673
6,281
5,499
9,304
3,308
I. 7
2.3
1.3
0.4
0.3
0.6
0.2
74,643
4. i
R1")senrch nnd sun~cys _________________ __
Public records .... _.. _.-· ........ -···-· ..
TTistoricu1 records survey ______________ . _
38,872
28,439
7,332
0.5
Educntion . .. ·······-···················
Rrcrl'ation .. _. . ... -................. . ...
Lihrnry. · · ·· · · · ·-··· · -············ ··· · ..
Museum . .. . . .... ·-········-····-··· · ···
.\rt .. · ········ ················- -· ····· ·
Music .. ........ . -.......... .. ........ . ..
2. 4
l.S
110,367
i .O
97, 280
6.2
0. i
0, S
I. i
0.1
Di:-trihnf.ion of surplus commoditiC'~---- -
10,931
13,555
26, 727
894
23,539
21,634
O(hl'r . .... . . ... --····· --------··· · ·····-- - ·
7,633
Public h,•nlth and hospital work . .... . _
Production _______________________ ___.. __
Tlotisl'kL't'J)inf! aidC' __ ____ ____________ ____
Ilous,•hold workt•rs' training ___________ _
Srhoo11unrlw~ _- -- ---- _____ ___ _________ _
1.5
J.j
I~
I====
33,076
A wide divprsity of 11.cLiviti<·s is typicnl of the
projects operated by th<' WPA- n clin•rsity
which reflects in part the diff<'n'n ces in community needs for vnrious kinds of pt1blic improvements and services and in part, t.lH' variation in
tlw occupational nbiliti<'s and (.raining of workers
<>ligibl0 for WPA cmploy111cnt in thos<' eommt1nities. Activities in thP construction fi<,ld pn•dominatc, howPver, and providl' a lnrgl' majority of the proj<•ct jobs.
Three out of t>vc•ry l'om \VPA work<'rs cn1ployed on projPcts op<'rnkd by tlw WP.Ant thl'
end of June 1940 were working on cnnst.ructinn
projcets. The lnrg< •st portion of this grn11p of
Percent
:---2.-,
work<•r;; W<'l'l' Pmployed on highway, road, and
stl'l'l'I, projPct,s, working mninly on secondary
nnd i'l'l'der roads n.nd on streets and alleys;
about on,ooo 1wrsons , or 42.5 p ercent of t,he
tot.:d WPA projl'<'l <'mployecs, were engaged on
ro11d or sLl'l'l'l. work n.t the t'nd of the fiscal year.
A11otlll'r lnrg<' group of workl'l's- almost 158,000,
who 111ncl<· up a k11th of tlw t.otn.1-were l'Illploy<·d on projc·ets for the construction or impro\·l'lll<'lll of SPW<'l' systems, wnter purification
and s11ppl_v sysl<'ms, and other public utilities.
Thl' mnjorit,v of thes<' Pmployt-es were working
on proj<•cls for t lw <'Xtl'nsion nn<l improvement
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45
EMPLOY:.\IE:","T ..\.:\"!) E.-1.R:\"IKGS
of
sewage collection and disposal facilities.
Nearly as many workers (144,000) wt•n• <'ngnged
in the construction of public buildings; n third of
them were working on schools and other educational buildings, and the remainder on recn'ntional, administrative, and other kinds of public
buildings. About 90,000 workers had jobs 011
projects for the development of pnrks and oLIH•r
recreational facilities. N earJ~, 40,000 werr Pllgaged in conservation activities directed chiefly
towards reduction of soil erosion and water
conservation. About 24,000 persons Wl're engaged on sanitation projects including drainage
improvement and malaria control work, 22,000
were working on the construction and improvement of airports and airways, nnd 33,000 on
miscellaneous construction projects invoh-ing
several different types of work or on projects
not elsewhere classified.
One WPA worker in every four was Pmployed
on professional or service projects which provided nearly 400,000 jobs. W clfare projects,
staffed mainly by women, employed more tlum
200,000 persons. Of these persons 110,000 wpre
working in sewing rooms, and the remaind(•r
served as housekeeping aides, assistl'd in hc:dtl,
work, conducted household workers' training
classes, prepared and served school l11nciws,
worked on fmniture- or toy-mending and eanning projects, or aided in tlw distribution of
surplus commodities. Another group of more
TABLE
13.- PERCENTAflE
Drilling
dynamite holes into limestone
leveling for a landi~g field
preparatory
to
tl,an 100,000 persons were at work on community
serYIC'(' prnjects, among which are education,
n•c1·l':ttion, library, and museum projects and
the state nrts programs. The renutinder of the
nonconstnwtion workl'rs were engaged chidly
in various types of rps(•:trch and surveys and
work on public records.
The relat,ive number of persons employed 011
the various types of projects has shifted during
the period of WPA operntions. In the earlier
years of the prngrnm the percentage of workers
employed 011 road and street work increased,
DtSTRIBUTION OF PEHSOXS EMPLOYED 0:--r PROJl,CTS OPEH.ATED
TYPI, OF PROJEC'T
BY
vVPA,
BY
MAJOR
Type of Project
Total ·_ _ _ I _ _ _
lligh_ways, r'!ads. and streets
Public bwldmr,s _______ _, __
Recreational facilities, excluding buildings_
Sewer systems anc! other utilities_
Airports and airways ____ _
Conservation. __ . _ . _. __
Sanitation.
Professional and service __ _
Community service__
Research and records
Sewing _________ ,. ____ _
_______ ____ ___ ______
___________
_
,velfare, excluding sewing_
Other .. _______
-----------
Miscellaneous .
A
- - - - , - - - -
·\:l.11 I
i. fj
8. fi
\tl.8
1.:i
4. S
-----~
B 2l. 0
2;). 0
;Jo
nq
2 ~
10 -,
·3 8
I.Cl
2 I
Io n
3 o
0.9
:i.1
0.:1
I \J
g
- - - - - - - -
9, 2
H.li
8. o
7. 0
7. I
G. t_i
10. I
l. 4
9 j
n. o
1, 9
2, -I
l.7
4 2
I. g
l.:"1
:l. 4
I. 9
I.I
3. I)
l. I
20 ..'i
'.?~. :~
:!:2. fi
2-4. ;)
1
1
- - - -----::: = ::::....:::;·..:::=--::: -==
I),
- - - - -
4:l. j
43. 7
8. I)
fi.l
10. l
=
·i:l.6
12 . .I
I. l
5. :3
9. 1
,5. 7
10. 0
I. 4
2. S
10. n
1.1)
;J, 9
'- n
l.,"i
----:-- --- --------1--~
1\1. U
~~-~
-, 2
.\ 0
i G
3 :.;
- - -
4·1. 2
8. I
21
:3 ,
fi 8
1 •I
.) ;
~
1
I ,I ,
7 -4
4 ,i
2-4. \I
25. 2
s
n.s
t :-.;
.i 1, I
,-)
I
i i
I ,
8 2 I
5 o
,i 2
l ,\
8 '1
:> i '
n
1. 7
i 0
Ii 2
0.,1
ll.4,
0.1
I),.',
o..~
o.s'
~----=----= -==·~-,:::-::; = = --::....::: =---== = = = = I = =
l.fi
LS
2. ()
2. I
I.I
Data apply to the last half of thr. month.
B Not compnrablc with later periods since miscPllancous group for :Vfan:li Hl:l!i i11dud,•s tC'rla.in t.ypC'S of work \Vhielt ha,·(' ~11h:-.Pq1wnt ly hrPn includrd
under proressionAI and scrYicc proj('cts.
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4ti
REPORT ON PROGRESS OF THE WPA PROGRAM
although it. has vn.ried oHly slightly since the
beginning of 1938. Grea.ter emphasis has recently been placed on professional and service
projects, particularly on housekeeping aide
and other welfare proj ects and on projects for
work on public records and research. On t he
other hand considerably fewer workers, relative to the total, are being employed on projects
for the improvement of recreational focili ties,
on conservation activities, and on sanitation
work; in the fiscal year l940, workers on such
projects represented only half as large a percentage as in the first years of the program .
The distribution of workers by type of project reflects, among other influences, t h r effects
of seasonal factors and of expanding and contracting operations. Adjustments to weather
conditions are required in n. program in which
outdoor work predominfl.tes. Fw·th ennore,
when the amount of employment must be
changed rapidly, workers may be assigned to or
terminated from certain types of proj ectssuch as road and street work-with greater
facility than from others. Fluctuations in the
relative importa.nce of the various types also
result from changes in private employment
opportunities in agricultme and other industries, the div ersity in the trends of pri vn.te
mnployment in different sections of the cotmtry ,
changes in the occupational distribution of
workers nssigned to WP A jobs, and variation in
local needs for project work.
The emplrnsis given to different types of
WPA projects varies considerably from statP to
state, but constrnction projects, pnrticularly
road proj ects, predominate in all state progn1ms.
Road work, in June 1940, provided more than
half the WPA jobs in I 3 states and Pu er to Rico.
Nearly all states employed a.t least a fif t h of
their WPA workers on rofl.d projects.
Other kinds of n.ctivities were prominent in
a few states. In Idaho more than a fourth of
the WPA personnel were working on conservn.tion projects but in no other state W<'t·e ns
many as a seventh of the workers mnplnyl'd on
this type of project. Jobs on utility prnj<'cts
were relatively much more numerous in Now
Hampshire, Rhode Isl and , and South Cnroli11a.
than in the country as a whole; in ca.ch of th ese
areas they represented mon• than a fifth of the
cmploy1rn\nt. In nin e stn.t.es sewing proj<'cts
n.cconnted for more than a tenth of the total
employment. Employment on major types of
projects is shown for each state in Tables IV
a.nd V of the appendix.
Employment
in
Communities
of
Various Sizes
Forty out of every 100 persons employed on
proj ects opera.ted by the WPA at the end of
,June 1940 were working in metropolitan areas
and counties whose largest cities had at least
l 00,000 population in 1930. The relative
numbers of workers employed in such highly
urban areas have been less during the 1940 fiscal
year, however, than during earlier periods.
Both in November 1937 and in June 1938 more
t.lmn 45 out of 100 jobs were provided in these
heavily populated sections.
As the proportion of WPA workers employed
in th e largest communities decreased, relatively
more. employment ha.s been provided on WPA
proj ects in rnral counties-counties in which
t.Jie largest community had fewer than 25,000
people. Almost half t,he total WPA employees
were located in these counties in June 1940.
Of this employment about half was in counties
with cities of between 5,000 and 25,000 and
hnlf in counties whose largest municipality had
less t.luw 5,000 population. Representation of
the group cf counties with cities between 25,000
a.nd I 00,000 ha.s shown little variation on n
relative basis, accounting for between 15 and 16
percent of the total workers. (See Table 14.)
TARLE
1-L - - PEH< 'ENTAGE DISTRIBUTIOX OF PERSOXS
E~tl'I.OYED ON PRO,JE('Ti; OPERATED BY WPA, BY
S 17. E OF C'oMMTTN I T Y
CONTlNEN TA L U:\" ITED S TATES
:',)o:J.ECTEJI PERIOOS, NOVEM~ER 193i-J t~ E 1040
\\' PA \Yorkers
- - · ....- - -· - - - , - - - Gainlul
D,•cc.m- J\-!nrch June Work•
hc.•r
27'
26,
1930crs, c
o1940
1940
Sizt• or ro111munit.y •'
1'ii'.iu
'l'ntnl
·- JtKl.11 100.ll JOO.ti 100.0 100.0
1110,1KH I nnd "''"'
4i. 4
I1 4r,_ fi
J.l,!1 1
~f>.tXIO - IIH>.tlOO
5,000-2,,.000 . . . . 2tl. I
U ruler r,,000 _ .. __ 17. fi
1
42. :1 1· 40. U 38. 4
l;,.4 1 15.!l 15. i 1 15. 4
2t. ,; 22. 4 122. 0 23. 0
17. 5 10. 7 2l. ◄ 2.1. 2
I
I
I
I
HlO.O 100.0
3R I
40. J
15. I
Zl. 6
2:1. 2
23. 3
100.0
4.1.0
15.6
14. ,
21. 0
21.;
20, G
1
A C-01111111111it.y f!roup inl,!S arr hn--"Pd upon a classiflcntion of countil'S
neeo rdinl! to t.lw rn:m population or the. largest ruunieipallt~- in each
coun ty.
u J)ato a1)J1ly lo t.hP l'lltirc month.
c SonrC'<': Fift,,•nt.h ('ensns of llw Unit.,•d States, 1930, Population.
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47
EMPLOYMENT AND EARNINGS
CHART 6
Groups of comm uni ties of
various sizes differ consid erably
DISTRIBUTION OF EMPLOYMENT ON PROJECTS OPERATED
BY WPA, BY TYPE OF WORK AND
in respect to the types of WP A
BY SIZE OF COMMUNITY
projects which they 1111t1ate.
March 27, 1940
It is apparent from thr accomTYPE OF" WOR K
PERCENT
PERCENT
100
100
panying chart that the relative
number of persons employed on
NONCONSTRUCTION _
the major types of proj('cts
tends to vary according to the
size of the community. The
60
60
relative emphasis placed on 11onCONSTRUCTION •.•. · - ..
construction work, for instance,
sm crrs
40
40
is greatest in counties containing
the largest cities and least in
20
20
rural counties. In the largest
HIGHWAYS, ROADS,
ANO STREETS -····
cities non construction projects
O~-~~'-'----'-~---L-----'""""'"""'"-- '=""'-"'--'=="'----J 0
provided a third of the jobs at
0.000 ·
,.ooo
SlZE OF COMMUNJTY
15)
the end of March 1940. In the
strictly rural counties with no
incorporated community of as
areas. This tendency is particularly eYidcn t
many as 5,000 inhabitants, however, such
projects accounted for only a sixth of t,he
in tlw case of roatl work. Highway, road, an<l
employment.
This general tendency for
street proj ects provided only a fourth of the
emphasis on nonconstruction work to increase
WP A employment in the metropolitan areas
with the size of the commun ity is evident
in 1vlarch 1940, but the percmtage of workers
in all the major types of projects within this
engaged in such activities increased steadily
as the population of the largest city in the
group .
Employment on construction projects as a
cow1ty d ecreased, until in the rural areas road
group tends to be largest , relati vely, in the
work constitu ted almost two-thirds of the total
Similarly, sanitation work was more imuorl.n11t
rural counties and smalkst in the metropolitan
[XC L HIGHWA"S. IIIOADS,
AND
100,000
25 ,000·
50,000 •
100 ,000
AND OV[FI
UNO CA
5 0,000
25,000
( SU TULL
TABLE 15.-
PERCENTAGE
D18'l'nlB U TION OF p~;RSONS EMPLOYED ON PROJECTS OPEHATEI>
PROJE CT AND RY S1z i,; OF COMMUNITY
\\' PA, BY 'fypi-; 1>1-'
RY
CON T!S ..: N TAL l ' NITF.ll S TATE S
1'-1AHCII 21. IH!O
Size o f Community
I
1---j
Type of P roject
Total
50.IX)O2f.,000100.00<I_ ._ .\O,OOO
I
10.00025,000
'
5,00010,000
2.5005,000
u nder
2.SOO
1
:
100. 0
100. 0
JOO. 0 I
100. 0
100. G
100. 0
100. O
I- -100.-0 ------------= = =
Total. _________ ______ ___ _ . .
.
Public buildings_ ·- ---- ---· ___ ___
Hecreational racilit.ies, excluding buildings
~e wer systems and other utilities ._
Airports and airways ___ __ __ __ ____ __
: 100,000
and ove r
A
f
11 igbways, roads, and s treets
_ . ___
fa°~~i
~!~~~======================== ====== ====-===- --- -- Professional and service ____ ___________ _____________ _____ ___
Community service _____ __ ________ __ ___________ ____ __
Research and records ____________ .
Sewing ___ __ __ ___ ____________ __ __ .- · ·
\Velfarc, excluding sewing ______ ___ . ___ ._
Other_ __ ____ _____ __ ___ -·. _- -- - __ . __ _______ . _. _. _
:\I isrella neous _____ ________ . __ __________ ___ ______ __ __ -- .
-1:J. 4
7. l
5. 3
10.7
I. 0
3. 9
I. fi
20. 8
~- 0
9. 3
14.4
I. 5
3. 5
0. 8
:JS . .I
7. I
fi. 2
13. 1
0. 9
.5. 0
I. 4
44 . fi
6. 3
3. 9
12.0
2. 0
4. I
I. I
!i2. 0
6. 0
3. 3
9.9
0. 9
3. 6
2. 2
5fi. 9
Ii. 6
2. 3
7.4
0. 9
3. 8
2. 2
59. 0
7. 4
1. 9
6.4
0. 2
4. 0
2. 7
64. 0
5. 9
I. ·I
4.5
0. I
4. 5
2. -1
2:i . 0 ,
32. 9
2~. I
2:J. 9
19. 9
>9. 0
17. 0
If>. -I
.1. 8
4. 3
S. 3
"· 8
0. 8
8, 0
7. 6
9. 7
fi. 5
I. I
r,_ 2
5. 9
3. 4
8. 3
5. 7
0. 0
4. 6
2. I
7. 5
5. 0
0. 7
4. 5
I. 6
7. 1
5. 2
0. 0
3. 3
1. 4
7. 1
fi. 4
0. 4
3. 2
I. 7
G. :J
•I. 7
0 ..I
· - - 1- - - - - - - - - - -- - -- - - - - - - I. 6
9. 2
ti. 7
I. 4
~2. 0= 2.=
=
=
=
8
2. 7 j
2. I I
1=
=·=
0. 9
0. 8 1
2. 2 ,
, rommunity groupings are- hn:-;ed upon a class ificat ion of co un1il's aeeordini-:- to t.110 19~~0. population of the lnr!!est 11111niripa.lity in each count r.
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48
REPORT ON PROGRESS OF THE WPA PROGRAM
in rural than in urban areas. For other types
of construction projects, such as those for the
construction or improvement of sewer systems
and other utilities and of rccrcntional facilities,
and, to a lesser extent, those for the construction of airports and airways and public buildings
the relation differs. (See Table 1.5.) Over 14
percent of the entire employment m the
metropolitan areas was provided 011 sewer
system and other utility projects at the end of
March, but less than .5 percent, of the rural area
employment was on this kind of work. Furthermore, projects for recreational facilities accounted for over 9 percent of the employment
in the most highly urban group as compared
with only a little more than 1 percent in the
counties with the smallest populations.
Variation in emphasis on the different types
of projects is a reliection of the diff Prences in
community needs in the respective areas. In
the densely populated sPctions a rnarkt·d shortage has existed in park facilities and places for
children to play. In the rural and semirural
areas, however, better roads are neededparticularly farm-to-market and other secondary roads, as contrnstecl with primary
highways. The local differences in concentrn.tion on the noneonstruction projects, particularly community service and research and
records projects, reflect the variations in the
skills of the available workers as well as in
community needs. Relatively few white collar
workers are certified for employment in the
small towns and rural areas. For the most
part they are concentrated in the large city
areas and it is in these areas that projects
designed to use their skills are likely to be
found.
Jobs in the Various Wage Classes
A majority of the jobs on projects operated
by the WPA have always been for unskilled
work('rs. Slightly less than two-thirds of the
workers (63 out of each 100) at the end of June
1940 were assigned to jobs classified in the unskilled wage classes for which the lower monthly
earnings are paid. This ratio was a little
smnllPr than it had been a year earlier when
nearly 66 percent of the workers were assigned
at unskilled rates. During the 1940 fiscal
year, however, fairly wide fluctuations occurred,
thP percentage of workers who were unskilled
reaching as high as 72 percent in January and
Fc•bnmry.
Tlw )T('fiT nnding with ,Tune 1940 marked the
introduction of n new classification which
TABLE 16.~-PERCENTAGE DISTRIBUTION OF PERSONS EMPLOYED ON PROJECT,; OPERATED BY
WPA,
BY
WAGE
CLASS
Project \Vage Employees
Period
Unskilled
Grnnd
Total
Total
June
B _
A
Intcr-
Total
Group
Group
"TI"
"A"
mcdinto
8killcd
Project
SuperProfes\-lsory
si0nal
Employand
ees
technical
100.0
92. 7
G5. 0
11. 0
12. 3
4. 4
7. 3
100. 0
9G. 0
G5. 1
12. 7
13. 3
4.9
4.0
11. l
11. 7
12. I
10. 2
10. 7
11. 5
3.1
2. 7
3.0
3. 2
? ~-'
3.3
12. ·1
\.1.2
13. 5
13. 8
11. 2
12. 9
3.
3.
2.
2.
3. 2
1937
J11ne B
1938
.June 29
September 21
Deeembor 28
100.11
100. 0
97. ~
97. 3
72. 0
71. 0
100.11
UG. 7
tl\l.!l
March 22_
June 21 _
September 27
December 27 _
100. 0
100. 0
100. 0 ,
100. O
U(;, 8
\16. 8
70.
H5.
71.
70.
100. 0
100. 0
90. 9
06.0
70. 6
62. 7
I
91\. 4
\JG. a
I
1'
0
,5
9. 6
9. 8
Gl. 4
GO. 7
9.8
60.8
56. 1
9.6
10.0
1
5
2
3.6
5
3. j
3. 2
2. 5
3. 2
4.0
1940
March 27. ____ __________ _
June 26 _____________________ _
6.
(l
14.1
9. 7
!G. 9
13. 2
3.1
A \Vith the inauguration of the n0w schedule of monthly earnin12:s on 8rpl0mlirr 1, rn:m, as pre:-:rrihcd in General Order No. I, the unskilled waJ?e
class was divi<lccl into two f.!roup:.;: g-roup n, includin~ workrrs assi!.!nrd jnhs of a routine, ~;implc, nonhazardous nature, and group A, including workel'S
assigned to types nf work normally done hy c·onstruetion and genernl la1Jorns nnd to routine clcrkul work.
B Data arc based on payroll~ ending during the first half of the mo □ tli.
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EMPLOYME N T AXD E .-\.RN IKGS
TABLE
}7_-
PERCEN TAGE DISTRIBUTION OF PERS O NS EMPLOYED ON PROJE CTS OPERATED BY
T YPE OF PROJE CT AN D B Y WAGE CLASS
\VPA, BY
M A.TOH
J ONE 20, 1940
Type of Project
Total
P rojccl \Vage E mployees
- - -~ - -- -- 1
U nskil\, d
P rofessional 1
- - - - - - - ----- In terSkilled
an d
Grou p
Group I mediate
1
Total
"ll"
~
9f,. r;
o. :,
0. 2
0. 3
9r, _5 1
0.3
!:::::::~:~::~\~i~~:_:?'.'.'.:'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.::::'.::'.'.'.'.'.'.'.:'.'.'.>
;~~ ~
:: :
100.11
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0 _
95. 11
05. 1
97.2
9G ..~
90.8
100.0 \
8 1. I I
Misccll aneo us _______ ____ ______ ___ ___________ __ __ _____ __ _________
-
- ---
_1
-
-
--
10_. _o
IOll. O ,
100. 11
JOI)_ IJ
100.0
--------------- --- ---1
vison ·
Em~
ploycl'S
I ~~-~1 __ j- =_3 2_j___4_.o
Hig hways, roads,and strcet s ___ ________________ _______ ____ ____ __
P ublic buildings ____ _______ __ __ ____ _______ ____________ __ _______ __
R ec reational facilit ies, excluding builcli11 gs ____ ______ ___ ______ ____
Sewc r systems a nd otbcrutili t ies _____________________ ________ ___
Co= uni ty ser vice ___ __ ___________ ____
R esearch and records ___ __ ______ _________ ___ ________ _______ __
Sew ing________ __ ______ ____ ______________ _____ ____ ____ _____ __
W clfare,excludi ngscw ing ___ ___ _________ _____ ___ _____ ___ ___
Oth er_ ______ __ __ __ _____ ___ ______ __________ __ ________ ____ ____ l1
S1...1p r•r-
tec hnical
I
" A"
- - - - - - - - ---- - - - -'- - - -1-
Tota!___ ______ ______ __ ______ ____ ----- --- -------------- ----
Project
0
1
divid es unskilled work ers into two g-roups, unskill ed" A" and un skilled "B. " Th e un skill ed
" B " employees do work of a simple nature
requiring li ttle edu cation or training and for
which proficiency may easily be acqu ired.
Th e i_r work is not hazardous and do cs no t
r equir-e h eavy physical labor. Seamstresses,
janitors, and m essengers ar e includ ed in this
group . Th e r em ainder of the un skilled workers are in the unskilled "A" wage class and
t h ey are paid approximately 10 percent mor e
t han unslulled "B" workers . Persons in the
" B " class ification con st itu ted nearly 10 p ercent
of t h e total employ m en t clmin g mos t of t hC'
1940 fiscal year but dropped t o 6.6 in Jun C'
when occ upations on sewin g proj ects wC're
reclassified and stan<larcli zccl. Th e un skilled
"A" workers have represen ted between 56 a nd
62 p er cen t of th e total proj ect employm en t.
A majori ty of the r em ainin g work ers wr n •
ass ign ed in the in termed iate wage class wlriclr
represented between 13 and 17 per cen t or employ m ent during th e 1940 fi scal year an cl was
la rger at th e encl of Jun e than in a ny ea rli er
mon t h . Th e percentage repn•scntcd by s killed
workers ranged from 9 to 13 durin g- tir e fi sca l
year and was gen erally lower than ch1rin g- mos t
of th e preceding years . Wi th the cur tn ilnw nt
o f project employm en t in the sprin g or 1040 .
however, the relativ e numb ers of s killed work e rs
h a d in cr eased to 13 percen t by t.hr rnd of ,h111< ·.
OfJ. -1
95. Y
2~
~
~
-1.
I. I
G3. G
~I. i
I0.2
0. 1
I
:
1
I
74. 5
11. 9
17.8
68. -I
68.5
IG.S
LL 9
;?: .
, _-1
12. i
14.9
42. :l
20. G I
-11. :l
8. 2
2D. 2
1. 3
1.0
I. 4
17. 0
14. G
9.5
~~ ;, -
::} --:'. ; i-
30. 8 I
48.3
13. 1
2 1. -1
21.2 !
ZU.
24-8
4.5
8. 1
11.7
j
j
21~
3. -I
3.5
1
1.2 1
~
-~ -! __
3.r.
4. 1
I
~:
22.
2 I
8.2
3.3 1
3. 1
ii. II
4.\1
2. 8
:J. 2
3.2
!
18. !I
I. I :
-
I. 2
1
r eprC'se n t in g a. larger por t ion of the total than
at any other t im e sin ce 1937. J\•rson s in th<•
profess ion al and technical wage class h ave made
up between 2 and 3 p ercen t of th e total, and
the project sup er visory employees bave rcprescn Led no more than 3 or 4 p er cent during the
fi scn l y<·ar . (Sec T abl e 16. )
Gcnt• rally speaking, the relative numbers of
un s \.: i Ikd workers employed are lnrgest during-
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HEPORT OJ\ PROGRESS OF THE WPA PROGRAM
Workers constructing the foundation of a
airport hangar
new municipal
periods of marked program expansion and
smallest when employment is being curtailed.
Dm·ing the smruner months of 1937, for example, unskilled workers made up approximately
63 percent of the total as compared with over
70 percent in most months of 1938 when vVPA
employment was increasing. A reversal of this
general tendency occurred in the fall of 1939
when the application of the 18-month l'llle
necessitated the dismissal of a rPlatively larger
number of intermediate and skilled workers
than of unskilled workers. At the same time
unskilled persons were relativl'ly more mmwrous
among those available for immediate assignment
to replace dismissed workers t.lrnn were skilled
workers. Dismissed persons in the upper wage
and skill brackets who had been doing work of a
supervisory nature were difficult to repln.ce.
Another fact that affected the proport-ion of
workers assigned in the skilled wage classes
during the past fiscal year was a statutory provision effective July 1, 1939, which lengthened
the hours of work for skilled personnel. These
factors all tended to make the number of skilled
workers relatively smaller n.nd the number of
unskilled workers relatively larger than wo11ld
havt~ been expected on the basis of previous
WPA experience during periods of declining
employment.
That various types of projects differ with
respect to the skills they utilize is evident from
Table 17, which prosen ts the cl istribution of
workers by wage class and by major typt' of
projnct as of the end of ,June 1940 . Workers of
the unskilled "I3" class were relatively most
11umerous on sewing projects where 64 workers
out of each 100 were assigue<l to this wage class.
\Vmkers in the unskilled "A" group were employed in relatively large numbers on road and
street and conservation projects; more than 70
ont of each 100 workers on these types of work
wen· assigned to this wage class. N onconstruction projects as a group utilized relatively more
intermediate or semiskilled persons than did any
kind of construction work. Skilled and professional and technical workers were required in
rt•lntivcly large numbers on the various professional and service projects. Public building
projects were the only major type of construction i.ctivity on which more than a fourth of
the workers were classified as skilled, and no
construction projects required more than a
small representation of professional and technicnl personnel.
Hours and Earnings of WPA Workers
Persons employed on WPA projects are usually required to work 130 hours each month.
For their work they are paid wages specified in
a mo11Lh.ly earnings schedule which provides for
variation itt earnings on three bases: the region
of tlw country in which the worker is located, the
tlegn'e of urbanization (based on the population
of the largest municipality) of the county in
which be is employed, and the degree of skill
required for the job to which he is assigned
(wage class). These regulations are discussed
in some detail on pages 83 to 85 of this report.
Provisions of the ERA Act of 1939 changed
the requirement concernit1g hours of work considerably and nccessitntecl some modification in
the schedule of earnings. Prior to July 1, 1939,
it had been required thn.t the hourly rates pn.id
to WP A workers should be the same n.s those
prevailing loen.lly for work of a similar natw-e.
The application of this provision within tht·
framework of a mon t.hly earnings schedule 1nean t,
that each worker was employed for whatever
number of hours it was necessary for him t,o
work at the locn.l hourly rate for his skill to enable him to earn his assigned monthly wa.ge.
Skilled building construction workers, for in,c;tn.nct>, rcc<>i ved hourly rates that were higher
Llrnn those prtid to unskilled laborers, and con-
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EMPLOYMENT AND EARNINGS
sequently they were required to work fe wer
hours per month. Among the skilled workers
themselves there were wide hourly rate variations which therefore occasioned variations in
the required hours of work per month. Many
different work schedules consequently had to be
arranged for workers in different occupations.
The 1939 Act required that all proj ect employees
should work 130 hours a month, with certain
specified exceptions. The change to a standard
number of hours greatly simplified th e sch eduling of proj ect operations and also the timekeeping procedure.
The 1939 ERA Act provisions relating to
the monthly earnings schedule required that
the Commissioner of Work Projects set up a
schedule which would not vary for workers of
the same type in different geographic areas
any more than could be justified by differences
in the cost of living, and which at th e same lime
would not substantially affect the then existing national average labor cost per WPA worker.
The revised schedule became effective September 1, 1939. (The schedule is presented in
Table 39, page 85.)
Full-time monthly earnings during the year
ending June 30, 1940, increased slightly throughout the year and averaged about $57.50. The
increase was due in part to the new schedule
and in part to variations in the relat ive amounts
of employment in the various classifications
which form the bases for differenti als in the
monthly earnings-the several wage classes,
the different sections of the country, and the
various community size groupings. Since
workers may lose time during a payroll period
because of interruptions in proj ect operations,
transfers between projects, and other factors
out.side of their control and because of t ime
voluntarily lost through illness or other ca uses,
actual earnings of workers employed during
t.he year averaged several doll ars less t han fulltime earnings, or about $54 a month . Prnjcct
workers are permitted to make up time lost
involuntarily but they are not always able to
do so in full.
During the fiscal year 1940, employf'es
worked a total of more than 2,900 ,000 ,000 hours
on projects operated by the WPA. Ahout
1,239,000,000 hours, or 42.6 percent of the
total , were spent on highway, road , and street
projec ts which typically employ large numbers
of unskilled workers. Projects involving work
on sewer systems and other utilities accounted
for nParly 10 percent of the total or more than
282,000,000 hours of work. Persons employed
on public buildings projects worked some
234 ,000,000 hours and those on proj ects for the
development of recreational facilities over 174,000 ,000 hours. Nonconstruction activities accounted for more than 734 ,000 ,000 hours, or
abou t a fourth of t he total for projects of all
typt>s. Sewing projects on which nearly 238,000,000 hours were spent by proj ect workers
wen' outstanding among the nonconstruction
projl'cts.
T .tB LF, 1 8.- - T OTAL HOURS WoRKED ON PRO.JECTS
O PERATED BY WPA, BY MA JOR T YPE OF PR OJECT
f't;~1rr..\TIYE T JJ Rot·r.n .\ND YE.\R ENDI.NO Jt:NE
:
Cum ulatiYc through
J u ne 30, 1940
-
Type of Project
:o,
19.rn
I Year 30,
Endinl( June
1940
- - - -- . -,
•
Nu mhor
! cent
Per-
I
Numhcr
I_
Total. .... . ... ... .
ll.418,52fi.274 1100.0 2,912,011.5, 127, 100.0
- - - ,- -- - - - ---
Highways,
roads,
and
streets . . .. .
_ . . . I Ii, 85:l, 359, 493
Puhlichuild iogs_
1,154,035,508
Recreational facilities, excluding huildi11gs
I, 186,686,807
Sewer: ~ystems a nd otllcr
utlht1es . ....
. .. . 1 J.:l29,328,023
-\irpor ts a!]d airways
.
208,361, 551\
Conrnrvnt1on . __. _. _. __ . __ _1
·
GHi, 813,881
~~n_i.tatio1L __ __ __ _____ . . j 3\lfi, 704,340
···-·-··· 1·
::;c\\ lllg
... .
..
.
Professional and sorvl ce, exclu d ing sewi n g .. __ __
?v-Iisc:C'll a11eous
Per-
Icent
l, 342, 41>1. 687
I 1, tltiY, 4tl2. 650
300, 708, 2:30
1
I
42.6
8. 0
8. 2
174,113, 12•1
6. 0
0. 2
l. 4
282, 234,600
3fi, i30, 255
99. 020, 475
51, a08, 736
237,854. 2:l9 ;
9. 7
l. 2
40.0
8. 0
4. 3
2. 8
0. 3
J3. 7
2. 5
j
1,2:m,2H.0 14
2:l4, 147,304
4U6, ~3n, n2.~
61,7 14,675
3.
-l
l. S
8. 2
I 17.2. ol
Comparison of the relative numbers of hours
worked during the fiscal year 1940 on different
types of projects with a similar distribution for
the entire period of vVPA operations reveals
certain changes in emphasis. (See T able 18 .)
Highway, r oad, and street proj ects and the
various kinds of professional and serv ice work
in creased in relative importance during th e lu st
fiscal year while the pt>rct>ntage of toto l hours
spent on r ecreational facilities, conservation,
snnitation, and sewing proj('cts ckclined, relative to earli('r periods. Ron,d work, nevertheless, accountPd for more than two-fifths of Lhe
total of 14,419,000,000 hours worked on WPA
projPcts durin g the five years since the program wn.s ini tiated.
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FINANCIAL SUMMARY
UNDS
used
for
orwrntion
of
the
"YVork
FProjects Administration program clming the
year ending ,June :30, 1940, were t1ppropriatcd
by the Emergency Relief Appropriation Act of
1939, which was enacted into law 011 JunC' 30,
19:39. The act provided a specific appropriation of $1,477,000,000 for the WPA and rcappropriated thC' unobligatcd balances of funds
made available to it under prior Emergtmcy
Relid Appropriation Acts. 1 Funds carried over
from prior acts amounted to $42,824,000. The
gross amount :wn.ilable to the vYork Projects
Administration for the fiscal year, therefore,
aggregated $1,519,824,000.
Deductions from the gross amount available
to the WPA totaled $579,000 as of ,Tune :30,
1940, including $500,000 of the funds trnnsferred to the Division of Procurenwnt of the
Treasury Department for tlw work relief supply
fund, which is a revolving fund to faeilitnk
central purchasing of supplit~s and materials,
and $79,000 trnnsforrccl to the Ft•dcrnl ·works
Agt'ncy for ndministrntivc cxpPnSl'S. This left
a net sum of $1,519,245,000 available for project optirntions and ndministrntive costs of the
\VP A and for allocation to other Fede ml
agcncil\S for the operation of projects similar in
type and in labor rcquirPml•nts to thos<' of the
WP A. The net mnoun t, a vailnblc was approxi-
matdy one-third less than the amount available
for the same purposes chu-ing the fiscal year
ending Jmw 30, 1939.
Allocations
By tht' t•rn-l of ,June 1940, $1,401,393,000 of
tlll' $1,519,245,000 made available for the vYPA
program had !wen allocated for projects to be
operated by the WPA. Allocation of the
rcmn.indc1· of the available funds has been
largely determined by statutory provisions.
Under one of these provisions a maxinnnn of
$53,950,000 was nuthorizcd for administrative
expC'nditures; the sum of $53,661,000 had been
allocatt•d for such purposes by June 30. The
ERA Act of 1939 (in section 11) authorized
the Commissioner of Work Projects to transfer
TABLE 19.-A~,ouNT ol<' FuNDs AvAILABLE To ,vPA
DUI!ING THE YEAH ENDING JUNE 30, 1940
I
Specific appropriation. ERA Act of 1930_ --------------· $1,477,000,000
DnlancL'S aY:dbhll' from prior ERA Acts_________________
42,823,577
Total funds nvailahk to \VP A __ ._______________________
'l'runsfC'r of \VP A funds to:
Youth Administration programs; for the rehahilitntion and relief progrnm:-- of the Farm Sceurit.y Administxal.ion, t lw Pue:·to Hit•o Hocnllst.ruction Administration, nnd the Burnuu of Indian ..\Jfairs; and for ad111inistrath·c expenses incurred hy vn.rious Federal agencies in carrying out tho
purposes of the act.
79, (X)(}
500,000
1-----
N(lt funds nvailahll' to \VP A_._. __ ._.-·_._--·-·-------·Projc•cl,s opernte,l by WP A. ________ . - - -------------\VPA l'X!Wnsrs for administration ______ ·----------·A llocntions to nthL•r Federal fl,l';encics ____ _____ . ____ ··-
A
A
'VI iscl'llaneous (tornado relief and damage claims) ___
Undistributed_______________________________________
A
1The ERA Act. of 1n:m also contained appropriations for the N"nt.ionnl
1,519,823,577
Fe<leral \Yorks ..\~ency, for admini'lt.ration___________
Procun•mcnt Di, ision, for work relief supply fund_..
1,519,244, 5Ti
1,401.392. 768
53,660,944
A
59,934,463
42. 000
4,214.402
NP! funds nrnilabll' to WPA include $9,884,299 of 1938 Act funds
which contimH•d to lw nvai111hlr for obligation through provisions or the
l!J3U Act.; of this amount., $7,68,1i,H76 was available for proje.cts operated
hy WPA a1l<l f2,l!l,~.:i2:i for WPA projects operated by other Federal
ngpncies.
Souree: U. S. 'l'rcn.sury Depnrtment report on the status of funds and
unalysl's of l•xpcrHliturPS under the ERA Acts of 1935, 1936, 1937, 1938,
and 10:1n, as of J uue 30, HHO.
52
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53
FI.\'A.\' CIAL SUMMARY
funds up io $60,000,000 to other FPdPral
agencies for the operation of projects similar
to those prosecuted by the \YPA, with die
stipulation that not more than 4 percent of the
allocations t.o each agency might be spent for
administrative expenscs. 2 By the end of .June
1940, $57,736,000 of newly appropriutc>d funds
and $2,198,3 23 of 1938 Act funds that Wl'rc
still availabl e for obligation were allocatPd for
projects operated by other F ederal agpncies
bringing the total available for tlrnt purpose
during the fiscRl year to $59 ,934 ,46:3. Of this
total, $2,116,000 was for adminis tra.tin purposes. Small amounts of the WPA funds w Pn•
set aside for miscellaneous purposes ($7 ,000 for
settlement of property damage claims ; imd
$35,000 for direct relief of persons made
destitute by the June 1939 tonrndo in '.\fornesota, as authorized by Public, N o. 160, 7Hth
Congress, approved June 30, 1939) . A baln.11ce
of $4,214,000 from the total vYPA approprin tion
remained undistributed on June 30, 1940.
Twenty-eight F ederal agencies r<1ceivC'd nllocations from the $57,736,000 t 1·nnsf<•rn•d by
the WPA. As is shown in Table 20 , $17,512,000
was made available to thr QuartC'rmnstt'r Corps
of the United States Army for the constrnetion
or improvem ent of buildings nnd utiliti<'~, lnnding fields, roads, r ecreational facilitirn, , n.Jl<l oth<'r
work at forts and other n,rmy posts . The
Bureau of Yards and Docks of t.he N nvy
Department received $10,000 ,000 for ll <'W r.011struction and improvemen t work ut tl1<• principal naval bases on thP Atlnntic nnd Pac ifi c
coasts. \VP A funds W<'r<' 11.lloC'akd to 11 t111H•rous agenci<'s of th<' D<•partrrwnt of Agrir.11lturc
during the year. The Forpst., Servic<' <'Xt(i11<k•d
its work of conservation u.ncl d1!vdopnwnl of
forest and rn.ng<' nrl'as wi t h an alloention of
$6,619,000; tht> Bureau of EnLornology and
Plant Quarantine r eceived $.5,88:~ ,000 for further work in thn contl'ol and eradication of
insect pests and plant clisPascs; and t-h<· Soil
Conservation Service enlarged its progrnm of
erosion control and other soil cons<•rving lll<'fl.Sures with an allocation of $4,643,000 . To tlw
National Park Service in the Depnrtuwnt of
• The 1938 Act had authorized the allocation to 01.her Fc<lernl a~erwies
ol an qmount up lo $88.000,()(1() out of !he $2,2S0,00IJ,OIJO appropr i:o lc<i lo
the WPA by that acl for t ho fiscal year 19~0.
T.o\BLE
20. -A~tol.:"NT
OF
F~mF.:HAL Ac.E:'.\fnEs F on
EHA Ac-r
1939.
OF
\VPA F1:xo:- ALLO CATED To
" ' PA Pno.JE ,:Ts U NDER THE
,
BY A c EX <'Y
Cu ,r t·L.\ TJ \"E TIIROn;n J t::,,E :10. 1040
Agen cy
I-
Work
Projccls
T ola-I_ :
- -- - -- - - - - -- - Tola I
Admin islra ti re
---- $2, I 16, 21!7
- . --·- . 1$.17. 73l;, 140 $55,619,843
IJeparLmcnt. or .\~ricullure
11,a92, 147
· -- -- 1 18.11 6.541
!
n4 , 394
.-1.l(l'i_c[!ltural Adjustment Ad- \
mm1.,lntt.1on _________ _______ _
llurea u of Agricul! urn! Econom ic.s __ ____ _____ _ __ _____ _
M nrk ctin ~ Scn·A~ricul tuml
______ ______ __ __ ___ _
1ce __ ____
llureau or EntomoloJ!Y and
Plant Quarani inc. _________ _
. ____ . _
Forest Sen ·ice _.
Dureuu or Ilorne Economics
X :11 ionn l Agricull ura l Research Center ___ ___ ______ _
Hurni Elect.rification Admi nistration ______ ___________ _
Soil Conscn ·alion Scn ·i<-c
W oath er llurcnu . .
Und islrihu!cd
Department or C'omrucn:c:
Coast and Oeocl ct.ic Sun·cy
Department
or 1.hc
100. 000
06, 000
125,917
120,!!8I
li7. 70~
65,000
I
2, 708
I
,J. NS3, 120
fi. 619, ·111 :
5. 667, 100 I
f>, 364, 2.13
216,0W
255. l 5S
2~9. 692 '
230. I OH
9, !i!!fi
141), 137
134 ,533
,l .f,(H
19N. :SSi
4. f>l3. 30fo
5X. 333
190,903
4. 467,371
56,000
i. 054
175. 995
2. 333
40,f)(l(I
:
lni<'rior
:~:: i
29, 76!1
I. QI!;
-= -_=,.=2.14=_.:7_0=7_- ___ 3_0_2~--~-~
7.•15~.-:;;; l~ ,_
llurcnu o f BioloJ,!icu l Surve ,·
~r,.1.01-1
·
Bureau or fo'isherics
nr..fio2
Iii, 71.5
Office of Indian Affai rs .
<lencral Land OOire -'
'Jfi. 62S
.:"lat ionnl l'nrk Bcn ·icc
5. fi93. :i;o
Burenn of HeC'la mntion
~7. 2i~
T <'rri tori e:,; ond fslnn<I Po:,;s.Pf· :
s ions:
.\la~ka Hoiul f'ommis:--ion 1
I
X20, 79!;
:1.1. 216
!I. 069
:!, i06
217, 733
6,1, 039
91. ROO
5, 4f>5, ,1.19
35, 783
:1, X25
227, S20
I. 4!10
321
6. 001
.\ lnska . 111isC'ell:,uN>11~
Vir,l?in [slnn ds
16, ,llfi
Depart mcnt of L;1 hor:
IJurcu u of l.,ahor S1n tlsti cs
I
1. U24, oax
1. uxr., ;5r, :
Lihrnry of ronJ,.rrcss
I lfi, 50t) •
Depa rtment oft he :S.avc
Bureau or Ya rds nntl D ocks . 1 9. !199, 90.S I
~·,dernl 1'ecurity A~oncy:
lAA. ill
Office or Educ•1tion
n2. 11~
I lfl, 000 '
o. f,/i(), ()(I()
I
.'\()()
3:19,00.1
471 , 14:J
:11,.
l)epart r11C'n t of t.hc Treasury
t·. ~- Con:--t O u 11rd .
4,000
5. 036
73 20 1 ;
.
I
·
S90. >;0.~ ;
OniC'c oft.he Secrelary ( l> idsion orTnx Hescnrrh) ___ __ _
70. 712
\\':rr DcpurJ.mcnt:
Quarl.ermnster Corps _
__ 17,511, 710
lfi.!JH;,:i:rn
121
2, -IX9
·,====
&15. lifl I
==!=!f,=3.=7=1)4= -929, 728
Veterans' Ad1ninistrntion
·1
3.5. 11:12
33 97
· r;
.l!!,1.as:i
1
'1 939 Ac&f_uncls a lloC':lled lo the Xationu l Hc.,ourccs PJnnoin1t Bonni
of t he l~:c:cc-ulln\ omr.e of lhe Prr:--ident were t rnnsfcrred to lhe Oenfrnl
Lnn<l Office or !he 1>cp11 r1men1 of lhc ln lrrior in Jnnnnry 1940.
~ourcr: l'". ~. T rea.'-ury Dl J111rlme11 1 rrp11rl 1111 the stat us or fun ds nntl
analyse., orexp~nditurcs unde r the ERA _\ els or 1935, l93R, 193,, 1938, nn d
rn~n. as or Juno 30, 1040.
1
t.lw Tnkrior was lrnnsfPrr!'cl $5,69:3,000 for th<'
fllrtlwr d('n•lopnwnt of p11hlir.1WT<'ational nn•ns
in 11 11.lionnl pnrks. Thi• B11ren.11 of Ln.hor Stn,tist ics n•<·eivPd n.n :illoca t-ion of ,wn.rl_v l wo
millio11 dolln.rs ($ 1.98i.000). SmnJkr 11mo11nt.s
WN<' tntnsfc.rrPd to t.Jw ot hPr Hf.?;('lleit's.
Th<' s t.n.tus of fund s- tlw n.11101mls u.llocat.rd,
ohlign.kd. n.nd <'XJ)<'JH!Pd- -t.hn t W<'l"<' n.ppropriatod t.o t lw WPA u11d('r th<' gl{A Act of
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54
REPORT ON PROGRESS OF THE WPA PROGRAM
1939, as well as the status of the 1938 Act
funds, as of Junr 30. 1940, is shown by agencies
in Table VIII of thr appendix.
was spent on project operations and $2,159,000
for administrative purposes.
Expenditures
under the various ERA Acts are shown by
agencies in Table VIII.
Expenditures of WPA Funds
Trend of Expenditures
WPA C'xpenditmt•s of Federal funds during
the year ending ,Jmw :)0, 1940, totaled $1,520,106,000. This amount includes not only expenditmes of funds appropriated by the ERA
Act of 1939, but also clwcks issued in liquidation of obligations which had been incurred
under prior acts and were carried over into the
fiscal year 1940.
Approximately 93 percent, or $1,408,572,000,
of the expenditures Wt'l'l' made for projects op<•rat.ccl directly by the WP A. (These Federal
fnnds used on WPA project operations arc
analyzed in conn0ction with sponsors' exp0nditurrs in a following spction.) Small amounts
totaling $47,800 wer0 spPnt for the relief of
victims of the Niimwsota tom ado, for settlement
of property damage claims, and for final paymPnts in connection with the surplus clothing
program and tlw aid to self-help and coopcrativ0
associations initiated under the ERA Act of
1938. AdministrativP ex1wnses for adivitil's
conducted by the WPA amounted to
$53,171,000. Expenditures of $58,316,000 were
made from WPA funds tr:msforrcd to other
Federal agencies. Of this amount $56,157,000
TABLE 21.-AMOUNT OF
WPA
The expenditure of $1,520,106,000 in Federal
funds by the WPA in the year ending June 30,
1940, represents a reduction of 32 percent from
the amount spent in the previous fiscal year
during which WP A employment had reached a
penk in the expansion of operations following
the busirwss recrssion that started in late 1937.
Expencliturrs during thr 1940 fiscal year were
slightly higher (6.5 percent) than in the year
0ncling June 30, 1938, were 16 percent lower
than in the fiscal year 1937, and 21 percent
ahovr those in the fiscal year 1936 during which
the WPA program was initiated and developed.
Tlw amounts of funds expended by the Work
Projects Administration in the various fiscal
years are given in Table 21 and are shown by
stntes in Tablr IX of the appendix.
Month-to-month changes in WPA expenditures an· drterminecl primarily by changes in
WPA employment which are analyzed in
another section of the report. Total payments
made during any given month, however, do not
have a fixed reln.tionship to thr number of jobs
provided in thnt period. Expenditure figures
FUNDS ExrENDED FOR Ac·r1vnm~ CmmucTED
AGE'ICJES, BY FISCAL YEAH A
BY
WPA
AND OTHER
FEDERAL
T!IHOUGH Jt'NE ;{O, Hl40
Activitks Conducted hr \V PA
. - -----·---------· ------------YPar Ending June 30~
Grand Tota.I
Total
_ Proj<'ctsopt>rn1cd by WI'.\
Amount
Total ----------- · ____ I "$8,251, ·IUI, l:ltl
1931i
I, 258, J:JO, 24U
19;17_
1938
1!)3(1
tn40
I, 818,130.501
I. ~2i, :i;.1, :l()\J
2, 2:JQ, 74\l, \103
FI, ;)20. IOfi, 078
E
__1:mou~t __ : ~~r~CI~:-
Pcr~cnt _
" $8, 122, fi2,5, 71\1 ,
JOO.
o
I
I
1. -12,.
I
:n,,, :~ou
n~ 2, 151, 200, :;n2
Fl, 4(\1, 700, :HO
I
l00.0
100. 0
100. 0
100. 0
100. 0 II
I
I___ Administration
05. 8
$321. 787,526
t. Hi:-3, 5n7. a7R
U4. g
!16. :l
95. 5
95. g
06. 4
6·1. M2, Ril
66,844, 279
63,807, ~33
73. 401,072
,53, 171, 3i I
I. 751. 28fi, 222
I, ::Ht~. Mio, 376
2. on7. t111, 970
I. 4118, fiil, li:l7
I
• __ I
---~~~~~ ~~Clli__l
$i, ;s,1, \lf\3, fi83
- ---·- -- - ~ - I __
1, 2,\8, 130, 24V
I. 818, 130,501
--------~---1
4. 0
WPA
Activities
Conducted
by Other
Fodera!
Agoncies c$131, 865, 369
5.1 ---------------3. 7
4. 5 ---------------3. 4
73,549,631
3. 6
58,315. 738
I
-----A \)oes not include funds for :'.\J'Y _\ n.cti\·itios or \V PA funds tra11sforrcd under tho RRA Acts of lfl35 rmrl 193H for land utilization and rural rehabiliiation programs administered by thP Fnrm Security Aclmi11i:--tratint1.
n Includes NY A administrn.tivt• Pxpcnsl's incurrrd prior to July 1mrn.
c InC'lucks work projPrt and a,hninistrniive expenditures or \V PA funds nllo<'ntt~d under sections :1 and 11 of tlw ERA Acts of 193S
and H.l:3~J. r0sprctiYL ly,
D InchHks amounts for misc1•llam·ous actiYltit'S itemi1,ed in footnotes E nnd F', in addition to work projoct and ruiministr:1tivo Pxpendit.ure-s.
E Includf's $1S.~27.~20 t\xpended for pur('hnst>s of surplus clothirw: n.nd aid to solf-help 1111tl co1>pPrntiyo n.ss·Jciatiuns.
F hH'ludrs $17,332 rx1wndt>d for t.ornadn rPlkf. purehase of surplus clothing, ni<l to sl'lf-lwlp 1111Cl coopcrn.tin' nssociations. and settlement or prope,rtv
damngt' ('\nims.
·
1
Sn11n·1
1
:
Basrcl
r,n rPpor!~ (if
lhf• t-_ S. Tn•:1s110· Jl('pnrtmrnt.
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55
FINANCIAL SUMMARY
CHART 7
do not fully reflect changes in
WPA EXPENDITURES•
employment immediately. Since
July 1935 - June 1940
workers are paid at semiMILLIONS
OF' DOLLARS
monthly intervals, as much as
250
two weeks might elapse between a worker's initial assignment to a project and the receipt
of his first pay check. Similarly, some time is required to
150
check material deliveries and
complete payments to ,-endors.
100
Variation also arises because of
differences in the number of
project payroll periods ending
within a month and other technical factors associated with
payroll, purchasing, and ac1938
1935
1936
1937
1939
1940
counting procedures.
• lnclud• WPA funds alloc::ated to other Federal a1encl• from July 1938 to date.
The amounts expended from
the beginning of WP A operaalso depicts the average monthly rate for suctions in July 1935 through ,June 1940 are
ccssin three-month periods. The moving averpresented by quarters in Table 22 and by
age curvl' providl'S a more rnpl'cscntativc measmonths in the accompan_ving chart. Tlw chart
TABLE 22.-AMOUNT OF WPA FuNDR EXPENDED FOR ACTIVITIES CoNDUC1'ED BY \\'PA A:-.D OTHER FEDERAL AGENCIES
QUARTEllLY. Jl'L\"
1935-Jnrn 1938;
l\IO,,TIILY,
Jl'LY
1!1:l~-Jnrn 11140
[In I housands of dollars]
---· - =-=====c==-===-==----=--I
Period
WPA AclivActivities
it ies Conducted by
Conducted
by WPA A 1OlherFcdcrnl
Agenci{'S B
Total
Period
Total
I
I WPA ActivActivities
ities ConConducted I <lucte<I by
by WPA i Other Federal
AgC'IlCi('5
11935
I
July-September c __________
October-December c
1989
7, 64,5
76,05.5
7. 645
76, 0,55
169,617
lf,f,.().59
1.5.5. ~27
170,984
169,617
166,0,59
155,827
170,984
January __
F'rhruary
March
_\ vPrag-C' _
1936
January-!vlarch c
April-June c _
July-September c
October-December c _______
April
'.I-lay
]UJH'
A VPrage.
July
1937
January-March c ___________
April-June c
July-September c __________
October-December c _______
August
142. 525
136, 707
!Di, 97(;
98, 47,5
1
142, .52,5
136, 707
IOI, 976
98, 47,5
8P1>t1•mber
AvC'ragp
I
Octohpr
Xon•mbl:r- -
1938
January-March c ___________
April-June c _ -------------July ________________________
August_ _________ ---------- September. ___________ ------[
~~e~{Z_~~~;:;;;;;;;;;;;1
December __________________ ;
Average ____ .---··-----,
llfl,601
153, 47:l I
107, 544 ,
198, 174 I
201,.533
180,084 :
204, 74:J '
192.f,O, '
214, 794
204,048
llll.(i91
1.53, 47:i
165, 170
W2,:ilfl
196,060
184. ;,80
198, 727
186, \JI I
208. 156
197,931
2,374
5,GGI
.5, 47:l
4, fi04
Ii. {)If,
,5. 096
6, 63H
fl, 117
l>PcPmh<•r
AvnagP
1940
Jannu.ry
F<•l>nmry
Mnreh
Average __
April.
May
Junr
Avcrugp_
181,427
158, S5S I
203, 18:l
lSI, 156
169, 937
167,211
170. 739
169, 296
141,716
137,074
106. 280
12.~,3.57
I Iii, Olfo
118,505 :
133. 301
122, G27
176, 111
153, 3,'i'i
197,375
17.5. 614
163,096
158,680
161,047
160,941
137,0U7
132,488
102, 121
123,902
111, 2•18
113,479
127,8(),1
117,5IO
121,059
120,432
116,470 '
11.5, 890
136,920
123,090 '
129,800 '
125.:Ho
113,119
12'2, 755
141,M5
127. 712
134, 775
130, .572
!IS, 671
128, OOfi
I
5,316
5,501
5,808
5,.5-12
6,841
8,531
9,692
8. 3.55
4,619
4, .586
4, 15U
4,455
4, 768
5,086
5,497
5, 117
4,589
4,542
4, 710
4,lll6
4,969
.5, 232
5, .552
5. 251
A Includes expenditures for work projects, purchasrs of surplus cl0Lhi11g-, aid to s1•lf-help and cooperativr associations, tornado relirf. seUlcmrnt
of propertv damage claims, administration of WPA, ,m,l a,!rninisl.rntion of NY.\ prior to July l!):39.
Ii Includes expenditures for work projects and for administration made from WPA funds allocated under sections 3 and 11 of the ERA
Acts of 1938 and 1939, respectively.
c Average of the three monthly totals.
Source: Based on reports of the U. S. Treasury Department.
262157°-I0--5
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REPORT ON PROGRESS OF THE WPA PROGRAM
tire of the trend in WPA operations because it
minimizes the time lag between employment
and expenditures and irregularities arising from
other technical factors.
During the first three months of fiscal year
1940, project operations declined steadily,
partly because workers were being discharged
under the provision prohibiting more than 18
months' continuous employment more rapidly
tho,n replacements could be made. By the end
of the quarter, funds were being spent at a
level only slightly above the monthly rate
which prevailed in the autumn of 1937, when
project employment was at the lowest point
reached after the program got fully under way
in the latter part of 1935. (See Chart 7.) The
normal increase in WPA employment that
begins with the approach of the winter season
raised the monthly rate of expenditures gradually in the months from October through
December 1939. During the next two months
the unusually severe weather conditions which
prevailed over large sections of the country
curtailed project operations, prevented the
employment of a full quota of workers, and
resulted in loss of working time on the part of
many employees. In March, however, operations were expanded to allow the workers to
TABLE 23.-AMouNT oF
vVPA
make up time lost involuntarily, and expenditures increased about $20,000,000 over the
January-February level. Workers continued to
make up lost time during the spring, and because of this factor and the normal lag of expenditures the totals for April and May showed
only moderate declines from the March peak.
Over the entire 12-month period, July 1939
through June 1940, WPA expenditures averaged $126,700,000 per month, as compared with
appro:.-...--imately $185,900,000 per month during
the 1939 fiscal year.
Objects of Expenditures
Ninety-one percent of the total expenditures
made from WPA funds in the fiscal year 1940
for programs operated by the WPA and other
Federal agencies represent payments for wages
and saln,ries. For this purpose $1,384,489,000
was expended. Most of this sum was used for
wages of workers employed on projects operated
by the WPA; the total also includes salaries of
administrative employees. Eight percent of all
,vPA expenditures is used in procuring materials, supplies, and equipment and office space.
The remainder, amounting to 1 percent, is used
for contractual services, such as light, heat, and
FuNDs ExrENDED FOR AcTIYITIEs CoNDucTED BY
AGENCIES, BY OBJECT OF EXPENDITURE
YEARS ENDING JUNE
I
I
Activiti,,s conducted
by WPA ·'
Total
A mount
fc';;t
Amount
.;,,';;i
Yeur Ending June 30, 1940
WPA activities
con<luctl'd by
otlwr F,•dcral
agencies 11
Amount
~:';;t
Amoun~
TotaL
$2, 230, 749, 003 100. 0 $2, l."ii, 2011, ;m2 100. 0 $73, '14B, fi31
Per!
Amount
cent
--,--- - - - - - -
conducted by
other Federal
t';;i
agencies
Amount
90. 0
1, !J40, Hli2, 405
90. 0
66, 2:m, H03
I, 384, 488, 884
91. I
Per-
,
100. 0 $1, ,520, 106, 078 j IOO. 0 $1. 4fil, 790. 340 100. 0 $58, 315, 738
90. O
B
cent
__ ____,__
--·---2, ooo, 3n:i, oos
supplies, and equip-
mcnt ____
Rent __________________
Contractual services __
Other....... ---------
WP A activities
Activities conducted
by WPA c
Total
--------- ------- - - ------ - - ----- - - - - - Personal scrv Ices. ____
Purchase of materials,
OTHER FEDERAL
30, 1939, AND JUNE 30, 1940
Year Ending Jurn• ao, l939
Object of Expenditure
\VPA AND
I
100.0
1, 333, 052, 830
01. 2
51,436,045
88.2
86,041, 727
26, 447, 570
15. G61, 210
586,976
5. 0
4,774,194
523,528
817,850
8. 2
0.9
l. 4
I
140, 018, 280
61, 56!i, 054
19, 703, G78
2, 4i'!J, !)fi4
6. 3
2. 7
0. 9
0.1
134, 458, 556
60,889, 6GO
18, 1133, 7·18
2. 25r,. ooa
6. 2
2. 8
0. 0
0.1
5, .559, 733
fi75, ;~1)4
85!1, 030
22:J. 071
7.
0.
I.
0.
6
9
2
90,815, !)21
26,971. I07
lfi, 479, 069
I, 351,097
fl. o I
1. i'
1.8
I.I
(D)
1.1I I
0.
3
764, 121
1. 3
------·
-----A Includes expenditures for projects operated by W PA, purchases of surplus clothing, aid to self-ho Ip and cooperative assoclat.ions, and WPA and
NY A administrative expenses.
8 Includes work project and auministrutivo expenditures of WP A funds ullocatcd under sections 3 and ll of the ERA Acts of 1938 and 1939, respectively.
c Includes cxpenditurl's for projects operatNl hy \V PA, final payments in the surplus clothing purchasL' and. n.id to self-help and cooperative association programs initiated under tlw ERA Act of 19:l8, tornndo relief, payments for property damage claims, and W PA administrative expenses. Does
not include NY A administrative expense.
1> Less than 0.05 prrcont.
-
Source: Dasc<l on reports of tlw lJ. S. Treasury l)<•pnrt.n1L•nt.
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FINAXCIAL SUMMARY
comnumications. and for s1wcial grnnt,s. such as
that for tornado relief, and for ot,IH'I' misrdlaneous items. Dm·ing the year ending ,Jun0 30,
1940, the value of mate-rials, suppli0s, and
equipment purchased totnJPd $90,816,000, r0nt
for equipment and buildings amounted to
$26,971,000, and contractual services and
miscellaneous items rost $17,830,000.
Personal services represented a slightly
smaller percentage of the funds transferred to
other agencies than of ftmds exp0nded clin•ctly
by the WPA, as shown in Tabk 23. Diff0rences also exist in the relative amounts 0xpended for the various nonlabor purposps; a
somewhat larger portion of the transferred
funds than of the funds used directly by the
WPA have been sp0nt for purchases of materials, supplies, and rquipnwnt, and relatively
smaller amounts for rent.
Administrative Expenditures
3
A total of $53,171,000 was spent for th<·
administration of the WP A during the y(~ar
ending June 30, 1940. This amount rcprpsents
a reduction of more than a fourth from the
amount spent during the previous year. The
total for the year constitutes the lowest annual
amount spent by the WPA for administrnLion
in the five years of its existence. (Sec Tahle
21 above.) It should be noted that administrative cxpenditures in previous years included the cost of administering th0 XYA
program, which was operated as a parL of th<•
WPA program. This cost, however, rPprr'sented only a small proportion of tlw ndminist-rative expenditures; even with an <•xpn1HIP<l
and independent program in the fiscal y<'nr 1940
th0 NYA has spent only $4,583,000 for administrative purposes.
Statutory limitation was placed on tlw
amount that might be expended by the WPA
for administraLivc purposes from th0 funds
appropriat0d in th0 ERA Act of 1939. A provision of this act. s0t $50,000,000 as tlw maximum that might be so PXp<'nd0d, wit Ii suhlimitntions as follows: $42,500,000 for snlnriPs,
' :-;; ot inc-lucled in this section arc tho funds t.ransf<'m•d toot hl'r 1',,,l<'rnl
BJ!enri(•~ for ndministratiYC costs in connection with proj('C'ts opnntNl hy
them with transferred WPA funds.
$4,200,000 for trav0l, $600,000 for communications. and $500,000 for printing and binding.
WIH'n th0se amounts proved to be insufficient
for tlH' effective administration of the WPA
progrum, changes in the limits were authorized
in tlw First Deficiency Appropriation Act,
1940, approved April 6, 1940. The new limitations set the total at $53,950,000; raised the
salary limitation to $44,700,000, the amount
for travel to $4,575,000, and the amount for
communications to $725,000; and lowered the
limitation on printing and binding to $475,000
from $500,000. The revised sublimitations
t.otnhl $50,475,000, leaving $3,475,000 to be
spcnL on othPr items of administrative cost,
such as supplies and materials, and r0nt of
officp space. The expenditures listed in Table
24 inelucle checks issued during fisral ycar 1940
to liquidate obligations incurred under 0arlirr
acts in addition to expenditures made against
the scv0ral sublimitations of the 1939 Act.
~-lost of thP administrnt.iv0 expPnclitur0s wPre
mad<> for thP salariPs of the adminisLrativc
staff. During tlw y<>ar 0nding ,J11110 30, 1940,
salary payments amounted to $43,583,000, or
82 p0rccnt of all administrative costs. An
av0rng0 of 26,900 persons were employed in
administrntivP work during the year-the small0st number to b<> Pmployed during any y0ar of
WP A opPrations. Tlw munlwr of administ,ratin· Pmplo:·,<'<'s r<'PI'l'S<•nts n n·duction of 21
TABU; 2-1.- AMOUNT OF WPA FuNDR ExPENDJm FOR
ADMINI8TRATION OF \VPA, BY OBJECT OF EXPENDITURE A
YEAR EXDJXG .lllXE :JO, 1940
--
..
------- ··-Totnl
I Amount Percent
------·----------·----1----____________ ____ _
1$53, 171,371
100. 0
Ohjcrt of- ~;xpen-d;;~-
Personal services. _. _______ . _.. .
.
.. .
Purchase of materials, supplies, and equipment_
Rent. .. --------------------------------.
1
43,583, 210
2, Oi!i, 616
--------j_~:l!J7, 535
('ontnu-tunl services .. ______________________ Communication
_____________
TrnY(•l, inclmling-suhsistenco______
Transportation of thin~s________
Printing and binding _ _ _ _ ____ ___
Heat, light, power, water, electricity
other_______________
<lt.her_______________________ _
---
82. 0
3. 0
2~
--1- f>,~7f>,~~ _ _11~ ~
_____
I
----------1
4,100,122
1.4
7.~
ifM,484
IOU, 214
0. 4
fi67. 495
22'J, f>l6
lfiri, !)34
l. I
o. 4
0. :J
38,136
0. 1
A Docs not include ndmini~tratiH' expenditures of \VPA funds allocated to ot.llPr Federal agcneies undrr seet ion,,;: 3 and 11 of the F,RA Art.s
of rnaN and rn:m. r('spcet i\'l:-ly.
Rource: Based on reports of the l' . .S. Trrasnrr Dr.pnrtment.
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58
REPORT ON PROGRESS OF THE WPA PROGRAM
percent from th0 anrag<' of 34,100 Pmployed
<luring tlw y:,ar Pnding June :30, 19;39_ Most of
the administrative personnel ar<• locat('(I in
state and local offices; employmt>nt in tlwsc
offices av<·rng<•d 25,100 persons during th<• pnst
year. An 1tvPrng<' of I ,500 persons WC'l'<' ,n)l'king in the cPntrnl offic!' in Washington. The
remaining 300 administrative <·mploy!'('S wprc
pPrsons Pmploycd in rt'gionnl offices and otht·r
fidd employees.
Other administrative expenditures includPd
$6,077,000 for t.ravP1, communication, and
other contract.uni S(']"Vie!'S; $2,07G,OOO for purchases of materinls, supplies, nnd t>cp1ip11wnt;
and $1,398,000 for rent of buildings nncl !'quipmC'nt. Ex1wncliturps for ndrninistrntiv<• plll"pos!'s during the fiscal year 1940 nn' shown in
detail in Table 24.
in thP precPding year, even though WP A funds
hnd IH'<'Il rcduePd by about a third. Their
contributions in the year ending June 30, 1940,
n.mo1111ted to $494,378,000. Sponsors' expenditurPs in the fiscal year 1939 totalc:>d $493,939,000,
hnYing increased from $371,608,000 in the fiscal
yt>ar I ~ms, $:300,604,000 in tlw fiscal year 1937,
and $132,890,000 in the fiscal year 1936.
T.\BLE 25.~AMOUNT OF
EXPENDED
ON
WP A
PROJECTS
.\ND SPONSORS' FUNDS
OPER.-1.TEll
BY
WP A,
BY
FISCAL YEAH AND BY SOURCE OF FUNDS
THROUGH JUNE 30, 1940
Sponsors' Funds
Year
Ending
.lune 30--
Total
WPA Funds
I
Amount
Percent
of total
funds
-----
'l'otnl
Sponsors' Expenditures
The WPA, although a FPderal program, i,opernted in close coopp1•atio11 with stntt> and
local public bodies (and to n limited t>xknt,
other Federal agPnciPs) which not only sponsor
thP initiation and prosPeution of projprts but
also participat<> iii financing them. From tlw
beginning of tlw program through Jmw I ~J;rn,
sponsors Pxpendcd stP1Hlily incrcasing amounts
each year for projPcts opC'rakd by tlw WP A. In
thP yenr <'JHling ,Jurw I !HO, sponsors' PXJwnditures slightl_v (•xceeded the amount <'X(Wlldt>d
193(j _
193i
1038
IY39
19-IU
--
I
$U. 578,382, 136
$7, 784, 963, 583
$1,793,418, 553
18. i
I. 32fi. 457. 262
2,051,890. 07(.
I, 7:35, I 73, 997
2. 5(il. 911, 030
I, 902, 919, 771
I, 193, 567, 378
I, 751,286,222
I. 363, 566, 376
2. 067. 971. 970
I, 408. 571. 637
132, 889, 884
300, 603, 854
371,607,621
493, 939, 060
494. 378, 134
10.0
14. 7
21.4
19.3
26.0
Sourc,•: \\TA expenditures based on reports or the U. S. Treasury
Dl'partnwnt: sponsors' l~Xpenditun)s based on "rPA state office reports.
In t.Prms of the percentage:> of total project
costs as W<'ll as in the absolute amount of exp<0ndit111·ps, sponsors have increased their financinl participation in project operations
throughout the period of the WPA program.
ThP p!'rei>ntage of total costs paid by sponsors,
however, is necessarily affected by the level
of WPA activities; a large
volume of WPA employment
CHART 8
with its consequent high level
WPA AND SPONSORS' EXPENDITURES ON PROJECTS
of
WPA expenditures is assoOPERATED BY WPA, BY FISCAL YEAR
ciated
with relatively smaller
AND BY SOURCE OF FUNDS
Through June 30, 1940
sponsors' contributions notMILLIONS Of' DOLLARS
withstanding the fact that
3.000
2.500
YEAR ENDING ;,..O_ _ _=---'"c•OOOc==__ _~1"i,5=00~_~2cs.ooo~
sponsors have increased the
JUNE 30, 1936
absolute amounts of their exf--'-----r-----,---'
penditures in times of expa.ndJUNE 30, 1937
!'---~-,------,,-----,-----,-"
ing employment. This tendency reflects the greater finanJUNE 30, 1938
f------''--r-----,,-----,-~
c in.l ability of the Federal
JUNE 30, I 939
Government to deal quickly
with
changes in unemployment
JUNE 30, 1940
f------'f-----'--,--,----,--~
and, conversely, the less flexible financial resources of the
□
OwP" ru"'os
states and localities.
SPON!i0F\S
0
F"UNOS
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FINAKCIAL SUMMARY
Sponsors' expenditures reprcsentPd 26 percent of total projrct costs during the 1!)40
fiscal year- a higher percentage than in a11y
earlier period. The ratio averaged 25 prrcent
dming the July-September quarter, 27 prrccnt
during the period from October t hrnugh Drcember, 24 percent during the first three months of
1940, and 27 percent from April through ,J11De.
The percentage for each fiscal year, togeth cr
with the actual amounts of sponso rs' funds and
WPA-Federal funds expended, are presented in
Table 25.
The ERA Act of 1939 provides that at lrast
25 percent of thr cost of all non-Federal projl'cts
approved after January 1, 1940, shall bli paid
by sponsors. This regulation applirs to the
aggrega.te of all non-Federal prnjects within
a state, enabling sponsors to balancp a relat inly
low contribution rate on somr individual
projects with higher rntes 011 others. Si11cc
many of th r projects in op<mi.t.ion dming the
last half of the fiscal year had hcrn approwd
prior to January 1, e:-.-prnditure figures for the
year reflect only partially tl1 e dfcct of this
provision.
Sponsors' funds, for the most part, cm1sist
of funds supplied hy highway and stn•ct commissions, departments of health, \\"Plfarc, nnd
education, and similar agencies of municip:dities, states, countirs, townsh ips, or other public
bodies. Rclativrlv small arnoirnts of FrdPrnl
funds arc supplieci' by Fed<'ral ag<•nc iPs such ns
the War and Navy Departnwnts, the V<,t<'l'illis '
Administrntion , the Fon•st Servic<•, and the
Bureau of Entomology mid Pl ant Q11arn11ti1w,
which also sponsor prnjccts 01wrnt<'d by the
Work Proj<'cts Administration.
were used during the fiscal yoo.r in t.he prosecution of vVPA work projects. This sum reprcS<'nts n, reduction of approxirnatdy one-fourth
from the total amount expended for projects
operated by thr WPA during the previous fiscal
year. Total project costs arc shown hy stat<'S
and by sources of funds and objects of expt•11diture in Tablrs XII and XIII of the appendix.
Objects of Expenditures
Most of t.lrn WPA funds spent for projects
oprrn.kd by thP ½'PA arc used to pay the
wagcs of project ,,·orkPrs. The larger share of
~ponsors' funds, on t.lH' otlwr h and, is spent in
th e prncurcment of supplies, materials, and
cquipnwHt for project operation . vVage costs
nccountcd for nearly 92 percent of the WPA
funds expmded dming thr fiscal Yl'ar 1940 and
for only 16 prrc<'nt of sponsors' fuHds. Wage
paym<'nts mndc hy sponsors wen•. for engineers,
snprrYisory personnrl, operators of heavy equipmcnt, and othl'l' key personnel not n.vailable
among persons crrtifi<•d for \V PA cmployment.
Of t.Jw tota l of $1,902,050,000 ex 1wndcd on
prnjrcts in th(' 1940 fiscal _Vl'fl.l', a.bout. $1,:rns,98G,000 was <'XJ)l'nded for wages and sala.rirs.
CHART 9
DISTRIBUTION OF WPA EXPENDITURES
BY OBJECT OF EXPENDITURE*
Year Endlnl June 30, 1940
ADMINISTRATION
WPA and Sponsors' Expenditures on Projects
Operated by WP A 4
/
PROJECT
:.,...----- NONLABOA
The $494,378,000 provickd hy sp011so rs for
8 .2 %
$119,10 2.000
the financing of proj<'ct costs during tlH• Y<'Hl'
ending Jun.c 30, l\l40 , supplem<•IILl'd <•xp<·11diturcs of $1, 408,fi72,000 from Fl'ckrnl funds nppropriatrd to thr \'\"PA. In t il l' n_o·o-r<•"nk
$
'"''"' ,..,
'
l,902,950,000 of sponsors' trnd vVPA money
--
. t I1('
n ' :,,ot include(I 1a
.
.
.
follo w111 g- d1 scu ss1on urc \V PA fund s l'XJll'IH.kd on
ro1ct·ts 0 P<'rated hy oth('r Fcclnnl Agencies.
3.6 %
$53 , 171 ,000
$ C...pendlture-& ol WPA lun M for •d"llnf•trallon
• nd r,rojecb o~r•ted l7y WPA .
WPA
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60
REPORT ON PROGRESS OF THE WPA PROGRAM
TABLE 26.-AMOUNT OF WPA AND SPONSORS' FUNDS ExPE'\'In;D O'\' PROJECTS OPERATED BY
OF EXPENDITURE AND BY SOURCE 0~' FUNDS
YEAR ENDIN<, .TFNE
:!O.
Total
Oth,•r" _ _
,.,re,o,
I
I
'"'"''"'
Pere•o<
Amooo<
P•=• :;~,:/
1_- 90-2- .-!14_9_,__ 1-~~~1~:;5~1.ti;~i~-;94~;~~~
:Jos. os1,. :irn 1~1,-·1. 289.
i
7_7_1
______________ -__-_-_-__-___-___-__-___-__ ,_$__
Prrsonal SL~rviccs
__________________________________ _
PurchaSl' of matPrials, supplies, and cquipmt>nt __________
Rent. ofL•quipnwnt_ ____ _
Sponsors' Funds
WPA Funds
Totnl
f
BY OBJECT
IY40
Objt>cl of ~:xpenditure
'"'"""'
WPA,
1.
1
I
298, 181,017 ,
175, 178. 03,5 i
GO. G04, 403
15. 7
9. 2
3. 2
I
4oV~ta9
81. 00G, 92.1
25, 98fi, 092
12. 109, ()()]
I
I
9l. 5
5. 8
1. 8
0. 9
-,9, 516,697
217, 174,092 I
149, 191, 943 I
48. 495. 402 '
10.1 ---5.-8
43. 9
72. 8
30. 2
85. 2
9. 8 I
8(1. 0
AIncludl's sponsors' purcbasL"S of land. land ll•ases, PasL•nwnts. and rh!lits-of-,i.·ar.
Sourct>: \VPA l'Xfwnditun•s hasPcl on n•ports of Lill' l:. ~- Tn•asury lh•pmtn11•11t: spon:,;nr:,;' t'XpPndil.tJrl'S hasPd on \YPA ::-tale otlict~ reports.
This sum rcpn'sentt'd 72 percent of the comLirn•d WPA and sponsors' funds l'Xpe1Hkd 011
projt>cts, a slightly smalll'r proportion than in
pnwious yPars. The lowpr· perCPlltnge refkcts
the greater relative importancl' of sponsors'
funds--which nre <'Xl)l'IHkd for mnil'rinls nnd
cquipnwnt-in total project outlays. :-.Ion•
than 94 1wrcPnt of tlw wag<' paynwnts Wl'n·
made from WPA funds. Tlw 6 percent suppliPd by sponsors was ex1wnded for wagps n nd
salaries of specially qun.litiPd workl'rs wlio Wt'l'e
n<·<•,pssnry for project orwrations.
Outlays for nonlahor purposps during the
year (•nding ,June :30, 1940, totali>d $533,964,000
and included $298,181,000 for materials, suppli<>s, and rquipnwnt purchns<>d, $175,178,000
for rl'nt of rquipnwnt, and $G0.605,000 for re11t
of buildings, contrnctunl Sl'l"Yices, and miscdlancous itPms. T11hlP 2G prPs<>nts th<· distribution of tlwse amounts by sourc1' of funds.
Average Expenditures per Worker Employed
ThP cost to the• FPdernl Gon•rnnwnt of Pmploying n worker for n month on proj1•rts OJWl'ated hy thr WP.A an>rng-Pd nhout $fil .,iO during
the year ending Jmw :30, Hl40. Of this nmmmt
npprnximatPly $54.25 wus paid out in wages to
the workl'r, $5.00 wns for mnl<>rinls nnd oth1•r
non-labor it(•ms rpquin•d for prnject orwrntion;;,
and $2.25 for ndminislmlion. ln addition to
WPA Pxpcnditures, prnj(•<·l sponsors ('XJwndt•d,
on Llw uvcragl', about $21.U0 JH'r month 1wr
workPr paid from WPA funds.
Th<· 1ww earnings S('h<•d11l1• "·hic!t w1•nt into
efft"ct SPptPmber 1939, rnis1•d aYPl'agP full-time
earnings slightly and thus tended to increase
the bnsic Pamings. This increase was some,drn t offst>t by the lowPr limitation on the
ammrnt of \YPA funds that might lw expended
for Jl(m]ahor costs ($G per ,,·orker per month
instPad of till' $7 pNmitkd in the previous year).
Tl1<• un•rnge l'XJwnditure pt>r worker employed
was further 1wluced in tlH' com·s<:> of the year
by tlw fact thnt. unusually SPYPre winter weather
causpd an almormally largP amount of lost
tinH• nnd not all of thP tinw lost could be made
up. Tlw IIPL l'ffrct of the vnrious fnctors was
an incrpasc of n,hout onP-half dollar over the
HYPl'Hg<' cost per worker per month of the prerPdi11g y<>ar. Tl1<• distribution by object of
ex1wnditun• was only slightl~T changed from
that obtaining in the yPar ending ,Tune 30, 1939,
the In hor cost incrPasing by a small amount.
The distribution of outlays of FNforal funds
during th!' liscnl yPar 1940 by object of exp1•1uiitlll'l' is sh0\"71 in Chnrt 9 in terms of
pPrcen tngps
Sponsors' expenditures per worker per n1onth,
on the other hand, inrrensed b~- more than
$tUJ!l or about 50 percent. Of this amount
npprnxi111ntd_v $5.:iO rcpn'sPnted increased expP11diturns for mmlabor costs.
Nonlabor Costs
~!any di(forcnt kinds of mntC\rinls, supplies,
and nq11ipnw11t, ranging in Yariot_v from spools
of cotton thrnnd to pilt~ driYers, HTC\ required
for tho operation of WPA projects. Prnctically
0Y0ry kind of construction mn ttwinl is used as
w0ll ns many goods of n, nonronstruction nnture.
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FINANCIAL S-CMMARY
Some machinery and equipment is purchased
for use on projects but most of it, especially
heavy and eA~ensive equipment, is rented.
More than half (57 percent) of all project expenditures for nonlabor purposes have been
made for the purchase of materials, supplies,
and equipment. From the beginning of WPA
operations through June 30, 1940, such purchases from many branches of industry have
amounted to $1,335,381,000 of which sponsors
cont.ributed 61 percent. Of this amount,
$298,181,000 was spent during the 1940 fiscal
year, $81,007,000 from Federal and $217,174,000
from sponsors' funds. Equipment rent accounted for more than a third of the total nonlabor expenditures during the entire period
through June 1940; the amounts spent for this
TABLE 27.-AMOUNT OF
,vp A
purpose totaled $820,,505,000 of which $526,643,000 was provided by project sponsors. The
remainder of the nonlabor expenditures were
made for rent of buildings, heat, light, and other
contractual services and for purchases of land
by sponsors. Expenditures for these various
purposes during the entire period of WPA
operations through ,June 1940 are shown by
source of funds in Table 27.
For the operation of a program involving
highway and other construction activities as
extensive as those of the WPA, large expenditures are necessary for construction machinery such as paving equipment, road scrapers,
power shovels, electrical machinery, trucks, and
tractors. Payments for all equipment rented
or purchased totaled $887,476,000 from both
AXD SPOXSORS' FUNDS EXPENDED FOR
I\ ON LABOR
PURPOSES ON PROJECTS OPERATED
BY WPA, BY TYPE OF PURCHASE OR RENT AND BY SOURCE OF FUNDS
Cc}l1,'LATIVE TIIROGOII Ju,rn ~o.
1940
Total
Sponsors' Funds
Type
WPA Funds
Amount
TotaL. ________________________ _
Percent
I
Amount
Percent
of total
$2, 350, 155, 700
100. 0
$869,614,823
$1,489, .540, 937
63. 1
Purchase of materials, supplies, and equipment__ __________________________ _
I. 335,381. 231
56. 6
519,747,004
8lfi, 633,327
61.1
Stone, clay, and glass products. _____________ ----------------------------
464. 565,073
19. 7
189, 816, 545
274. 748, fi28
59.1
122. 42,5. ~83
59, OOll. 004
67, r,n 121
79. 733. 744
90,805.992
45,019,229
5. 2
2. 5
2. 9
3. 4
3. 8
1. 9
71, fi31, 410
22,126.590
27. G97, 108
31. 256,349
25,555,622
11, f,39, 460
50,893,067
36,879,414
39. 877,613
48, 4H7. 395
65,250,370
33,379, 769
41. 6
62. 5
59. 0
60. 8
71. 9
74. 1
II. 3
87. 537,677
178, 077, 393
67. 0
19,298,449
2:l,84fi.H7
24, 108, 69(i
20,284,085
47,942, \!39
34. 641. 182
55, 4."'i5, 549
40. 037, 723
71. 3
59. 2
69. 7
66. 4
Cement ______________________ --------------------------------- - ----Clay products ______________ . __ ------- - ----------------- - ---------Concrete products _____ __ ________________ _______________________ _
Crushedstonc __ -----·---·- _ ------------------------------------Sand and gravel._________
_________________________ _________ _
Other_____________________
__. _____________________________ _
===
265, r, rn. 010
----(;7, 241. 388
,58, 4S7. ll29
79,564, 245
f,O, 321,808
Metal products, excluding machinery ___________________________________ _
Cast-iron pipe and fittings _______________________________ ___________ .
Structural and reinforcing steel. ________ . __________________________ _
Iron and steel products A_______
_ ___________________________ _
Other________________________________________
___________ __ ___ _
Lumber and its products, excluding furniture and fixtures ____________ _
Bituminous mixtures, paving and other_ _________________ . ________ ___
Textiles_. ______________________________________________________________ _
ul
3. 4
2. 6
72. 4
.5. 71
37,438. 3il5
98. 07-1, 4'17
4, 9
47, fi4:J. 79il
68,612,825
50.0
88,578, 232
3. 7
58,746,889
29,831, 3·13
33. 7
-- ----------==~==•I=====
Machinery and equipment ____________________________________________ _ _,I
liG. 971. 322
2. 9
33. 084, 90fi
33,286.327
49. 7
---- -----------1------1--Electrlcal machinery, supplies, and equipment. _________________ . __ ._ 'j
27. 894. 295
1. 21
9. 031. 694
18,862. f>Ol
67. ll
Paving, other construction, and transportation equipment._________
J:l. 867. 613
o. (i
10. 722,862
3, 144. 751
22. 7
Other._______________________ __________________ _______________ ____
25,209,414
1. 1
13,930,430
11,278,975
44. 7
Chemicals and allied products ______ _______ _____________________________ -
13:,, 512. 812
116, 2oG, 621
I
41,352, lll3
1. 71==1=3.=.,=37=,6=1=2=l===2=7,=8=14=,=55=l=l===67=.3
tt~;;~:i;~-~C~S--~~=::::::::: :: _:::::::::::: :::::::::::::::::::::::::_: - - =
,~t-~1g:
m t ~ 1~: ~i~: &1i ~~: iK i~~ ~r: g
------==-===l======I====
Rent of equipment ________________________________________________________ _
Motor vehicles_____
_____________________
_______________ _
Teams and wa~ons. _____
_ ____________ _______ ________________ ____ __
Con.strnction equipment __ . ____________ . _____ _____ . _________________ _
Other ________________________________________________________________ _
Other
B __________ -- ___________ - - - - - - - - --- - - - - -- - - -- - - - - - -- - - - - - • - - - - -
--I
820,504.894
3•1. 8
293,862.174
64. 2
526, 642, 720
------ ---- ----- ------ ---250, 2f>O. 899
152. 95f,, 58f, ·1
19. 2
202. llSf>. 687
.55. 3
40. 072. 121
1. 7
:ll. 80fi. 1.59
8,265.062
20. fl
302. 840, U7.5
12. 8
5f>, 142, 205
246, 698, 680
81. 5
24, 63,5. 212 .
1. I
3,227,033
21,408,179
86. 9
1
203, WO, 635 1==,8=.6=:1,==5=6=.0=04=,=74=5~
147, 264. 800
72. 4
Not elsewhere classified.
B Includ('S space rents, contractual SPrviCl'S such as light and telephone, land leases and easl~mcnts, and other miscl~llaucous expenditures.
A
Source: WPA state omec reports.
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REPORT ON PROGRESS OF THE WPA PROGRAM
WPA and sponsors' funds through June 30,
1940. This amount comprises about 38 percent
of all nonlabor expenditures during the entire
period. Under the provisions of the ERA Act
of 1939 construction equipment or machinery
may not be purchased from WPA funds unless
they cannot be rented at prices which the Commissioner determines to be reasonable. Practically all of the equipment provided by sponsors is also rented. Of the total expended for
machinery and equipment since the beginning
of operations, over nine-tenths has been for
rented equipment.
The construction aspects of the WP A program are also evident from the predominance
of construction materials among purchases
made for project purposes. Stone, clay, and
glass products-chiefly cement, sand and
gravel, and crushed stone-required the largest
expenditures. Approximately $464,565,000, or
about 20 percent of all nonlabor expenditures
through June, was spent for purchases of this
kind of material. A large quantity of metal
products was also used; about $265,61.5,000
was spent for cast-iron pipe and fittings, structural and reinforcing steel, and other metal
products.
Lumber and lumber products and bituminous
mixtures for paving and other purposes were
also purchased in large volume, requiring the
expenditure of $135,513,000 and $116,257,000,
respectively. Other relatively important types
of construction materials were chemicals and
allied products for which $41,:352,000 was spent,
1111d petroleum products, purchases of which
totaled $34,580,000. Textiles are the principal
nonconstruction material purchased in large
quantities and are used chief!.', 011 sewing
projects; expenditures for textiles during the entire period amounted to $88,578,000. Amounts
expended for these and other items of nutterials,
supplies, and equipment are shown by source of
funds in Table 27.
Types of Projects
Construction activities accounted for threefourths of the total expenditure of $1,902,950,000
in WPA and sponsors' fu11ds for projects operated by the WPA during the year ending ,June
30, 1940. Twenty-four percent of the totnl
was used for education, health, sewing, and
other professional and service projects.
Among the various types of projects, highway, road, and street work predominated, as it
has since the initiation of the WPA program.
The $791,863,000 spent for this type of work
represented nearly 42 percent of the year's
total. Second in importance among construction activities are projects involving the construction or improvement of sewer and water
supply systems, and other public utilities which
accounted for about $199,839,000, or nearly 11
percent of total expenditures from Federal and
sponsors' funds. A total of $183,448,000 was
expended for the construction and improvement
of public buildings. Work on recreational
facilities, excluding recreational buildings, utilized about $119,000,000 or 6.3 percent of the
total. The other major types of construction
work-conservation projects, airports and airways, and sanitation projects-represented 3.4,
2.0, and 1.6 percent, respectively, of the total
expenditures mnde during the fiscal year.
Community services, such as educational and
recreational activities, arts programs, and
library and museum work, accounted for more
than one-fourth of the expenditures for nonconstruction work and represented nearly 7 percent of the total project costs during the fiscal
year. Expenditures for sewing projects represented 6 percent of the total; 5 percent was expended for research and records projects and 5
percent for welfare projects other than sewing,
including, among other activities, projects involving housekeeping aid to families in need,
scbool luncltes. distribution of surplus commodities, and health work.
The types of ,rnrk accomplished on the WP.A
program, of course, vary considerably from
state to state, because of such factors as geographic, ind ust,rial, and economic differences,
populn.tion concentration, the construction
needs :rnd financial resources of local commnnities, and othN state clrnracteristics. Road and
street constructio11 wns the most important
type of work in most states, but was more important in some than in others. In five states
(Aln.bama. Arizona, Arkansas, Tennessee, and
West Virginia) more than 60 percent of the total
expenditures dming the year were made for
projects 011 highways, roads, nnd streets. On
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FINAXCIAL SUMMARY
the other hand, this type of project. accounted
for less than a fifth of the total expendit.ures in
Ca.lifomia, Rhode Island, and the District of
Columbia. Work on public buildings represents a much larger part of total project expenditures in the western states of ~ ew
~1exico, Oklahoma, Utah , Arizona, and California and also in South Carolina and New
York than in the country as a whole. ln
Hawaii, nearly half the work during the year
has been on public buildings. Relatively large
expenditures for the extension of sewer systems
and other utilities were made in severul New
England states and in Delaware. Conservation work has continued to be concentru.ted in
the Far West and in some of the New England
states in which the September 1938 hurricane
caused extensive damage. Variations in t-he
relative importance of other t.ypes of work in
the several state programs are shown in Tables
XIV and XV of the appendix.
Sponsors of all types of projerts opernted
by the WPA provided 26 perrent of the total
rost during the fiscal year 1940 as compared
"'ith a cumulative average of 19 percent. oYer
t,he entire period of the program 's operation.
CHART 10
WPA AND SPONSORS' EXPENDITURES ON PROJECTS
OPERATED BY WPA, BY TYPE OF PROJECT
Year Endlna: Jirne 30, 1940
T'rJ"l:~PM>.JECT
0
·--
KWDISffTDisAlfO
11;1a.unoNA&. rACIUT'lr.s
Lull,tll•f ■•lllllRp
-In general, the sponsors' share of thr total cost
of projPcts which require n rda tiwly large outlay for materials and other nonlabor costs is
relativPly high. For rxample, in the fisca.l year
1940 sponsors provided 40 pPrcrnt of all costs
of airport a.nd airway projP<"lS nnd 30 percent
TABLE 28.-AMOUNT OF \VPA AND SPONSORS' FU!'.DS EXPENDED ON PROJECT S OPERATED BY
\YPA,
BY MAJOR TYPE
OF PRO J E CT .\ND BY SOURCE OF FUNDS
CUllUI.ATIVE TRROPr.n AS'O Y EA R EsnrnG J UNE 30, 1040
Cumulati ve throu~h June :JO, 1!140
Y,•ar Endin~ June :io. 1040
- - - - - - - -- -- - - - -- - -Total
:Spon:--ors' funds
Total
Sponsors' fund s
Type of Project
WPA funds
Per-I
cent
Amount
cc~1r~f
total
Amount
- - - - - - -·- - - Total_ __ ________ __ _
I
Highways, roads, and streets : 3,727, 392,168 38. u
Public buildings ____ . _ __
998,896,803 . 10. -I
Recreational facilities , excludin~ buildings ________ ___. _.
855, 246, 233
8. 9
Sewer systems and other utilities___ __ __ __ _______
964, 742, 044
10.1
2,931, ;3;, 71\1
7/i7, 997, !160
I
f~'J'~~atro~~!~~ys_ Sanitation______________
-:
! ~:
~g~: 1i~ !:2.1i
201,426. 1)69
Professions I and service __
Community service. _
Research and records ___ _
Sewing _____ . _______ . .
Welrare,excludingsewing I
Other . . __ _____________ ,
~liscellaneous A____________ __
191. 11no, 877 :
2.
I
-
-
-
21. :J
23. 1
-1=
lll,'J!f,,038 1 13. 1
110. :13!1,on
G. 3
207, i-17, 2HJ :
40, G'J:l, 7:l-1
IU!I, g;JS. li-10
:17, 2;11, -150
6•1.8IX,8l 'J
2!), 788, I:JH
10. 5
2. 0
3. 4
I. n
2:l-1_ __25_0,_'.:_:_3_.:.054
513,150, 73G '
:l,lo, 8:J2, 2(15 :
S8G, 715, 8051'
2,15, 23!!. 03:J
98,31:J,\lf,.1 1
83,2-10,8981
57,210, 54(!
4G, 162. ,\UO
57,048, 8i:l
f>,!112,03,\
==----== ====
53 ..1s:1. 2w
=
'
14.0
13. 9
7. 3
18 3
GG
--2s.
o
I
1
J:ll,8(17,:i2S
!>8, 174, ·161
118. 135, f>f,3
90,114, Sf>G
12,41,0,!I\JG
2,. -mo. r.nx
----------
_.,,I. H:l,
$-l!H, 3;s, 134
,\f,4, 17!1, u:n
1~. 11:1. 0-IG
227,684, 176
55,334,85 1
28. 8
30. 2
~l3, 00~. 2H-t
26,3:ll,629
22.1
H:l,:llll.521i
2'1, 261. 788
50. ·130. 110
21. ,') )';, r.1;
56,557, 114
15. 017, 602
28. 3
40. 3
t~~:~rJ
~r~
=
6.0
1
~r,x. :':· 20,_ -~2, .1!1s_.7_u4___1_8_3
r, 2
!i. 2
4 7
0.7
!O:l.~28.5,G
sO. 471. 88-1
103. [,38, 20!1
li'J, 845, OM
10.~00,174
1. :i
!,, 200. 018
- ---
26. 0
- =:-=-=-===
= = =
12_.2__4~1._~l_:_'.~ _2_a._, _
__
1
:cirJ1r~f
· tota l
791, HG:! , 20i : 41. 6
18:l, 4-17, 8117 . 9. G
21. 5
24.8
!3. U
20. 2
A.mount
- - ---
--
j
I
100. U $ 1, -Ilk-.
743, :!2!1.2\IS ;
~1J:~~::1. , ~i:~¥~:~x:
6.21
4. 3
6. G
3 3
I.I
o
,U5, G54, 7-W I
:130, 8!J8, 84:J
-
18.; $1,002, 9-IU, ;;1
756, HU4, h25
150. 811, ,10
_2_
. o_5o_. !l_:_G_,6_88_ _2_1_5 '_i_
, s_
uu. ~::·
50G,3'Jl,634
413,081,844
032, 008, 404
312,288, 80()
!05,25(i,OOO
I
-- -
.,J~. 553
~== = - ------ --
$9, 578,382, 13(; HlO. 0 s;, ;81, 9G3 . .',8:J $1. 7!!:l,
\\'PA funds
t~t
Amount
I
28,01\8, 740
IX, 002, 577
14, 5117, 154
20, 2fl9, ,192
1,660,522
8, 19-1, 680 .
=
21.3
18. 3
12. 4
22. 5
133
32. I
- - - - - - - -- ~ I _ _
.t Includes adjustment of \VP A expenditures lo total reported hy the Treasury I >eparuncnl; spom;or~· cx JK'rn lit ur("~ for land, land lenses, casements,
and rights-of-way, for which the distribution hy type of project is no t arnilnhlc; nnd projects not included uuder the hca,lin~s nhove.
Source: WP A state office reports.
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64
REPORT ON PROGRESS OF THE WPA PROGRAM
of the costs of public buildings projects,
which require more materials and equipment
than do some other types of work. The sponsors'
share of the total cost is lowPr, on the other
hand, for projects requiring relatively small
nonlabor expenditures, such as certain conservation activities nrnl many t:vpes of professional
and service work, since the ·wages of all cer-
tifi.ed workers are paid from Federal WPA
funds.
Detailed data on expenditures for each type
of project by source of funds and object of
expenditures from the beginning of the program through June 30, 1940, are shown in
Table X of the appendix, and for the year
ending June 30, 1940, in Table XI.
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PROJECT ACCOMPLISHMENTS
BASIC
requirement of the \VPA progrnm is
A that workers shall be employed on projects
of a useful nature. Projeet work performed
by WPA employees has invoh·ed many kinds
of activity and bus produced a wide variety of
useful publie improvements and publi<' servi<'es.
~lost of the work has been directed towards the
improvement and extension of physi<'al fa('ilitit>s
for transportation, education, reneation, publi<'
health and sanitation, and wPifare, and fa('ilities required in the performan<·P of other govprnment functions. yfore nd<>quate highway and
street systems; new airports; thousands of ll<'W
1md improved s<'hool buildings, hospitals, and
other public buildings; additional sewage and
,mt.er treatment fa('ilitit>s; and man)- other
nchievements that are tnngible and enduring
luffc resulted from vVPA <'onstrudion work.
Significant contributions to tlw S('Ope und
quality of public services huve resulted from
the nonconstru<'tion projects through whi<'h
instruction, recreational lendership, personnPI
for planning nnd reseurch, and othrr kinds of
assistance have been made avnilablc to the
rnrious communities.
Town, city, county, and stntr g<ffernmcnts
and other public sponsoring ag<>ncit>s hn,·e taken
thr initiative in the \VPA undertakings. Th<>y
not only proposp the projects and purticipnte
activPly in their operntion, but thry nlso contribut<' about 01w-fourth of tlw total projPct
<'osts. Local sponsorship undN these conditions assures tht> proseeution of projects adapted
to meet the specific nPeds of thC' individual comtnunity. The influence of lo<"nl conditions also
appears in the selection of projects that are
adapted to the ocrupa tional abilities of the
workers referred to the WP A by loeal welfare
authorities.
Transportation and Communication
Impron'lll<'llt and extpnsion of facilities for
transportation mid commw1ication, important
PlPnwnts of thP social nnd 1•conomic life of the
:t\ation, have always prPdominatPd in tlw
,YPA progrnm. Proj1,cts of this type-principally work on roads a11d stn'l'ts but also including work on airports and air navigation
facilities and aids to wnt<'r trn.nsportation-hn v<' account('(! for ahout two-fifths of all
<'XJwnditun's of project fonds.
Road work is C'SJH'cially suitable for operation urnkr tlw \\TPA program. Since the
c!Pmand for improved roads and strPets is
constantly hPing brought to the ntt<'ntion of
public ofli<"inls in all sPctions of the cou11try,
prncticall:v <'Very community has rcqu<'StPd
,,TPA proj<'cts rPla ting to tnmsportation fncilitiPs. Roud imJH'OVPlllent is n type of work
thnt can rPadily lw JH'tfornwd by thC' unskilled
or S<'miskilkd mmrnal workPrs who constitute
thC' majority of the persons for whom WP.A
jobs nr<' r<'quircd. Road prnjPcts ha,-e th<>
additional charnelt'ristic of 1w11nit.ting the
flpxihility of OJH'rntion nePclPd on tlw \YPA
program. \Vork on roads and strPt'ts ran he
c11rtai1<,d or susJH'JHkd during hnn-est sN1sons
when \YPA workNs Hr<' nble to ohtnin t<'rnporary agriculturnl employnwnt, and it can be
65
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66
REPORT ON PROGRESS OF THE WP A PROGRAM
TABLE 29.-HIGH"\\AYS, ROADS, AND STREETS CONSTRUCTED OR IMPROVED ON PROJECTS OPERATED
BY
WPA
CUMl"LATfVE THROPGD DECE:\lfiER :3}, 1939
Item
,_____
Miles
----
------
------~
Low type
surfaee and
unsurfaced
- - - - - - - - - 1 - - - - - ----------- - - - - - - - Total _______________ _
4i0, 11s I
51. 2~tl
Totnl
Rural roads
Streets and alleys
Other roads
High type
:-.urfare
20,-062
412, 204_! _ _
50. :l4 l ,
20, 576
i, 573
I, 60S
3S3, 142
29, 765
5. 965
expanded rapidly when economic and unemployment conditions make it lll'Cessary to increase \VP A employment.
As a result of the operation of highway
prn.i<'cts from the beginning of tlw \YPA pro-
gram in tlw snmnwr of 1935 through December
19:39, the construction or improvement of
470,000 mil<'s of roads and streets had been
complded. This total included about 28,000
mi!Ps of new hard-surfaced roads and 23,200
thist-:-:
miJ.•s of ,·,conditioned highways with
of smfacing. The extent of WPA road
~
strnction in each state is indicated ·'
accompanying map. 1
Rmal sections of the country have be , ~
chiPf lwn<'ficiaries of WPA road work in tehns
of lnilPage. Roads constructed or reconstruct,.
e<l by \YPA workers in rural areas totaled about
412,000 miles. On most of this mileage (383,000 miles) roadb<'ds were graded and drained
urn! h-,•qumtly sm·foc~d with crushed
r
grnvPL These are the roads, largely -- ·e
fr<'clPr or farm-to-market variety, whi _
e
the former year-round access to mat e - ,
shopping centers, schools, and churches and
1·~-_,
·
1 The total mileage of road work completed in each state is shown in
Table XVIII of the appendix together with state distributions of certain other itPms or construction work. nil of which is under thr jurisdic1ion of the En~inrrring Division. Accomplishments on work in the non•
cnn~t ruction field, performed under the jurisdiction of the Division ot
Prnfl'ssinnal nnd S<'rYicl' Projects, arc shown by states for selected items
in T:ihJ,, X\-Il.
Portions of Chicago's Outer Drive along Lake Michigan and a pedestrian overpass
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PROJECT ACCO:\IPLISH:\IE;\"TS
Four hundred thousand miles of rural
roads have been built or improved by
WPA workers; the roads shown here are
in Ohio (right) and Wisconsin (below)
permit regular mail delivery. A much snrnlll'r
portion (29,000 miles) of thl' rnral roads on
which work was done had concrete, brick,
blacktop, bituminous concrete, or macadam
surfaces; these are mainly primary highways
that link urban areas. Work on the roads
ranged from completely new construction of
road base and surface- including such operations as clearing, grubbing, excavating, grading, and surfacing-to the grading and stabilization of roadbeds.
In urban areas, much of the project work
has been directed towards the reduction of
traffic congestion. Streets that were built
when the population was smaller and the
traffic slower have to be reconstructed to meet
mo ,~rn conditions. This involves the widen~ of streets, replacing of old surfaces with
mo durable or suitable materials, and erection
of-traffic signs and traffic lights. Street work
accomplished through WP A projects has been
chiefly of this nature. New hard surfn<·es were
li d.on nearly 12,000 miles of stl'l'l'LS and alleys,
9,000 miles of such surfaces were rebuilt in
'our and one-half years of WP A operntions.
ddition, nearly 30,000 miles of city streets
and roads with dirt, clay, sand, and gravel surfaces were built or improved by the WPA ;much
of this mileag<> is in suburban arms.
Besides work on road bases and wenrmg
surfaces, highway improvement requires the
constrnction or reconditioning of many appmtenant structures, such as bridges, culverts,
sidewalks, curbs, gutters, and guardrails. Under the WPA road building program, 57,200
new bridges and viaducts had been cornpletc-d
by the l'ncl of 1939. They average over 30 fed
in IPngth. Ten thousand of the new bridges are
mnsonry or concrete structures wl1ich in many
instnnces replace the smglc-lane spans of nn
earlier day and are wide and sturdy enough to
support at least two-lane traffic. About 4,500
are of sted and average more than 50 feet in
length, some being well over 100 feet. The
majority of the new bridges, however, are built
of wood. Half of the 42,500 new wooden
bridges are in five southern states; Alabama and
:Mississippi together account for 11,600 of them.
Many an' smnll bridges but, nevertheless, fill
a. real need by replacing weakened structures
e
Lorings Bridge in Cortland County, New York, is one of th.!
10,000 concrete or masonry bridges built through
WPA project activities
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REPORT ON PROGRESS ON THE WPA PROGRAM
CHART 11
~
HIGHWAYS, ROADS,
STREETS CONSTRUCTED OR IMPROVED BY WPA
Cumulative Through December 31, 1939
7 L:~---__ _
-............
""'"·
=----
Represent5 1000 mile• of new or reconditioned
hlchwayt1, roads, and atr-ts.
Totals have been rounded to the nearest half unit:
If a total rounds to leas than half a unit,
no symbol Is ahown.
or by providing passage over a creek rather
than through it. Other road appurternmces
completed by WPA workers included the construction of 677,000 new culverts and the
reconditioning of nearly 84,000 others, new
construction of almost 19,000 miles and the
improvement of 3,400 miles of curbs and gutters,
and the completion of about 109,000 miles of
drainage ditches of which approximately twoTABLE 30.-BRIDGES, CULVERTS,
APPURTENANCES
CONSTRUCTED
PnoJEC'rs OPERATED BY \VPA
AND OTHER ROAD
OR lMPROYED ON
CUMULATIVE TIIHOUGll DEC'EMBER 31, 1939
Type of Road Appurtenance
Unit of
l\tlcusuro-
Toto!
mcnt
ReconNow Con- struction
struction or lmJlrovoment
----------1-----1---- - - - - - -
Drid~esand viaducts _______ Number__
94,711
57,200
37. 511
133
42, !i00
21. fi33
13,827
4, 48fi
10,211
12, 2{i5
3, Gl3
Number
761,122
l'vlilcs . __ 21, I 15
Miles ___ 17,202
Miles_____
4,875
Miles.____
2, .587
677, 33H
Wood ___________________
Number _
SteeL ___________________
Number
Masonry ________________ Number
Culverts ___________________
Sidewalks and paths .
Curbs. __
___
Gutters_ __
_
___
Guardrails and guard walls__
6'1,
rn. 751
lfi, 403
H, r,32
4, 190
I, 727
83, 783
5. 712
2,730
08il
800
fifths were nt>wly dug. For the safety of
motorists ncnrly 2,600 miles of guardrails and
gunrdwalls Wl'rt' built or improved and 639,000
traffic signs Wl'l'c erected.
To facilitate night driving some 600 miles of
road were equipped with 21,000 new light
standards nnd on 1,400 miles of road about
58,000 light standards were reconditioned.
The appcn.rance nnd sn.fcty of 30,000 miles of
highway were improved by the removal of
stumps and otlwr unsightly objects, planting
of shrnbs and tn't'S, sodding nnd seeding of road
shouldPrs nnd pnrkwn.ys, n.nd other beautification work.
Closely related to the construction work done
on roads nnd stn,ets are the traffic surveys
made by vVP A workers. These frequently
have led to changes thnt have reduced accidents and improved traffic conditions. Ainong
tht• surveys was 01w conducted in the Chicago
Park Dist,rict which n•sulted in the construction
of JWd<·strin.n subways, a gm.de separation,
rnmps, split drives, nnd improvements at
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PROJECT ACCOMPLISHMENTS
hazardous intersections designed to increase the
range of visibility.
.
Project operations involving construd1on
n.nd improvement of airports and air navigat,ion
facilities have made important contributions
to the development of the Notion's u.ir tru.nsportation system and have involvrd work ?n
about 90 percent of the airports thu.t wrrP mrline stops at the end of Murch 1940. AC'romplishments in this field a.re dis<"USS('(! in some
detail on pages 34 to 37 of this rrport.
Water transportation also has be(')] fu.<'ilitated by a number of project uc-tivitic•s. Tll<'sr
have included such work as thP construct.ion or
reconditioning of docks, wharves, and pic•rs
and of jetties and breakwaters . A munl><'r of
artificial channels and <'!rnals also hnvc bPPn
constructed or improved. Thr <'Xfrnt of the
work completed by the end of 193!) is shown in
Table XVI of the appendix.
For improved communication sc•rYi<'<'S, WPA
project workers have pla<'ed in rnnduits or
strung 2,700 miles of telephone urn! frkgrnph
line and have reconditioned more t.lmn 1,500
miles of line. Through t.his work thr firefighting efforts of the Forest Service 1111.vP !wen
greatly facilitated u.n<l communication at army
bases and on other Fe<lPrully owned propPrty
has been improved. These totals do not
include the 2,000 miles of police•, fir<' nlnrm, and
traffic signal lines which WP A workPrs have
installed or recondit,ioned.
Education
State and local governmental ngPnciPs responsible for the provision of c•dncut.ionu.l
opportunities in their respec.tivc communitirs
have been aided in performing this function by
activities of the WPA. Project workprs havr
been instrumental in adding to and modPrnizing
the educational plant und cq uipnwnt of th<'
communities and in providing instruction for
groups of persons not covpred by t-hl' usual
public education programs .
That great nee<l for constrnctiou and modrrnization of school buildings has existed in the
United States for some time was inclicntc•d by
surveys of the United Stat.es Office of Education and of the Natioual Education Association.
The NEA has estimated lhat scwrul million
TABLE 31. - Rc-11001,s AND LIBRARIE S CoNS'fRUCTEll on
IMPROVED ON PROJECTS OPERATED BY WPA
C.1.."~ft-LATIYE TllROl'GII DECEMBER 11. l!.139
Numbe r or
Duihfin~~
'l'ype or Building
Schools:
New constn1ct ion and additions _____ ------ - - - - - -- . . ..
Improycment · · · - - - - - -- - - .. .. · ------ · -· ······--- ---- Lihrnrics :
NPw conslruction and additions
___ __ _______ ____ ___ _
rn:ipronment
s, 502
2i, !IOI
llil
7()1
school children were improperly housed, in thr
sense that their classes were held in buildings
condemned by public officials, in temporary
buildings, or in buildings which could accommodate them only part time. 2 The Office of
E<lucu.tion a.s a result of its study reported that
about t.wo-fifl.h s of the school buildings in some
500 cities were more Urnn 30 years old, with the
comment. tl111t "school buildings which arc more
than 30 vears old are, as a general rnle, obsolescent fro1~1 both an ed11cntio11al and construct.ion
standpoint." 3
It is impossible to d<>tN1nine what proportion
of the thousands of buildings that hu.d been
condemned as 1111s11fo nnd of t-h e other thousands
that were temporary or otherwise i11adequ1tte
hav e been rcpluced or modernized by WPA.
N enrtheless, the 4,000 new school buildings
that have been con st rncted through \VP A
project opernt.ions. the 1,500 additions built, a.nd
the 27 ,800 buildings rrnoYated or modernized
undoubtcdly huv1• r<>sulted in considerable impro,·ement · in school fuC'ilitirs. The map on
the next page indicnfos th<> number of educational buildings (schools and libraries) constrnctcd 01· renovated in each state during the
first four and onc-hnlf yeurs of WPA program
operations.
.
11uch of thr nrw c·onslruetion work hus mvo!Yed rrpliwing nnliquntPcl sehoolhousps with
mockrn lrnildingi,;; fn•quPnlly u eonsoliduted
school hus rPphte<'d sp ,·pra.J old strud-un•s thn t
wcr<' built 1,pforc• modC'rn t.rnnsportn tion mud1•
it possible for a school to Sl'l"V<' a la.r~<' ll!'eu..
A lurg 1• proport.ion of t.l1P nrw schools hnn- i>P<'ll
built in tlw sout.lH•rn and so11thw1•stt\l'll stnt.Ps.
1 '''l'hl' :'.'\ation's School Buildln~ ~<•(•ds." Rr.,curch H11lldi11 nf the
t,..Tn.lional Education .- 1.,., ocifllic: 11, \\'o~him.!;ton. I> . C'., :,..;utionnl f,;duration
Association; Vol. XIII. Xo. I, Janunrr rn:J!',.
:s Alier narrow:-.. '/'hr Srhool ffoil,liug Silunlwn and .\'ud.•. Bull«•tin
1037, :,- 0 . JS, \\'a$hin~l o n, I> . <'. : l'nilr•<I i'taks D,•pnrtnll'UI ur the
Iolnior, O llie'(• or 1•:du cnt ion, tu:~"(. p . 12.
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REPORT ON PROGRESS OF THE WPA PROGRAM
system all projects for the employment of
teadwrs arc operated on a state-wide basis
and nre sponsored by state departments of
education; units of the project are cosponsored
by local boards of education and other local
bodies. The classes conducted offer a wide
variPty of instruction and training, depending
011 the inten·sts and needs of the students and
on th<' training and ex1wrience of the unemplo_n•d teaclwrs avnilnble. In January 1940,
when a survey of the education program was
conducted, enrollment in adult education classes
alone totaled mon• than one million persons.
(St'<' Table XVII of the appendix for the state
distribution.)
WP A literacy and naturalization classes are
dil'ected towards elimination of illiteracy and
pI'eparntion of foreign-born persons for the responsibilities of citizenship. The need for this
typ<' of instruction is indicated by the 1930
census data, which reported about 4,000,000
1wrsons 10 years of age and over as illiterate
(lll1nble to read and write) and more tha.11
Reconstruction work has been even more extensive than 1ww eonstruetion. On mnny small
rural school buildings sagging roofs and steps
were replaced, and window sashes were repaired. N cw heating facilitiPs ancl elPctrie
wiring were often installed to reduce fire
hazards, new blackboards built, and badly
needed painting and other desirable improvemPnts effected. \\' ork of this nature also was
done on the buildings of city school syst<>ms.
In many instances dilapidated school buildings
with obsolete plumbing, heating, nnd lighting
equipment and sometimes with serious structurnl faults, have !wen made into modern
educational plants that have good lighting,
heating, and toild fneilities.
Another way in which the \VPA aids state
and local governments in eclucntional activities
is in making available 1111employ<•d tt•nchNs to
concluct classes for 1wrso11s beyond school age
and for preschool childn·n from lmY-ineome
families. To nssun• the integration of this
project work with the state's regular school
CHART 12
EDUCATIONAL BUILDINGS CONSTRUCTED OR IMPROVED BY WPA
Cumulative Through December 31, 1939
'
d,:)
t'.)
d
-~
c",,:),:),:),:)
c",c",,:),:)
-------::.
._
d
...
I,
"•-•
I
•
,:),:)6
,:),:),:)
'c"l
/-
'
,:),:)
6
'Oc"ld
....,
',:)
,:),:),:),:)
'de
,:),:)6,:)
6060d
""
6d
•
6d
•
Repnaont• 150 n- builc:Unp or addition• to
bulldJnp uaed for educatlonal purposes.
0
Represent• 150 •ducatlonal bulldlnp Improved.
---
Totals have been ro,11nded to tho nearest half unit:
If • total rounds to less than half a unit,
no symbol Is shown.
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PROJECT .-\CCO:MPLISH:\fEXT3
3,000,000 persons of voting ag<' as aliens. Illiteracy has been grratly rP<luc-Pd through
WPA classes in reading and writing. Instruction does not stop there, however. ~Jany of
these people and others with only the most
elementary training are enablrd to continue
their studies until they ure functionally litPrnte
and can derive pleasure from the print<'d page.
All instruction in naturalization clusses is conducted in accordunce with plans appron•d by
the United States I mmigrn.tion and N aturnlization Service, and emphasis is placrd on the
principles of democratic governnwnt, thr responsibilities of citizenship, und the history
of the United States. Since ability to rrad
and write English is one of the requirPmPnts
for citizenship, literacy and naturnli,rntion
work are closely related, and in a frw stutes
these classes are combined. About 29:3,000
persons were enrolled in "rPA litPrn<·y nnd
naturalization classes during u two-werk 1wriod
in January 1940 when a survey of thl' education
program was made.
TABLE 32.-PUBLIC
PARTICIP.\TIOX
AcTIVITIE,; Co:--oucTED RY
IX
EDUCATION
WPA
Two-WEEK PERIOD I>. JA>.l".\RY 1\140
_ _T_Y_P_e_o_f_Ac_t_iv_it_Y_ _ _
l~~tof
Adult education:
Literacy and naturalization
cla.."-SCS _ _______ _ ____
Vocational training classes.. .
Correspondence courses ___ __ -1
Other_________________________
Lectures and forums.____________
:\'ursery schools _________________ . ,
Special instruction for institution- '
alized and handicapped children. -1
Art instruction classes ..... __ .. _.
Music instruction classes________
',Jpasinement __ 1 :\'urn~
Numberofenrollrcs ____ '
:\'umber or enrollees ... _
Xumber of enrollC'l'S _____ .
Xumhl'r of enrollN's ____ _
Totnl nttondnnee ____ _
Xurnbor of enrollees ___ _
293,000
X urn ber of enrollees
Xurnber of •·nrol!ees
Xumhrr of (•nrollf'P~
l,(MH)
4i, tKH)
lf>O, !K)()
IOI, (K)()
48,000
5:J-l, !Kl()
Hil,1100
38,000
Classes in vocational training dming the
same period had an enrollment of approximatdy
191,000 persons. The objective of this instruction is to aid unemployed men and women in
obtaining private employment through specialized training for various occupations.
ln
fomily-life education the emphasis is not primarily on skills but rather on th<' <'ffect of better
homemaking upon famil:v relutionships. The
improvement of family life may arise through
discussions of such topics as diets, menu planning, child care and training, family rdntionships, home manag<'mPnt, and honw lwnutificalion. Also offprcd are clnssps in public· affairs, in
which such local problems as sanitation or tlH'
provision of public recreat,ional facilities are discussed. Other courses cover health education,
where the emphasis is 011 »ufety, first aid, and
home hygiene. fo addition to those attending
classes nen,rly 50,000 persons were receiving instruction through conespondence courses
during the two-week period.
The ·wPA nursery school program is desig1wd
to serve children from rdief or other lowinconw groups. The children are placed in an
educational environment which provides opportuniiiPs for all-round development. The•
school day is so arrunged as to bring to tlw
children a consistPnt health program, a wl'il
balanced, nourishing noonday meal, and othc•r
advantagt>s which they would be unable to
enjoy at home. A regular wdl planned parent
educa.Lion program for mothers and fathers of
childrPn in the mu·sery school is an importnnt
phase of these nurspry school projects. The
l ,:{54 nursery schools in operation during the
two-wC>ek period in Januury 1940 had an enrollment of about 38,000 children.
Other activities conducted under the education program include lectures and forums, art
and music instrnction, and special instruction
gi,,en to handicapped children in hospituls,
hospital schools, and homes. Lecture attendance tot.a]pd 161,000 persons, rnrolleps in art
and music instruction aggregnted 207,000, and
handicapped childrm receiving s1wcial instruction numbered 4,000 in tlw survey period.
Some of the educational services initiated
111Hkr th<' progrnm han• hPl'n takl'n over by
statP aut.IwriiiPs as 1wrmmwnt fca.iures of
their regular educational progrnms. This d<'velopment hns opened up new job opportuniti<'s
for un<•rnployPd tPnell<'rs and has resultt>d in
the Pxpansion of public scrvicl's provided in
t.lH' vu rious cornmunitic•s.
Visual education aids for use in public
schools have been produced by "TPA workers
employed on museum extension projects.
Thrc>e dimensionul models, maps, projection
slides, models of derricks, und numerous otlwr
devices have been designed which bring pertinent subjpct mutter within rnngc> of a child's
sensory cxperionc<'. Through a n1l11ted group
of projects musc1urn stuffs have been assisted in
2O2157°-4O--(i
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REPORT ON PROGRESS OF THE WP A PROGRAM
The new South Ward School in McKinney, Texas, contains eight classrooms
classifying and indexing a wide variety of art,
archeological, and historical materials.
In another educational field- that of library
work- -WPA project activities have resulted in
marked contributions to the library facilities
of many communities. Construction work has
provided 161 new public libraries or additions
and 761 renovated libraries. Furthermore,
WPA workers have operated or assisted in the
operation of thousands of public Ii braries; in
December 1939 WPA employees served in
approximately 9,400 libraries, among which
were 135 bookmobiles operated for the benefit
of rurnl or other communities which had had
inadequate library facilities. This work has
been directed towards reducing the number of
persons in the United States who are without
library service; it is also expected that the
library clemonstrntions provided will result in
permanent increase of service through local
appropriations for their continuance. Other
phases of library work, not included in the work
already mentioned, are the renovation of over
67,000,000 library books and the transcription
of nearly 4,000,000 pages of Braille for the use
of blind readers.
In addition to schoolhouses and libraries,
other related work, such as the construction or
improvement of administration buildings, dormitories, gymnnsiums, stadiums, athletic :fields,
and water supply and sewage disposal facilities,
hn s been done for public educational institutions. These accomplishments, however, IJ,l'6
not included in the figures presented in t .,
section; the) are reported under recreatio '
other pertinent headings in the following p
7
Recreation
Bookmobiles are the means of circulating books in areas
where library facilities are inadequate
ln recent
facilities and sen-ices has been incr/;l ·
:-Leadily, far outstripping the development o
these facilities and services in many comm .
ties. Public agencies have attempted to rem-
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PROJECT ACCOMPLISHMENTS
edy this situation to some extent by sponsoring
WP.A projects for the construction of n imwrous
parks, recreational buildings, nnd otlw1· recreational facilities and projPcts supplying kndership in the organization nnd dirPction of
recreational activities.
In the course of vYPA operations 6,900 1ww
recreational buildings or ndditions haYP })('pn
completed for conununities in all parts of llw
country. Included in this totnl are 411 nuditorillills and (WC'r 1,000 gymnasiums; the
remainder of the buildings nrp pnYilions, bathhouses, park shelters, clubhousPs, and various
other structm·es for rPcren tionnl purposes.
Nearly 4,300 buildings of these typps ham
been reconstructed, most of which nrP located
in public parks or on school grnunds.
Numerous recreational facilities otlwr than
buildings also have been constructed by WPA
workers. Among them are 1,720 new or enlarged stadiums and grandstands, with accommodations for nearly 3,000,000 persons; 1,400
new or larger parks; over 2,400 school n nd cit_\·
playgrounds; nbout 2,500 nthletic fields; nearly
7,800 tennis courts; some 200 golf courses;
1,300 swimming and wading pools; approximately 1,000 ice slrnt.ing areas; and nca rl_\- :mo
miles of ski trnils and 5(i ski jumps. The
number of these facilities reconstrncted or improved exceeds the volume of new constrnction
in many instances, ns mny be seen from Tahlt•
33. This is pnrticlllarly trtl<' of park,; and of
TABLE 33.~RECREATIONAL FACILITIES CONSTRUCTED
OR htPROVED ON PROJECTS OPERATED BY WPA
Ct-Ml'LATJVE TJIROFC.H DF.CRMJlER 31, 1939
I
~cw construction
Recn~ationul lmildings
Auditoriums ..
Gyrnna~iums __
Other. ·····--··--·
Stadiums nnd grandstands __ _
Parks .... ·--··-·Playgrounds.. . ... _..... .
Athletic fields._...... . . . ..... .
Fairgrounrls and rodeo grounds ..
Tennis courts
Oolf COUfFCS.
Handbail courts.
II orseshoe courts.
Swimming pools __________ ____ _
Wading pools ....
Ice skating areas ..
~ki ~rails (miles) ...
.Skljumps__
---··
Bands hells. __ ......... .
Outdoor theatres.·-···-
~.
ISl~~~iro·n
Type of Facility
Addition8
or
improvement
II, 504
3Uti
31,
!M
,J, 286
308
RMl
161
,\(;7
5,328
141
3, 41 I
I, 642
I, 30fi
2,332
2,496
37
7, 7!l8
79
123
84
37
2114
I, :l74
l, 70S
1130
(>40
1.047
298
56
162
115
,I
S84
!\ 375
7,880
2,016
23:\
2, ;;45
208
!Of,
144
283
fi2
74
52
12
66
23
playgrounds; nearly 5,400 parks and 7,900
playgrounds were imprnved.
Some of the leadership and supcrvrswn
n•quirPd to make dl'ectivc use of recreation
fncili t iC's is furnished through "\YP A recreation
prnjPcts. Recreation projpcts are opernted on
a stntc-wide basis with locnl cosponsorship of
tlw nctivities. Community recreation councils
n~prPsent the commtuiity point of YiPw, indien tP cornmunity rncren tional prcfcrm1ces, aid
This bathhouse and the adjoining swimming pool were built by WPA workers for the benefit of residents of Winfield, Konsas
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REPORT OX PROG RE SS OF THE WPA PRO GR Al\ 1
in th e planning and coordin nt ion of t he lo<'nl
prog ram , and nss ist in m a kin g mnkri a ls :rnd
equipment a rnilnhl e. The l'Xl cnt of public
in terest in the recrenti on prog ram is indi cated
by the fac t tlw t i11 F ebru a ry 193 9 som e 5,5 00
co nrnumi ty roc rcn t io11 coun c il s \H're ac tin•ly
coopera ting in t he opern t ion o f the project s
t hat pro vid e leis u re-time nctiYi t ies undN th e
lead ers hip of\\' PA work ers.
Pra ctically nil the s tntes nnd three-fifth s of
t he 3,000 c0 u11 ties of t ho Uni ted S t.n.tes part icipa te in t he recrea t ion prog ra m of t he \\TA .
Al t houg h the recren tion acti ,·i ties cond uctcd
Vlll'j' so mewh nt wi t h t he section of t he co untry
a nd t.he time of yenr , t hey in clud e n enrly l? H'ry
s port and every ty pe of rec rea t ion. Acco rding
to the s urvey nrnd c inn wee k of F ebruary 193 9,·1
t he publi c d eYot cd n enrly lfi,700 ,000 ho urs to
rccroatioll und er t he lead er hip of WPA \\·orkc rs. H o urs s pen t by pn r t icip,rn ts in t he rn nny
k inds of phys icnl recrea t ion , s uch as sn ow nncl
ice spor ts, basket ba ll , gymn u t ics, a nd volky
• Co·muu,nily R ffre alio11 PrtJg rnm s: A 'i't ml!I of n ·P .--1 l<ec reation Proj·
"C l ,ff.
\\"urk Projcr t:-: Administrnt inn. \\ 'r1~h i rw 1on.
n . r ..
Fehnrn r~· 1940 .
b nll , r epresen ted well over t wo-fifths (45 p er<'c11 t) of nil hours s pent in rec reation actiYities.
Soc ial rec reatioll, comprising indoor games,
d ancin g , s pecial events , and the like a.ccounted
fo r n early a t hird (3 1 p er cent) of all participant
TA BLE
3 -L -
P U BLI C
P AR T I C IP AT IO N
IN
C ONDUCTE D
\YPA
A CT I V I T I E:-;
BY
RE C REATI O:-J
\\' EF.R EN nlN G F'EBHl' AH Y 18,, 1939
'l'yp<' of Activ ity
j K mn ber or
Part icipant
Ho urs
I
1.\ GSO. 000
Ph ys ica L
--· _________________
_ ___
_ ___ _____ _
Social (indoor game•, fo lk dancin~. etc.) .
C ult ural (arts. rrafts. drnmn. m usic. rtr. )
'l'hrrn 1x· ut.ic
C' hildrr11's piny rrn tf' rs
Other
;. om. ooo
4. 7!18, 000
3. 33i, 000
23,000
334. 000
172. 000
ho urs . RcrrN1.tion with n cultural emphasis
1n1s l hi rd prdt•n•11 et• nllwn g- pn rti cipn n ts in t,h e
prng rnrn : nbo ut n fifth (:21 perce n t ) of the to tal
lr o ll rs W l' rt' s pl'n t on this gro up of nctiYi t ies
\\·hi ch indud ed sculp t uring, piny production,
,;kr t r l1i11 g, pain t ing , block printing , and instru111en ta I nml chornl mu sie ns well as study
g-nrnps d c ,·o tocl to th o npprecintion and history
o f nrt., mu sic, nrnl litc rnture.
A n •lntivrly s mnll pnrt of Lhr progrnm cons is l l'd in t he s u1w n ·ision of piny in chilclren '!>
pla y cr ntl'rs nncl in t ht' pro vision of th ern,Jwutic
rl'tTt•ali on in stat!' hos pi tnls , asylums, and other
pui>li<' in s t,it ll tions for hnndi c11pped nnd d elin(Jllt•11t pPr. on s. Th eSL' net.iYi t ies togeth er conSllnH'd nbo u t 3 1w1Ten t of t he to tal pnrticipnnt
hour::;. Th e numbc•r of p11rt.icipnn t hom·s for
Pn<'li rnnj o r ty pP of rccr r n t ion nctiYi ty supc r,·i:=-t·d liy \\'PA durin g n \\"Pl'k in F cbrunry 1939
is ,.; lll>\\·n in t.lH' neeompanying tnble.
Public Health and Sanitation
Treatment
plant
built to enlarge th e se wage sy ste m of
Atlanta , G eorgia
l'rnjt•c t s pon so rs nnd th l' \\'PA have co01w rnl c•d in tltt' o perntion o f 111.iny proj ects dc;; ig1wd to promot(' Llw publi c- henl th , prevent
t lH· :, prl':1d of di sPnSl', and pro,-ide h e11l t hful
li1·i11g- eonditions for t he A rnPri can p eople.
'l'lil'S<' projl•eLs involve not only t he constru c tion
1111d impron·nwnL of hos pi t nls n.nd of sewr r n.nd
w :1I ('r s uppl y s_v s krns :1 nd rdn Led clrni.nng:e itnd
111itll'-,-l'n,lin g wo rk , hut nlso t he provision of
dirl'l'l 11wdi c:1I nnd l1t•:1l t,h St'tTiC'es.
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PROJE CT ACC OMPLISHM ENT S
.Among the WPA accomplishm en ts in th C'
public h eal th field nre th e con stru ct ion of 1:32
n e w hospitnls nn cl of 66 nddi t ions to h ospit:1 ls
or o t h er buildings , and th C' improvcm cn L or
r enova tion of a bou t 1,500 oth ers. I\{:1ny of t,hl'
n e wly built hospita ls were proY iclC'd for to wn s
or communi t ies which prev io usly h a d bC'c n
without hospi t nl fa cili ties of :-m y kind . O th ers,
such as th e n ew buildin g a t Blyth e, C nliforni aan isolated community of abou t 2,~ 00 persons
that was approx:im ately 100 miles from an y
adequate hospi t al- r eplaced o bsolete and inadequate stru ctm es. Taking th e pin ce of nn
em ergen cy hospi t al ho used in limi ted qu ar Lers.
the n ew hospital ha s room for abo ut 100 p atien t~
and contains a m aterni ty ward and op erat ing,
sterilization, and X -r ay room s . So me of the
n ew hospitals were design ed t o car e for victims
of particular diseases , such as tuberculosis and
infantile paralysis , who r equire sp ecial care and
equipment. The Morris M emorial Hos pital a t
Milton, West Virginia, for exampl e, is design ed
for the b etter care of victims of in fan tile paralysis
and other crippling cliseases. W ork performed
by WPA worker s th er e includ ed th e installation
of h eating, plumbing, and electrical facili t ies
and of operating room equipm en t . They also
erect ed chlorin ating and pumping equipm en t
with which sal t water from wells on th e proper ty
is pumped into two therapeu t ic pools in t he
hospital building. M os t of the 66 addition s are
n ew wings to provide increa sed ward space.
Also in the interest of publ ic heal th is th e
work done in improving water s upply a.nd
sewage clisposal sy stems . B oth th e qun.n t iLy
T A BT,E 35.- P u nLJ c H EA LT H F.H ' ILJ T I ES CoN,-;T n UCTE D
o n IMPRO VED ON PnOJECT S O P E ll ATED B Y WPA
CU M ~l.A T IVE 1' II ROl.G II DEf'E M l~EH 31, 1939
n cconType of F acility
U nit of 1'vfcasurcmc>nL
_\Jcw Con-
structio n
Number ....
N umber . ___ __ .
Miles __ ____ _____ .
N u m ber . ___ __ ..
Miles _______ ____ .
N u m ber .. ___ _ .
N umber ____ __
M ilos of d itc h, ca na l,
and pipe __ ________ __
Acres drained ________ _
Sanitary pri vies ________ N u mber_ ___ _____ _
Abando ned mine sonlingl N~c'!'i~~~ _o~ _~1".°_r'.'. r'.~~-
• lncl udos add itions to existi ng fac ili ties.
pron~mcn t
- - - - -- - -1- - - - -H ospi tals _______ ____ ...
Wate r treatment plants
Wa t er lines ______ _____ ..
Sew age t reatment plants
Sewer lines ________ _____
Pumping stat ions ______ _
Garbage incinera tors __ .
to___________
con trol d rai___n-_
Mosqui
age __ __
strucl io n
or 1111 ·
"108
A
J:l3
9, G:is
A 5~)l
15, 4GO
"G90
7G
13. O~H
I, 847,000
I, 7fd,000
173,000
I, 482
111
2, 774
320
3 11 3
'22s
41
IS, JOG
I. 82G, 000
29,000
Assistance to child hea lth clinics is one of the types of
direct health service provided by WP A workers
and qu a li ty of th e wa. ter s upply of m any communi t ies ha. ve b een improv ed by the work clone
on water trca.tm en t plants and pumping s tations
n,nd by th e in s ta llation or improv em ent of aqu edu c ts , main s, and dis tribu tion lin es. Ov er 130
new or enlarged water tr ea tm en t plants were
completed and 111 exis tin g plnn ts wer e r enovated th ro ugh WPA proj ect operations . In
most of these t.reaLm en t pl an ts water is chlorina ted or o t herwise Lr eatecl to m a k e it safe for
drinkin g . WPA work at H a llock , Minn eso ta ,
has pro vid ed a mod ern water fil tration and
so ft cnin g pl:7,n t for res id en Ls wLo form erly had
to ha.u! w:1 Ler to town in tank wagon s . W ell
water in Lh is a.rea, und erla.id by beds of salt, was
unfi t for do mes ti c use. Th e n ew pln,n t purifi es
and sofLens nearly 300 ,000 gallon s daily of th e
local s urfa ce wa ters, and its capacity can b e
in creased Lo 430,000 gallo ns (adequ ate for a
po pulation of 5,000) by Lhe addi t ion of on e fil ter
uni t. The 690 11 ew or enl arged pumping staLio ns n.ud 228 r cconstru cLed plan ts, together
wi th 9,638 miles of n ew a nd 2, 774 miles of
improved aqu edu cts, wa te r nrnin s, a nd dislribuLio n lin es, h ave m ate ri ally in cr eased Lhe
s upply o f w:1,Ler in many communi ties . Wh ere
fa c iliti es hav e bee n used to tap n ew sources, Lhe
qun liLy of the wate r a.lso was improv ed . M a ny
co mrnuni Lies ha.ve been pro vid ed wi th th eir f-irs t
a d r qun. te water facili t ies throu gh th e WPA program ; prev io usly Lhey h a d to depend on pri vntc
wells and cisLern s, and som cLim es even o n creeks
for th eir s upply of fresh water.
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REPORT ON PROGRESS OF THE WPA PROGRAM
In many instances streams and lakes have
bC'en reclaimed for sport and recreation as a
result of the constrnction or reconditioning of
sewage disposal plan ts by WP A workers.
Sewage and garbage that formerly pollut.ed
these waters is now neutralized in 591 1ww or
enlarged treatment plants or reduced to harmless ash in the 76 new or 41 reconstrnclt•d
incinerators. Tlw ins tallation of a. sewage
treatment plant usually eaUs for som<.' extension
or rcconsl.ruct.ion of the sewer mains which
often were pltwned to accommodate a much
smaller load. For exnmple, in one eastern city
where a sewage treatment. plant larg(' Pllough
to provide servieC' for 30,000 persons has been
added to existing facilities, five and 01w-lrn.lf
miles of inte1·e0pting sewers and three miles of
lateral connecting sewers had to be laid. Some
communities, whos0 residents have had no
modem sanitary facilities, have been equip1wd
with complete sewerage systems; illustrativC' of
these is a small Ohio town where a t,ren.tml'nt
plant was constructed and nearly six miles of
sewers laid by WP A workers.
Altogether, through December 1939 , WPA
workers had constructed 15,000 miles of storm
nnd sanitary sewers nnd improved another 3,000
miles. These included pipe less than a foot in
diameter as well as large mains with diameters
of more than five feet. In rural regions where it
is impractical to install sewage tren tment syst.ems, WPA workers have const.rncted 1.760,000
sanitary privies , nearly 800,000 of which were
built in si..x southern states.
Another type of WP A work in the field of
public health has been the sealing of openings
of abandoned coal mines in order to prevent
the entrance of m.-ygen which, together with
water and the mineral pyrites fotmcl in coal
veins, forms sulphuric acid. This acid, when
present in streams, mnkes the waters unfit for
drinking and stock watering, kills fish and
vegetation along the banks, and damages locks,
clams, waterfront. structures, boats, and water
systems. In the Ohio River ha.sin, when• t,lw
mine-scaling program of WPA hns !wen n mnjor
factor in improving water supplies, thP acid
pollution has been reduced by more Lhau half.
The drainage and treatment of mosquitobreeding swamps and improvement of drn.i11nge
structures by WP A workers has been n strong
weapon in the fight against malaria. By the
end of December 1939, drainage of about 2,900
square miles had been completed, and drainnge
structures on an additional 3,000 square miles
bad been reconditioned. WPA work in this
field, according to public health officials, has
greatly advanced malaria control m this
country.
TABLE 36.-MEDICAL AND DENTAL SERVICES PROVIDED OR FACILITATED THROUGH PROJECTS OPERATED
BY WPA A
Two-WEEK PERIOD IX JAXC\RY 1940
c'l"umber
or
Persons
Mcdic:al a111l dl~ntul l'Xaminations and trratmrnts ______ ____i
T ests made ( \Vassermann , Kahn , Schick, MantOLL\:, Dick. I
t•tc.) __ . ___ -· ___ - ------- --- -- ----· __ ____ __ _____ ___ ____ _,
Immunizations completed (diphtheria, measles, scarlet
rc,•er, smnllpox. typhoid fever. etc.) _______ __________ ___ ,
I
242,700
82,500
17,200
• Includ"s services by local ngendes subst.untially nssisted by ,vPA
professionaJ personnel.
Direct medical and healt,h services for persons
who could not otherwise nfford them ha,e been
furnished by WPA white collar and professional
workers, most of them unemployed physicians,
registered nurses, dentists, and chemists.
Usually these services are supplementary to
those provided by local hen.1th agencies at
medicul and dental clinics, but often they are
extended in regions where such services are
otherwise not available. During u two-week
period in January 1940, WPA doctors, dentists,
and nurses assisted in the examination and
treatment of about 243,000 children and adults.
Some were treated in dental and mc<licnl clinics,
others in their own homes or in public schools
and other institut.ions. During the same period
the WPA workers made about 83,000 tests
(such as tlw Schick test, for susceptibility to
diphtheria) nnd administered 17,000 imnnmizations against diphtheria, typhoid fever,
whooping cough, and other infectious diseases.
Welfare
Welfare activities of state and local governmental agencies, other than health services,
have also been extended through the cooperation of the WP A. On sewing room projects,
operated in ·all states, WPA workers produce
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77
PROJECT ACCOMPLISHMENTS
for the use of needy person~ a variety of garments; many types of household articles including sheets, pillowcases, towels, and other
linens; and surgical dressings and first aid supplies. Through December 31, 1939, the project
employees, most of \Vhom are women, had completed almost 222,700,000 pieces of clothing and
about 68,000,000 other articles. The accompanying map indicates the number of articles
produced on WPA sewing projects in each state.
Projects on which lm1ches arc served to
undernourished school children result not only
in better health but in b1:>ttC'r grades, better
school attendance, and better attitudes on the
part of the children. From the beginning of
the program through December 1939, more
than 384,000,000 lunches were served; on one
day in January 1940, about 1,000,000 children
received lunches prepared by project workers in
nearly 11,200 participating schools.
Housekeeping aide projects provide nonnursing service in homes where the regular
homemaker is incapacitated or where some other
emergency exists. Up to the end of 1939, over
17 million visits had been made by housekeeping aides, who render the needed emergency
assistance and also attempt to introduce into
the home better methods and higher standards
which will be of permanent value to the family.
TABLE 37.-Acco~IPLISHMENTS ON SELECTED TYPES OF
\VELFARE Pno.rECT8 OPERATED BY WPA
('u~HTATIVE Trmorr.n DECEMRER 31, 1939
ltC'm
:-lumber
--------,-------
Visits made by housekecpin~ aides __________________ __
Lunches served to school ehildren ___________________ . ___
Ii, 159,000
384,213,000
Articles produced in scwin.g rooms _____________________ _
290, 643, 000
Garml'nts
________________________________________ _
222, f>8~. 000
Mni"s --------------- - ··- · --------- ----------\Vomen's _________________ _
Boys'
_________________ _
Girls'_ ________________ ____
- --------Infants' __________________ ___ _____________ _
47,299,000
57,793,000
41,288,000
48,342,000
2i, 061, 000
Other artirles. ______________________________________ _
6i, 9f>O, 000
Food preserved:
Quarts l'annerl
Pounds <lrird
42,203,000
I, 819,000
Workers on canning projects preserve large
quantiti0s of food obtaill(•d from WPA gardening projects, the Federal Surplus Commodities
CHART 13
ARTICLES MADE ON WPA SEWING ROOM PROJECTS
Cumulative Through December 31 , 1939
l[
l[l[I
L-
D
l[J
C
_G._L_i
I
\\
1_!
-. J--_..
,-.,
----
l[l(
0
l[J
D
__-::_
~I
l[l[J
G
.
_
_
uua)
_:-J\ll~M 1
l[l(
lilt
D
1_
•--
'
\
-
"/
·,
l[
l[l[l[l[l[
ltlllll[l[
l[J
l[l(l[
(
D
a
RepreMnb- 1,500,000 c.-nients.
0
ReprONnh 1,500,000 other artl~les.
Totails have" been rounded to the nearest
half unit: II • total
rounds to leu than
half • unit, no symbol Is shown.
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REPORT ON PROGRESS OF THE WPA PROGRAM
WPA workers preparing lunches for undernourished school
children
Corporation, or from project sponsors. During
four and one-half years of WPA operations they
canned over 42,000,000 quarts and dri ed 1,819,000 pounds of foodstuffs. On other production projects WPA workers make furniture,
repair shoes, and construct and repair toys.
Food canned and goods produced on WP A
projects are distributed to public institutions
and to needy persons designated by state and
local welfare agencies. Some of the food is also
used for the noonday lunches prepared for
children on the school lunch projects. Similar
disposition is made of the surplus commodities
purchased by the Federal Surplus Commoilities
Corporation which, together with the goods and
foods produced on WPA projects, are distributed through the use of WP A labor.
Conservation and Flood Control
A group of WPA projects are directed towards
flood control, the reduction of the loss of valuable topsoil through water and wind erosion 1
and the conservation of water, timber , bO'ame 1
and fish. The improvement of riverbank and
shoreline tends to prevent erosion, as does
also the work on streambeds, which involves
clearing away snags a nd brush, straightening
channels, and installing various checks upon
the unimpeded flow of water. A similar purpose is served by construction or reconditioning of retaining walls and revetments along
roads and streams and by extensive riprapping
of critical slopes and surfaces. Numerous percolation , check , and diversion dams also have
been built for soil erosion control.
For the pmpose of holding unruly floodwaters in their courses many miles of new levees
and embankments have been built. Other
em baukments with earth, cinder, and slag fills
which did not ef-fectinily prevent seepage at
hi ghwater hav e been improved through the
construction of concrete cores. The amount
of such work completed by the end of 1939 is
shown in Tabl e 38.
Besides the land reclaimed by drainage work
on other types of projects, WPA workers have
improved or reclaimed over 3,000,000 acres
(an area nearly as large as the state of Connecticut) by constructing nearly 800 miles and
renovating 3,800 miles of irrigation canals,
flumes, or pipes. Nearly all of this land is in
the Far West; over half of it in California alone.
Also in the western part of the country are
many of the 436,000 acres of forest lands that
have been planted and much of the large area
of forest that has been protected against fire by
the building of 4 ,700 miles of firebreaks and
4,000 miles of forest and fire trails.
Through other WPA project operations
woods, lakes, and streams in all parts of the
country have been stocked with game and fish.
On the Atlantic and Gulf coasts from Chesapeake Bay around to the mouth of the Mississippi River, 5,800,000 bushels of oysters have
been planted in depleted oyster beds. The
stocking of lakes and streams with fish has
been facilitated by the construction of 233 new
fish hatcheries, including additions, some of
which are in the form of rearing pools and ponds
for broodstock , and by the reconstruction of 131
other hatcheries. Numerous sanctuaries have
TABLE
38.- CON SE RVATION
AND
FLOOD
ACTIVITIES ON PROJECTS OPERATED BY
CONTROL
WPA
CU'1l"I.ATIVE TIIROUGII DECEMBER 31 , 1939
'
Item
' l"nit. or Measure•
mcn t
'1
Now Con- ,R.econstrucstruction t10n or Im•
provement
----------- - -- - Fish hatc heries . __
Firebreaks ___ __ ____ _
Fi ro nnd forest trails
ncrorestut ion ...
Oysters planted ____ .
_
LC \'('('S nnd cm bankmcmts.
Rctnining wnlls and revet•
llll·nts
River bfirik. Oild-S1lOiC-iOl~ provcmcnt_ ___ _. ____ __ __
Strenmbcd ir.n pron:-mcot_
lrri i::nt.io u systems _____ .. __
Number . .
Miles ___ __ _
Miles _____
Acres __ .
Bushels .
Miles __ _
A 233
4, 742
3,810
5,814,000
Miles ___ ____ ___ ___
412
1, 252
~n~:::::::::::::: ::::::::::::
235,000
Acres..... ... .....
• I nch1dcs add it ions to prc \"iouslr existin g fish hntchorics.
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131
liS6
1, 171
435,592
8.57
110
3,495
6,192
2,902,000
79
PROJE CT ACCOMPLISHl\IEXTS
b een es tablished for the prot ection of birds ,
esp ecially waterfowl , and oth(•r animals. Furthermore noxious plants and in sect p('sts h ave
b een eradicat ed from thou sands of ancs of
land and millions of predatory animals have
been killed.
Some of the work accomplish ed on prnjPds
of other types has a bearin g- on co ns(' ITH t ion.
For example, the thousand s of mile's of drainage along roadsides, the drainage of wet
weath er ponds and marshes for mosquito control, the placing of culverts, the scalin g of
abandoned mine-openings, and the construct.ion
of storage dams all contribute, at least indirectly, towards conservation of natural r esources.
Other Buildings
The public buildings d escribed in connection
with WP A work in the fi eld s of education,
health, and recreation r epresent on ly a bout
half the public buildings that han bt'('n rrectrd
or renovated by WPA workers. In addition to
the 34,000 educational buildings, 11,000 recreational buildings, and 1,680 hospitals already
mentioned, about 42 ,000 ot,hcr buildings of
various types had been completed by the end
of 1939. Altogether, in the co urse of WPA
project operations, more than 23 ,000 n ew
buildings had been constructed , additions m ad e
to about 2,800, and about 63 ,000 others had
been r enovated and improved.
Among th e 42,000 other buildings constructed
or r emodeled by 'VVPA workers were OV('r 4,600
office and administrative buildings hous ing
state, city, county, and township and other
government employees. About 3,200 were
garages , another 3,600 wer e storage' buildings,
nearly 2,200 were fire houses, and 600 were
armories.
Frequ ently the n ew or r emodeled buih!iJ1gs
make possible long contemplated economi cs in
operation, as in th e case of the n ew town hall
at Sparta, New J ersey. On ce• nn old country
school, it now houses several governm('ntal
units that wer e previously located in wid r ly
scatter ed buildings-th e fire and police• d cpartnwnts, the township jail, and tlw library.
Other facilities in this renov ated building arc
an apartment for th e building cust odian , two
bO\din g nll cys, nn nuditorium " ·ith stage nnd
dress ing rnoms, n. kitch en , nnd a hen.ting plan t .
lt is exrwckd that this ren trnliza t ion will r edu ce
mainte,n:m ec eosts, expand community se rvices,
nnd res ult ir1 g renter dliri<'n <'y in township
gon,rnmc'n t . Sim iln.r exam plPs arc numerou s
among t h e thou sands of buildings thn.t ha.vc
be(•n constrn cte<l or mod ern iz c'd through ,vPA
project 01wrations.
Garag('s built to hou s<' higlrn·n.y equipment
provid e :mother Pxampk of the way in which
WPA building construction lias fncilitated the
normal work of local gonrnmt'ntnl bodies.
Many co untirs h ave found thn.t effic iency r equired th e purchase of expensive highway
equipnwnt but co nsiderations of economy
frpqu cnLly forced them to k<•cp it in buildings
that wen ' no t advantageously located , did not
properly prot ect Llw maehirwry against wcatht' ring, or did no t have spaee for repair work or
for the sto rage of too ls and mn.tcrials. Some of
the 1,700 new garages built on WPA projects
replace su('h inad equate stru ctures.
Of p articular intc-rest is the group of buildings erected for the Michigan State Diagnostic,
R<•scarch, and Control Laboratory at Lansing,
~1ichig-nn . Th ey pro,·id(' fa('i)i t,ics for the
Latonka Dam built by WPA workers at M edici ne Park ,
Oklahoma
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REPORT ON PROGRESS OF THE WPA PROGRAM
At work on an infant mortality survey for Kentucky
preparation of scrums, analysis 'l'.>f foods, feeds,
and fertilizers, nnd testing of liquor, gasolines,
a.nd oil. Among the buiJdings of the group are
stables for the horses used in the production of
immunizing serums and structures to house
other animals used for labom tory purposes.
Examples which might se rv e to illustrate the
wide variety of other buildings constructed or
improved through \VPA activities in all parts
of the country rnnge from the municipal bus
terminal in Hackensack, New Jersey, to the
Juvenile Detention Home in Fulton County,
Georgia. Also includ ed arc such other structures as weather stat ions, dormitories , tcacherages, barracks. guardhouses, workshops,
community centers, comfort stations, greenhouses, barns, and st.nblcs.
Miscellaneous Types of Work
Many kinds of projects authorized for operation under the WP.A, requested by sponsors to
meet local needs, and worked on by tmemployed
persons from prnctically all occupational backgrounds have not yet been mentioned in th is
classified summary of activities. For some of
th em accurate men.su renwnt in physical terms
is difficult and hence no accomplishment, data
are presented. For others the items of accom-
plishment that can be summarized give an inadeq mtte representation of the value of the
work done; this is particularly true of the arts
program , the smvey of historical records, and
the research projects of many types.
Under the arts program WPA artists have
made thousands of easel and mural paintings
for schools, libraries, and other puhlic buildings.
Their work also included mosaics, sculptmes,
water colors, etchings, prints, photographs, and
dioramas. Some of their work has been acdaimed by art critics and added to great art
collections. Posters that they have prepared
have been of particular value in health and
safety campaigns. Tlu·ough the employment
of unC'mployed musicians on the music project,
millions of persons hn.ve been able to enjoy the
works of great composers; dming a two-week
1wriod of January 1940, about 2,500 musicnl
pC'rformances were given for an aggregate
nudiC'nce of 1,100,000 persons. }.,[embers of the
,,Ti tC'rs' craft have produced works on a wide
rnriety of American subjects. Notable among
th ese is the American Guide Series, which has
<:'ntailed an amount of research far beyond the
scope of private organizations.
The survey of historical records project,
facilitates work in the field of historical research
by arranging and cataloging records which
hitherto had been inaccessible. On other research projects, sponsored by both Federal and
local agencies, WP A workers have conducted
housing, traffic, and engineering sm·veys; tabulated , analyzed, and charted weather data of
value t,o aviation; and made studies relating to
syph ilis, tuberculosis, industrial diseases, public
h ealth, public welfare, family incomes, cost of
living, employment and unemployment, public
finance, nnd taxation. These projects not only
have made much valuable information available
to sLucknts, but also, in many instances, have
aided th e sponsoring agencies in solving their
own administrative problems.
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OPERATING POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
operation of a nation-widt> projt>ct proemploying between a million and a
half and three million workns, as the Work
Projects Adminis.tration has done since it was
established in 1935,1 requires the formulation of
definitive administratiw policies, the development of detailed procedures and regulations,
and the establishment of standard operating
methods for effective functioning of the program. Criteria must be established for the
selection of workers and methods devised for
assigning them to project jobs, <lel,Prmining
their rates of pay and hours of work, and
facilitating their return to private m1ployment.
Similarly, the numerous details of Pligibility,
specifications, approval, and opPration of the
work on which employmmt is to be provided,
must be reduced to procedures applicable to
the thousands of projects operated in all sections of the country. The working rules governing employment and project operations are
in the form of legislative regulations and
administrative instructions from the Connnissioner of Work Projects. Many of thP 1ulministrative regulations developed by the WPA
through experience in operating the program
have been incorporated in the acts appropriating funds for the WPA. Basically, the administrative regulations have been desig1wd to
carry out the provisions of the acts and to
promote efficiency in operations. They are
summarized in the following pages with the
HE
Tgram
1 The original name, Works Progress Adminislration, was dmn1.wd to
Work Projects Administration hy Reorganization Pinn No. I, effe<•tive
July I, 1930, which mncle the WP.\ a unit or the Fe<ierui Works A~ency
but did not materially ulter its original !unction.
purpose of showing how the WP A program
operntPs. 2
The WP A program is operated through a system of stat.P and regional offices. State administrations, functioning in each of the states and
in Purrto Rico, Hawaii, and the District of
Columbia, arc headed by administrators who
are responsible to the Commissioner of Work
Projects for the efficient operation of the program in these areas. 3 Where necessary for
operating purposes, the state administration
functions, in turn, through two or more district
offices which arr din'cted by district managers
responsibk to the state administrator. Nine
regional din'ctors, who arc official representatives
of the Conunissimwr in the field, coordinate the
work of the WPA in the states of their respective
regions.
Employment Regulations
Policies and rrgulations regarding the persons
emplo_vwl on work projPcts and the conditions
of their employment have <kvcloped from both
statutory proYisions and administrative considerations. The various acts appropriating
funds for the WPA have specified the general
rules of eligibility for employment. Working
procedures for determining whether or not applicants meet these eligibility requirements,
'The WPA pro~rnm lnrludcs proJect.s operated by other Federal
ag:<1 ncies wilh \VPA funds; th(' rulrs and regulations discussed in this
section generally npply to these projects as well as to those opernted
directly by the WPA.
3 For ndminislrntivo purposes, separate atlministrations have been
established !or Northern C11li!ornia and Southern California and for Xew
York City and the remainder o! Xow York Stale.
81
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REPORT ON PROGRESS OF THE WPA PROGRAM
however, have been developed by the WPA in
cooperation with local public wdfare or relief
agencies. Regulations concerning assignments
to project jobs or other matters affecting the
worker in his \VPA employment have lwl'n
establish.eel chiefly by administrative action but
to some extent have been indicated by law.
Wages of project workers are paid in accordance
with a schedule of monthly earnings determined
by the WPA in conformity with legisla.tiYc
requirements.
Eligibility Requirements for Employment
In general, employment on WPA projects is
provided for employable citizens in need of jobs,
including men and women who have a widl'
variety of experience, skills, and occupational
training. These workers must meet established
eligibility requirements. The eligibility of unemployed workers for WPA jobs is determined
primarily by their need of employment. To be
eligible, the worker must also be at least 18 years
of age and a citizen of the United States.
Furthermore, he is not eligible for WPA employment if he is a Communist or member of a
Nazi Bund or if he advocates, or is a member of
an organization that advocates, the overthrow
of the United States Government.
Only one member of a family is eligible for
employment on the WP A program, even though
there are several employable members in the
family. Usually the WP A employee is the
normal wage earner of the family; howevcr, in
some instances where the normal eanrnr is
unable to work the priority may be changed,
permitting the employment of another member
of the family.
Referral and Certification
Need of employment has been a fundamental
condition of eligibility since the inception of
the WPA program. ·workers meet this eligibility requirnmcnt if they are unemployed and
if their incomes are insufficient to provide their
families with a reasonable subsistence compatible with decency and health. In most
instances the local department of public welfare
or the local relief agency reviews the needs and
resources of persons who apply for relief and is
responsible for determining eligibility for WPA
employment so far as this basic condition is
COllCCl'lled.
Before referring applicants to the WPA for
projPct jobs the welfare or relief agency investigatcs other conditions of eligibility. The agency
will not refer persons who arc under 18 years of
age, who arc considered to be unemployable,
or who are aliens.
If the worker is found
eligible on the basis of these requirements and
if he has registered with the local public employment office, his application is referred to
the WP A. All workers are required to execute
an affidavit as to their citizenship and loyalty
to the United States.
Actual determination of employability-ability to perform work on a project in a satisfactory
manner-is made by the WPA through its
Division of Employment. A worker, whose
employability has been determined and who
meets the other eligibility requirements mentioned above, receives a notice of certification
from the WPA and becomes available for assignment to a project. The worker's past employment history is then reviewed to ascertain the
occupation for which he is best fitted by training, experience, and ability.
Assignment
The number of persons certified as eligible
for WPA employment generally is larger than
th(' number of WPA jobs available. In placing
workers on projects, preforence within the
group awaiting assignment and qualified to
perform a given job is first given on the basis of
relative need. Where the relative needs are
found to be the same, preference is given to
veterans 4 as required by provisions of the
Enwrgcncy Relief Appropriations Acts.
No
discrimination is made among the persons
awniting assignnwnt on the basis of age if the
worker is able to perform project work satisfactorily. An individual will not be assigned if
another member of the family is already
employed on a WP A project; the family head,
or the chief wage camer, is usually the member
assigned to WPA employment.
• Beginning July l, I0,10, tho wife of nn unemployable veteran and a
,·otcrnn's widow who has not subsequently remarried are given the
same preference as a veteran.
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OPERATING POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
A relatively small number of persons who
have not been certified as in nePd may be
assigned to project work. Tlwse excPptions
from the basic C<.'rtification requirement are
made in order to permit tlw Pmployment of key
persons essential to thl' pfli.eiPnt operation of a
project-such as Cl'l"tain typ<'s of skilled labor,
e:-..--perts, technicians, an<l superTisory 1wrsonnel-who may not bl' availabk• on the rPlief
rolls. In general, such exPmpted persomwl
may not exceed 5 percPnt of the total numlwr of
persons employed on 1m;v "'PA project. rndPr
certain circumstancPs the Commissioner or his
authorized represt•ntatin• may authorizP PXemptions from this regulation. On WPA
projects opcrakd by otlwr .Federal agencies,
however, the number of noncPrtified persons
may not exceed 10 p<'rc(•nt.
In ma.king assig11nw11ts to project work the
WPA endeavors to plncP t.lw individuals on tlw
kind of jobs for which tlwy Ill"<' best qualifi(•<l.
Proximity of th<• workl•r's residencP to the
project site is also considPrPd and workers are
assigned to projects rwarPst their homes so far
as practicable.
The vVPA has formulated certain regulnt.ions
to facilitate the tnmsfor of its workPrs into
private industry. Persons PmployPd 011 WPA
projects must maintain actiw registration with
public employrrn•nt offtcps and must accPpt
holllL fide offers of private <•mployrrn•nt. lf the
worker loses such private Pmployment thrnugh
no fault of his o,vn, the WPA will reassi1-,'11 him
to project work provided hP is still in llPPd and
has exhauskd any mwmploymPnt comp<•nsation benefits which may htffl' accrued during his
p<'riod of employmPnt. Similarly, workPrs <'Illployed on vVPA projects 1u·c· Pxpccted to ncrept
off<•rs of PmploymPnt on projpcts of oth<•r
F<•d<•ral agpncies wh<•n thP Parnings an• cmnparnble with those establislwd for similar ,vork
on WPA projPcts. DirPctPd towards tJw simw
gN1eral objectivP is thP stiitutory 1n·ovision (hut
requires tlw separation of all workPrs (<•xc<'pt
vdPrnns) who hav<• h<'<'n continuously <'lllployPd on \\"PA proj('(•(s for 18 months. Such
workPrs 11r<' irwligiblP for WP.A. <'rnploynwnt for
n pPriod of 30 d11ys; 11t tlw <•wl of that tim<·, if
they 11r<• still in llP<'d, th Py mtt)' bl' n•cPrti fi<•d as
Pligihle for WPA Pmploynwnt. This prnvision
was modified in tlw ERA Act for th<' fiscnl ypar
1941 to exempt wives of unemployabll' veterans
and vPtcrnns' widows who have not subSl'C[Ul'n tly n·murriPd.
A review of tlw nped status of certified WP.A.
workers at least once everv six months has been
required by law. 5 During.the six months ending
Dt•rPmher 1939, 2.7 percent of the workers
whose digibility was reviewPd WPre found to be
i1wligible, and their employmPnt wus t,lwrpfore
t<-rminated. During the second half of the
fisrnl ypar n similar proportion of the certifications reviewed were canceled.
Hours and Earnings
Monthly earnings of WPA workers were
modifi(•d by provisions of the Emerg<'ncy Relief
Appropriation Act of 1939 which directed the
Commissioner of Work Projects to fix a monthly
earnings sclwdule which should not vary between geographical areas to any grca tcr extent
than could be justified by diffrn•net>s in cost of
living and which would not "substantially
affoct tll(' current national an•rage labor cost
per pt>rson." The schedule so established,
givt>n in TablP :rn, was placed in effect on
Sl•pternber 1, 1939. The new schedule, like
thosP (•stnblishcd in earlier y('ars, provides for
variation in monthly earnings according to th<:>
dPgT<'<' of skill n•quired for th<• job to which
th<' work<'r is assigned, th(• geographical rPgion,
and tlw <kgn'<' of urbanization of the county in
which the worker is employed.
Tlw counLry is divicll-d into three wage
n•gions. As shown in the accompanying map,
vVag<' Region I includes the nortlH'askrn and
north central part of thl' country; Region II,
th(• WPstern state's; and R<•gion lll, tlw southPastPrn and south central sections of the
country. Tlw mt.es paid in Regions I and ll
difkr only in the an•as with relatively small
populations; they are higher for workt•rs in tlw
IPss populatPd nn•ns of the vVPst. thnn in arPas
of thP sanw dcgrl'<' of urbanization in the
11ortlwast<•rn and north cPntrnl part of th<.'
rountry. Difl"PrPnCPS Pxisting in tlw ,vl'st lwt.WP!'n tlw cost of living in small towns and th(•
cost of living in largp citiPs are typicnlly !Pss
than similar diff Pn•nces in otlwr SPctions of thP
s Effoeth-r July I. Hl10, this provision wns modified to require redpterminution of eligibility 011cc i11 12 months.
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84
REPORT ON PROGRESS OF THE WPA PROGRAM
CHART 14
WPA WAGE RATE REGIONS*
Effective September 1 , 1 939
....
•· ft,. schedule of monthl)' oarnlna• 1, sho-, In Table 39
country. Rates in both Regions I and II
are higher than those in Region III, where living costs are relatively low.
Within each wage region, counties are distributed among fom urbanization groups bnsed
upon the 1930 population of the largest municipnlity in each county. The groups to which
differentials in wages apply arc thos0 in which
the largest city in the county had 100,000 or
more inhabitants in 1930, between 25,000 and
100,000 inhabitants, between 5,000 and 25,000
inhabitants, or less than 5,000 inhabitants.
In the case of 19 large metropolitan districts
the wage schedule of the county with tlw lnrg<·st
municipality applies to the entire metropolitan
area as defined in the 1930 Census.
In differcnliating among types of work performed, five wage classes are establislwdunskilled "B," unskilled "A," intermediate,
skilled, and professional and technical. J\lonthly
earnings established by the schedule rnngc
-
from $31.20 to $94. 90. Th<' lowest wag0s n.pply
to t>mployl'es doing work classified as unskilk,d
"B" lwork of a simple nature requiring little
education or training and which does not involve hazards or !wavy physical labor) in
counties in Wag<' RPgion III in wbieh the 1930
population of tlw lnrgl'st town was less than
5,000. Higlwst rntt>s apply to workPrs holding
profrssional or tl'clmicnl jobs in counties of
RPgions I or II thn t contain a city having a
population of 100,000 or more in 1930.
N c•w regulations in n•gard to working hours
of persons Pmplo:n·d on vVPA projects became
dl'<'ctive July 1, 1939, in accordance with the
Enwrg('lley Relief Appropriation Act of 1939.
Under tlH'SC provisions all project workers,
exc·C'pt su1wrvisory employpcs, are required to
work 130 hours pl'l' month but not more than
8 hours in nny day or 40 hours in any week.
Prior to tlw introduction of the 130-hour
rpgulation ('aeh e(•rtifi(•d 0mployec worked as
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85
OPERATING POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
many hours as were necessary to reach the
monthly wage at which he was assigned, at the
prevailing hourly rate of pay for the typr of
work performed. This procrdure had caused
considerable difficulty in scheduling projPct
operations, necessitating sevPral work shifts of
,arious lengths on individual projects. The
standard work month has made possible a
considerable simplification of project working
plans and has increased operating efficit>ne)'.
Exceptions to the limitations on hours of
work and monthly earnings may be made by
the Commissioner of Work Projects or his
authorized representative where necessary to
protect work already done on a project, to
permit making up lost time, or to meet an
emergency (such as flood or hurricane) involvTABLE
39.-SCHEDULE
OF
MONTHLY
EARNINGS
ON
WPA PROJECTS
ing the public wdfor<'. Certified workers with
no depench•nts may be requirl'd to work fewer
hours and receive cmTPspondingly smaller
earnings. Hours and earnings on projects certified IJy the SPcretary of War or the Secl'Ptary
of the Navy as being importnnt for military or
naval purposes may likewis<' be exPmpted from
the provisions at tlw diseretion of the Commissiorn•1· of vVork Projects.
FurthPr excPptions up to a maximum of
5 pPrcPnt of all project workers in any state are
permitted in thP case of tedrnicians, certain
types of skilled workers, and supervisory
workers essential to project operations, when
thrse are not available on lists of certified
workers referred to thP WPA. (Beginning July
1940 exemptions will be made where necPssary
on projects certified by the Secretary of War or
Sec-retary of the Navy as being important for
military or naval purposes.)
EFFECTIVE SEPTEMBER 1, 1939
Project Procedures
Wage Class
Counties in Which the 1930
Population of the Largest
:'.\-lunicipality Was-
- Un·
skilled
"B"
,--· I
, Un- I lnter·
I
I
---
--
Profcs•
I slonal
mcdi- i Skilled
and
ate '
'trcbnical
skilled
"A"
I
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -------Wage Rl'gion I
100,000 and over-'........... $52. 00 ,
25,000toIOO,ooo ............. 48.10 I
5,000to25,000 ............... 42.90,
Under5,000 ................. 39.00
$57. 20
52.00
48.JO
42.90
I
I
$68. 90 : $89. iO
62.40 . 81.90.
57.20
74.10
52.00 1 67.60
I
$94. 90
84. 50
76. 70
6K90
Wage R,•gion II
100,000 and over-'...........
25,000tol00,000 .............
52. 00
48.10
57. 20
52.00
j
68. 00
62.40
~~e~ s~~~~::::::::::::: !t ~g : 1g: ~g ; it: ~g
0
89. 70
81.90
1
~~: ~g
•
114. uo
84. 50
81. 90
78. 00
1--~--· ·-------
Wage Region Ill
100,000and over-'...........
25,oooto 100,000 •..••.•.•.•..
5,000 to 25,000......... .. .. . .
t:nder5,000 .. _.............. I
46. 80 . 50. 70
42.00 I 48.10
36. 40
40. 30
31.20
35. 10
I
61.10 ' 7U. 30
s1.20
74. w,
48. 10 I 62. 40 ,
42.90
54.60:
,1. YO
7tJ. ·10
fi!).00
:,;)_ HO
1
\Vage Region I-Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois,
Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Mainr, Maryland, !\lassachus('tis, ?vl i('hignn,
~finnesota, :Missouri, Nebraska, XPw Hampshin•, Nrw JersPy, Xe,v
York, Xorth Dakota, Ohio, l'ennsylrnnia, Rhodp Island, Hou th Dakota,
Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin.
\\'age Region II-Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, ~lontana,
Xevada, New Mexico, Orrgon, Utah, \Vashington, \\'yominµ.
\\'age Re!!lon III-Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, KPntncky,
Louisiana, :\Ussissippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina,
Tennessee, Texas, Virginia.
A The schedule of monthly earnings applicable to counties in which tho
1930 population of the largest municipality was J00,000 or mori• is applicable to the entire area included within tlw following nwt.ropolitan districts, as such districts arc defined by the 15th C!'nsus of llw l'nitcd
States, 1030: DaltimorC'; Boston; Bufialo-Xiagara; Chica~o; Cincinnati;
Cleveland; Detroit; Kansas City, Kans.-Kansas City, Mo.; Los An~<•ics;
Minneapolis-St. Paul; New York City-Nortlll'nst<'rn New
Jersey; Philadelphia; Pittsburgh; l'rovidcncc-Fall River-Xcw Bedford;
St. Louis; San Francisco-Oakland; Scranton-Wilkes-Barre; \\'ashing•
Ion, D. C.
Milwaukee;
In planning and 1wosPcuting the work to
which persons certified for WPA employment
arc assigned, definite procedures must be formulated and observed if constructive results
are to be obtained. WP.A procPdures governing the proposal and operation of projects, like
those relating to cmploymt•nt, have heen determined both by law and by the requirements of
efficient program operntion. Acts appropriating funds for the ~rpA hnYe specified the
general types of projects that arp eligible for
opPrntion and have placPd spPcific limitations
on the use of Federal funds in the operation of
tlwst• projPcts. Such statutmy provisions have
bPen incorporated with administrativP requiremt•nts in the formulation of n•gulations goveming- all tlw Yarious steps of projt>ct initiation
and operation.
Eligibility Requirements for Projects
To be digible for opPration under th<' WPA
prog-rnm, projt>cts must meet thn•e gPnPrnl n·quin•mpnts: they must provide bPnPfits 1wcdPd
by the connrnmity, without taking over functions which the sponsor could normally carry
on without vVPA assistance, or displacing
pt'rsons n.lt-t·ady Pmployc•d; thPy must be suitablP
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86
REPORT ON PROGRESS OF THE WPA PROGRAM
to the utilization of the occupational skills of
the eligible unemployed workers in the areawhere they are to be prosecuted; and they must
promote the public WPlfare rather than benefit
any private institutions or individuals. These
general provisions iu-e assured in part by regulations as to who may sponsor projects and where
they may be operated.
Projects may be sponsored only by puhlic
agencies. Tmvns, cities, counties, stat('S, and
other political subdivisions and legally constituted agencies thereof sponsor the majority
of projects; a relatively small number arc sponsored or cosponsored by agencies of the Federal
Government. Until August 31, 1939, the WPA
itself sponsored a few projects that were nationwide in scope, but such projects have been discontinued. In a few specific cases nonprofit
quasi-public agencies legally controlled by
public authority are allowed to sponsor WPA
projects, if the agencies r<'ceivc their principal
support by regular budgetary appropriation
from public revenue and if their assets, upon
dissolution, revert to public ow110rship. In
addition, the Emergency Relief Appropriation
Act, fiscal year 1941, provides specifically for
sponsorship of projects for electric transmission
and distribution lines or systems to serve persons in rural areas by nonprofit and cooperative
associations and for sponsorship of irrigation
projects by community ditch organizations.
Projects must, in general, be operated on
public pro1wrty. In exceptionnl cases, which
will result in large public benefit, proj1,cts involving improvenwnts to private pro1wrty may
be operated, provided leases, easpmcnts, or
other legal authority granted to a public agency
are sufnciPnt in durn.tion to covt'r tlw normal
expected life of the improv0ments to he accomplished by means of tlw Federal grnnt.
The scope of project activities that may be
operated under the general eligibility rcquirPments is extremely ,viclP. Fields in which work
may be prospcuted ns s1wcified by law includP,
among others, road work; construction of JHI hlic
buildings, recn,ationnl fncilitics, public utilities
such as sewer systpms nnd watPr supply systems, and airports; consl'tTation activitiPs; and
professional and SPn-icP projects. Tlw construction work bPing prosecuted in accordn,ncp
with this statutory authority involves both
improvement of existing facilities and new
construction jobs. Nonconstruction activities
cover educational, recreational, and other cultural and community service types of ,,.-ork, as
well as a wide variety of public welfare and
research act1vities. 6
Certain restrictions, however, have been
placed upon the kind of work that may be
undertaken as a WPA project. For example,
regulations have been established to prohibit
the operation of projects that would compete
with other public work or with private industry.
No work or service may be undertwken which
would result in the displacement of personnel
regularly employed by the project sponsor or
other public agency or which would prevent the
employment of persons who otherwise would be
employed by them. In the avoidance of competition with private industry the production of
construction materials such as stone, gravel,
and brick is not encouraged and is limited (with
the exception of concrete pipe, which after
July 31, 1940, will be subject to strict prohibition) to materials needed in the prosecution of a project when it is shown that necessary materials could not otherwise be obtained
with available resources. By legislative provision projects for the improvement of penal
and rcformn.tory institutions are indigible except
when the President determines that they will not
cause or promote competition of the products
of convict labor with those of free labor. Also
indigible arc projt>cts for the development of
factories or plnnts which contribute directly or
indirt>ctly to the production of goods for sale in
com1wtition with existing industries (statutory
Pxceptions n,re madl' for products derived from
the first processing of sweet potatoes and for
1111val stores products).
In 11ddition to the regulations formulated to
pre,-ent competition with private industry, the
opPrntion of certain specific kinds of work is
pmhibited. WPA funds may not be used for
tht> manufacture, purchase, or construction of
naval vessels, munitions, or other implements
of war. Also prohibited is the use of funds for
the operation of then.tre projects, although such
projPcts W<'rc eligible for operation prior to
,June :30, 1939. Work cnmps may not be
, The nat urn nr projoet work undertaken by the WPA is described In
more detail on pp. 05 to 80.
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OPERATIXG POLICIES AXD PROCEDURES
established except as an incidental part of othrr
projects where necessary because of difficulty
of transportation or other special conditions.
Projects for the extension or improvement
of streets and utilities in relatively undrwloped
areas are ineligible except where the utility
or improvement is not dcpendcnt on the 1trea
traversed or where therc is assurance that the
work will result in definite public benefit within
a reasonable period, particularly in com1<•ction
with ]ow-cost housing developments such as
the undertakings that are insured by the Federal Housing Administration.
With respect to the housing programs of the
United States Housing Authority the WPA nrny
not perform work on actual building constrnction but assists in such programs through the
prosecution of projects for housing surnys,
preparation of publicly owned sites, and construction or improvement of public facilities
such as streets, sewers, water mains, and pttrks,
when such projects are set up undcr C'ligible
sponsorship.
A further requirement for project digihility,
specified in the ERA Act of 1939, conccnwcl
the size of buildings: no Federal proje•ct was
eligible for approval after July 1, 1939, which
involved the construction of a building on which
the total estimated cost exceeded $50,000 and
no non-Federal building project on which the
total estimated cost to the Federal Gonrnment exceeded $52,000 was eligible unlC'ss the
project was one for which a bond issue• had
been authorized at an election held on 01· prior
to July 1, 1939. Tlw ERA Act, fiscal year
1941, raised the limitation on the Federnl cost
of buildings projects to $100,000 and C'xPmpkd
from this limitation projects for which bond
issues had been authorized prior to .'.\fay I G,
1940, and projects certified by the SC'Cr<'tary
of War or the Secretary of the Navy as being
important for national defense.
Sponsorship Procedures
Properly qualified sponsoring agC'ncies initiate
formal consideration of work which tlH')' wish
to have undertaken as WPA projects by submitting project proposals to the state or local
WPA office. These proposals give detaih,d
information as to the location and purposP of
tlw projects, a general description of the work,
dctailPd constrnction and cost s1wcific11tions,
and other pcrt,inent data.
Each sponsor, in initiating the proposal, is
required to sign a certification with regard to
the accuracy of the data supplied in tlw proposal
and an agrct>ment to the effect that the project
will not be placed in operation until assurance
is given that the sponsor's contributions will be
made' available as spC'cified in the proposal and
ns requin•d by projC'ct operations. Also included in the agreeme,nt is the assurance that,
if tht' proposed work is undertah.Pn, tJw sponsor
will finance such part of the entire cost as is not
to bl' supplied from FPdernl funds and that the
proposed work will be clone in conformance with
all legal requirem<'nts and rnles and regulations
of the \VPA and in accordanCl' with the specifications given in the proposal.
Until tlw first of January 1940 the size of
sponsors' contributions was not fixed by law,
eithrr in rdativP or absolute terms, but was
largely controlled through the limitation of
the amount of Fe•deral funds allotted for nonlabor costs-a limitation which was establislu•cl
at $6 per workPr per month under the 1939 ERA
Act. In addition statutory provisions now require that at lc•ast 25 percent of the total cost
of all non-Federal projects approved on and
after January 1, 1940, for opPrntion in any
state must be supplied by the sponsor. (Under
the ERA Act, fiscal year 1941, effective ,July 1,
1940, projects certified as important for defense
mn,y be exempted from these requirements.)
The sponsor's contribution, as defined by
½TPA regulations, may be made available in the
form of cash, matel'inls, supplies, and equipment rental; 1wrsonal sel'vices at the project
site or consulting, engineering, and other professional servicl's; land or leases, casements, or
other rights to land, necessary for project
operations; or other items esspntial to the
project. Credit is allowed, however, only to
tlw extent that such contributions represent a
financial bunkn undPrtakcn by the sponsors
specifically for the project.
Application and Approval Procedures
If, in viC'w of thC' n•qnirPml'nts indicated
above, tlw proposal is found to lw HC<'l'ptnbk
21)2157°-40--7
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REPORT ON PROGRESS OF THE WPA PROGRAM
by the state or local WPA office to which it is
submitted, an application form is prepared on
the basis of the data given in the proposal and
is submitted to the state administrator. For
projects sponsored by FPderal agencies, the
application is prepared by the agency concerned
and forwarded to the state administrator for
approval. After careful review to sec that the
project conforms to the various rnks and regulations of the WPA and after approval by the
state administrator, the application, together
with any supporting documents that may be
necessary, is transmi Ued to the FPderal WP A
in Washington, D. C., and then• rPferred for
recommendation to the operating division
(Engineering Division or Division of Professional and Service ProjPcts) having jurisdiction
over that type of work.
Applications for certain types of projects nrP
also reviewed by various other governmental
agencies performing related work or having an
advisory interest in such work. This review
enables the WPA to bendit from thP technical
experience of these agencies and insures that
tJie project will conform to their general policies
and not conflict with other proposed work.
For instance, projects for the construction or
improvement of Federnl-aid highways must lw
approved by the Public Roads Administmtion,
and projects providing for nrnlarin-control
drainage, land reclamation, or drainage of
swamps and ponds for Pliinination of mosquitoes, must be reviewed and recommP1Hkd
by the Biological Survey of thP Dcpurtnwnt of
the Interior before they nre approved by tlw
WPA in Washington. Each application approved by tlw WP A must also be approved by
the Presid('J]t bdore the projPct bcconws
available for operation. Federal projects nr<·
subject to approval by the BmPau of tlH• Budg<'t
beforp final approval by tlw Pn·si,!Pnt.
From the rPsPrvoir of proj<·cts that havr
received Presidential npprovnl t.lw state ndministrator may at any time srkct thosr lwst
suited for operation 1111d<•r the conditions tlH'n
prevailing. OncP a projPct is chosPn for opPnttion it may be OJH'ra.ted in its entirety as
approved or in parts tlrnt repn·s<·nt sl'lf-containecl units of work i11cludt•d in tlw approvt•d
project. Chief considPrntions in selecting a
project are the need for the type of employment which the project would supply, the
immPdiate availability of the kinds of labor
required, and the usefulness of the project.
Cost factors arc also important considerations
in project sekction.
By means of the reserve of approved projects
n high drgree of flexibility is maintained in the
program. The program thus can be expanded
quickly when an increased number of jobs is
needed for eligible unemployed workers, and its
content can be modified with changes in the
occupational distribution of workers available
for assignment to project jobs.
Operating Procedures
AftPr a project has been selected by the state
ndministrntor for operation, a project engineer
or supervisor is chosen by the local WPA and
sclwdules of work and of material and equipmrnt dPliveries arc arranged between the WPA
opera ting division concprned and the sponsor.
The opNation of the projects that have been
approvt'd and sekcted is the responsibility of
the WPA, with full consideration being given
to the recommendations of the sponsor regarding thP conduct of work. When all details of
operation have been developed, the workt•rs
necessary for project operations are requisitioned from the Division of Employment by
thl' division having su1wrvision of the project.
Tlw supPrvisor of t.lw project is responsible to
tlw local representative of the WPA operating
division for the efficirnt operation of tlw
project. The sponsor is usually responsible for
technicnl advice on tlw project work, but all
mnttt,rs n'lnting to employment and to WPA
finnnces an• entirely within the jurisdiction of
the FPd<•rnl Govprnnwnt.
Pnrticular attention is paid to the provision
of snfr working conditions on projects. Buildings are i11s1wckd for fire, accident, and health
hazards. Ml'cha11ical equipment is required
to nw('( sn.foty rcquir<>mtmts. Regular inspections dming the period of operation insure the
applicu tion of comprPlwnsive safety regulations.
PrPctrn t ion is exNcist'd in handling and storing
inflnmmnhle and explosive material. Only experienced men are nssigned to jobs involving
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OPERATIXG POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
unusual hazards, and all workrrs are familiarized
with precautionary measures if these are necessary. Special safety devices such as goggles and
helmets are provided where the typP of work
makes this advisable. When accidents do
occur, compensation is provided for ~:-PA workers through the -United States Employees' Compensation Commission, to which funds have bern
made available for this purpose under each of
the ERA Acts.
In addition to the regulations governing the
initation and prosecution of projects, an
accounting system has been developed to control the expenditurr of funds required for the
program. These financial controls are maintained by the WPA Di,,ision of Finance and thP
Treasury DPpartment. They cover sponsors'
as wdl as WPA funds, bot,h labor and nonlabor
items, and involve constant control of all transactions on individual projects.
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FEDERAL WORK PROGRAMS
AND PUBLIC ASSISTANCE
for the unemployed and nssistnnce for
various groups of persons who are unable to
work are currently being provided through
several public programs. Public assistance is
also given to certain farm families whose need
is not directly attributable to unemployment
or to unemployability but to the fact that
the returns from their farming operations are
not adequate to meet their basic subsistence
requirements.
J
OBS
Federal Work Programs
The unemployed group contains many young
persons whose lack of training and work experience seriously handicaps them in their efforts
to obtain employment. Through the special
youth programs of two agencies included in the
Federal Security Agency-the Civilian Conservation Corps and the National Youth Administration-the Fodera.I Government enables
young men and young wonwn to extend their
training ancl to develop skills 1rnedcd by private•
enterprise. Jobs for adult workers are provided
on projects of other Federal agencies. The
principal rmploymcnt-providing program of the
Fedcrnl Government is operated by the vVork
Projects Administration, which is included in
the Fcc!Pral Works Agency. vVP A projects
supply many kinds of consLrnction and nonconstruction work for unmnployed mPn and
women having practically all types of skills and
occupational backgrounds. In addition, a eon-
siderable number of workers, particularly those
experienced in the construction industry, are
employ(~d on public works projects financed by
other constituent administrations of the Federal
Works Agency and by other agencies and
departments of the Federal Government that
pnrticipate in construction work.
Work Projects Administration
The primary objective of the WPA program
is to employ unemployed workers on public
work projects. Since 1935, the year in which it
wns established, the WP A has furnished more
employment each month than have all other
Fedora.I work and construction programs combined. An average of approximately 1,735,000
persons were employed on WPA projects during
,June 1940 (Table 40). An outstanding characteristic of the program is its flexibility which
ht1s enabled it to be expanded or contracted
rapidly with changes in unemployment and
economic conditions. In other sections of this
report the kinds of work undertaken by the
WPA, the statutory provisions governing its
oprration, the accomplishments on project
activities, the amounts of funds expended, and
other aspects of the program are discussed in
some detail. In order to facilitate comparisons
with other Federal work programs, however,
certain facts concerning the workers employed
on the program are summarized below.
Only one member of a family group may be
90
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FEDERAL WORK PROGRX:\IS AXD PUBLIC ASSISTAXCE
employed on the WPA program. Although
men un<l women of all ages from 18 upward may
be certified for WPA employment, the program
employs relatively few persons under 20 yf'nrs
of age or over 65 because' other programs have
been established by the Federal Government
for young pPopk and for tlw agf'd. The size of
families of \VP A workC'rs is slightly largPr on
the average than that of families assisted
through most other programs. The widely
varied occupational and educational characteristics of WPA workers are important in determining the kind of projects selectNI for
operation in a given community.
\YP A
workers receive standard monthly wagl's, that
vary in accordance with the skill rNtuirl'd for
the job to which the worker is assignl'd. The
established wage schedule also ,·uries bctwl'cn
geographical an'as, gpogrnphical diff Prc•nccs being limited to differentials in living costs.
Civilian Conservation Corps
The Civilian ConsPnation Corps, organizPd
in April 1933, furnishes employnwnt and vocational training to young men who an• unemployed and in need of employmn1t. ~ Parly
nine-tenths of the CCC cnrollf'l'S art> ",Juniors"
who are selected from among unmarric•d mc•n
between the ages of 17 and 23, inclusive•, that
are not in regular attendance at school. Thf'y
allot to their dependents about thn•P-quart<>rs
of their basic cash a.Uowanf'<'S of $:30 a month.
Em·ollees are employed on public projPcts for
the conservation and clevPlopmPnt of m1turnl
resources. They receive maintc>nancP in camps
where they may participatP in Pducation and
training programs that ,mpplenwnt the Pxperience obtained through project work. In
June 1940 Congress authorized the CCC to offer
special training in noncombatant subjects
l'Ssential to the operations of military and naval
establishments. Such subjC'cts i11cludP cooking, first aid, operation and maintenance of
motor vehicles, road and bridgC' construction
and maintenance, photography, radio, ttnd signal communications. Tlw CCC is nuthoriz('d
to maintain in the conti1wntnl UnitPd States a
maximum enrolled strength of 300,000 mPn, of
whom not more than 30,000 may lw wur YPt-
91
prans; in addition, proYision is made for the
enrollnwnt of not more than 10,000 Indians
nnd a maximum of .5,000 men in tlw territories
and possessions. Actual enrollment in the
CCC usually has approached the authorized
maximum except when discharges and replacements are being made at the end of enrollment
periods.
National Youth Administration
Tlw I\'YA prnYidPs part-tinw c•mploynwnt
for young women as wdl as young men on its
studPnt and out-of-school work programs.
lligh s<'hool and eoll<•gp students who otlwrwise
would lw unablP to n•nrnin i11 school rPCPive
monthly <·urnings for work pPrfonnPd under
tlw XY A student work program. Approximntc>l_v :150,000 high school and llPnrl_v rno,ooo
colleg(' and gradun.tP studt>nts n•c<•in•d such
Parnings in .:\lay 1940. All work is donl' und('r
tlw dirPction of locnl school nuthoriti<•s, who
establish !lw hourly rntt>s of pa_v. Stmknts
an• 1wrmit ted to work a sufli.ci<>nt numlwr of
hours Pach month to Pnrn spt>cifi<•d maxinrnm
allowanc<>s. High school stU<knts ma:v rPcPive
a maximum of $6; collPg<' st ud1•nts ma_v earn
$20 n.nd graduatP stud<•nts (sin<'<' S<•ptPmlwr
19;~\)) as nrnch as $:rn p<'r month. Thi• studmt
work program hegn.11 in the autumn of 1935.
In thP two pn·cPding school yPars th<' FPdPral
Em<'rgPncy H<•lid Administration had furnislwcl
similar assistanct> to colkg<' and grndunt<' studPnLs but ma.de no provision for studt>nts of
lower grnd<>s.
Thousands of TH'<>dy youths who arl' not
a( tP1uling school l"<'CPin• part-tim<• Pmplo:n1wnt
on tlw out-of-school work progrnm of th(' NYA.
NPn.rly all of them nn' hrtw<'<'ll 18 and 24 :venrs
of ag<'. Paynwnts Wl'n' mad<· to npproximntdy
270,000 1wrsons for work p<>rfornwd on this
program dl!ring ,Jmw l\l40. Tlw projPct work
is supplPm<'ll ( <'d b)' a program of n•ln tNI trnining, which consists of sppcinlly <knlo1wd class
work on SllCh suhj<·C'ts as blll(•print rt>nding,
shop aritlrnwtic, nnd citizPnship. Emphasis is
now h<'ing giYl'Il (o t!H· d<•YdopmPnt of f1111danwntnl skills requin•d for autornotiY<· nnd nircrnft nwdmnics, ml'lal and m<>chnnical shop
work, nnd for othl'r ocC'11pations (hnt an· of
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REPORT ON PROGRESS OF THE WPA PROGRA.t\1:
importance for the national defense. Wherever possible, instruction is supplied by vocational schools and the local public school
systems. In areas where educational institutions do not have adequate facilities for this
work, courses are conducted by NYA supervisors
or by personnel from other public agencies.
Public Works Administration and Other Federal
Agencies
Constrnction projects of various units of the
Federal Govemmen t other than the WP A,
NYA, and CCC have provided employment for
large numbers of experienced workers most of
whom are not certified as being in need of relief.
Nearly all of this constrnction work is handled
on a contract basis. It has been financed both
from regular appropriations and from funds
made available by emergency appropriation
acts. Major programs of public works are conducted by the Public Works Administration,
the Public Roads Administration, the Public
Buildings Administration, and the United
States Housing Authority, all of which have
been compm1Pnt parts of the Federal Works
Agency since July 1, 1939. Constrnction work
also is done> by other Fedl'ral departments and
agencies ehicfly to improve and extend their
own physical facilities.
The nation-wide program of PWA projects
furnishcd t'mployment to approximately 80,000
workers in June 1940. Seventy thousand of
them were engaged on projects operated by
state and local governments for which the PvV A
has made grants of up to 4,5 percent of total
costs, often lending to sponsoring bodies somP
or all of the remainder. In the period sine(' it
was est,ablislwd in 1933, lhe PW A has also lirnmccd a linge number of construction projl~cts
that are planned and supervised by other Fed<>ra.l departments and agencies, including tlw
War and Navy Departments, the Public Roads
Administration, the Bureau of Reclamation,
and the Coast Guard.
Nearly 320,000 additional workers were employed on a wide variety of Fedcra.l constrnction
projects in ,June 1940. Approximately 92,000
of them were engaged on Federa.l-a.id highwn.y
work undPr the suprrvision of the Public
Roads Administration. The War Department
employed about 35,000; the Navy Department,
almost 80,000; and the United States Housing
Authority, over 41,000 persons.
Public Assistance Programs
Public assistance programs serve chiefly those
destitute persons who are unable to work on
public projects. Dependent children, aged
persons, and blind persons are aided through
the three special assistance programs that are
fina.nced in part by the Social Security Board of
the Federal Security Agency. The Federal
Government also provides aid for certain lowincome farm families by meeting the costs of
a program of subsistence grants administered
by the Farm Security Administration of the
Department of Agriculture. State and local
governments are entirely responsible for extending general relief to families and single persons who are in need but for various reasons
cannot be aided through the employment or
assistance programs in which the Federal
Government participates.
Many needy families also receive agricultural
commodities that are purchased by the Federal
Smplus Commodities Corporation of the Depnrtnwn t of Agriculture in order to remove surpluses of form products. Most of the families to
whom the commodities are distributed are
primarily dependent on general relief or some
otlwr form of assistance, although in certain
areas where genera.! relief funds are inadequate
soml' families receive no other type of aid.
Surplus commodities are given in addition to,
nnd not as a part of, earnings or assistance
pnynwnts mn.de under other programs. In an
increasing number of areas, surplus commodities
are distributed by means of a food stamp plan.
Rrci pien ts of WP A earnings, general relief, and
otlwr forms of public assistance are given blue
stamps which may be used at regular grocery
stor<'s to purchase any food currently designated
by tlw Secretary of Agriculture as a surplus
commodity. In order to receive the free blue
stnmps, recipients arc required to purchase
orange colored stamps in amounts approximately equivalent to their normal food expenditures. Thr orange stamps may be used for
nil t_vpps of food. Tlw plan, which was intro-
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FEDERAL WORK PROGRAMS AND PUBLIC ASSISTANCE
duced experimentally in a few cities early in
1939, was gradually extended to new arpus in
1940. A. similar program for the distribution
of surplus cotton goods was undertaken experimentally in April 1940.
Special Types of Public Assistance
Under the Social Security A.ct tlw ~\•deral
Government pa.rticipRtes in thrPe special types
of public assistftnce-aid to dependent children,
aid to the blind, and old-age assistance. Since
February 1936, Federal grants-in-aid have been
made to states in which programs meet the
requirements of the act. Federnl contributions
are based on the amounts contributed by tlw
states for the assistance of needy individuals
who are 65 years of age or older and an• not
inmates of public institutions; for needy children
under the age of 16, or under the agP of 18 if
regularly attending school, who have bt>en dt>prived of the support of one or both parents
and who are living in tlw home of a relative;
and for needy blind individuals who arc not
inmates of a public institution. Up to spPcified
limits for each type of recipient, the FP<h-ral
Government currently pays for onP-half of thP
assistance given to each individual and for part.
of the costs of administration. In ,June 1940,
payments were made to 1,970,000 n•cipimts of
old-age assistance, 72,000 recipients of aid to
the blind, and 346,000 families on bt>hnlf of
831,000 dependent children.
Farm Security Administration Grants
The Farm Security Administration rnakPs
subsistence grants to destitutP and low-income
farmers, farm tenants, and sharPcroppc-rs to
supply them with food, medical care, clothing,
and other items necdc-d for family snbsistPJH'<'.
Approximatf'ly 60,000 grnnts wc-n• madt> b)· th<>
FSA in June 1940. In tlw past, chiPf Pmpbasis
has been given to ca~ws of <>xt n•mp distrPss in
farm areas devastatPd by drnught, flood,
storms, and similar catastrophPs. Now, an
increasing proportion of tlw grants ar<> !wing
given to familiPs thnt arc- potc-ntial reripic-nts
of FSA loans. The FSA mnkes loans to lowincome farm familit>s who an• tmnhl<> to obtnin
adequate credit from nny oth<>r som-r<'. for th<>
93
purchase of farm supplies, equipment, livestock, and land.
General Relief
A n•sidual group of persons who for various
rc-asons 1tr(• not reached by programs in which
tlw FPdcral Government participates receive
general relief from local and statP governments. The group includes physically handicapped and other unPmployable persons who
do not meet eligibility rcquirpments for any of
the s1wcial types of public assistance and also
certain employable persons who cannot be
assisted through the work programs because of
limitntions in their occupational backgrounds,
shortag<• of available funds, or other factors.
In some areas, general refa,f is also given to
families who rcceivc- aid under other programs
if the family incomP including such aid is considered insuflicit>nt to meet their minimum
n•quireincnts.
Tlw actual administration of general relief
is characteriwd by lack of uniformity. Practices with respect to eligibility requirements
and standards of care differ widely from comnrnnity to community. In arc-as where general
rc-liPf standards 111·<' highest, all of the types of
cusps mc-ntioncd above are aidPd. In a large
nmnl)('r of communitics, howt>vPr, gc-neral
rclic-f is rarely given to any family that contains a memlwr considNPd to be employable,
nn<l rPlid allowances in thPS<' communitiPs foll
far short of ac1Pq11ate subsistc-nce requiremcnts.
N<>arly all of tlw gPnc-ral rdiPf giv<•n by state
and local gov<'rnmc-nts aftpr thP discontinuation of Federal Emc-rgcncy Rdief Aclministmtion grnnts has lwPn in tlw form of direct n•liPf.
During tlw pnst ycar. how<>v<'r. a numht>r of
th<> communitic-s that assist fnmilics with c-mployabk nwmlwrs havc- dc-vclopcd some form
of work rl'iief for part of their g<>nPrnl rPlid
cases. Work rPlic-f ndministc-red by local
ng<'nciPs is usually limitPd to nctivitiPs t.lrnt do
not rpquir<> th<· variPty of skills 11sPd on "\VPA
projects, and the amounts paid to tlw worlwrs
nr<> g<'IH'rnlly much lower than WP A wnge
rntes for unskillNl workPrs.
In thP country 11s a whole, 1,373,000 families
nnd singl<> pc-rsons rPecivNI gP1H•rn.l n•lid in
,Tune 1940. The anrnge g<>n<>ral rclicf case
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REPORT ON PROGRESS 01• THE WP A PROGRAM
has about three persons as compared to an
average of nearly four (3. 76) persons in familirs
of certified WPA workers. Funds appropriated
for general relief by state and local governments
frequent.ly arc inadequate, and this factor, rather
than actual nPcd, often determines the volume
of general rnlief paymrnts.
Unduplicated
and Persons
Numbers
of
Households
The total number of rec ipients of all Federal
work an<l public assistance programs cannot be
obtained by simple addition. Payments made
und er some of the programs are intended to
m ee t the needs of a family group; those made
und er others, such as the stud ent work program,
nre intended only for certain individuals. Some
family groups , moreover , benefit from more than
one type of aid during a single month. One
m ember may be enrolled in the CCC and the rem ainder of the family may receive general relief. Statistical dupli cn,tion in monthly totals
also may arise when a family receives one form
of assistance in the first part of a month and
is transferred to another in the latter part of
th e month , and is therefore included in the
recipient count for two programs during the
st1me month.
No F ed eral agency collects complete statistics on the unduplicated number of recipients
aid ed by all programs. The Work Projects
.Administration and the Social Security Board
have, however, prepared monthly estinrntes of
th e unduplicated numbers of households and
the unduplicated numbers of persons in the
households benefiting from Federal work programs and the various forms of public assistance. Th e coverage of these series and of the
comparable series on payments to recipients
is described in the technical notes beginning on
page 104.
Changes in the Fiscal Year 1940
A total of about 5,700,000 households containing approximately 16,100,000 persons were
bPnefiting from the various programs at the end
of t.lrn fi scal year 1940. The number of persons
wn.s equivalent to 12 percent of the total population in 1940 reported in preliminary releases
of the Bureau of the Census . These were the
lowest June figures since 1937, as may be seen
TABLE 4O.-NUMBER OF PERSO N S E MPLOYED ON FEDE RAL " ' ORK AND C ONSTRUCTIO N PROJECTS AND RECIPIENTS
OF PURLI C RELIE F, B Y PROG RAM A
CON TtX E!'\T :\I. l . ~ IT Ef) S TA T ES
Jt 1 X E
1!)4()
[In t. honsr.n ds]
P rogram Reporting Unit
P rogrnm
Unit
Numher
- - - -- ------- - - - ----- ---- - - - - - - -- - - -1Undupl icated 'l'ol:aL _________ ... _
P ersons Benefited
B
PcrC<'nt
Pe=nt
cbnngc ~umher change
from
from
June 1939
Junel939
----- - - - ··- ---- --- - - -
H ou S!'holds . __
W ork Projects Adminis lration . __ . __ ________ __. . _______ _____ ___________ __ .. __ ___ _ Employ,,es __ ___ _____ _
Nntiona l Youth Arlministrntion :
Student work progrnm __ .. . ___ ..... ____ ______ ____ _______ _____ _____ .. ______ .. E mpl OYt'<'S
En1ployrcs
~=====~== ======= ======- -=== -====: = Enrollees .
P u blic W orks A,lminlstrntion:
Non-Fed Pm I projects __... _. _. .. __ . . _ _ . ___ _____________________ ___ ___ ____ E m ploy,,,,s ___ . _________ _
F ederal projects ___ . __ . _.. . _____ .. __ . ___ .. _. .. __ ________________ ___. __ _____ _ Employc~es .. __ ___ _____ _
Other F edernl work nnd construction proj('ct.s:
Emrrgcnf'y funds ___ __ _. _____ ________ . _. __ __ __-- ------------------- - - - - -··- __ EmployeC'8 __ __________ _
Hc{!Ulnr funds ___ . ___ __ _. --··. __ ___ ___... .. ______ _____________________ ______ _ Employers . __ _________ _
Sp ecia l types of puhlic assist.unco:
Old-ago assistance ___ .. _.. _____________ -·· ___ ____ _______ ____________ ___ __ __ _
Airl to dependent children . . __ . _. _______ __ _____ ___________________ . ___ _..
Ai<ltotbohlind______ __ ___
··--- -- ---- -- -·· - · ___ ----·- ---· ·
Ri:-t'i pi<'nts _
Grm,ral n}liefC _____ ______ ___ ___ _... . _. _______ ______ __ ________ ____ ___ ____ __ __ _
C OSl'S . - - . - . - - - - .
Fn rm Srcurity Administrntion grants .. . _. ___ . . . __
_____ ___ _____ . _.
(1ran t vouchers . _
Ci.\·i~~~15!~~;ja7i~~k 8~~~~~•~~ -~: ~ :~ ~:~~:=:==
~.~~\m~-~~s-:::::::::::
5. 700
-14
16, 070
-18
I, 734
-33
6, 460
-33
313
+12
+26
-10
313
240
1, 040
+12
+2t
-JO
70
7
-66
-79
210
21
-66
-79
4
312
- S2
+30
13
936
-55
+30
I, 970
346
72
I, 373
+7
+u
+s
-12
-12
- - ---- - - - - - - 269
f,O
-"- See note~ on pp. 104 to 109 for ~ourcn nnd descri11tion of d nta in<'lu <h.~d ; 1x• rc•t.\nt.ages compu k d from unroundcd fl 1,turcs.
280
}
3,849
+9
4,256
300
-II
-12
" Number of J)<'rsons b <>n~fitrd from spccin l types of puhllc nssist.nnce cst.imnl ed by the Di\'ision of Puhlic Assistance R esearch , Social Security
Honrrl ; numher for other inrlividuel pro~rnmscst.ime tcd by WPA.
C'
A rt.• lntivl'l y small numlw r rt•ct.•1v in g onl y hogpilnli znt.ion or hurial ore inc lu dt.'d in figun•s for H.140 but no t for 1939.
Digitized
~YGoogle
95
FEDERAL WORK PROGRAMS AND PUBLIC ASSISTANCE
from Table 41 or Chart 15. Thr fiscal yrar
bctwren ,June 1939 and Junr 1940, and fluctuending June 30, 1940, was onr in which a subated at a higher lPvd thnn in any preYious fiscnl
stantial decline occurred in the cstimatrd net
year. Notrworthy among the increnscs were
number of recipients of Federal work progrnm
thosr in thr number of persons employed on
earnings and public assistance. Starting from
proj('cts of the Navy DPpartmcnt. tlie United
a lower level than that which marked thC' beStntes Housing Authority, and the rnitrd States
ginning of the previous fiscal year, thr number
11aritimP Commission. Employment on P-WA
of households was 14 pPI·cent smaller in June
projPcts and other Federal work and construc1940 than in June 1939. Thf' n<'t r<.>duction in
tion projects finnncecl from cmrrgrncy approthe total number of persons amounted to 18
priations dropp<'d sLPadily as no ,ww appropriapercent.
tions for the fiscal year 1940 Wl'l'C made for
Because the WPA operates thr largrst singlP
these activitirs.
program of public work for the unrmployPd and
Throughout tlH' fiscal year thr tlll'(.'C special
because it is the most flexible of the FedPral
assistance programs in whieh the Social Security
work programs, changes in the volumr of WP A
Board participates continued to register modemployment determine to a very large extent
erate growth. One state was addrcl to the munthe trend in thr aggrpgate numbers lwnefiting
her opera.ting programs for aid to the blind
from all programs. The sharp drop in tlw
under plans approved by the Social Security
totals between June 1939 and ,Jmw 1940 was
Board, bringing the total to 41 stat cs and the
attributable chiefly to a heavy <iPcli1w in WPA
District of Columhia. As in the preYious fiscal
year, the Frcleral Government participated in
employment. 1
::\,fonth-to-month changes in rmployment on
the old-age assistance progTams of all 48 states
other Federal work programs during the fiscal
and the District of Columbia, and in the aidyear 1940 for the most part followed pattems
to-clep('llcle11t-ehildrcn programs of 40 states
established in previous years. NYA employand the District of Columbia. In January
1940 covcrngP of the old-age assistance proment increased as the school year progrf'ssc<l;
CCC enrollment showed little change otlwr than
gram was broaden rd in thrN' sta ks in eompliance
with a provision of the original Socinl Security
the temporary declines that occur evrry three
Act. The act specifirs that a.ftff ,January 1,
months at the end of enrollmmt periods; and
1940, no state imposing a minimmn-agr requireemployment on regula.r Frdrral constrnc!ion
mc,nt of morP than 6.5 yrars will be rligible for
projects followed the usual S<'asonal pattPrn
Federal old-age assistance grants; until that
associated with the effect of W<'ather conditions
on outdoor employment. InCHART 15
creased appropriations for the
HOUSEHOLDS AND PERSONS BENEFITING
fiscal year 1940, however, perFROM .EMPLOYMENT ON FEDERAL WORK AND
mitted a substantial expansion
CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS AND. PUBLIC. RELIEF
of the NYA programs, and by
January 1933 • ·June 1940
MIU.IONS
MIWONS
·or PERSONS
OF HOUSEHOLDS
the spring of 1940 the numbrr
30
12
of youths employed exceeded
previous all-time highs. Nearly
340,000 youths were employed
--- - - - ~ - - 8
on the out-of-school work program in February and 480,000
6
students were employed on tlw
student work program in April.
Employment on regular Federal construction projects ranged
2
from 200,000 to 315,000 workers
t See pp. I nnd 2 for a morr com1MtP analysis
or changes in WP A employment during th,• fiscal
1835
1937·
19311
1940
year.
Digitized by
Google
96
REPORT ON PROGRESS OF THE WPA PROGRAM
<lat<- it permitted states to require fl, mnumum
agr of as much as 70 years. The act, however,
authorizes the Federal Government to share the
cost of assistance given to individuals between
th<> ng<>s of 65 and 70 ns well as those ov(•r 70;
hrncP all but three states had adoptrd thr 65TABLE
year limit long in advance of the date required
by the statute.
Also effective January 1 were liberalizations
of Federal participation in the three special
types of assistance made in accordance with
amendments to the Social Security Act ap-
-iJ.· -NUMBER OF PERSOXS EMPLOYED ON FEDERAL WORK AND CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS AND RECIPIENTS
OF PUBLIC RELIEF, BY PROGRAM A
CosTI~ENTAL UNITED STATES
MONTIILY, JANU.rnY 1933-Jl"NE 1940
[In thousands]
Un<luplirated
Total
Year and Month
January
Persons
Housein thrse
holds , house·
holds
National Youth
Administration
Work
Projects
.\dminis• Student
trntion
work
program
Out•ofsrhool
work
program
Public Works
Administration
Civilian
Conservation
Corps
-$~;~
Non·
Federal
projects
4. 908
,5, fi2H
,5, 64fi
,I, 403
5. 032
18, 07(j
19,080
21,539
21. 98fi
20, 9f,fi
19,485
July ........................
August. ..................... __
September .................... _
October
·-············-•-·-· 1
Novemhcr ____________________ _
December ..................... .
4, i8i
4, fi28
4, 29,5
4. 351\
.I, 648
7,230
18.186
Ji. 841
16, 21.5
rn, 438
20, i35
2.5, .5i3
294
28fi
274
222
289
290
3
9
25
8,019
S, 01 I
i, 268
fi, -13fi
28,
28.
2,5,
23,
21,
21,
228
203
972
182
38i
179
297
293
268
25fi
294
284
21. 7i0
22,905
22, 771
22,840
23. 431
24,2fil
4. 6,)fi
I
8
Program , - - - ~ - - - - 1
Erner·
Regular
gency
funds
funds
---------- ---------- ------------------- ---------- ----------------- ---------- ---------- ----------------- ---------- ---------- ------------------- - - -------- - ---------
March.
April._._
.... ·-·-·-·····
May ........................ .
June ........................ .
Fchnrnry _
Federal
projects
152
------ ----------
----------
21
91
243
I
I
Other Federal
Work and Construction ProJ·
ects
144
168
190
221
-------- ---------- ---------(B)
---------- ---------5 ---------- ---------43 ---------132
237
208
180
167
122
-
---------- 223
I, 532
91
239
3,507
66
21
23
21
34
51
76
226
226
229
284
380
448
4,311
3,854
2,609
'· 105
23
(B)
45
316
357
330
350
352
330
95
111
120
125
124
107
446
411
348
309
288
224
(B)
358
347
306
293
338
351
94
78
83
100
114
120
168
144
158
200
244
269
401
481
483
459
480
459
127
135
128
123
110
98
253
240
199
172
139
106
18
39
86
13i
183
216
426
403
322
348
33fi
95
87
123
172
213
240
83
74
76
81
90
06
232
265
286
351
392
419
:!50
:l38
299
330
343
328
247
246
234
214
200
175
75
71
64
68
49
39
416
405
385
364
331
302
I
1934
January _______________________ _
February _____________________ _
l\Inrch ················••-··· · · ·
April._ .. ·················•--•.
May ........................... _
June ........................... .
July_ ......................... .
August. ...................... _
Scptcm her ................... _.
October ...................... .
Novemher _____________________ _
December ..................... .
,), 800
5, 81i
,1,0ll4
6,260
Ii. 283
fi, 375
I), ,552
6, 746
G, 8.56
24. 835
2-1, ,572
fi, 88!i
24. 40.'l
fi, 823
6, n,5
6. 404
2·1,068
2.1, fi4f\
22, ,1fi7
July_ ---························
tl, 180
21. 81i
21, fi2i
20, lfi3 i
20,000
19, t\04 i
20,998 ,
2, fi(i7
3.S
184
234
283
6, 0.1:J
Ii, 184
fl. 192
.s, 9r,o
5,698
20,910
21, 33fi
21, 25(i
20, 384
19, 1s:i
18,.14!)
2,880
:J,01\1
2, 9r,o
2. 02n
2, 3!)7
2. 2sn
321
3GO
:JO:l
417
401
215
17
79
Hl3
181
178
184
.5, 479
5. .582
.5, 71.5
.s, 9r.s
fi, 042
A, f>Rfi
18, 09,5
I~. 1i2
18, 81!1
19, !Si
lfl, :1fifl
2. 24r, I
2, :i32 I
2. 44!1
2
63
341
399
411
lfi.'i
lfi2
rn7
lfifl
172
178
August. ........................ .
September····· -···········•·-··
October ----·················Novemhcr_
December
6,934
fi. 17.5
.5, 792
,5, R36
.5, i31
6,083
220
3i4
105
1,81.5
I
36
32
38
19
19
19
i
44
42 i'
I
41
44
42
18
17
17
18
17
14
1935
January ....................... .
February ...................... .
l\Iarch .. __ ..... _......... _... .
April. __ ..................•.....
May ...........................
Juno
___________________________ ._
i
44
42 i
39
I
I
12
12 I
12
13 I
13
14
34
31
32
I
38
42 I
44
i
46 I
49 I
.58
74
!
ii
68
1936
January
Fcbrnnry
........... .
____________ _
March ........................ .
April .........................••
l\lay .................... . ...... .
June ........................... .
July ........................... .
Au~ust . ··················•·September --·•·················
Octoher
·-···················
November
__________________ _
Deccmhrr ·---- - ---------------
s, 54,1
1
tfl,O!i:i
2, fi4f,
"481
2,
2, 243
(II)
3fifi
A Rer noll':S on pp. 10~ lo JOH for dt>::-eripliun ufdntu included.
n Lrss thnn 500 persons.
Digitized by
Google
~!
:~
"8
105
i
i
HO'
156
162.
iig
HI
I
I
97
FEDERAL WORK PROGRAl'\fS AND PUBLIC ASSISTANCE
proved in .August 1939. 2 From July 1939 to
June 1940 the number of old-age assistance
recipients rose from nearly 1,860,000 to about
1,970,000; the number of families receiving aid
'Effecth-e January I, 1940, the maximum monthly payment for old-age
assistance or aid to the blind towards which the Federal Government
contributes one-half was increased from $30 to $40; and the ratio of Federal
participation in payments for aid to dependent children under 16 years
of age was increased from one-third to one-half of the maximum amount
of $18 a month for the first child an<l $12 a month for each additional
rhild aidrd in the sam<' home. Frdrral rrimhursement provisions were
also Pxtmded to c·oYPr needy children 16 and 17 years of age who are regularly attending school.
TABLE -11.--~l:'MBER OF PERSONS EMPLOYED ON FEDERAL WORK AXD CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS AND RECIPIENTR
OF PUBLIC RELIEF, BY PROGRAM A-Continued
COXTISE'XTAL F"XITEO ST.\TES
MONTHLY, JA"VARY 1933-JC-"E 1940
[In thousands]
-~ISpecial Types of Public
Assistance
Il
Old-age
~~-
•r
Aid to
dependent chi!dren
Aid to
the blind
I
Total
112
108
113
111
111
108
108
!Oil
105
105
104
!OS
107
tion Special Programs
I
Relief
Nonrelief
1
Poor
relief
------- ---- ---- ---116
116
112
110
109
Federal EmPrgency Relief Administra-
General Relief
Emer-
~~j\~f
tion
4,247
4,512
,I, 087
5,185
4,849
4,328
114
112
109
114
114
114
4, 13:J
4,400
4,978
fi,071
4. 735
4,214
65
65
84
67
67
64
4,062
:i, 940
3. fi89
3,647
4,037
3,246
135
1.52
161
171
167
1.13
:i, 927
3,788
3. 428
3,470
3,870
3,093
68
63
64
67
75
90
:1, 1:J.1
3,284
:1, 770
4, ,144
4, .\,II
4,441
173
171
177 ·
181
190
2,962
3, 113
3. .193
4. 363
4,361
17/i
4,266
102
104
135
167
!Sol
204
4,531
4,809
4,848
.\, 013 ,
5, 28.\ :
175
191
190
199
192
207
4,356
4. .17.5
4, nJ9
4,049
4. 821
.1,078
109
110
25
24
111
111
112
25
24
25
110
109
27
26
26
27
26
24
College
student
aid
Rural
rehabilitation
;
Year and Month
--
-
25
24
24
25
24
24
Ill
Emergency
educa-
Transient
Farm
Security
Administration
Grants
193,1
Januory.
February.
March.
April.
May.
June.
---------- --------- ----------
--------
----------
------ ---------- July.
August.
-------- ---Reptcmbcr.
(D)
October.
---------- -November.
2
(B)
December.
11
---------- -------------------
-
1934
123
123
125
12.1
128
130
Ill
109
110
109
29
I
134 ,
141 '
145
154 I
11\4:
I
110
109
111
Ill
206 '
113
32
31
31
33
32
33
24(1 I
256 i
263 :
274 I
281
293
108
107
108
110
110
108
33
32
32
33
32
33
,I, 500
.I, 470
5,410
5,2.54
5,077
4, 764
224
230
238
241
235
230
.5, 2i6
ii, 240
110
110
112
113
ll 7
34
33
33
35
34
35
4, ,19,1
4,400
4, 161
3, 9i,5
3,723
2,879
231
240
251
2,12
260
260
4, 3fyj
4,220
3,910
3, 723
3,463
2,010
123
1~2
132
14-4
141)
156
37
41
43
42
43
44
2, 2Jf,
2, 13fi
2,010
I, 827
I. r,57
1,fi!i.5
1581
148
140
154
158
160
42
43
44
44 I
I, 4.12 ---------- --1,434
I, 380
I, 30fl
I, 406
I. .110 ---------- -
I JO I
4, 7(H"i
I 12
8.1
mI
I
72
75
f,8
72
I
83
82
28
34
33
26
17
9
244 :
2n
I
261 .
268
268
243
1
-------- ---------- January.
31
------- ---------- February.
01 ---------- ---------- March.
(D)
April.
66
May.
32
04
June.
42
34
9
10
14
24
31
35
69
96
100
100
42
40
40
46
,12
69
July.
Aui,:ust.
September.
October.
November
December.
102
103
10/i
104
JOO
52
72
January.
87
173
210
205
204
Fchnrnry.
March.
April.
May.
June.
107
108
45
July.
1985
in
i
326 ;
347 I
3.'m I
378
430 :
473 .
505
571
r,o;
650
7&l
807 I
8\l\l'
973 :
1,03,1
I, 100
l
l!O
I
451
45
----------
5, 172
/i,013
4,842
4,534
I
--
------- --------------- ----------------- ----------
--·
:::.::j
79
72
,lo
59
62
65
24r,
240
281
288
281
269
40
42
44
44
41
32
08
55
30
20
14
7
203
240
170
110
110
83
32
25
10
17
8
3
3
I
I
I
30
27
23
15
13
11
1
(B)
(B)
(ll}
(ll)
(II)
---
JO
9
9
0
9
ii
28
(D)
(B)
(B)
(D)
(R)
JO
3
I
-----------
-------------------
----------
-
(D)
(B)
(D)
(B)
(B)
(B)
,_
___
/
I
Angust.
September.
October.
f,
130
151
1:m
172
108
86
62
41
00
77
88
93
135
Novrmhcr.
Dcc('mher.
1936
January.
F('bruary.
March.
April.
May.
Junr.
July.
Aui,:ust.
Seplrmbl'r.
Ol'tohcr.
Novpmbcr.
December.
-~ i''A.'ss.nots
on PI>. 101 to JOO for <lescriplion of data included.
t an 500 persons.
0
Digitized by
Google
98
REPORT ON PROGRESS OF THE WPA PROGRAM
to dependent children increased from approximately 310,000 to almost 350,000; and recipients of aid to the blind increased by about
3,000 to nearly 72,000.
During the fiscal year 1940, general relief
fluctuated at a somewlrnt lower level than in
the preceding year. 3 The downw ard trend in
' Bccaus,•. data for months heginning with January 1940 include a small
numhcr of cases that received only hospitalization and /or burial, they
arc not entirely comparable " 'ith those for prior months.
the national total was attributable in part to
general improvement in economic conditions,
but shortages of funds and expansion of the
Social Security programs were responsible to
some extent for declines in certain areas.
Changes in private employment have little
effect on general relief in states where it is
virtually restricted to cases having no employable member. This is not true of the larger
industrial states in which a high percentage of
TABLE 41.-NUMBER OF PERSONS EMPLOYED ON FEDERAL WORK AND CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS AND RECIPIENTS
oF PUBLIC RELIEF , BY PROGRAM ,.__Continued
COKTINENTAL USTTED STATES
MONTIILY, JANUARY 1933-JUNE
1940
[In thousands!
Unduplicat.ed
Total
Year and Month
Ilouse•
holds
Persons
in these
households
Other Federal
'\York and Con•
struction Projects
Public Works Ad·
National Youth
ministration
Administration
Civilian
Work
Projects 1-- - - -- - Conservation
Adminis•
Corps
!.ration
Student Out•o[•
school
work
work
proJ!ram
I - --
program
-
Non·
Federal
projects
- - - -1 - - - - - - - - 1
Federal
projects
Erner• 1 Regul
genc:v
funds
'
ar
I funds
1937
January .
February .. .
Morch .. .. . .. .
April.. . . . ... .
May ... . . .... .
June . ... . . . . . .
5,973
5,958
6,008
5,878
5,f>69
5,388
19, 156
18,875
10,005
18,366
17,452
16, 669
2,127
2,145
2, 125
2,075
2,018
1, 874
July . ........ .... .. .. . . . .... ... ..... ..... .
August. . ... .. . ..... .. .. .. . . . . . . .. . . ..... .
September .
October .. .. .
November .... .
December .. . . .
4,885
4. 782
4, 696
4. 838
4,992
5,338
14,817
14,408
13,985
11, 163
14, 68.o
15, 9G7
1, 628
1,500
l, 454
1,460
1,501
], 594
36
244
283
304
5, 7il
6,089
6,480
6,578
6,686
17,506
18,038
19,967
20, 35i
20,685
20, 774
I, 801
2. 001
2,319
2,538
2.638
2, 741
3IO
320
327
334
329
219
20,685
21, 192
21 , 217
21, 760
21,964
21,892
~:~ !
3. 209
3. 282
3,3:lO
3. 150
2
49
322
364
372
21. 740
21. 759
21, 739
20,986
20, 233
l\l. 487
3,016
2,900
3,0(),1
2, 78C.
2,638
2. 570
372
382
380
384
372
280
18,466
17,627
JG, 402
16,069
17. 283
17, 695
2,270
I, 967
I, 715
I, 867
1,946
2,109
18,436
18, 7\G
18, f,38
17,941
17. 165
16. 070
2,203
2, :Ill~
2, 294
2, 12.~
1, 963
1.n4
41i
427
440
442
424
249
..(")
185
189
192
192
185
173
350
345
303
303
301
277
150
133
127
123
127
136
276
2i8
233
263
298
284
146
152
155
159
179
285
278
262
262
257
245
14i
130
30
27
26
27
248
]19
207
201
212
30
222
113
116
130
154
29
232
175
144
135
120
IOi
91
77
28
220
194
24
21
18
15
178
169
166
160
147
205
209
205
196
65
f,3
65
73
82
11
9
9
8
9
120
114
122
152
138
130
141
209
84
8
243
187
206
7
8
22
24
34
240
l.'\3
16
17
16
13
13
219
291
293
275
81
78
80
94
105
122
23i
242
236
228
225
214
295
296
259
285
292
266
140
144
150
170
188
205
34
31
31
34
36
35
10
9
168
207
288
211
289
255
288
197
192
180
30
27
25
23
19
16
133
143
154
152
26
165
1988
January........
. ... .. . . . . ...... . ..... .
Fchruary.......
. ... .. .......... . . . .
March.. . . . . . .
. . ...... . . .. ... . . . .
April. . . . . . ... . . ... . .. . ............ .
May ... . .. ... .. •... •. . ...............
June . ... . ..... ... ....... .. . . ..... . .. .
July . . . . . .. . . . . ....... .. .. .... .. . .. . .
August .... . . -•• . . . •.. . . .... •... . ... .
Scpl<'mber . . ..
. ..... ... . . . .. .
October. . . . .
Novcmher .. .
December ..
6, 68-1
6,037
6. ii2
6, 812
7, 07li
7, 162
7, 1/iO
209
215
219
2'21
220
230
284
290
268
35
158
236
246
243
225
199
J9.'j9
January . . . ..
. ..... . .. . . •• ....... . ..
February . .... . . . . . ......... . ......• •. . .
March. ···· ·······-· · ······ · · · · · · ·········April. . . . . ...... . . ... . . ..... . . . ........... .
May .. . .........•............. . .... . .. .....
Tune ____ _____ __________ _____ ___________ ___ _
i. 131
7, liO
Joly . ... . . .. ............ . ................. .
August. . . ..... ...... ...... . . .. ..... . .... .
Scpkmhcr ............. .. . • . .... ... .. . .....
October ... ..... . ... . .......... .. . . .. ..... .
November
December . ..
6, 2SI
(\, 032
7. 17i
6,087
6. 806
6,005
5, 707
5,000
0,008
6.183
(ll)
1
70
3G2
423
434
225
238
261
292
296
266
322
336
335
320
293
296
l60
150
123
6,378
fi, 451
6, 431
Ci, 247
o. 0.30
S, iOO
437
451\
473
480
47G
313
264
272
296
2i0
200
240
94
i8
ii
72
72
70
9
9
206
239
6
258
271
6
6
286
5
5
2i8
200
:!00
8
4
4
4
4
4
203
221
254
284
7
4
312
12
10
10
9
• Sec notes on JIJI. 10,1 Io 109 for description of dntn included.
l.A'ss t.han 500 persons.
0
Digitized by
158
161
180
6
1940
January. ......
. ..... . ......... . .... .
February . ......... . ..... . .... ....... .... .
March . . . . . ........ .. .. .. ... . ... . ........ .
April. •.......... ... . ....... . .. .. . . . .•
May . ......... . ..... .. .. . ... . . ..... . .
June ... .. .... .
8
8
Google
281
99
FEDERAL WORK PROGRAMS AND PUBLIC ASSISTANCE
the total number of cases is concentrated. The
national general relief totals were therefore
influenced materially by changes in the volume
of private employment and public employment,
principally that provided on WPA projects,
and to some extent by benefits paid under the
unemployment compensation program.
From the comparatively low level of 1,540,000
in July 1939, the number of general relief cases
rose to more than 1,670,000 in September and
then fell almost to 1,560,000 in December, the
lowest December figure since 1936. The unusual trend during these months reflected to a
marked dcgre(' an especially la.rgc volume of
turnover between the general relief and the
WP A programs. Ma.ny of the workers terminated from WP A employment in July and
August because they had completed the legal
maximum of 18 months' continuous employment were added to the general relief rolls.
TABLE 41.-NUMBER OF PERSONS EMPLOYED ON FEDERAL WORK AND CONSTRUCTION PRO.JECTS AND RECIPIENTS
OF PUBLIC RELIEF, BY PROGRA~I "-Concluded
CONTINENTAL eNITED STATES
MONTHLY, JANUARY 1933-JUNE 1940
[In thousancls]
Special Types of Public
Assistance
Old-age
assistanee
Aid to
dependent
children
General Relief
Aid to
the blind
Relier
Nonrelief
Fecleral Emergency Relief Administrntion Special Programs
Farm
Security
Administration
Grants
Emergency
education
Transient
IYearand Month
I
~---· ·-----I, 150
1,200
1,256
1,296
1,327
1,290
166
171
178
183
189
1,392
1,432
196
203
209
1,467
1,503
1,541
1,577
192
215
220
228
47
47
48 ,
49 I
49
50
50
51 I
.52
54
55
56 ·
I
57 I
59 I
60 I
60 '
1, (ifi2
1, 72(i
1,684
1 550
1: 382
I, 277
234
241
247
258
62
62 :
I, 707
1,716
I, 731
1,746
I, 762
1, 776
260
cm,
1,610
265
~,
1,581
67
1,497
1, ,518
1,031
67 :
67
1, 772
1,844
252
256
268
271
274
280
64 .
0,5
1(61
( 8)
0
I
I
1937
(B)
(B)
(B)
I
·---1
1,257
1,271
1, 2n,r,
1,270
1,368
1,626
1,600
I, 623
1,646
1,662
I, 6i7
1,657
(B)
(")
::::i
----1
____ i
1,893
1,996
1,994
1,81.1
1,696
----1
335
218
January.
February.
March.
April.
May.
191
Juno.
54
78
67
71
83
109
July.
August .
September.
Octolll'r.
Non\mbcr.
December.
108
January.
February.
March.
April.
May.
June.
229
323
300
1938
119
126
117
112
03
1,648
July.
Au~ust.
September.
79 October.
89 November.
lLI I December.
70
62
69
1, fi2ti
1939
I, 787
I, 799
I, 813
1,830
287
1,832
1,842
299
311
1,858
312
312
1,871
1,884
296
298
296
~~
I
68
68
6U
691
69
1,894
313
313
I, 003
1,008
313
315
69 .
I, 924
325
329
334
339
342
346
70
1,929
1,935
1,944
1,956
1,970
fjfj
70
70
71
71
71
72
1,851
I, 724
1,044
J, !iU8
I
I
1,689
!
87
I
-::::::--:J
1,.140
l, 58:l
I, 071
I. 0:13
1 565
1: 563
I
120
123
127
114
!, 087
1,630
1,545
I, 461
1.37:l
.- --1
--------!
I
Digitized by
69
46
72
50
/iO
65
07
January.
February.
March.
April.
May.
June.
July
Au~ust.
Rcptember.
October.
:S:ovember.
1>,•r,•mber.
1940
January.
February.
I i\larch.
86 .\pril.
71 :\fay.
60 i June.
107
115
119
Google
100
REPORT ON PROGRESS OF THE WPA PROGRAM
Conversely, large numbers of WPA replacements were later made from the relief rolls.
The large increase between December and January was attributable in part to the suspension
of certain WPA project opera.tions in many
areas because of tmusua.lly severe weather conditions. During the first quarter of 1940 the
number of general relief cases ranged between
1,630,000 and 1,690,000, but by April the total
had dropped below 1,550,000. Decreased seasonal needs and increased employment opportunities contributed to the reduction in the
number of cases during the last quarter of the
fiscal year to 1,373,000 in June, the lowest point
since 1937. There is reason to believe that
declines would have been greater if WP A
project employment had not been curtailed
simultanPously.
The number of Farm Security Administration
grants, ranging between 40,000 and 120,000,
was also smaller, on the average, than it had
been dming the preceding fiscal year. Pronounced fluctuations charncterized the figures
for the states in which the FSA expanded its
grant program temporarily to meet emergencies created by droughts, floods, and miustmlly
cold weather in southem states. Outstanding
were increases in the numbers of grnnts made
in the drought and flood areas of southeastern
states in the fall of 1939 and the following
winter. In February 1940, this form of assistance was expanded in Florida and other southern states where freezing wC'ather caused widespread crop destruction.
Changes in the Period 1933-40
Fluctuations in the unduplicated numbers of
households and persons benefiting from Federal
work programs and public relief have been
influenced primarily by seasonal ntrintions in
relief needs and by changes in the volume of
unemployment and in general ec011omic conditions. Changes in the adequacy and coverage
of individual relief and employment prngrnms
and, to some extent, in the adequacy of funds
supplied for these programs nrc nlso influences
that should be taken into considcrntion in interpreting fluctuations in the aggregate numbers
of recipients. At times, tlwsc factors have been
temporarily overshadowed by emergency needs
arising from hurrica.nes, floods, and widespread
drought.
Both the number of households and the
number of persons benefiting rose during the
first quarter of 1933. From the total of 5,650,000 households and 22,000,000 persons reached
in April, the number assisted declined steadily
during the next five months. A parallel movement occurred in the volume of unemployment
as Federal recovery measures got under way.
Figures for the winter of 1933-34 reflect
seasonal increases in need and the rapid growth
of thP Civil Works program initiat,ed in November 1933, which recruite<l appro:-..-imatcly onehalf of its employees from relief rolls and the
remainder from the large group of unemployed
persons who had not been receiving relief. In
,January 1934, when Civil Works employment
was at its maximum, the numbers of households nnd pPrsons benefiting from all programs
rose to the highest points recorded during the
seven and one-half year period. About 8,000,000
households containing over 28,000,000 persons,
a number equivalent to more than a fifth of the
national population, received assistance in that
month. The cmtailment of the Civil Works
program in the first quarter of 1934 marked the
beginning of a gradual downwa.rd trend in the
unduplicated numbers of recipients which continued until the autumn of 1937. The usual
seasonal pat.tern was distorted in the summers
of 1934° and 1936 by the necessity of aiding
thousands of distressed families in areas that
were devastated by severe drought conditions.
Relief needs wt-re met much more adequately
in 1934 and 1935 than in 1933. One of the primary objectives of the Federal Emergency
Relief Administration, which financed most of
tlw assistance given between the date of its
establishment in May 1933 and the latter part
of 1935, was to misc relief standards, particularly in those areas wlwre they hn.d been lowest.
Standni-ds were again raisPd when new programs were introduced in Hl35 to replace the
system of FERA grants to the states.
The declines in the aggregate numbers of
recipi<'llts, which became especially pronounced
in tlw summer of 1937, were interrupted by the
shnrp contraction in business activity that took
pin.ct> in the In.UN part of that year. The numbers of housel1olds and persons were greatly
Digitized by
Google
101
FEDERAL WORK PROGRAMS AXD Pl:BLIC ASSISTAXCE
e.xpanded to meet the incrraRPd nPPds resulting
from the steep rise in the volume of unemployment. The number of recipiPnts, howPver, did
not increase as rapidly as did 1mpmploynwnt, a
lag which may be attributed in part to the fact
tha.t many workers, beforp becoming unc•mployed, had accumulated sufficient n•sources to
finance several weeks or months of unemployment and in part to the limitations of funds
available for the several programs. After n•aching a high point in 1938 the trend in n•cipimts
was generally downward until thP fall of 1939,
following improvement in economic conditions.
Since September 1939, the trmd has followed
the winter increase in unemployment and the
subsequent improvement during thP spring.
Indexes of Unemployment and Persons Benefited
42.·
TABLE
lXDEX OF rNEMPLOYMENT A
!V!OXTHLY, J_\:'.'\T.\RY H);{:{-JV:SE 1940
[19:l!;-39--Hkl]
:\[onth
193ti
1934
1933
January
frhruary
:\larch
.\pril
_
167. 2 135. 3
170.4 131.3
li3. O i 119. i
168.0 llt\.8
:\[ay_
___ 1, 162.8 111.2
June__ ____ 152. i 108. i
131. i
12(i.3
121. 8
July_
_\ugust __ _
Rrptemhn
October
Xovemh('r
Dr,•Pmhrr
105. i
104. 0 '
101.3'
102. 3
145. 1 116. 0
134. 5 118. 2
124.8 1 119.9 i
126. fi 124. 2 '
m::
!
llf,.5
112.2
107. 5
l~:t I Jg~:;
1939
1938
193i
1940
110.(i
88.8 121.1
lli,4 I
111.1 I ss.o, 125.3 118.4
104.1
80. 51125. i 1114. 9
97. 8
75. 4 125. 2 , 112. 5 ,
90. 3
65. 5 126. 1 I JO. 0
85. 5 I 63. 8 J 21. 3 . 104. i ,
1
1
82.41
i4.9
73,8
76.4 I
78.3 I
s3.5 I
60.4 121.3
60.2 I 117,5
59.4 '1109.2
66.7 )08.4
84.1 110.s
103.6 109.1
j
i
lOi.4
110.1
108. 6
105, I
103. ,o
06. 1
110.01·----103.G _____ _
96.0 -----93.4 _____ _
91.1
96.8 _____ _
1------
1 Based on estimates prepared by the National Industrial C'onference
Doarcl.
clothing, contributr to t.lw high degre<' of seasonnlity in tlw r<>li<'f s<•ri<>s. Tlw efft.cts of
the <'xtrn drought r<'ii<'f <>mployment provided
by tlw WPA i11 t.lw Inst half of 1936 and the
delayed expanRion i11 r<>ii<>f activit,ies following
the rise in un<'mployment that began in the
nut.umn of 1937 ar<' also apparent. When large
groups of work<>rs h<'COill<' unemployed, aR they
did in the winter of 1937-38, only a part of
them are forced to applv for assistance immediately. Many are able to finance short
periods of UII<'rnploymcnt from previously accumulated savings or resourc<'s, asRistance given
by friends H.!l(l rclutivcs, or, in recent yea.rs,
In Chart 16 chang<'s in th<' total numl)('r of
persons benefited by the FeclPral work and public assistance programs an• compared with
changes in the volume• of unemployment Pstimated by the National lrnlustriul Confrrmce
Board. The chart Ruggests that unemployment has generally predominated among the
factors that have det.Nmincd thp m1d11plicnl<•d
numbers of persons b<>n<'fitc•d by the sc•vpraJ
programs, although part of the
CHART 16
recipients are not directly affected by unemployment, and INDEXES OF UNEMPLOYMENT AND PERSONS BENEFITING FROM
other factors, noted above, have EMPLOYMENT ON FEDERAL WORK AND CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS
AND PUBLIC RELIEF*
been of importanc<' in certu in
January 1933 • June 1940
periods. Clearly evident an• ,NoEX
----.------7INDEX
1eo
180
the different levels of the two
' ·
series during the first ni1w 160 ,
160
months of 1933, the rapid rise
I
in recipients with tlw develop- 140
140
ment of the Civil Works proI
I
I
120
gram, and the relatively high 120 !
I
,,
I
degree of conformity in general
/ I
I
•-+- \100
movement in the period follow- 100 !/
\ !
ing the curtailment of this proV
80 I
80
gram in 1934-a period in which
the needs of the unemployed 60
60
were met mor<' adequately than
I
., 40
they were in 1933.
1933
1934
1935
1939
1936
1937
1938
1940
The curves indicate that
winter peaks in unemployment, "' 1935 · 39 - 100.
Ba•ed on estlmat" of the National lndu•trlal Conference Board.
ns well as in needs for fuel and
I
I\
I
-l- •
I
I
I
1
· i:
Digitized by
Google
102
REPORT ON PROGRESS OF 'l'HE WP A PROGRAM
TABLE 43.-lNDEX OF PERSONS BENEFITING FROM
EMPLOY)IENT ON FEDERAL WORK AND CONSTRUCT ION PROJECTS AND P U BLI C RELIEF A
MONTHLY, JA!< U.\RY 1933-.JUNE 1940
[]93,5- 39 = 1001
_M_o_nt_h_, __ 1_93_3
I~
January .. . . 92. I
February .. 97. 2
March .... . 109. 8
April.. . .. . . 112. 0
May .. . ..•. 100, 8
June .•• • ••. 99. 3
143. 8
143. 7
132. 3
118. I
109. 0
107. 9
Jul y . ••• .. ..
August. . .•.
September.
92. 7
90. 9
82. 6
Octoher .... 83. 8
November. 105. 7
December .. 130. 3
- A
-·
-
193,51~~~~~1~940
126. 5
125, 2
124,;
122. 6
120. 5
114 , 4
106. 5
108. 7
108. 3
10.3. 9
97. 7
94. 5
97. 6
%. 2
%. 8
93. 6
88. 0
84. 9
89. 2
95. 0
101. 7
10~. 7
105. 4
105. 9
110. 8
110, 9
110. 8
100. 9
HR I
09, 3
111.0
111. 2
I 16. 7
116. 0
116. 4
119, 4
123, 6
110. 2
102, 7
101. 9
99. 9
107. 0
92. 2
94. I
95, 9
97. 8
75. 5
73. 4
71. 3
72. 2
74.8
81. 4
105. 4
108.0
108. I
110. 9
111. 9
111. G
94. I
89.8
84. 0
86. 5
88. I
90. 2
- ~- - --
98. Ii
97. 1
93. 9
95. 4
9/i. 0
91. 4
87. 5
8 1. 9
a tendency for rises in unemployment to anticipate increases in relief needs by several weeks
or months. Because of this relationship an<l
the expansion of the WP A program in southern
states to aid sharecroppers who were in extreme
distress because of the collapse of cotton prices,
the rise in the total number of persons benefiting
from relief and employment programs continued
throughout most of 1938.
Number of Persons Benefited
-··
Based on est irnatcs shown in Table 41.
from unemployment compensation benefits. It
is not until such resources are exhausted during
continued periods of unemployment that it
becomes necessary for many persons to apply
for relief. As a result of these factors there is
During the seven and one-half year period
beginning with January 1933, there has been a
gradual decline in the average number of persons per household receiving Federal work program earnings and public assistance. Part of
the change is attributable to the tendency for
two-family relief cases to separate during the
FERA period; part of it has resulted from an
increase in the relative number of small house-
CHART 17
PERSONS BENEFITING FROM EMPLOYMENT ON
FEDERAL WORK AND CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS
AND PUBLIC RELIEF, BY PROGRAM
January 1933 • June 1940
MILLIONS
OF PERSONS
MILLIONS
OF' PERSONS
"' 30
30 '
25
-
t-----
--- -
-
- -+-- - - - l 25
lo
5
0
0
1933
1934
1935
1936
1937
1938
1939
1940
WPA-
Digitized by
Google
FEDERAL WORK PROGR.UIS AXD PUBLIC ASSISTANCE
holds included in the totals. This t0ndency
has been particularly marked in the period b(•ginning with 1936, when increasingly large muubers of one- and two-person families have bc<.'n
aided under the old-age assistance program.
Wide differences e;,..-i.st in the average number
of persons per household benefiting nnc!Pr the
various programs included in the unduplicat<.'d
totals. Changes in the numbers aided are
therefore more significant when measured in
terms of persons than in terms of households.
The program composition of the unduplicntPd
numbers of persons benefiting from employment on Federal work programs and public
assistance is shown in Chart 17. In preparing
this chart, persons who benefited under more
than one program during the month were included only in that program which occupi<'s the
lower position in the chart. Because of this
arbitrary allocation of duplication, the chart
does not indicate precisely the relative munlwrs
benefiting under the various programs. It does,
howe~er, indicate the relationship between the
number of persons, including dependents, who
have benefited from ,vPA employment ancl the
total ntm1ber aided by all programs combined.
Payments to Recipients
Total payments made to recipi<'nts of F0dl'ral
work program employm<'nt and of public rl'lid
totaled $3,263,600,000 during the v0nr ending
June 1940, as may be seen from Table 44.
Earnings on Federal work and construction
projects accounted for $2,188,200,000, or 67
percent of the total, and $1,075,400,000, or 33
percent, represented payments for public assistance. WPA earnings accounted for nearly 41
percent of the total.
Aggregate payments for each month of the
period were substantially lower than tl1osP for
corresponding months of the prl'C'Pding fisC'al
year. Paym<'nts for June 1940 amouni<-d to
$256,400,000, a decrease of 16 1wrcc>nL from tlH•
figure for June 1939. Most of the (!Pcli1H'
occurred in earnings of persons cmployPd on
WPA projects, which dropped from $141,000,000 to $101,000,000, or 28 pc>rcPnt, alt.hough a
much larger relative decrease (64 pm•cpnt)
occurred in the PWA program, which was
103
gr<'atly curtailed during th<' year. The amount
of gm<'rnJ rclid exkndPd fell from $37,100,000
to $32,400,000. Thcs(' declines wcr<' offset to
some extent by increases in other programs.
Earnings on regular FP<lcral construction projC'cts rose from $27,400,000 to $36,000,000, and
paymPnts for the two NYA programs <'xpamkd
from $5,900,000 to $7,800,000. Total paymC'nts for the thn'l' spPcial types of public
assistunc<' in which tlw Social S<.'curity Board
pnrticipat<•s-old-ag<' assistance, aid to dC'prndcnt childr<'n, and aid to t}w blind-continued tlH'ir gradual Pxpunsion, increasing from
$47,100,000 to $52,400,000.
Changes in tlw total amounts paid to recipients of the various programs arc determinC'd
primarily by chang<'s in tlw total numlwrs of
such rpcipi0nts, which Wl'r<' discussed in the
pn'CC'ding sPctions of this statPnwnt. Total
payments havP also bl'l'll gr<'atly influl'ncC'd by
tlw amounts paid to indi,·idual rccipi<.'nts undPr
the Sl'V<.'ral progrnms, by rhangps in th(• rPlativ<'
importance of th<'SP programs, and to some
cxtt•nt by technical factors.
Sine<' 19;3;3, aggr<'gntr> paym<'nts have incrcasl'd relaLiV(' to tlw unduplicatNI number of
hous<.'holds ai(!Pd. In thP first three y0ars of the
ywriod, g(•1wrnl rdid issm'd on a lrndgdary
ddfriprn•y bnsis was th0 principn.l form of
assistnncP. AvPragP gc•nPral rC'lid lwndits inrrpasPd substnntinlly during this p0riod wlwn
the• FERA program was in opPration and
(!Pfinit<' att0mpLs W('rc' hl'ing mad0 to improve
r0lid standards. \Vith tlw introduction of
spPcializP<I Pmploym<'nt and rclid prog-rams
aftc>r th<' PIHi of fiscal Y<'Ur 1935, paynwnts ma<IP
un<kr tlw g-ern'rn.l rPliPf program ckcli,wd. Th<.'
sPrurity wngps paid on \VPA projPrts W<'r<' morP
a<kquatP than nv(•rag<' g<'nl'ral rPli<'f lw110fits.
Tlw Pxpansion of th<' P\VA and othPr FPd<'ml
constnwtion work, most of which is dmw
through privntr contractors nt pr<'vailing wng-Ps,
also tc'IHkd to inrn•nsP a,·prng<' paym0nts for all
programs romhirwd.
AggrPgatc~ pn,ymmts hn,ve fr<.'quently r<.'gist<'1wl som('Wlmt, slrnrp!\r month-to-month fiuctua tions than havP tlH' imduplicatPd nmnbcrs of
rPripients. A part, of this variation arisPs from
payroll and accounting procNlurcs which r<.'snlt
in sornP Ing lwtwPPn <>mployment and pa:vroll
2fl21fii'-40--8
Digitized by
Google
104
REPORT ON PROGRESS OF THE WPA PROGRAM
reports and the inclusion of more payrolls in
reports for some months than in others.
Payments made to recipieuts of the various
programs in June 1940 arc shown by states in
appendix Table XX. The state figures reflect
local differences in costs of living, incideuce of
unemployment, and, for certaiu programs, differences in the adequacy of state and local funds.
Notes on Coverage and Sources of Data
The estimated uncluplicated total numbers of households and persons, discussed in the preceding pages and
TABLE 44.-AMOUNT OF EARNINGS OF PERSONS EMPLOYED ON FEDERAL WORK AND CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS AND
PAYMENTS FOR PUBLIC RELIEF, BY PROGRAM A
COXTIXE~TAL °CNIT~D STATES
MONTIILY, JA,-;u.<RY 1933-JcNE 1940
[In thousands of dollars]
National Youth
Public Works
Administration
Administration
Other Federal
Work and Construction Projects
Civil
Grand
Total
Year and Month
NonFederal
projects
Works
Progrum
Federal
projects
Emergency
funds
Re,,aular
fonds
---------------1-----1--- ---- ---- ---- -------- ---- ------1933-totaL ____________________________ _
1,358, 159
140, 736
1,816
28,902
214,956 ----------
134,830
1-----1-----------------------------
January ___________________________ _
February ______ ____________________ _
March ____________________________ _
April _______________________________ _
May _______________________________ _
Juno _______________________________ _
77, 336
81,074
95,747
90,917
95,629
102,404
!, 474
6,387
16,992
July ________________________________ _
August_ ____________________________ _
September __________________________ _
October ___________________________ _
November _________________________ _
December_---------· ______________ _
98,536
97,942
95,856
99,189
144,307
270,222
20,579
10,996
10,169
15,575
20,245
20,319
10,910;
10,()90 I
11, 6i0,
12,690 I
14,810
15, i70 i
37
157
501
1,121
26
134
!, 860
5,810
10,290
10,782
31,932
183,024 ---------·
1a.ooo I
12,200 I
12,00J
s,s10 I
6, i55 I
5,0i5 I
1 = = = = = 1 = = = = = = = = ~ - - , = = = =1 = = = = = = ·
1934-----totaJ _____________________________ _
2,436,328
___ __ _ __ __
260, 957
58, 434
216, 727
503,060
H. 393
41,325
0
January___________________________ i--31_1_,8_2_2_
February___________________________
250,995
March______________________________
229,511
April__ __________________ __ ____ ___ -154,128
May________________________________
166,381
June________________________________
167,573
July ________________________________ _
August ____________________ -------- . September _______________________ . __ _
October _________ ----·--------------November _________________________ _
December __________________________ _
1
_ _ _ _ _ __________
__________
__________ _
__________ __________
173, 725
102, 197
180,183
193,001
208,498
208,314
20,810
20,489
18,761
17,894
20,560
19,907
I, 118
1,477
1,082
I, 799
2,842
4,416
9, 9i3
11,374
II, 124
14,821
20,342
25,827
218,799 ____ . ____
154,549
123,630
5,968
1,52"2
102
1.654
11
1,675
22, 113
25,019
23, 114
24, 510
24,674
23, 106
5,395
7,282
7,926
8,330
9,303
i, 464
25,412
24,931
21,164
18,952
18,695
14, 112
1,623
1. 708
1,668
I, 591
I, 669
1,283
3,628 !
3,113 ·
2,811'
3,2581
3,685
3,51i;
3,439 ,
a,m:
3,5i0
3. 730 I
3,MO
3,310 I
1====11====-====-------===
1935-tota]_______________________________ 2,594,764
238,018
97, 679
157,993
6,364
332,851
48, 529
47, 950
January ____________________________ _
February ____ . ______________________ _
March _____________________________ _
ApriL _. _. _____ . ___________________ _
May _______________________________ _
June _______________________________ _
223,080
207,299
210,889
215,188
218,920
204,359
July ________________________________ _
August_ ___ . _____________________ -- - September ________________________ . October_. ___ . ___________ .-------· .. November. _______________________ . __
December _________________________ _
205, 738
206, 176
197, 029
210,464
229,981
259,641
1936---totaL ____________________________ _
---------- -------------- •· ------------ - ----------- -----2
5,312
16,592
32,617
65,015
118,480
221
1,653
2,095
2,395
25,036
24,305
21,437
20,499
23,675
24,539
6,770
5,842
5,834
7,492
8,585
9,072
11,409
10,099
II, 018
13,858
15,606
16,850
I, 098
I, 142
1,060
2,880
2,670
2,780
1, Zi7
3, 2.0
!, 339
1,378
3,500
3,730
28,088
33, 087
33, 777
32, 106
33,582
32, 120
9,122
10,328
9,490
9,301
8,041
i, 136
16,352
15,920
13,905
13,242
10,982
8,752
I, 688
2,463
5,425
8, Iii
10,954
12,574
3,8901
I
I
4,130 I
4,760 I
5,6.1() 1
5,650 I
5,090
===--=-==---===,l====l====I
3,258,770 I, 592,039
26,329
28,883
121,621
125,068
128,971
135, 188
137,502
126, 789
7
342
2,516
3,122
3, 132
2,574
2,582
2,729
2, 787
2,933
3,029
292, 397
180,043
84,188
249,855
124,284
1-----1---- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - January ____________________________ _
4,418
196
6,816
202, 143
134,237
2,528
29, 792
i, 526
13. 354
February ______ . ____________________ _
3,700
I, 061
5,931
i, 223
140,072
2,865
28,188
266,551
14,253
March _____________________________ _
4,018
i, 861
147,930
3,099
2, 153
24,858
7,339
274, 757
16,050
April _______________________________ _
5,606
12,920
3,295
2,903
8,014
19,494
270,467
138,834
22,575
May __________________________ _____ _
6,251
16,363
3,580
2. 806
24,348
260,559
130,241
8,031
22,612
June _______________________________ _
9,632
19,274
I, 842
3,070
23,518
9,125
266,919
124,986
25. 062
July ________________________________ _
August_ ___ .. _______________________ _
September _________________________ _
October_ __________________________ _
November_ __ --- · -------------December_._ . ____ .. __ . ____ . __ _
A
265,366
270,047
272,099
284, 112
285,441
274,315
24. 496
23,029
20,903
23,133
24,012
22,945
19,906
20,285
19,780
18,370
17,323
15, 154
7,300
7,051
6,496
6,077
5,128
4,278
See notes on J>p. 101 to 109 for description of <lutn included.
Digitized by
Google
25, 107
25,456
24,628
23,240
21,353
19, 246
14,168
15,053
15,007
16,864
15,329
14, 1391
105
FEDERAL WORK PROGRA:MS AXD PGBLIC ASSISTANCE
subsistence grants made by the Farm Security Administration; the three special types of public assiHtance
(old-age assistance, aid to the blind, and aid to dependent children) which, from February 1936, have been
financed in part from Federal funds under the Social
Security Act; the Civil Works program; the Work
Projects Administration; the Civilian Conservation
presented in Tables 40, 41, and 43 and appell(!ix Table
XIX, include relief and nonrelief recipients in the eontinental Vnited States benefiting under the follo\\·i11g
agencies and programs: emergency relief lgeneral work
and direct relief and FERA special programs) fi11a11eed
in part from FERA funds; general relief, including outdoor poor relief, financed from state and local funds;
TABLE 44.-AMOUNT OF EARNINGS OF PEnso:-.s EMPLOYED ON FED};J\AL WORK AND CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS AND
PAYMEXT:; FOR Pt:BLIC RELJEf', BY PRomu~r A-Continued
CONTINENTAL UXITED STA.TES
~IuSTULY, JANCARY 1933-Ju,rn 1910
[In thousands of dollars]
'
Special T:;p<>s of Public Ae- \
s1stance
assi5tance
Aid to I Aid to .
depend- I the
ent
bl" d
children,
m
:
'
I
;
R<·lief
---------
___ - - - - - I
,
tion 8pecial Programs
\
'
Old-age
Federal EmPrgency Rclid Administra-
General Relief
Total
Poor
rehef
JU, 3;u
26,071
40,504
5, 83Y
2,322
2,313
2,249
2,207
2, 175
2,159
3,670
3,431
3,487
3,406
3,406
3,322
4Y3
474
479
496
479
480
59,615 '
64,438
Ti,442
70, 30<J
68,037
63, 35Y
1,011
1,098
1,128
I, 142
2,131
2,107
2,098
2,073
2,098
2,139
3,252
3,281
3,293
3,293
3,297
3,366
500
478
47Y
501
483
497
57, 719
59,372
56,598
62,531
67,071
51,361
1,318
I, 521
1 604
004
1,899
I, 674
32,244
40,686
2,342
2,331
2,373
2,371
2,426
2,474
3,38Y
3,361
3,413
3,353
3,385
3,353
2,653
2,672
2,750
2,919
3,114
3,919
758, 752
Emn-
::-,;onrdief
Enll'rgt'!ltY
rl'lil'I
:-i(•nt
tion
:,, 30,
I
l:~t:
----
326
if>, 431
420
69 211
66: 009
62,217
335 ,
56,401 '--------.
57,851 ________
54,994 I -------i
tiO, 627
3:i9
443
January.
_l,'ebruary.
March.
April.
May.
June.
4351·
::: .::1
671
I, 160
4
64
·- -----·· ·-·· --· -· --------·
3 ---· ·-.
57, JY6
33, 150
1,812
I, 829
I, 921
2,026
2 132
1: 891
46,541
4~. :JOO
59, IU4
89, 9}4 I 5, tJ77
97 608 , 6, 112
ua: 544 . ,;. ooo
I, 679
1, 731.i
l,16<J,
2, 26ti
2,398
2,494
2,444
I, 675
1 332
'871
403
3,381
3,401
3,357
3,409
3,413
3,471
637
618
628
662
639
652
99, 4li
lll, 519
105,411
115,788
128,376
135,851
1,848
2,003
I, ll'J8
2, 148
2,093
2,202
97,569
5, Obi
l()<J, 5lti . 7,030
103, 413
5, 591
ll3, 640 ! 6 238
12H, 283 ! 7: 404
133,58<J_:_6,813
64,966
41,727
7,970
I, 380, 9/i9
4,406
4,626
4,738
4,920
6,109
6,306
3,417
3,397
3,422
3,472
3,463
3,417
655
639
638
659
641
658
150,870
138, 128
139,917
135,852
133,098
JIO, 442
2,448 i
2,468 II
2,587
2,550
2, 40Y
2,377
6,541
6,600
6,817
6,002
6,306
6,530
3,468
3,488
3,472
3,526
3,559
3,626
681
660
669
603
683
694
121,287
112,862
05, 479
97,680
78,605
57,721
- 437,135 ,
2,474
2,482
2,610
2, ti72 I
2,737
2,822 I
155,241
49,462
7,0111
7,713
8,273
II, 247
9,002
10, fiOll
3,523
3,760
3,797
3,942
3,993
4,221
13,088
H,947
16,288
18,004
19,363
20,788
4,254
4,017
4,212
4,379
4,567
4,797
--12,813
--884
970
1,010
1,024
1,045
1,070
47,921
46,858
44,555
40,070
34,977
33,184
1,082
1,102
1,122
1,144 .
1, 1631
I, 179
-----
30,831 ;
29,679
30,057 I
30,722 :
31,934 :
36, 3471
I, 119,201
!
48,353
50,219
61,025
YI, 940
99,830
95,435
3o, 726 -1,
1
IU33· --total.
~~~ i
i
~~~
aS11~2aa
52. 221
148,431
135,660
137,330
133,302
130, 51J<J
117,065
i.~5
li,035
5,2til
5,296
6,138
5, U27
4,029
3,848
a. 784
:1, 476
'
324
::~
19b
163
142
'
114
::::: ::::::::::::!
92
136
- --------1
3,732
311
837
950
948
287
54 7
I, 268
1,340
--~·~!!__
1,137
2,271
2,178
2,344
2,284
2,235
1,548
I, 346
I, 3•17
I, 378
I, 385
I, 2<J7
384
1,322
a, ;;s
7,344 _________
l<J
1s, 545
2
f,00
1,183
708
725
008
926
I, 015
1,277
December.
1,404
3,069
7,033
II, 146
10,450
8,932
L::::::::
6
:i, 748
1935--total.
January.
February.
March.
April.
May.
June.
July.
August.
September,
October.
99
2,142
I
I____
_______
---- ---1
1934-total.
July.
August.
8eptt•m ber.
October.
:-ovcmber.
-·-iu, 302 ~ i
562
78
36
July.
August.
September.
October.
November.
December.
January.
February.
March.
April.
May.
June.
4, 770
I, 807
I, 564
3,184
1,024
2,755
794
I, 994
688
_1. 300_ ==293
I
1321
l05
88
I
4. 304
5, i8G
4. 524
2,646
2, 147
I, 092 I
75, 8H8
464
54,899
•=-=-=_;;:; =--=~
------i
-l,86Y
--
----- ------ ·-·--1
7, 775
1, 51U
3, 82'2
118,813
110,380
u2, 869 I
<J.,. 017 :
------ --- -------· ---- -- -·----------- ------ --------- ------------
12,800
2,681
384
3,037 I
531
3, 058
491
3,576 '
1, 102
3, 722 .
I, 594
4,0~9_1 _ _1_, 7_20_
4o. 012
Year and Month
tation
3
543
516
514
543
530
591
7,073
---
Rural
reh'.1hili-
32b
~:~~~
1,143,164 I 23,003
I
58,566
ti3, 40i
1
1:
College
stud,~nt
uid
gency
educa-
Tran-
Farm
Security
Administration
Grants
November.
Dec,•mber.
12., ,
20,365
778
/i34
458
320
268
227
39
15
14
2,788
2,097
3,151
2,014
1,307
945
January.
February.
191
178
188
187
JOO
229
10
563
8Y5
1,148
1,367
I, 4Jti
2,174
July.
August.
September.
October.
11
12
12
6
2 ---------· ------·-··
2
1
1
Digitized by
1936-total.
'.\larch.
April.
'.\lny.
June,
November.
December.
Google
106
REPORT ON PROGRESS OF THE WP A PROGRAM
Corps; the ~ational Youth Administration; the Public
Works Administration; and all other work and construction projects financed in whole or in part from Federal funds. The estimates do not cover recipients of
institutional care or of Federal surplus commodities, or
persons employed on regular construction actidties of
state and local governments that are carried on without
Federal grants-in-aid. The scope of the compilation
has not been extended to include recipients of rural
rehabilitation loans made by the Farm Security Admin-
istration, recipients of unemployment compensation
and old-age retirement and survivors' benefit payments
made through the insurance programs of the Social
Security Board, or similar payments made under the
program of the Railroad Retirement Board.
The monthly figures on aggregate payments made to
these recipients, which are presented in Table 44 and
appendix Table XX, were obtained by adding the
amounts reported or estimated for the various programs. In order to arrive at the total numbers of house-
TABLE 44.-AMOUNT OF EARNINGS OF PERSONS EMPLOYED ON FEDERAL WORK AND CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS AND
PAYMENTS FOR PuBLH' RELIEF, BY PROGRAM A-Continued
CO.XTINE:STAL UNITED STATES
MoXTULY, JAxuARY 1933-JUNE 1940
[In thousands of dollars]
Kational Youth Ad-
Public Works Admin-
ministration
istmtion
\\'ork
Year and Month
Grand
Total
1 Civilian
Other Federal Work
and Corn~truction
Projects
,
Projects - - - - - - - - - - - - - ' Conserva- - - - - - - - - - 1 - - - - - - - - , , - - - - - 1
AdminisOut-of- i lion Corps
tration
Non-FedStudent
school
Federal
Emergency
Regular
eral projwork
work
projects
funds
funds
program
ects
program
1
1
1937~totaL ______________________ _
January __ ____ ______________ _
February_____
----------- - .
March________
------------A priL ________ _. ________ _
May ____ ------------------June _________________________ _
July ___________________________ _
August._ ---------------------8C'ptcmber _ __________ ________ _
October_ ___________ _
November_ __ ----------- - -----
December .. __________________ _
2,809,379
I, 18G, 266
24, 287
32, GG4
245, 756
141,918
34, 155
158,213
205,013
260,504
258, 303
259, 306
258, n-14
253, 1-rn
114,838
lln,047
1rn,m2
113,831
112, 178
JOG, 368
2, UUi
3,227
3, 3lli
3,347
3. 642
I, 992
3,087
3, 24.5
3, 22G
3, 191
3, JOG
2,920
24, 485
24, 158
21,238
21,228
21,039
19,356
12,664
II, 639
II, 07-1
13,232
13,742
14, Jl2
3,374
2,990
2,862
3,116
3,076
3,123
15, 157
13,284
12,877
14,333
14,977
15, 722
12,512
11,653
12,067
14,536
15,411
17,t\S7
2, 4DI
2. 348
2, 193
2, 165
2,2ti:l
2,429
19. 33-1
19, 439
Hi, 312
18, 37\l
20,870
rn. \l12
13,315
12,930
11,961
10,337
9,413
7,499
3,154
2,924
2,872
2,540
2,249
I, 875
13,844
12,982
12,049
11,957
11,154
9,877
97, 355
21,360
73,041
245,345
15,451
13,848
14,971
2-14, 203
227,
210,
2lti,
217,
224,
229,
288
097
419
751
386
\!GU
91,690 -----------(B)
82, 7i8
81, 1-!G
164
I, 599
81. 360
82, G34
1,977
2,05(\
86,475
1938-total ________________________ _
3, ·187, 185
I, 750, 83G
lU, 598
41, flGO
230,318
January ________________ .. _____ _
237,244
2.15, srn
2(i3, 21(1
213,
283,(l21
29-1, 349
113, Ol\tl
103, 0\J2
I JU, G93
131, 4!U
137, \JIG
146,068
1, 99G
2, IG6
2,203
2. 552
8,585
19, 9-10
rn, 461
18,336
18, 31 I
18, 1114
17, 174
6,298
6,000
5,706
6,824
7,966
8,601
I, 317
1,070
I, 042
1,078
961
800
7,919
7,241
7, 193
9,056
12,473
14,986
298, U\JO
30i, 207
312, 2fi3
155, 709 ----------·(j
IG7, 99\J
JGU, 1\59
211
17(\, JOI)
I, USO
177,229
2,408
172. 892
2, ·117
3,701
3, 90:l
3,930
4,028
4, IU3
4, -11111
19,848
20, 33-1
18,707
20, 3tii
211, 51-1
11), 2fl2
8,019
8,220
8, 32tl
9,070
10, ti64
11, G61
706
757
2, .597
2,722
3,946
4, 2i4
7,658
!, 531
I, 573
I, 313
1,090
999
February ________________ _____ _
l\'1arch __________________ _____ _
April._ __
May _________ ---------------
June _________ ______________ _
July __
.August
September
October ____________ _
November_
_____ _________ _
.DccPmhcr
__ __ _· - __ . ______ _
103\1----totaL __
January __________ _____________ _
February _____________________ _
March __________________ _
April__ ___________ _____________ _
May _____________________ _____ _
.June __________________________ _
July ___________ __ _______ ______ _
August _______ _____ ___________ _
Sept,'mbcr ____ _______________ _
October_ __
_ ___ _________ _
November ___ - - ------ · ------
December _____ ___________ _
rn4o
January __________ ________ -l•'chrunry _ _________________ _
March ____________________ ----April__ ________________________ _
May __________________________ _
June __________________________ _
o,w
320,205
325, 585
:324, (j[jQ
2, li88
2, 73\J
2, 7fiG
3,075
2,255
2, -10G
I, 550
I
20, 4SO
20,330
22,676
20,654
20,057
16,941
17,320
19,576
21,167
23,637
24,282
27,290
24, 62i
22,085
20,282
,tss
I, ,5G5, 22-1
22, 70i
51. :"i:N
230, 51:l
204, 122
38, 707
7,798
307,245
3lli, 274
3111, 087
318, 4ti8
309, :348
308,°'11
304, 62ti
J{jO, 1.iUti
2. 2(i(i
2, 45i
2,441)
2, 49-1
2, 49•1
I, 035
4, :317
4, ·li'2
20, 642
12,781
13,059
12, \)03
15. 908
18,383
21,600
4,031
3,283
3,276
4,095
4,206
4,216
829
826
707
18,782
16,990
18,53.S
19,648
22, 38\l
27,349
19,867
20,683
20,054
18, 12ti
16, 765
13,993
3,078
3,025
2,812
2,572
2,279
1,834
555
536
IO, 822
I, 447
], 2fii
I, 155
I. 138
1,000
886
3, 4U4,
279,
27li,
258,
268,
271,
273,
112
5-11)
154, 76[,
162. 59ti
152,457
J.1.i, H70
140. 597
122, 112
111, ,5\13
231
558
IOI, \181i
7{i0
.5:l4
105,589
111,89-1
270, ,111
274,083
280,520
270, 533
274,807
2511, 371
93,050
lOU, 750
115,032
12-1, :io:;
11H, ~159
114, 3•16
JOO. 1\38
20, GSU
18, 103
19, 97-1
20, 432
18,637
4, •lfil
4, :ll8
4, 2.S(i
3,903
(D)
;317
2, 5<\1
H),
5
306
2,390
4, 1-1:,
Hl, 372
4, 222
2,952
·l.86-1
5, .,,12
17,0H7
19. :io8
19,321
17, (i21
4, .l:J7
2, \J(j2
2,852 I
'l, 114
.5, 8Hi
(i, 138
:l, 266
Ii, 2,~l
3,361
:J, 423
2,314
5,911
5, 5,5·1
5,510
I
I
19,4W
IO, t\05
Ii, 470
18, 1151
17, HOS
I,\ 872
I
9, 4i7
8,090
8,734
s, 903
8,394
A See notes on pp. 104 to 109 for description of data included.
n L<'ss than $500.
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734
787
783
554
544
515
428
27,012
29,988
32,706
31,723
31,783
30,337
355
24,766
388
24, 0i5
25,244
409
392
361
424
30.00
34,038
36,016
107
FEDERAL WORK PROGRAMS AND PUBLIC ASSIS'l'ANCE
holds and persons, however, it was necessary to make
se\·eral types of adjustment. Basic recipient data reported for the majority of programs correspond fairly
closely to the number of households (families and single
persons), but, for certain programs, reported recipient
data were converted to a household basis. The number
of persons benefited, including dependents of family
heads, was reported monthly for only a few programs;
data for other programs were estimated from information available from special reports and sample studies.
Allowances were made for duplication because some
households and persons benefit from more than one
program in the course of any given month. Duplicat.ion
between programs is sometimes technical in nature, a
result of the fact that assistance or work may be provided during part of a month under one program and
during the remainder of the same month under another
program; this type of duplication has attained important proportions at certain times, as, for example, in the
falJ of 1935.
TABLE 44.-AMOUNT OF EARNIXGS OF PERSOXS EMPI,OYED o:-, FEDERAL WORK AND CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS AND
PAYMENTS FOR Pt:BLIC RELrnF, BY PR<H,RAM A--Concluded
CO~TISENTAL rs1TED .STATES
M0'1TIILY, JA:St"AHY 19:!3-Jn;E 1940
lln thousands of dollars]
--
--
I Federal
I
Special Types of Public Assistance
General Relief
I
Emergency Helie! [
.Administration Speeial
Programs
"----
-
Old-age assistance
Aid to de•
pendent
children
Aid to the
blind
310,441
71,253
16,171
21,644
4,941
5, 107
Relief
Nonrcliel
i
---
I
I
!
'
22,535
23,602
24,361
24, 753
24,410
5,378
I
25, 7~~ I
26, 51 I
27,832 ,
28,607
29,626
30,695
I
,. 217
I, 234
1,259
I, 268
I
406,718
11;a
37, 88U
1-----u~;
39,260
39,786
35, i45
30, r,15
5,496
5,660
5, 740
1, 3!1
28, 22G
5,896
6,125 ,
6,303 ,
6,555 I
6,885 '
7, 167
1,329
I, 354
l, 440
1,464
I, 492
I, 524
20,015
1,279
I
Year and Month
-1-
--
..J:li4
:l
----
20h
128 i
128 I
35,894
1937--totnl.
1
1
1
- - - - -----------------------------------
5,484
:l, 7.55
5,553
5,260
3,071
3,236
Januory.
February.
March.
April.
May.
June.
------- · - ------------ - -------------_____ 1 -----------
941
1,346
July.
.August.
Sept.ember.
October.
Xovember.
December.
40
27
-------------------- ---------- ---
29,950
Farm Security Adminh;trntion
Ornnts
Emergency
education
I
Transient
-- - ----
--
-- ---------- --
30,274
1, 1U7
30, 72U
1, 39(l
11: ~1~
I=:=-========= =====l====~:=1=~=~cl
47fi, 20:i 1
22,587 1938-(otul.
19, 156
97,442
392,384
1 - - - - - - 1 - - - - - - - 1 - - - - ~ - - - - - - --- - - - 2,204
January.
31, 186
7,357
I, 560
4G, 404 1--- - - . ·-- · -2,473
February.
31, 403
7,572
1,508
47,207 -------------31,782
7,874
1,62'J
47,471 _____________ _
:2, 5i7
.\farcb.
32,072
7,880
1,527
41,11:J _____________ _
2,325
April.
1, 536
37, 337
_____ . .. ____ . __
2, 156
1\-lay.
32,310
7,886 I
l, 756
June.
32,276
7,087
1,.562
36,747
---
----1-
32, 820 I
8,013 :
1,583
35,999
32,915 I
8,300 I
I, 599
36, 2'14
33,259 I
8 389
I, 616
35, 400
33,625
8: 506
1,631
34, 93·1
33, 081
8, 730
I, G48
36, 47(i
34,740 1_ _ _8=·=93=o=i·===1=,=or.=,1=e===4=u=,8=6=,5
l, 291
I, 117
I 2:ll
1: ,192
I, 703
_ _ _2_. ·_26_2,
1'
I
114,934
20,456
35,006 •
35,120 I
35,188 I
9,226
o,302
9,496
1,666
1,610
1,685
3365,,719874
99,,563831
430,470
~i:: ·
u~~
ui~
--~~.)"24
____
~ _ _ --!
-1:l,701 ____
1.5,028 _____
4f,,/i87 1----
gJ~~
1
:::::: :
____________
- - __ ____ __
---- -- ---
::
---
'
--:::::::::::
-
- - --.
__
_
-· -----------
1\1.050
,,f
2 9~
2 "21
I~~~
l,f,87
11,,77000·,
37,0,52 '-------------- --1·
1,:::
"
3fi. 2fi1 , ___________ _
1
36,378
9,665
I, 714
:!8,23-1 ________ ---36,"511
9,7()1)
1,717
38,fi47 1-876
36,335
9,836
I. 726
38, fi99 , __
36,626
9,896
!, 737
38,277
I, 156
36,828
10,013
l,7/il
:JS,721
1.710
=====c====i===== ==~==•l=====I===== ===== - - - - - -
,;1/,
38,526
38,896
38,726
l__
39,059
3_8_, 9-45
39,603
10, :!89
10,518
10,727
10. 851
10,899
10.000
1, 764
I, 770
I, 778
I, 786
I, 793
I, 814
42,597
·11, .JU-1
40 218
37: 817
1 U92
2' 30'J
35, 37U
__ I
32, 304
---1
2: 805
2,500
2, 144
l, 516
July.
August.
September.
October .
.Novmnber.
Dere111ber.
IU3V- -lo tal.
January.
February.
l\Iurch.
April.
.\-lay.
June.
July.
.August.
September.
October.
No\·l'mber.
Dec·ember.
1940.
Jnuuary.
February.
March.
April.
l\Iny.
June.
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108
REPORT ON PROGRESS OF THE WPA PROGRAM
Unduplicated totals of households and of persons are
pre,;ented only on a nation-wide basis. The allowances
for duplication in nearly all instances were based on
sample information which was believed to be adequate
only for making adjustments in totals for the country
as a whole. Such information is not suited for use in
adjusting individual state figures because of the existence of wide variation in the extent of duplication
among the different states. Unduplicated state totals
consequently have not been developed. Recipient data
for individual programs, however, are shown by states,
for .June 1940 in appendix Table XIX.
The unduplicated estimates were prepared jointly by
the Social Security Board and the WP A. Duplication
wit)lin the three special types of public assistance (oldage assistance, aid to the blind, and aid to dependent
children) and between these programs and general
relief for monthR subsequent to .Tune 1936 was estimated by the Division of Public Assistance Research.
Social Security Board. All other adjustments for duplication were prepared in accordance with methods
developed by the Division of Research and the Division
of Statistics of the WP A.
The coverage of the basic statistics on the numbers of
recipients and amount of payments to recipients for each
of the Federal employment and public relief programs.
which arc shown in text Tables 40, 41, and 44 and in
appendix Tables XIX an<l XX, is reviewed in the
detailed notes that follow. All figures relate to the continental United States or its political subdivisions and,
unless otherwise specified. refer to the calendar month.
The source of basic statistics, unless otherwise specified, is the WP A.
Work Projects Administration
Employees: Data represent averages of weekly counts
made during the month on all WP A projects.
Amounts: Data represent total earnings as shown on
payrolls ending within the month for all persons employed on WP A projects.
National Youth Administration
Rmployees: Data represent the number of different
students employed under the student work program
and the number of different persons employed on the
out-of-school work program during the month.
Amounts: Data represent total earnings shown 011
payrolls ending within the month for persons employed under the NY A programs as specified above.
Source: National Youth Administration for months
subsequent to June 1939.
Civilian Conservation Corps
Enrollees: Data represent av<'rages computed from
reports on numhern of perso11s enrolled on the 10th,
20th, and last day of each month except for the Indian
Division for which averages are computed from daily
reports.
Amounts: Data are estimated on the basis of average
monthly enrollment and average monthly benefits of
$70 per enrollee for months prior to July 1939, of $67
for the months July-October 1939, and of $66.25 for
subsequent months.
Source: CiYilian Conservation Corps.
Public Works Administration
Employees: Data represent average weekly employment during the month ending on the 15th of the
specified calendar month on projects financed in whole
or in part from P,v A funds.
Amounts: Data represent total earnings shown on
project payrolls ending within the monthly period
noted above, for persons employed on the projects
described above.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Division of Construction am\ Public Employment.
Civil Works Program
Employees: Data represent aggregates of the maximum weekly numbers employed on Civil Works program projects in each state during the month.
Amounts: Data represent total monthly earnings of
persons employed on Civil Works program projects
estimated from weekly payroll reports.
Other Federal Work and Construction Projects
Ernplnyees: Data represent average weekly employment dnring the month ending on the 15th of the
specified calendar month on all work and construction
projects financed in whole or in part from Federal funds
other than those of CW A, WP A, PW A, NY A, and
CCC. These include projects financed from RFC
funds; from funds appropriated or allocated to agencies
othN than those specified, under the ERA Acts of
1935, 1936, 1937, 1938, and 1939; and from regular
Federal appropriations, including Federal-aid highway
grants.
Amounts: Data represent total earnings shown on
project payrolls ending within the aforementioned
monthly period, of persons employed on the Federal
agency projects described above.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Division of Construction and Public Employment, with the exception
of data for regular Federal construction projects for
months prior to January 1936; the latter a.re partly
estimated.
Special Types of Public Assistance
Recipient.•: Data include recipients assisted from
Federal, state, and local funds for programs administered under state plans approved by the Socia.I Security
Board; and from state and local funds for programs administered under state Jaws without Federal participation. Beginning with .January 1940, data also include
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FEDERAL WORK PROGRAMS AND PUBLIC ASSISTANCE
recipients of hospitalization and/or burial only . Data
on the number of recipients of old-age assistance and
aid to the blind relate to the number of grants made
under the program; in most states separate grants are
made to each eligible individual, but in some states a
single grant may cover the needs of two or more eligible
individuals. For the aid to d ependent children program, data represent the number of families receiving
aid. During June 1940 programs for aid to dependent
children were operating under state laws without Federal participation in Connecticut, Illinois, Iowa, Kent.ucky, Mississippi, Nevada, South Dakota, and Texas;
programs for aid to the blind were operating under
similar conditions in Illinois, Missouri , Nevada, and
Pennsylvania. Kentucky has a state law for aid to the
blind but data on the status of the program are not
available.
Amounts: Data represent payments to recipients
from Federal, state, and local funds for programs administered under state plans approved by the Social
Security Board and from state and local funds for
programs administered under state laws without
Federal participation. Beginning .January 1940 data
include cost of hospitalization and burials.
Source: Division of Public Assistance Research,
Social Security Board, with the exception of figures
prior to 1936, which were jointly estimated by the
Division of Public Assistance R esearch, Soeial Security
Board, and the Division of Research, WP A.
General Relief
Recipients: Data on the number of emergency relief
cases represent the number of different families and
single persons receiving work and direct. relief during
the month under the general relief program of state
and local emergency relief administrations. From Ma~·
1933 to December 1935 a major portion of the cost of
this program was financed with Federal funds 11:ranted
to the states by the Federal Emergency Relief Administration. The estimated number of ou tdoor poor relief
cases aided by local authorities during each month under
provisions of the poor laws is shown separately for the
period from 1933 through 193,5; after 193.5 this type of
relief is inclU<led in the general relief figures. Data on
nonrelief employees represent aggregates of the maximum weekly numbers employed on emergency work
relief program projects in each s tate during the month.
Beginning .January 1940, data include eases receiving
only hospitalization and/or burial. All genera.I relief
recipient totals are partly estimated for .January through
June 1933 and for January l 936 to date.
Amounts: Data represent obligations incurred during
the month for relief extended to cases and earnings of
nonrelief persons as described above, anrl beginning
January 1940 also include the cost of hospitalization
and burials.
Source: Division of Public Assistance ResParrh,
Social Security Board, for months subsequent to
March 1937.
109
Transient Relief (FERA)
Recipients: Data represent the estimated number of
families and singlP persons receiving transient relief
during the month from state and local emergency relief
administrations. Beginning with September 1933, a
major part of the cost of this program was financed
with Federal funds granted to the states by the FERA.
Amounts: Data represent obli11:ations incurred during
the month from Federal, state, and local funds for
transient relie f extended to cases by state and local
emergency relief administrations. Data for the first six
months of 1933 and for months subsequent to June 1935
are partly estimated.
Emergency Education (FERA)
Employees: Data represent the number of dilfere11t pe rsons employer! on the emergency education program during the month.
Amounts: Data represent the obligations incurred
during the month for earnings of persons employed on
the program.
College Student Aid (FERA)
Employees : Data represent the number of different
students cmplo.vcd on the college student aid program
durin g the month.
Amounts: Data represent obligation~ incurred during the month for earnings of students employed on the
program .
Rural Rehabilitation (FERA)
Recipients: Data represent the number of cases receiving adv ances for subsistence or capital goods during the month . Data are partly estimated for months
beginning with ,July 193.5, when this program was transferred to the Resettlement Administration.
Amounts: Data represent the amount of obligations
incurred during the month for advances to cases specified above. Data for months beginning with July 1935
are partly estimated.
Farm Security Administration Grants
Recipients: Data represent the net number of 11:rant
vouchers certified by t.he Farm Security Administration
(former!~• the Resettlement Administration). Ordinsrily only one grant voucher is certified per month for
a given ease. Beginning in April 1938, the number of
cases receivin11: 11:rants in the form of commodities purchased by th e Farm Security Administration is included.
Amounts: Data represent the net amount of grant
vouchers certified during the month for subsistence payments to cases as described above. Al so included are
commodit~• grants made by the Farm Security Administrat.ion during t.lw month.
Source: Farm Security Administration.
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APPENDIX
TABLES
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LIST OF TABLES
Page
I.
II.
III.
IV.
V.
VI.
VII.
VIII.
IX.
X.
XI.
XII.
XIII.
XIV.
XV.
XVI.
XVII.
XVIII.
XIX.
XX.
Explanatory Notes________________________________________________________
Number of Persons Employed 011 WPA Projects, Weekly, August 1935-June 1940__
Average Number of Persons Employed on WPA Projects, by State, Semiannually,
December 1935-June 1939_______________________________________________
Average Number of Persons Employed on WPA Projects, by State, Quarterly,
September 1939-J une 1940_ __ _ __ _ __ _ __ __ __ _ __ __ _ __ _ _ __ __ _ _ __ __ _ _ __ __ __ _ _ _
Number of Persons Employed on Projects Operated by WPA, by Major Type of
Project and by State, .June 26, 1940_______________________________________
Percentage Distribution of Persons Employed on Projects Operated by WP A, by
Major Type of Project and b~· State, .June 26, 1940_________________________
Average Number of Persons Employed on WPA Projects Operated by Other
Federal Agencies, by• State and by Agency, June 1940___ ____________________
Total Hours and Total Earnings of Persons Employed on Projects Operated by
WPA, by State and by Fiscal Year, through June 30, 1940__________________
Amount of WPA Funds Allocated, Obligated, and Expended, by Operating Agency,
through .June 30, 1940_ .
. _ __ __ __ _ _ _ ___ _ _ _ ___ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ ___ _ __ __ _ __ _ _ _ _
Amount of WPA Funds Expended for Activities Conducted by WPA and Other
Federal Agencies, by State and by Fiscal Year, through .June 30, 1940_________
Amount of WPA and Sponsors' Funds Expended on ProjectR Operated by WPA,
by Type of Project, by Source of Funds, and by Object of Expenditure, Cumulative through June 30, 1940____________________________ ___________________
Amount of WP A and Sponsors' Funds Expended on Projects Operated by WP A,
by Type of Project, by Source of Funds, and by Object of Expenditure, Year
Ending .June 30, 1940_ _ _ __ __ _ __
_ __ _ __ _ ____ _ __ _ __ _ __ _ ___ _ _ __ _ _ __ __ _
Ammmt of WPA and Sponsors' Funds Expended on Projects Operated by WPA,
by State, by Source of Funds, and by Object of Expenditure, Cumulative through
.June 30, 1940 _ _ _ _ _ ___ _ __ __ __ _ __ _ _ _ ___ _
___ _ __ _ _ __ _
__ __ _ _ _ __
Amount of WP A and Sponsors' Funds Expended on Projects Operated by WP A,
by State, by Source of Funds, and by Object of Expenditure, Year Ending .June
30, 1940 __________________________ -----------------------------------Amount of WPA and Sponsors' Funds Expended on Projects Operated by WPA,
by State and by Major Type of Project, Cumulative through .June 30, 1940___
Amount of WP A and Sponsors' Funds Expended on Projects Operated by WP A,
by State and by Major Type of Project, Year Ending .June 30, 1940 _ _ _ _ __ ___ _
Physical Accomplishments and Public Participation on Projects Operated by
WPA, Cumulative through December 31, 1939_____________________________
Selected Activities on Professional and Service Projects Operated by WPA, by
State, Selected Periods_ _ _ _ _ _ ___ __ __ _ _ __ _ __ _ __ _ __ _ __ _ __ _ _ _ __ __ __ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _
Selected Items of Physical Accomplishment on Construction Projects Operated
by WPA, b.v State, Cumulative through December 31, 1939__________________
Number of Persons Employed on Federal Work and Construction Projects and
Recipients of Public Relief, by State and by Program, .Jnne 1940_____________
Amount of Earnings of Persons Employed on Federal Work and Construction
Projects and Payments for Public Relief, by State and by· Program, .June 1940_ _
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
130
132
135
136
138
139
113
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EXPLANATORY NOTES
WPA statistics presented in this report
relate to activities conducted under the program from its initiation in the summer of 1935
through June 30, 1940. The figures cover
activities on n1l WPA projects financed in whole
or in part with WPA funds. Most of these projects ha.ve been operated by the WPA itself, but
in the period begi1ming with July 1938 a few
have been operated. by other Federnl n.gencies
with funds appropriated. to the WP A and
allocated to these agencies. Unless otherwise
specified, all statistics presented in this report
cover the continental United States and the
territories of Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and
the Virgin Islands.
Employment Statistics
WP A employment data shown in the first
three tables of the appendix relate to persons
employed on all WPA projects. Tables IV , V,
and VII relate to employment on projects
operated by the WPA itself, a.nd Table VI
relates only to employment on WP A projects
operated by other Federal agencies. None of
the figures shown in these tables include administrative employees or workers paid by project
sponsors.
Monthly WPA employment figures have
usually been used in both the appendix and the
text tables except for certo.in items that were
reported only for selected weeks. The monthly
statistics are averages of the numbers employed
on Wednesday of each week. The basic weekly
figures are summarized for the United States
in Table I of the appendix.
Financial Statistics
Tables VIII and IX are based on reports of
the Department of the Treasury and relate to
Federal funds allocated or appropriated to t,he
WPA under the ERA Acts of 1935, 1936, 1937 ,
1938, and 1939. Some of the terms used in
these tables are defined in the following
paragraphs.
1. "Allocations" represent amounts directly
appropriated to the agency or ordered transferred to it, warrants for which have been
issued by the Treasury.
2. "Obligations" represent actual or contingent liabilities incurred against funds allocated.
The figures are cumulative and represent paid,
as well as unpaid, obligations. Requisitions for
materials, supplies, and equipment are set up
a.s obligations. Items such as payrolls, rents,
travel expenses, which are certain to become
due in a short period, are obligated one period
in advance.
3. "Expenditures" represent checks issued
in payment of payrolls and other certified
vouchers.
Neither obligations nor expenditures necessarily provide a. wholly n,ccurate measure of
operations at any given time since obligations in
part reflect future operations, and expenditures
lag behind current operations because of the
time consumed in making actual payments.
Tables X to XV, dealing with expenditures
of WPA and sponsors' funds on projects operated by WP A, are based on data compiled from
WP A project registers maintained by the WP.A
divisions of finance in the several states. Totals
of WP A expenditures shown in these tables are
in agreement with figures reported by the
Treasury Department.
Project Accomplishment Statistics
Tables XVI, XVII, and XVIII relate to the
number of physical units of work that were
completed on project operations from the beginning of WPA activit.ies through December
1939 (through June 1940 on items of airport and
airway work). The figures shown for certain
types of professional and service projects, however, refer to the extent of public participation
during specified periods in December 1939 and
Ja.n uary 1940. The state data presented in
Tables XVII and XVIII arc limited to selected
items of accomplishment.
Federal Work Programs
and Public Assistance Statistics
Two stn.te tables- XIX and XX-supplement statistics prespntcd in the text on the
several work anJ public-assistance progru.rns. A
detailed expln.nntion of the technical coverage
of these figures is given on pages 104 to 109.
114
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115
APPEl--:DIX
TABLE !.-NUMBER OF PERSONS E~!PLOYED ON
" 'PA
PROJECTS
WEEKLY, .-\xnt·sT 1935-Jt"SE 19-10
Year Ending
June 30, 1036
Year Ending , Year Ending
June 30, 1937
Year Ending June 30, 1939
June 30, 19'.JS
I
I
Month
0
j;t;J
i
J';;;;i;~
--------1--~- - -1936
1935
mt _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
I
__1_ _______ )
~\::~~~~~~~~~::::: : : f : : :: :
August_ __________ ___ 14 · 187,968
219,781
August_ ______ _______ 21
252, i39
August_ ______ _______ 28
August. _____ ________ -- - --- -- -- -Average .• . ---- -----, •220, rn3
2'J9, 543
4
~er,tember . __ __ ______
September._ _________ II 1 34-1. 118
593
307.
1
18
September . . ·- --- ---456,013
September ___ ________ 25
September ______ _____ __ _ __ _
A.-ernge_______ _____
374,317
2 I
October __ ._ .. _______
October _ ____________ 9
October _____ .______ _ 16
October _. . .. . __ _____ 23
October . ____ ________ 30
_\verage _______ _____
6
Nonmber_ _____ ___ __
!-.o,·ember. _________ _ 13
November _____ ______ 20
November __ _________ Zl
Xovernber __ _________ ----s\nrage _______ -----
I>ec-.,m ber ___________ 4
December _____ ___ ___ II
December. ________ _ 18
December . ___ ___ ____ 25
December _____ ____ __ ----Anrage ___ __ __ -----
506, JOO
594. 427
GO!, 096
777, 294
986, 8:l7
705,169
I, 264, Mf,
I, 623, nor,
I
8
I5
5
!2
19
26
2
9
16
23
30
I
1,711,585
I, ti52, 283
I, 592,120
I, 568,817
2,279,612
2. 32'2, 594
2,350, 750
2, 376, ,565
1,538, 217
J, 524, 167
1, ,50 1,356
l, 479, 8:!6
14
21
28
25
2,332,380
1,510, SO-I
I , -lfi6, 361
I , 458,830
I, 45,5, 170
1,451,112
1,418,411
2,[.S:i, Wi
I
January_ ______ ____ __
Joouary __ _____ __ ____
3, 300, 328
3, 346, 107
3,286, fill
3, 195, 567
91,044
t
3, :m.1, x41
3,271 , 31!8
\I
Ifi
3, 358, 52.5
J, 345, 0:i1
26?, ~;"!
~-3,252,
.,.,••
U~:~~
3, 22.5, f,25
:J, 193, i;:,i;
::J, 2.tl , !.l.ji
3, 240, Gii
:J, 18;,, 821
:!, HS, 4'.17
3, 003, kt,!j
3,002,241
--___
.
007
31I , 487,
498, 628
~
l: ~1~: ~~
2,960,577
I
3, 334, 594
7
14
21
:tX
3,093, 'J2i
3,032, 7:,9
a, IZI. 008
3
2, 14-1, :,26
2
JO
2, Hill, 2!JU
!J
17
2, 147, 178
24
2, t 4.5, r.r.2
2, 149, :JU I
IO
23
2, 1:J\I, -178
2, J:I'.!, 9:.:!
2. 114, liCKI
2. 1111, !)-l!J
2, l ~!J, ·175
2.
ono. 3 15
Ui~: ~~1
2,339, 7411
'.\[oy _ _..,:c,ngo:: :: ::: : ::::1 · 2.· :ioo:11s3 2,319,913
Juoc .. _._ _____ __ __ ___
June . ....... . __ . _____ 10 2. 203, 02.'>
17 2,273,052
24 1 2.2.,.'\, 898
2. 28,,. r.22
Ii
24
31
7
14
21
28
2. crJx,
:ir,o
2, ()8:,, :J2<J
1, 11711, 1r,1
2, 115\1, 014
2
'J
lfi
Z!
30
2,040, iSJ
2,112:!, '.llfi
2, 11111, 979
I, !lll'J, 21l9
2, 1121, .579
2
l , 9XO, 230
9
16
23
30 ;
1, {Mfi, 700
1,sr.r.,6 17
l , S21, l!,l
I, ;;r,, 239
I, S7X, 0t)8
1,803,101
-! 3,021,5\J!,
317
40li
1•1;)
,192
1,04[1,
I, 98[,,
2,UO'J,
2,075,
2, (~l'.l,
8·10
2,
;01;
:!. 243, SH.'>
2. :!.iG, Sii
2. :l'J-1, 84:J
:!, 41 5, 41!i
2, :rn, ,'\41
6
2, [>04, 483
13
2,531,392
:!, 544. 08[1
2, f>l!I, 897
20
'n
2,078, 221
5
12
JO
26
I, 900, 62.'>
:i, 116\1, 932
11 3, 11:.!'J, 76,\
18 I 3, OCJI, (){]2
_2.1 _l ~'. \185, fl:.ICI
J(jf~
I
S
15
z2
1
11
l.'\
22
:.!'J
2, mJ6, 7 19
2, fl2.'\, 744
2, fif>O, 298
I·
25 _ 2. fl78. 2'2:l
..
I~
IU
2<l
3
Ill
17
2-1
31
2, t;.JO, 24f.
1 , 2, 693, 375
8 2, 711, 762
15 2. 7:w, OH
22 :!, ifli, 044
29 2, !lClf,, 931
2, 74:l, 025
1
i
2, 966, 202
2, 96.'\, 98(i
a, 010, G5H
:i. 043, :rn;
2, 'J!)f,, .'l51
a,m2, 247
:J. CK19, 2,,:J
:J, 014, ,;H;;
3, 011x. !rJ-1
2, 980, -172
:J, 00\1, 110
2,540,464
4
11
I8
2~ / : ~ ·-195
- . , 2, 282,086
7
14
21
28
tr:: ;~A
2, i,52, :t82
2, 7r.o, fl3!1
2, 792, 3f>2
2, i:Jf,,:!29
2,660, 2'.36
1·
1-~'.'.43,_66~-
20,901
41,091
53,142
56,533
45, 167
2, 025, 246
I, 994, 736
1, 916, 525
I, 834, 747
I, 778, 175
1,909.886
57,120
58,816
60,871
03, 149
04, 05.5
60,802
6 I 1,062, 447 I, 603, 275
13 1, 695, 794 , I, 633, 005
I, 735,,580 1,66;,S:JO
27 I , 790,163 1 1,719,872
50,172
62,699
67, 744
70, 2111
9
16
23
30
i
2, 082, 366 .
' 2,053, 552 .
I, 977, 396 1
1, 807,896
. 1,842, 230
1 1,970,688.
I
20
'
I, 650, 010
64,977
09, 831
12,905
74,042
75, 765
92,443
91,975
92,477
<J3, :J58
92,034
92,637
I , 901, 14;
8 1, 92'J, 219
l.'\ 1,060,80tl
22 ' 1,987,202
29 2. 024. 214
1, 960, 518
I, 824, 113
77,03·1
I, 851, 244
1,883,825
1,909,2'JO
1. 045, 352
1, 882, 754
77,975
92,240
91 . ~0-I
t>I, 200
9 1,6 14
6, 2,075,387
13 2. 122. x21
20 2, 143, 6711
27 2, 151. 84i '
1,996, 894
2. 044. s 10
2,006, Iii
78,493
78, 305
77,409
75,870
I, 720,906
4
11
18
25
1
. : :· · 1." 877,43ii T i;80-i; o63·
1
I
I
I
73,376
76,981
77,966
78,862
77, 764
2. 07.'l, 977
1040
2,931,4111 I
011, 19-1
2. 8;1;, r.m
89, ,553
!KJ, 262
88, fi30
8~. :J-15
8!..I, 198
I
;2-i
(12\J
022
3,'il
u:i5
191
I .55
49.,
2, 0-1~. I 7,,
2. u2;, 11.'i
1. u2r,, ;ao
2. 91.1. 588
2, S!l2, 722
'.!, U~). Of~i
84,072
82. 1as
tll:J
ti,'!<i
:!GU
:114
104,178
I 10,849
I W, 913
121,325
2, 679, 04fi
113,310
2. 610, 1182
87. s.~s
u:i. 4or.
<Ji, 7/iO
8H, O·i-J
f,2'2, .'\911
12,2. r.us,
020
:t, r,27, or,s
2, 50\1, tii:J
2, n-u,, .r,r,o
2,457,001
2, ,'\(JO, 87;,
126, 247
132. 278
1'.!7, 230
140,847
141 . 772
135, 6i[1
2,44\1, 189
144, 160
2, 59:J, 349
2, 589, iZ!
2. Sii, f'iir,
2. 5.51 , 418
2. 358. 179
2, 248, 611
2, 197, 226
1, 764,361
1 802 225
1:82J:129
I, 825,937
s11,
911,
90,
90.
2,801,
2, <,IIJ,
2. f.35.
2, G29,
1
1 834 192
1: s;5'. wo
1,808,671
I. 901, 702
2, U70, ou; ,
2,939, ;;74 '
2, 9JO, \lll7
2. 895. 12.5
2, Si 5,
2, ti22,
2, 95!i,
2, 007,
I
2, 230,919
2
11139
.5 l I, 711,032
1, 7f)l, 701
l, 832. 148
12
19
26
2, 131,078
2, HR, 193
~
A
2, ! 3X, 1159
3
~~:~:-:::::::::::::::
'.\lay . . .... ··· ·- ---,-ei-n~e:--:::: I
2. 12-1, :m7
2, 12'J, 2W
JO
6
June ___,:
2, l'.12, f;tt8
2,991 , 121
2, 95:l, 074
2, 871. rm
Moy ___ _____ ________
June ___ ______________
I
3, 02.5, 428
2, if>!, 155
2,678. 021
2,617, •153
2,570,31,5
2,504,ttn
2,626, :Jf>7
2,454,215
June ______ ___ ________
6
4
Zl
1
,
J,_5!Ui,nin_
f~
W38
11
18
25
.-\,·crnge_______
3, 2:l '.l , 9'.J2
19
20
88,538
89 2'21
90: 827
3, 127, 75i
I
29
--- ----·-·_________
:I.larch
_____
:I.larch ....
:I.larch __ _____ ___ _______ _
A ,·ernge . ________ . __
I
April. ___ __ ___ ____ __
8
April. _______ ___ _____
April. ___ ___ __ ______ 15
April . .... ________ 22
April. ____ __ _______ 29
,
14
21
28
- -- - - .
I, 462, 60!',
_ _
13
20
27
I
512, 388, 080
12 2, 280, 702
19 2, 250, 368
8.5, 007
89,490
90, 816
\JI, 3ii
92, 48-1
2,1.1;,-1,n
_o\\·crage _______ ----- 2,870, 7:J:J
5 2, 9118, :i;:1
February____ ________
February___ _________ 12 3, 01;, c;.19
February ____ ________ 10 3,034 , [> 17
26 3. 113,5, xr,2
February
_.\ ycrage _. ____ _
3,010, oox
March ______ _________
'.\fnrcb ..
o~.
5
J:l : 3, 26G, 075
I, 537, 558
1, f,57, f,89
I, f,88, 2-H
22
8
15
10
17
24
31
..
H I, 450,667
I, 457, 029
13
20 1 1, •166, 025
1,475,800
27
I
8
J.'\
2, 782, 2.52
2, 8411, 214
2,890,016
2, 02,\ 605
January____________ _
Jaouory_______ ___ ___
83,71 2
8-1, .'i/i9
~.113
86,218
85, 422
:I, 144, 4:1:J
3, 1/5, 2:,0
3,208,951
3, 253, 62:l
1936
Jaouary ___ __________
3, 076, ,)88 'l. 9U2. M76
3, IOI , 344 3, 016, 77,5
3, 123, 9HX 3,038,875
3, I 53, 113 ; :J, 066, 895
;r,2
1 3· 111 , 184 ! 3,
, 3, 125, 243 I 3, 040, ~'36
tll, ,577
2 2, :J8\I, 202
9 I 2, 2MX, (,C,5
16 ' 2, 21-1, 917
___
3
90, 041
2, 563, !l'Jfi
: t :~~: tr~
84,901
3, 123, 5fi8
I, 50'.J, 720
2, flf,7, 190
2,01-1, 121
3,136,505 I
2, 5,'\I , 041
2,740, 1170
2,999,022
84,570
84. 177
86. 49,5
3, 213, f,o<J
2, 482, GS !
/!~
7'2, ~60.
,04, .,,.
3, 053, 327
o:n, 103
I, 455, Uii
J,814,9.,7
__ ___ ___ _
'l, ft.JU. 077
84. 360
2,937, 489
2,983, 167
3,
3,108, U11
3,121, C1J I
2,426, Zl7
2,446, 721
2,481, .'>16
2, ,508, 441
2. 45:1, 603
Total
Projects projects
opernted
operuted by
other
by WPA
Federal
agencies
1939
:i, rn;, 450
3,210,312
3, 218, .~•l
3, 228, 082
10 l,
17 I 1,509,50,5
1,519,740
24
l, 92,5, 325
2, 44:,, 954
I
2,853, 120
2,898,597
2,937,926
2,066,832
6
13
20
27
1,631,203
2, 40.'>, 098
2. ,,x7, 30 1
4
11
18
25
-I
II
IS
WPA
Projects projects
operated Doto
opernte,J 1'by
other
: by WPA Federal
. agencies
1938
2,240,085
I
2,232,917
14
2, 240, 223
21 .
2, 249, 357
28
2, 26-1, 051\
2,245,328 : : :: · ,
2, ,'\2.5, 411
2, fHS, 625
:.:!, r,58, or,2
2, ;,l;J, 208
I
Total
19:!7
I
22
20
I
WPA
I
Proiects
operated Date
hy WPA
Oat
Dato!
Datel ;~
hy WPA
by WPA
Year Ending June 30, 1940
2, •l~.3m1
2, 4Ci8, 07'.I
2, 4-lfi, ;)45
144. 1;s ,
2. 438, 2.'\5
2. 4211, 741
J'.l 9,420
2. n8. 4:12
1:m. OO<J
l :JO. G77
:i
IO
Ii
24 1
31
- - -- - ,
i
14
21
~
1
2, 159,939
2, 189, 56:l
2, 22'2, <XKi
2, 24-1, 452
2, 205, f~IO
2, 21G, :!14
2,085, 577
2, I J.\ 160 _
2, 148, !Kl3
2, 170, ll:J,'\
2, 192, :J,'\ti
2, 142, ;,88
74,362
74, 394
73,103
73, 517
2, 28i. iH7
2, 311n. <Hx
2,318, \140
2. 32.1, mm
2, 3l~J. 21K
2. 212, i80
75,008
74,000
74, -100
r,
2, 32:1, 4\1 I
l:J
20
27
2,:m,,<Jl -1
2, 3 11 , 52.'i
2, 288, 2:1:1
:!
2. 310, r,-11
2. 2114, 4411
2, lftl,'JOI
2, 117, 741
IQ
17
2·1
1
8
J.'\
I
2, 2-18. 81MI
2,2.J-l, ;12'.!
2, 235, IJ<J2
2, 212, 239
73, 72fl
74. Iii
74, 02:1
74, not
7-1,591
75, 53:J
75,91H
2,235,361
75, 180
2,092, OKI
2, 127, .184
2,082, 5-W
2, (~!i, 282 2, 0I<l, 598
77,055
79,366
80,459
81,483
2, I H, 040
2, 004, •152
79, 58S
2,059,045
2,008, .'\37
1. o;o, 2.01
l,9-M,ll3U
I, 925, 534
1, 08 1,fi(lJ
I, !..Iii, 4i:i
I, 924,388
I, 88,,, <IB3
I, 8,7, Ml:!
I, &17, 854
l,8\lli,C\42
81,572
84, 149
84,568
8;, 126
87, 680
85,019
770,289
696, f,20
628. 137
58.1. 242
87, 611
88, 6-14
86,184
81,378
I , 6fi0, f.i".! '
85,951
22 1
:.!'J
:
2. 2.11. 1:m
2,244, f,-IO
:i, 24Y, u11.
2, Zl-1, ,505
7.1, 253
5 . I, 857, 9CKI
12
I, 78.\ ~•CH
l'J
I, ii-I, :121
211
I, f.04, r.211
-
1,
I
I,
I,
I,
I,
I
1r..r,. r,26 l
A\'Crage for three weeks.
Digitized by
Google
116
REPORT OK PROGRESS OF THE WPA PROGRAM
TABLE IL-AVERAGE NUMBER OF PERSONS EMPLOYED ON WPA PROJECTS, BY STATE A
SEMIA,;,n-ALLY, DECEMBER 1035-JUNE 1039
I
I December
December
1936
June
1937
2,285,622
2,247,461
3i. 907
32,926
9,529
30. 340
115. 446
28,596
Connecticut_ _________ --- --- - -- -- -- ________ --- - -Delaware _____________ - ---- - ------- _____ -- --- - -- District of Columbia_--------------------------Florida ____ -------- -- ------------------- --Georgia _____________ ------------------ ---- -·· - __
25, 722
2. 605
ti. 696
35. 019
,53, 724
Idaho ______ -- -- ---- ----------- ----- ---- --- --- -- -·
Illinois _____ ------ --- ---- --- - --- - ------ -- -- -- -- Indiana
__ -----------------------------------Iowa __________________
__________ _____________ _-
9,688
State
1935
TotaL __________________________________ _
2,667.190
Alabama ________________ ------------------_ -- -- Arizona ______________ - - - -- - - -- -- --- --- ---- ---- - -
Arkansas _________________ -- - -- -- --- __ --- __ ---- _California __________________________________ ____ _
Colorado ___ --------------------------------- __ _
Kansas ___________ ---- --- ------- -- ---------- -- -
48. 330
10. 8i2 i
40. 808 '
121. 453 I
164. 526
79. 542
23,580
41,366
50,200
49,256
9,793
ti~i~1~!t ~:::::::::::::::::: :: ::::::::: ::: :::-
Maine ___ --------------- -- -- -- ---- ------ ------ · ·
Maryland_ -------------------------------- _
Massachusetts _____________ __________________ . _..
17, 635
116. 187
Michigan ___________________________________ _
88, 772
~innPsota ___ __________________ - - ---- _________ _
56,612
31,385
82,008
13,566
~l;;~s~~rP!:: ::: :::::: :: :: ::::: :::::::::::: :: ::::
Montana __________________ ------------ _________ Nebraska ___________________ . ___________ . _____ . ..
Nevada ______ ---------------- ----------------.
New Hampshire _______________________________ _
I December
!037
June
1938
1,878,008
1,596,676
2,743,025
3,161,080 i
2,578,041
30,382
8,347
32,480
105,939
21,837
23,405
7,832
24,565
102,078
20,076
23,931
6,890
20,593
71,885
18,458
45,242
9,987
36,941
95,003
28,115
63. 295
11,479
52,569 !
51,351
8,521
46,119
109,069
25,984
23,466
2,415
7, 713
27,301
34,469
18,268
2,174
6,934
25,958
33,602
17,615
1,954
6,524
25,369
2/i, 447
16, 113
1. 035
!i, 810
24, Oil
24,272
24,883
3,558
8,457
36,038
47, 187
6,589
15i, 451
69,358
19,860
32,402
6, 711
159,476
65,899
22,683
41, 784
4,842
135, 607
55,333
20,156
32,402
6,930
107,889
44,520
26,549
9,319
222,158
94,003
33, 737
34, 717
11. 687
246, 738 ,
91,738 !
31. 995 I
10,730
201,590
78,360
27,079
30,116
46. G88
51,969
32,012
7, .561
12,868
99, 791
43,472
'1:7, 752
3,617
10,977
82,353
38, 735
23,635
4,231
9,625
67,632
62,506
33, 112
8,169
12,943
108,882
68. 563
.H, 736
10. 986
19. 933
128,786
57,913
43,343
8,264
17,818
106,164
67,955
47,088
25,496
71,923
12,888
52,130
38,572
20,303
67,331
9,643
45,608
36,611
19,296
50,392
13, 147
182,411
61,307
35,074
100,710
20,606
148,729
67. 637
48,690
110,662
20,959
124,6i6
55,185
40,360
85,6.19
22,172
2,091
8,901
76,422
8,548
19,759
1,635
6,151
69,617
8,373
19,643
1,696
5,530
57,606
6,272
29,043
2, 184
8,643
91,140
10,620
29,032
2,672
11,543
104,570
11.862
26,298
1,961
8,536
82,940
11,956
June
1936
3fi, 105
7,915
14,911
107.023
76,418
46,222
26, 713
67,351
10. 591
15,245
2,282
18,177
June
1939 B
December
1938 B
I
120,887 ;
33. 022 i
25,000
3,468
12,919
45,387
30,688
4,047
13,851
,j3.680
67,203
5i,36i
37,126 I
]i,003
.New Jersey ______ -------- · --------- - --------- __ _
N"ew Mexico ____ ----------------------------- __ .
19,477
2,325
7,026
89,696
10.898
SI, 520
7,966
New York _________ --------------------------_
!•forth Carolina ____________________ __________ ...
)forth Dakota ___________ _______________ _
Ohio___
-------------------------Oklahoma ______________________________ _
378,098
37,530
12,544
174, 2,52
85,600
309,248
30,428
8,620
153,891
54. 945
287, 646
28,403
19, 62.,
135,939
66,929
246,114
23,177
I I, 987
104,046
50,646
189,397
21,735
12,759
91,307
43,661
226,337
36,833
13,320
245, 775
65,169
251,191
57,004
15,593
265, 796
71. 609
210,344
43,879
13,832
204,5(1!
56,9i0
Oregon. _ _____ ---------- - ------------- Pennsylvania ____________________________ _
18,814
218,146
16,212
31,439
14,590
14,899
234,014
11,268
24,987
9,565
14,001
229,875
10,805
24,212
23, 785
13,376
183,513
11. 550
20,274
13,883
12,032
159,107
11,873
18,720
!.>, 559
16,282
252,365
14,853
34, 755
15, i39
19,672 [
268,173'
16,899
46,671 !
16, 767
17,100
189,728
15,108
43,581
15,428
45, ,585
36,306
80,975
10,368
24. 143
71,559
7,463
3,048
19,200
21,129
52,892
7,020
3,071
17,904
34, 766
81,059
10,314
!i, 059
23,894
57,909
112,984
15,028
26,832
31,303
i7, 269
8,969
3,468
24,720
44, 9S8
98,892
11,984
5,2811
28,923
26,228
43, 790
49,594
2,765
27,048
42, 175
53,069
3,598
26,949
33,682
42,405
2,370
29,862
28,716
37,408
2,364
44,865
46,411
72, 726
4,207
53,910
51,502
80, 789
4. i39
4,463
8
3,725
2,538
Rhode Island _________________________________ _
South Carolina ______________ ________________ ...
South Dakota ________________________________ _
Tennessee.---------------------------------- __ . .
'fexas ________________________ __---------------Utah ________________________________________ _
i3, i52
14,635
4,759
39. 672
~r;:;1ii~t_-: :: : : :: : : :::::::::::: :::::::::::: :: : __
~::P~i~~~1a:~: :::::::: ::: :-:::: ::::::::: :: :- -
30,370
50,689
60,056
4. 764
,visconsin _____________ _______________ __________ _
Wyoming _______________ •----------------- - ----
ii::~?(_ ~::::: :: ::: ::::::::: :-:: ::::: :::::: ::: :: : :_--
Puerto Rico ____________________________ _______ _
Virgin Islands____
__________ _
7,571
4,517
-
-
Undistributed by state ___ _
'' Data represent averages
8
-----------1,601
-------- ----
or week)y employment
counts made during the months.
Includes persons employed on WPA projects operated by other Federal agencies.
Digitized by
Google
3~:m
I
80
3,170
46 ,
1,345 [
38,484
40,961
63,821
3,820
754
2,83.3
4,018
1,361
139
117
APPENDIX
TABLE III.-AvERAGE NUMBER OF PERSONS EMPLOYED ON WPA PROJECTS, BY STATE A
QUARTERLY, SEPTEMBER 1939-Jl'NE 1940
December 1939
September 1939
State
Total
WPA
projects
Projects operated
operated by other
byWPA Federal
Total
March 1940
WPA
projects
Projects operated
operated
byWPA by other
Federal
agencies
Total
agencies
June 1940
WPA
Projects projects
operated
operated
byWPA by other
Federal
WPA
Projects projects
operated
operated
byWPA by other
Federal
Total
agencies
agencies
------------------------f---------------------1----f----f---64, 977 2, 123,431 2,045,889
Total.·········- 1,720,996 I, 656,019
77, M2 2,310,541 2,235,361
7,5, 180 1, 755, 526 1,669, 572
85,954
700
948
967
3,762
2,017
34,523
5,740
26,941
75,571
17,234
33,654
5,178
25,907
70,079
14,256
869
562
1,034
5,492
2,978
47, 770
756
24
2,330
2,100
2,163
16, 724
2,736
10,799
25,379
35,388
15,936
2,671
8,205
23,352
32, 737
788
65
2,594
2,027
2,651
11, 356
179, 435
64,035
26,333
26,419
623
1,530
691
278
2,067
7,237
135, 737
47,345
19,093
20,374
5, 769
134,369
46,588
18,387
18. 681
1,468
1,368
757
706
1,693
49,683
36,024
9,927
16,099
102, 481
48, 343
35,265
9,637
14,169
100,387
1,340
759
290
1,930
2,094
34,463
24, 783
6,246
15,220
65,910
32,896
23,803
5,769
13,093
62,919
1,567
980
975
997
850
861
1,222
89, 150
49, 752
11,014
88,885
14,894
88, 190
48,741
40, 115
88,065
13,665
960
I, 011
899
820
1,229
67,165
35,674
25, 758
64,411
8,736
65,995
34,472
25,057
63,065
7, 146
1, 160
1,202
701
1,346
1,590
617
143
157
1,971
569
30,139
2,019
8,905
70, 756
13,988
29,436
1,899
8,359
74,694
13,389
703
120
546
2,062
599
20, 196
I, 470
6,234
58,511
9,024
19,202
1,352
5,456
56,623
8,381
994
118
778
1,888
643
150,880
40,360
13, 164
138,828
45,906
3,441
!, 738
473
1,335
2,125
158,602
51, 796
14,409
148,626
52,948
155,234
3,368
l, 681
465
1,963
2,645
145,146
37,460
9,598
118,994
37,843
141,652
35,533
8,201
116,704
35,589
3,494
I, 924
1,397
2,297
2,250
15, 176
147,270
12,252
39,627
15,159
14,498
142, 762
11, 773
678
4,508
,179
I, 847
776
15,574
146,444
13,914
46,292
I.I, 319
14,855
143,016
13,575
•14, 644
14,476
719
3,428
339
1,648
843
12,658
158, 605
10,952
28,668
9,463
II, 620
154,850
10,533
27,035
8,124
1,038
3,755
419
1,633
1,339
940
3, 713
646
461
2,751
38,846
92,806
11,531
4,400
2,5, 434
37, 972
88,680
10,690
3,833
21,784
874
841
567
3,650
44, 160
106,056
12,489
5,525
28,210
43,411
101,866
II, 749
4,896
24,588
149
4,190
740
629
3,622
33,600
73,246
8,702
3,833
26,259
32,608
69,375
7,446
3,289
22,826
992
3,871
1,256
544
3,433
1,125
241
589
400
27,801
32,929
51,847
3,587
25,608
32,639
51,166
3,126
2, 193
290
681
161
33,018
38,571
55, 759
4,345
31,222
38,293
55,268
1,796
278
491
420
23,557
30,011
38,713
2,577
22, 170
29,710
37,627
2,204
1,387
301
1,086
373
120
460
1,776
13,215
1,283
460
1, 776
6,067
46
241
1,672
17,356
I, 760
1,672
9, 756
50
7,600
I, 710
Alabama .••..•.•••....
Arizona ...... ·-··-···.
Arkansas.•····-·-·· ..
California.•......••...
Colorado ............. .
37,947
5,382
32,235
74,235
17,990
37,499
4,730
31,705
69,984
16, 123
448
652
530
4,251
1, 86i
50,900
6,868
42,995
90,020
24,019
50, 174
.5, 821
42,132
86,096
21,811
726
1,047
863
3,924
2,208
51,524
8,568
44, 791
96,614
29,013
50,824
7,620
43,824
92,852
26,996
Connecticut. ........ .
Delaware ............ .
District of Columbia..
Florida .............. .
Georgia .............. .
18,141
2, 135
9,211
34, 729
39,567
17,282
2,044
7,190
33,119
38,137
859
91
2,021
1,610
1,430
19,026
2,515
10,821
18,296
2,383
8,599
35,433
45, 477
730
132
2,222
2,283
2. 230
20,256
2,776
12,032
43, 757
49,936
19,500
2. 752
9,702
41,657
Idaho ................ .
illinois .•.. - .. ··-·· ... .
Indiana ... ······-··· ..
Iowa .... ••·····-······
Kansas.-·····-··· ....
7,955
131, 791
48,654
18,709
18,068
6,763
129, 756
48. 024
18,332
16, 843
1,192
2,035
630
377
1,225
10, 387
160,098
GI, 166
26,716
9,697
157,939
60,365
23, 615
25,325
690
2,159
801
302
1. 391
11, 979
180,965
64, 726
26,611
28,486
t;~i~~~:::::::::::::
36,532
29,979
5,847
12,047
72,937
35,014
29,493
5,189
9,990
69,925
1,518
486
658
2,057
3,012
4,5, 008
36,197
7,438
14, 796
86, f,09
43, 394
35,305
6,682
12,652
83,818
1,614
892
756
2,144
2,791
~~;~~~~:::::::::
78,999
37,010
29,605
59,442
10,244
78,266
36, 193
28,911
58,715
9,078
733
817
694
727
1,166
88. 095
46, 174
43,924
77,618
13,11.,
87, 120
45,177
43,074
76, 757
11,953
Xebraska ............ .
Xe,ada ............ ..
Xew Hampshire . . .
Xew Jersey ..... .
18,815
1,265
5,861
56,143
9,822
18,356
I, 155
5,593
54,263
9,397
459
110
268
1,880
425
27,124
1,799
6,873
70,128
12,446
26, 507
1,656
6,716
68,157
11,877
XewYork ...... ..
,forth Carolina .. .
)lorth Dakota ...... .
Ohio ............... .
Oklahoma ....... ..
131,847
32,984
8,253
123,717
40,025
128,407
31,675
7, 763
122,657
38,240
3,440
1,309
490
1,060
1,785
154,321
42,098
13. 637
1-10, 163
48,031
Oregon ............... .
Pennsylvania ...... .
Rhode Island... . .. .
South Carolina .. .
South Dakota...... .
10,571
124, 143
10,285
30, 761
IO, 731
10,014
120,137
9,950
28,883
IO, 008
557
4,006
335
1,878
723
Tennessee ........ .
Texas ........... Utah ............ ..
Vermont .......... .
Virginia... . . .. . .. .
30,079
70,343
8,194
3,670
19,874
29, 139
66,630
7,548
3,209
17, 123
Washington ....
West Virginia ..
2.3, 031
28,451
44,014
2,811
21,906
28,210
43,425
2,411
Maine .............. ..
Maryland ........... .
Massachusetts_ ..... .
Michigan ............ .
~fontana ............ .
New Mexico ____ _
'Yisconsin
__ ------
Wyoming ..... .
Alaska ............ .
Hawaii .......... .
Puerto Rico.
..
Virgin Islands ...
A
I
-
1, 615
1,615
3,989 ··- ...... .
311
------3,989
311
37, 716
47, 707
23,917
120 ..
1, 755
11,088
I. 278
37, 780
14,383
1, 755 ..
4,260
34
4, 121l
6,828
I. 244
50, 115
13,944
146,663
50,303
3, 92[i
..
7,148
I, 237
477
2, 127
2,991
241
Data represent averages of weekly employment counts made during the months.
Digitized by
Google
118
REPORT ON PROGRESS OF THE WPA PROGRAM
TABLE IV.-NUMBER OF PERSONS EMPLOYED ON PROJECTS OPERATED BY WPA, BY MAJOR TYPE OF PROJECT
AND BY STATE
JUNE 2fi. 1940
State
Total
High·
I
ways,
I
Roads.
and
Streets
I
Public
Build•
ings
RecreaSewer
tional
Faeilities, Systems
Exclud•
and
ing
Other
Build·
Utilities
ings
Professional and Service
I
Air•
ports
and
Air•
ways
'--------------~--,
Con·
servation
Sani•
tation
MisWelfare
cella•
Research
neous
and
, - - - ~ - - , Other
records Sewing Other
Com•
munity
service
-------1---- ----'---- ---- ---- --- --- --- - - - ---- --- ------ - -
TotaL ..... 1,583, 242
74,643 110. 367 97, 280
i, 633
1, 729
198
1,610
5,642
1,152
2. 409
154
1,839
4,937
838
757
881
40
828
160
34
193
444
779
71
435
1,579
1,924
991
762
1, 199
258
2,275
2. 759
644
2, Ill
2,488
27
157
47
00
307
47
6,375
1,212
1, 195
409
239
401
249
11, 679
2,913
1. 064
956
5,830
2,433
1,177
1,489
114
11, 773
1,704
883
769
746
15i
51
64
171
1,541
482
348
151
30
431
804 I
414
44 , ..
1,043 :
131
2.400
14
I, 490
1,787
179
650
3,986
1. 267
1,060
244
571
4. 875
1.836
1, 788
649
640
5,180
l, 454
991
130
184
4,087
9
38
343
1,308
956
58
1,114
2,579
579 · · ······
1,500 -·
627
2,310
I, 958
255
404 I
90
4. 988
2. 673
1,486
2,839
525
2,382
1,953
I, 188
2,714
510
4,203
2,402
1. 816
3,032
778
2.279
1,143
2,607
4,140
298
285
139
1,303
150
207
3,263
361
597
69
152
4,489
135
1,271
245
908
3,453
499
924
3i
131
3,139
175
57
11,595
2. 571
Sil
6,902
I. 615
9, 775
i83
260
4,950
752
6,285
2,613
728
6. 840
2,479
9,215
2,492
264
4,795
4,346
103
555
118
834
46
4, 9il
796
8,580
663
1,480
598
466
6,400
385
270
4,651
205
3,258
497
22
194
18
391
751
12, 467
I, 231
1,932
722
368
1,060
401
696
55
1,016
4, 8i6
586
261
1,620
828
2,117
261
335
898
507
9,667
546
211
2,733
2,707
5,431
133
48
I, 630
32
lll
278
266
82
583
382
773
1,532
798
1,312
250
756
1,503
1,207
123
157,921
22. 174
33,531
5,004
25,089
64,840
13,276
19,553
2. 659
15,574
12,320
4,449
2. 760
544
2,307
10.412
2,438
543
20
374
3,382
378
1,368
416
277
7,555
1,249
68
Connecticut. ... .
Delaware ....... .
District of Co·
lumbia ........ .
Florida .......... .
Georgia ......... .
15,390
2,670
5,037
595
2,198
433
993
97
2,478
445
186
7,914
23,539
30,508
560
505
4,500
2,050
125
340
I, 265
907
1,260
2,94-1
1,677
202
411
205
573
954
Idaho ........... .
Illinois .......... .
Indiana _________ _
Iowa .......... .
Kansas _________ _
5,477
118,494
41,740
17,801
15,657
45, Ill
21,591
8, i62
6,080
755
6,943
4,268
I, 425
1,408
118
12,871
1,413
756
1,918
405
161
388
489
1,452
1, 114
982
579
261
156
926
506
Kentucky ..... .
Louisiana _ _____ _
Maine ......... .
Maryland ...... .
Massachusetts_ .. .
33,066
21,730
12.806
55,728
19,977
7,988
3,120
5,407
13,140
2,875
1,924
391
884
6,446
283
1,475
132
269
3,218
2,083
2,255
402
880
7,971
32
288
141
905
1,489
Michigan ........ .
Minnesota ....... .
Mississippi. .... .
Missouri_ _____ _
Montana ........ .
61,066
33,007
24,644
58,915
6,381
33,860
10, 756
11,628
28,576
I, 918
2,399
3,279
I. 685
4,182
il5
2,143
3,867
276
2, 26·1
349
6,667
4.079
r,11
7, 125
30-1
375
349
23
100
122
Nebraska ........ .
Nevada .... -···
New Hampshire ..
New Jersey .. .
New Mexico .... .
17,586
1,385
5. 244
53,618
7,213
9,111
331
1.124
20, 109
2,485
1,656
112
414
4,220
2,097
582
222
701
4,668
146
979
68
New York ....... .
North Carolina .. .
North Dakota ... .
Ohio ............ .
Oklahoma ....... .
139,356
33,971
7,592
110,958
34,910
31,831
16, 08-!
2,520
62,366
16, 784
20. 370
3,2B
16, 748
1,306
24,560
2. 178
1,868
349
1,152
430
28
3. 399
5,052
7,368
365
414
10. 323
Oregon .......... .
Pennsylvnniu ____ _
Rhode Island. ..
South Carolina .. .
South Dakota ... .
10,457
150 022
1,060
9,976
367
3,081
901
402
26,814
7,537
4,683
82,690
2,026
8,811
2, 11)0
Tennessee _______ _
Texas ______ - --- __
Utah .......... .
Vermont_ __ ----Virginia ____ -----_
31,700
66, 220
7, 184
2,911
19,616
2i. 803
2,357
I, 381
22,351
10, 106
964
8.81.5
1,548
113
1,262
,voshington_. ___ _
\Vest Virginia __
\Visconsin
Wyoming ..... .
21. 747
29,125
37, 100
2,068
rn:m
Hawaii_
1,617
674
10, 658
7, 516
51 ....
Puerto Rico
Virgin Islands ..
5,499
10: 075
6i3, 036 , 143,952
39, 578 I 24. 067
90,224
Alabama.........
Arizona..........
Arkansas .........
California ........
Colorado.........
7,940
16,025
I, 642
5, 1331
770
1
581
256
2,191
543
534 ..
13,180
3,918
1, !42
1,262
11:J
1,388 ....
6,405
2.51
621
102
474
84
88
3,973
485
·1
306
170
1, 719
425
876
7,973
710
1,207
175
1,350
2,813
465
423
33
928
li3
iO
3!
207
38
220
22
109, 291
645
158
252
ill
166
84
1,874
453
651
678
1, 35i
1,032
1,189
64
310
778
438
I, 162
1,120
250
312
898
1. 066
10, 795
3,269
5. 761
59-1
60
424
-· ·411
05
31-!
199
3,450
26()
36
1,054
I, 193
290
812
3,19
583
1,655
72
76
395
011
262
3,553
165
80lJ ...
718
890
642
3. 2i8
871
1,292
I, 193
2,576
203
I, 333
•!10
4, 61.5
80
4,084
7(31
5,942
148
I, 385
1,683
2, i40
696
493
31
278
78
458
68
8,142
\/51
350
121
349
], fi!)7
28
mo
91
421
6
1,1s
..
,155
195
Digitized by
177
528
3,101
94
Google
33,076
299
m
286
3,124
407
62
341
135
814
1981
493
2
I
······•I
... 75·1
006
867
99
1,237
366
61!
46
135
1,021
133
396
79
1,242
315
1S
81
103
474
224
43~
1.131
83
119
APPE N DIX
TABLE V.-PERCENTAGE DISTRIBUTION OF PERSO N S EMP LOY E D ON PROJE CT S O PERATED B Y WPA, BY MAJ OR
TY PE OF PROJE CT AND BY STATE
J UNE
26, 1940
;
H igh•
ways,
State
T otal.
Roads,
and
Streets
TotRI
I
I
Professional a nd Ser vice
Recrea·
Air·
tional
Sewer
P u blic Facilities,
Systems ports
and
Build· Exclud• and
Other
logs ing Bu ild· Ut ilities
Air·
ways
ings
Conser• Sanita•
vation
tion
Welfare
Com• Research
munity and records
service
Sewing Other
- - - - -- - - -- - - - - - --- - - - - - - - - - - -- - --- - -42. 5
7. 0
5. 7
I. 4
I. 5
4. 7
9. I
100. 0
2. 5
6. 8
10.0
---- -- - - - ---- - -- - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - -- - -- - - --
~bama .. ... . ......
As lransas .. ... . . . . . . .
California . _.... .. . ..
Colorado ._ . ___ ..... .
100. 0
100. 0
1()0. 0
100. 0
100.0
58. 3
53. I
62. 1
19. 0
3:f. 5
8. 2
10. 9
9. 2
16. 1
]8. 4
1. 6
0. 4
I. 5
5. 2
2. 8
4. I
8.3
I.I
11. 7
9. 4
Connecticut. __
Delaware . . . . :::::
D!strict or C olum hia .
Florida ..... . ... . . . . .
0 eorgia .... .. _.. _. . . .
100.0
100.0
100. 0
100.0
100.0
32. 7
22. 3
7. l
33. 7
52. 5
14. 3
16. 2
6. 4
19.1
6. 7
6.5
3. 6
1. 6
I. 4
1. 9
16. 1
16. 7
16. 0
3. 9
4. 1
daho . .... ..... . . .. ..
Illinois.... ..... . .. . ..
Indiana .... ... _... .. .
Iowa.. ..... .. ..... .. _
Kansas . .. .. ... .. _. . .
100.0
100. 0
100. 0
100. 0
100. 0
30.0
38. I
5 1. 7
40. 2
38. 8
13. 8
5. 9
10. 2
8. 0
9.0
2. 2
10. 9
3. 4
4. 2
12. 2
9. 7
11.1
9. 4
6. 4
8. 1
Kentucky ... . . . .. . . .
Loolsiana ........ .. .
~faine . . . _.. . ....... .
~hryland . ... .... . . .
Massachusetts . . . . .. .
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
60. 4
36. 8
.':6. 7
42. 2
23. 6
8. 7
8. 8
7. I
6.9
11. 6
0.9
R. 8
2. 4
2. I
5. 8
Michigan ... .. ..... ..
Minnesota ... . .. .. . . .
55. 4
32.1\
47. 2
48. S
30. I
3. 9
9. 9
6. 8
7. I
I I. 2
3. 5
II. 7
.::::::::::
~~~~fP'
Montana __ . __ .. . . __.
100.0
100.0
100.0
100. 0
100. 0
Nebraska .. ... .......
Nevada .... ... . . .....
New Hampshire ... . .
New Jersey __ _.... . ..
New Mexico .. ...... •
100.0
100.0
100. 0
100.0
100.0
51. 8
23. 9
21. 4
37. 5
34. 5
9. 4
8. I
7. 9
7. 9
29. 1
3. ;J
16. 0
13. 4
8. 7
2. 0
8. 2
26. 5
II. 9
8. 6
0. 5
l. 4
:.ewYork ..... . ....
Xorth Carolina _.. ..•
Xorth Dakota .. .... '
Ohio .. .... . ...... .. . .
Oklahoma .. . ... . .. . .
100.0
100. 0
100.0
100.0
100. 0
22. S
47. 3
33. 2
56. 2
48. I
J.J.
9.
15.
3.
fi
5
2
I
14 . 5
12.0
3. 9
5. 7
6. 6
1. 0
17. 7
6. 4
5.5
9. 3
3. 0
I. 3
1. 0
II. 4
I. I
0. 2
Oregon .. _. .. . . ..... .
Pennsyh·ania ___ .... _
Rhode Island __.... ..
South Carolina . . ....
South Dakota ...... . :
100. 0
100. 0
100.0
100.0
100. 0
44 . 8
55. 1
20. I
32. 9
10.1
28. fi
3. 9
5. 4
9. 4
I.:l
I. 6
10. 2
7. 2
32. 5
21. .>
7. 9
0. 6
0.;J
3. 6
I I. 5
12. 0
+::::--- :::: :: :: == j
100. 0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100. 0
61. 9
42.0
32. 8
47. 4
45. 2
3. 0
13. 3
21. 5
:J. 9
5. 6
1. 8
2. 5
1.0
2. fj
1. 8
2. 9
5. 4
11.3
12. 0
0.8
0. 2
7. 6
o. 8
~1;ashin~t~n, ___ __ . .. 100. 0
I est V1rgm1a ... . . . . ' 100. 0
Wisconsin . ___ . ----- 100. 0
Wyoming .. . .. -- -- - 100.0
2:J. /j
66. 3
29. 5
37. 5
6. 0
4. I
6. 9
9.8
6. 1
I. 4
12. 4
3. 9
18. 8
2. 6
16.0
7. 2
10. 5
2. 3
0. 6
I. 2
41. 7
70. 8
43. 0
4. 6
Ari zona __ ______ ______
1
Utah . . . . . .. . ...... . •
Vermont __ __ . _____ __
Virginia . . .. _. . ....
I
Ilawail. . . __ ._ -----Puerto R ico . .
.. .
Virgin Islands. : :
··i.
100. 00
JOO.
100.0
I
· -·
- ----
I
---- ----
1.9
3.1
1.0
0. 2
l. 2
6. I
8. 5
3. 5
12. 3
5. 3
3. 6
3. 5
5. 4
4. 3
3. 5
5. 2
4. 0
6.4
8. 7
8. 7
2.0
6. 4
l. 8
0. 7
2. 7
1. 2
0. 9
2. 4
3. 1
6.0
6. 5
5. 5
6. 7
6. 3
5. 7
1. 5
12.5
3. 2
3. 9
0. 3
0. 4
2. 2
3. 1
26. 5
0.9
2. 3
3. 3
I. 7
2. 8
0. 8
1. 2
0. 2
2. 6
4. 5
9. 0
7. 0
6.0
6. I
0. 1
1. 3
2. 6
7. 8
2. 7
0. I
3. 7
0.8
8. 1
4. 3
1. 3
1.9
7. 3
6. 9
14. 3
JO. 9
12. 4
2. 0
12. 1
4. 8
0. 6
I. I
O. I
0. 2
1. U
5. fi
0. 4
I. 2
I
I
6. 3
I.I
5 . •~
I
- ---
i
I. 4
J. 7 I
.4 I
6. 1
3. 7
..
1.0
3. 4
4. 1
JO. 4
3.9
6. 7
0.2
1:;.1......:~~.
37. 2
7. I
0. 7
..
1. 5
1.3
1. 0
...
Other
Miscel·
laneous
- - -- - - -- 6. 2
0. 5
2. 1
--2.-3 - ---7. 2
0.9
3. 1
7. 3
7. 6
6.3
-- -- -- --
5. 4
16 . 6
3. 3
9. 7
9. 0
5. 1
2. 6
8. I
0.0
8. 2
1. 0
1. 3
0.3
0. 7
0. 2
l. 3
5. I
I. I
I. 3
0. 9
5. 4
2. 9
6. 7
2. 6
4. 4
4. 9
5. 8
6. 6
9. 5
2. I
9. 9
4. 1
5. 0
4. 9
-- --0. 6
0. 4
0. 3
0. 4
3. 1
I. 3
1. 2
I. 9
I. 0
4. 5
8. 2
3. 3
5.1
7. 2
3. 8
5. 6
8. 2
II. 8
5.0
9. 3
4. 6
2. 4
I. 4
7. 3
8. 2
8. I
6. 0
4. 8
8. 2
3. 9
5. 9
4.8
4. 6
8.0
I\. 9
3.
7. 3
7. 4
5. 2
12. I
3. 5
11 . 0
7. 0
7. 4
I. 2
0. I
7. 2
17. i
17.3
6. 4
6. 9
5. 2
IO. 8
3. 0
6. I
5. 0
3. 4
5. 0
2. 9
8. 4
1.9
2. 5
5. 9
2. 4
0. 4
3. 3
1. 0
3. 3
3. 3
0. 3
2. 0
8. 3
7. 6
7.5
6. 2
4. 6
7. 0
2. 3
3. 4
4. 5
2. 2
4. 5
7. i
9. 6
6. 2
7. l
6. 6
7.3
3. .)
4. 3
12. 4
0. I
1.6
1.5
0. 7
0.1
3. 6
I. 2
I. 0
I. I
0. ~
3.0
2. 3
2. 7
0. I
14. 0
1.9
0. 8
2. 9
3. 0
4. 6
7. 6
6. 6
->. 5
7. 0
4. 4
4. 3
3.8
0. 7
5. 2
7. '2
8. 3
12. 2
0. 2
0.1
0. 2
I)
2. 6
3. 1
2. 0
12. 2
6. 6
3. 5
0. '
4. 0
2. 6
0.'
2.3
I. 3
8. 9
3. 1
IO. 3
I. 3
2. 1
1.9
2. 0
3. 2
7. 4
8. 2
9. 0
7. 3
2.6
3. 2
3. 6
11 . 5
4. 0
1.6
14. 6
7. 6
7. 3
12. 2
8.6
8. 2
1.9
1. 0
7. 3
12. fi
0. ll
i. 1
2. 9
0. 5
5. 3
0. 5
I. 6
6. 4
5. 8
7. 4
0. 4
3. 6
1.8
8. 4
4.5
7. 0
2. 7
3. 5
12. l
3. 5
5. 2
3. 3
5. 9
4. 2
1. 6
0. 2
-----
-- -··
1.0
(A)
]. 0
4. 5
-•-
3. 3
6. 3
9. 4
0. 4
1.4
2. s
1. 3
1.6
I. 6
3. 5
0. 3
0. 5
0.9
10. 2
···1i-6·
I. 2
2. 7
..
_. .. _.
4. 9
4. 4
4. 5
8. 7
5. 7
----~: 7 r : :::::
----
,. 2
9.
...
0. 6
0. 5
4. 4
----...
j
4. 7
2. 7 · -
4.0
--- ---- .. ...
3. 4
I. I
4. 8
2.6
2. 7
3.9
4. 4
0. 2
0. 3
0. 6
1.0
8. 7
4. 6
0. 5
0. 4
0.8
0.8
1. 0•
2. 6
0. 3
2. I
5. 8
(-')
0. 3
- --0.1
3. 5
3. 3
2. 6
J. 9
I. 8
..
- -- - 0. 1
0. 2
·· ·--
- - - -2. 6
0. 4
0. 4
I. 3
0.
0.
1. 1
0.
I. ,
-- -- -
I. 0
I. 5
3. I
4. 0
--
2. 8
6. 2
ioo:o· --------
...
A
Less than 0.05 percent.
Digitized by
Google
TAB LE VI.-AvERAGE N u MBER OF P ERSONS EM PLOYED ON
W PA
P ROJ E CTS OPERATE D BY OTHER FEDERAL AG E NC IES, B Y S T ATE AND BY AGENCY
,_.
JUNE 1940
i:-..,
D epartment ol Agr iculture
Oram!
Total
State
.
I
Tota!
Department o r the Inter ior
1-----:----,-----,,--- -----_l _
or
E ntoBureau
mo logy
Forest Soil C9nService serYat.1on
Service
Plant
Quaraniand
Other
Bure.au
of Bio log1cal
Sur vey
T otal
tlne
-
- - --
- - - -- 1 - - - 1-
TotnL __ ________ , __1 85,054
,\laba ma . .. ___ ___ ______ . ..
.\.rizon:1
· · · - - -- -- -- ___ ___
.-\.rkansa~ · - - - - ---- ------ -
Ca!irornia .. _________ _....
Co lorado ·· ····· ·--···--Conncc1 icut.
D elaworr
- · -··· ···- Dis1rict of Columbia
F lorida ___ _. . . . . . ..... . .
Georgia . .... . __. . _..... __ .
1. 468
1, 3(,8
Iowa
. ··
· ···
-----. .---Knnsns
. __··__- -___
______
. -Kentucky. ______.. .. __ __ _
iOG
I. 003
I. J85
140
276
:\'ebraskn
-- --:\'c--ada
· ·- ire
:\'cw
Hampsh
___ -__ ----____ _
N.
N evr Jersey . . . .
New M exico .
0.
::-..'ew York _______ _____ ___ _
~
:\'orth Carolina . . ___ ___ __ _
Xorth Dakota . ________ ___
Ohio ____ ____ _________ __ ___
Oklahoma . __ __ ________ --Oregon_ .. ___ __ .. __ ______ _
Pennsylvania .. . . ____ .....
Rhode Island ___ _________ _
South Carolina ________ ___
South Dakota .. . .. ..... __
,..._
l,562
034
5,402
Idaho .. ______. __ __. ______ _
Illinois . _
Indiana .. __ __ ____ __. _____ _
0
arv
398
456
,99
2.608
414
:!8
~02
ti78
94 1
:\1i chigan . . .
:\Jinncsotn . ... ___ ______ ___
:\I iss issippi. . .. .. .. . . ... . .
!11issouri
-- --····
· ··_
:1-Iontana ..----__ _____
_. ___ __
0
S60
,S8
6.5
2,504
2, 021
2, 6!il
Massachuseu s ...
C;
- 1 - - - - 1 --
I , 6Si
"-iainc
. ·· ..
• ··___
· ··. -_____
- --- ----J\Iaryla. nd
____ _
(1)
-
29,881
2. 97S
Louisiana . __ __. . __ __.... __
ca·
;::.·
I
Tennessee .
Texas _______ .. . . . --· · ----Utah ____ _______ __ _______ _
Vermont .. _. __ ___ __ __ __ __
Virginia . _________________ ,
Wasb.ington ___ . . .......
West Virginia .· ·· · · ·· · ··Wisoonsin _. -· ------ - -- -- ,
Wyoming __ _
157
l, 5G'i
USO
204
3;2
215
6 18
444
-!'ii
2, 127
2. 091
I
J, ll~l
I, 202
,0 1 I
I. 340 i
I. 500 '
094
118
778
1,888
643
6i5
640
380
256
3, 494
1,027
i, 397
2,290 I
2, 254 ,
I , 038
I. 4[1g
3, 755
410
1, 633
I , 339
I
992
3,871 ,
l,~ 1
:i, 433
--1 1,387
·------------!
i~:
I
.
301
1, 086 ,
373 !
, 48
746
87
22 1
792
433
252
063
319
693
785
1, OC,3
60
221
818
294
I, 170
i98
- l - - --
9, 399
I 12,032
5,855
48
i5
16
,82
l3fl
404
2
106
266
128
115
3H
I. f,80
301
127
I. 2117
269
l-
- - l --
I, 695
4
00
710
54
163
62
300
340
'.132
2
752
t;2 1
104
11
-
269
5
110
2i6
3 19
I
705
1,847
84
-- -----~~-1--------~-I
1 ___ __ _____
1451
n9
12
334
62
,9
,4
92
188
4i
43G
492
13 1
191
18
32
6
181
9
3
:l5i
250
23 1
1,4
85
2 16
---- -- - .
110
1:lG
IO!i
-tb8
...)76
40
244
85
H
.~9
104
702
•I
l, 242 I
37 :
I
---·2i:i
1,021
l!i
48
18
118
88
288
----205 ;
327
361
251
162 '
JOG
,3
nan
2
250
2.5
87
21
3
27
130
274
115
207
134
77,5
32
380
531
38
33
630
4
45
t38
170
32
I
16
I
2
143
382
078
33 -- ----- 662
38
146
287
17
2
8 --------
208
799
39 1
43
198
5
337
117
1: ::::::::
I
77 1
20
l03 .__..____
- -· -4S2
__
98
224
56
1, 281
420
04
36i
184
758
66
25 1
323
16
:~i 1----·-·ao·
74
65
32
____ ___ _ . .
21
175 · ·-·-· . . . .
.·-
24
2
188
31
115
206
-- ---- - - - --- - ·-
22
JI
16
17
12
102
!Si
106
282
655
4i 0
!I
38
2, 113
4
37
24
I, 260
45
94 . . ··-· . . . .
73
4
r,
42
3
14
102
~~
244
6
18
162 ----- --···
158
11
5001··------
38
90
34~ :: ::::::::
792 - - - - ------ ··· ·-- ---161
97 - - ----- - --
7
22
792
03
30
18
---~-:::::~'.: ··-- -~- :::::::::: :::::::~;: :::::::~+:::;;:
,- ... - ---- - ,- --- - -- - -- ,- ---- - ---- ,
766
1::::::::1:::· 140 I
1- - - - - - - -
9
1· . . - · • · · · · I - - - - -
241
60
21
22
30
4
- - 1 --
l, 150
-1---
I 26,446
508
- -1- - - 1 -
-
-
178
04
58
58
250
250
956
12 1
35
804
131
020
37
1
----i2i-l .. --~~~3.1
105
804
131
920
30i - - - ----1, 0l i _____ ___
1,012 · · ·· - -·422 ---- - - -73.5
1,441
1,029
14/i
375
15
1.55
""",iii-1::···---,
182
24
__ :::::: ------
305
34
.s·
95
17
6
280
101
17
I
1- - - - -- ----1 -- ------
12
1-----01-i::::::::
173
33
;d
0
307
I, 017
1,012
422
Cl
:li
t_,:J
m1· ·--·--9
145
1
37.5
10
----- --
r/1
r/1
0
z
~
t_,:J
~
~
1, 2531 ·- ····--I
350 -- --·-··
1, 253
350
190
4
0
Cl
;d
1,402
1,061
I. 402
1,061
6
7
·10
40
704
107
396
187
:::ci
2,455
-- --·l••2, 1M
2
I
20
102
247
247
526
520
2
538
538
5948 1···
--------1
59 1 16
--- · 48 --------
1----------1----------1--------1-.
------1--------1---.----1--------1
·------~: :::::::: :::::::: _~·-~~
--~~~~~-
-- i:◄4ii- ::::::::::
z
"d
1--- --- --
l02
I, ~
>-j
0
14
130
55
0
;d
738
738
704
107
306
187
736
250
181 . ..
740
;d
t_,:J
"O
"d
269
15.1
1.55
269
153
10
-- -- --~9- ____ __ '._
------ -1
~:m !:::::~!:1:::::::::r·-·--11-~:.--..::::::--1-::::::::
_-T4-io· _:::::::::: :::::::::: ::::::::::
4~g
JO
21
10 ··-·-·· - -- - - - -----
·-·-- ···:i"
34
68
74
00
25
41
18
ter
Cor ps
::::::::::1::::::::1------n·---690-::::::::
--·-600·
i O . . ______
i0
23
8
200
i~~
702
530 - ---- --- -60
50
~1-···--5-i::::::::
8
··--···~~-::::::::::
56
··--···:w·1::::::::::
1
55
05
22 , _______ _
II
31
6
12
3
02
11 5
54
JO
67
13
ItermnsQuar-
li8
94
JO~
15
117
142
44
Corps
gincers
I of En-
- - 1 - - -- 1 - - - 1- - -1 - - - 1-
I
7 - --------- -- ---- --
24 1
Alaska
. ----- - ,
P
u erto ____
Rlco_...
- - -- - ·---- ---V irgin Islands . . __ ___ ___ __
6
10
2 -- ---- - ·-- -- - -- - · · -· - - - - ----- 2
Il l __ ___ ___
266
155 ··· · · · · · -·
l iO
155
15 ______ __ __ ···· - · ··
152 - --- - - ---18
134
352
246 -----• • · •]06 I • • • - · · • •
1)81
1.12
32i~
12
78 __ _. .. ____ ___ ____ ___
7 - -- -- - ---·
2
2 17
49
130
73
304
25
110
iO
98 - - --- - --- - · · · · -· ·· - ·
264 - ------- - 40
203
119
282
789
-
Other
Agencies
v-et er- 1---- -- -- --
or t he ans: i_\dTreas- m~IS- Total
ury
trat10n
10
7
12
I - -- - --- - -- - - ···
129
War Department
ment ol
tbe Navy
ment
- - - - Depart-I
403 I I , 612 I 27,506 I
1ss 1
I 2, 011
10,468
2,178
- - - 1 - - - - 1 - - - - l - - -1- - -l - - -1185
222
660
8,
I
0
I Depart-
Bureau ol Bureau
Labor
ol Yards
Stat istics Docks
an d
Other
- - - l - - -- l -- - - l- - - - 1-
97
438
.
Na t ional
Park
Service
~ufeau
.15 h·
cries
O
26
1 ______ '. ~ ~- -
00
- l-
I 13, 408
1: - 1
19
JS
fj
21~
Department of
Labor
_:__:vur
6
_ :::: ::::
- ---- -~~
~
121
APPEKDIX
TABLE VII.-TOTAL HOURS AND TOTAL EARNINGS OF PERSONS E111PLOYED ON PROJECTS
BY STATE AND BY FISCAL YEAR
OPERATED
BY
WPA,
THRO UGH JUNE 30, IY40
Cumulative through June 30,
1940
J
Years Ending June 30 1~36
193i,and 1938
Year Ending June 30, 1939
State
Hours
Total__ ______ 14,418,525,274
I
Earnings
Hours
Earnings
Hours
Earnings
Year Ending June 30, 1940
I
Hours
i
Earnings
I
I 2,012.005, 121 l$1, 286, 31s. 966
,- - - -1- - - -
$6,914,435,814
7,758,651, 180
$3,751,306.734
3,747,868, 907
$1, s16, 810, 114
80, i72, 075
26, 146, 110
67,571 ,663
347,311 ,353
75,501,488
JI 9, 522, 467
29,049,622
108,357,812
345, 177, 169
91,097,407
34,097,293
14, !Si, 004
28,950,819
200, 850, 781
43, 511, 762
81, 361,002
11,420,602
69, 52i, 404
126, 384, 086
31,673,853
24, 493,502
6,553,521
19,935,504
83,075,843
18,155,509
136, 879, 971
17, 361,322
77,728,483
7,528, 631
72,303,008
9,045,682
42, 0.61, 437
3,814,094
37,853,804
4,758,629
21,755,407
2, 095,639
26, 723, 159
3, 557, 0ll
13, Yll, 639
1,617,998
54,427,566
225,303,851
273, 850, 187
26,850, 798
70,140, 26!
84,335,404
26,885,084
102,521 , 141
127,133, 000
12,121.075
31,985, 136
37,303,480
15,101,744
69,848,396
84,493,250
8,224,419
23,057,637
25, 145, 97i
12, 440, 738
52,934,314
62,223,037
6,505,304
20,197,488
21,885,947
Idaho _______ ______
Illinois __ • _____ __ __
Indiana __ ___ __. ___
Iowa __ __ ____ ___ ____
Kansas __ __ ___ ___
52,830,615
1, 058, 962, 835
443, 002, 545
156, 886. 61 I
205,557, 71I
23,386,268
624,574,892
214,071,027
70,783,079
79,002,852
27,452,576
538,945,375
245,619,069
83, lfl5, 648
127,323, 716
II , 766, H5
264, 103, 70ls
118,000.039
37, 422,572
40, 820,378
12,225,316
288, 733, 839
112, i3J, 30l
38, 93 l , 520
43,906, 775
5,810,477
163, 276, 128
68, 794, 166
18,726,478
18,202,673
13, 152, 723
231,283,021
84, 712, 175
34,009,443
34,327,220
5,800,646
107, 105,050
36,671,422
14,634, 029
13,070,801
Kent~cky .. ---- · __
Lows1ana . ____ ____
Maine _____ _---- --Maryland . ___ _____
Massachusetts .. _ . •
321, 428, 354
230,409,918
50,150,986
90,672,706
580, 766, 274
98,587.004
83,127,405
20,195,455
37,446, 167
349,892,728
166, 673, 218
118,428,723
26,059,811
51,374,374
307, 869, 805
45,119,805
42,531. 774
10,4 17,00fi
20,553.874
191,688, 75.'>
90,441,040
64,883,069
13,529,238
21,086, 781
148,469,242
31,274,983
22,803, 139
5,389, 130
8,870,040
94,621, G22
64,314,096
47,098, 126
10,561,937
18, 2ll, 551
124, 427, 227
22, 192,SW
I 7, 732,402
4,388, 710
8,022,253
63,582,351
Michigan .. .. .... ..
Minnesota .. . .• . ...
Misslssi1;>Pi . _....•.
M1ssour1. .. ..... . ..
Montana ..... ... --
599, 251, 284
313, 153,345
105,640,260
4.97, {18, 913
71,915, 015
304, 69 I , 504
100,945,050
58, 126,200
20i, 096, 301
45, 178,331
278, 403, 107
171, 70fi, 35 I
84,541, 765
257,122,685
36,996,001
136, 90'J, 42')
90,955,214
24,230, 782
103, 539. 908
24, 264, iii
192, 368, 682
76,964,669
50,728,092
131. 43,3, 616
18,288,720
107, 418, 830
46,082, :HO
Ii, 300,519
57,852,254
13,163, 007
128, 479, 495
64, 482,325
51,370,403
108, 802,012
10,631,294
60,363,230
29,907,472
16,586,908
45, 704, 139
7,750,457
Nebraska . .. .... ...
Nevada _ . . . .. _....
New Hampshire ...
New Jersey . --- -·New Mexico .. .
160, 002, 107
10,129,674
50,716,475
511, 302, 409
OS, 212, 185
65,519,8 12
5,832,041
22,573,402
281,970,071
27,253, 013
82, 50!, 797
5,564,075
26,260,057
281, 170, 196
34,429,448
32,710,788
3,364,481
11,000,284
I 58, 462, 54S
13,224,216
41, 776, 9,19
2,207,449
14,003, 7·12
I 30, 223, !J<JS
Ji, 157,498
17,570,317
I, 419,428
6,496,911
73, 560, 9811
6,816, 135
35,723,301
2,358, l50
LO, 383,070
99,908, 215
16,625,239
15,238,707
1,058, 132
4,176,207
49,946,534
7,212,062
New York .. ... .. ..
'.'forth Carolina .• . .
North Dakota .. _..
Ohio ___ .. ..... . ...
Oklahoma .. .... ...
I, 499, 568, 563
221 , 632, 185
85,013,032
I, 027, 511,974
326, 782, 321
973,201, 622
05, IOI , 559
3i, 213, 199
545, 001, 699
106, 730, 784
972, 633, -150
JOO, 562,338
52,017, 8G2
519,883, 131
179, 533, 521
644,658,901
26, 682, 795
22, 743, 48:l
272, 554, 158
54,745,440
300, 712, 973
64, 154,272
16,684,048
311, 680, 766
84, 460, 79'J
205,267,140
18,959,618
7,969,546
179,475,908
30,317,347
226, 222, 140
56,915,575
10. 310,522
195, 048, 077
62,782,001
123,365, 581
19, 549, 140
6,500, 170
02, Y71 , 543
21,067,997
Oregon __ .. .. ---- ..
Pennsylvania .....
Rhode Islam.I.. ....
South Carolina .. ..
South Dakota .. . ..
01, 791, 2'.16
I, 305, 797, 157
86,225,701
217,441,484
107,045, 132
49,609,986
715,121,014
43,438,237
61,993,068
41,815,521
50,670,999
772, 600, 700
45,034,847
07,51G, 712
68,529, 15Y
'li, 339,566
427, 181. 89G
22,085, lO'J
21, 745, LOS
26,025,893
21,197,241
321,701,411
24,049,679
67, 173, 068
20,256,258
12,295,126
185, 665, 087
12,985,584
18,622,003
8,073, 271
19,922,086
2ll, 404, 95G
17,141,265
52, 751, 701
18,250, 715
0, 075, 294
102, 274, 031
8,367,553
18, 62G, 767
7,116,357
Tennessee .........
Texas ___ --- - .. .. ..
Utah __ ________ _. . .
Vermont . __ .. _. . ..
Virginia . ....... .. .
251, 960, 449
487,207,443
50,350, 718
31,357,367
166,117,210
67,947,051
153, 723, 240
30,907,390
12,350,060
48,304,349
125, 498, 598
240,581, 199
31,450,491
15,660,834
95,150,438
30,742,060
70,801, 304
16,131,670
5,013, 02•;
25,425,081
72,002.544
13,470, 752
o. 971, o:;1
39,972, 541
18,932, l~U
41,201 , 11111
7,940, 738
4,031.852
12, 031, 7f,O
53,859,307
L18, 603, 109
14,414,475
5,725,472
30,994,240
18,272,505
41,720,227
0, 835,082
2,376,088
10,847,508
Washin~ton ... ....
West Vtrginia .. ...
Wisconsin . .. - ....
Wyoming . _______ _
193,647.895
223, 585, 330
317,883,871
22,770,563
107, 321.076
98. 065, 777
182,278, 758
10, 288, 311
101,216,478
121 , 702,636
161, 312,316
13,250,070
56, Hi3, 715
53,588, 171
96,850, 124
5, 806, 728
53,070,580
53,588, 160
83,500,591
4,978, 758
31,886, 789
26,652,075
51,745,511
2,412,519
39,360,828
48,294, 543
73,070, 904
4,541, 735
19,271, 172
10,725,231
33, 683, 123
I, 979,064
~~°!~k:::::::::::
Puerto
13,587
17,842,057
5,823, 917
42, S.18
Alabama _________ _
Arizona. __________
Arkansas __________
California _________
Colorado. ____ __ ___
264,216,395
49,698, 135
234, 113, 880
594, 511, 964
153, 279, 653
Connecticut . ___ ___
Delaware. __ ___ __..
District of Columbis ____________ __
Florida . ___ ____ . __ _
Georgia ___ _________
Rico .......
Virgin Islands .... _
I 28, 023, l :l5
10,977 -- -------- -- ---- ------------ ·- 13,587
10,077
1,823,533
5, 033,355
3, 724,448
10, 244, 535
6,629, 409
1, 14-1, 551 -- -- --- ----- - - .. ------ --- ---- -- ------------ ·- ------ ---- -- - · 15,081 -------------- -- -- ---- ------- --- --- ----- -------- -------------- --
63, 332, 860
9,227,911
56,228, 004
122, 950, 709
30,508,393
!
22,181,190
4,405, li85
18,685, :!40
63,375,720
13,834, 217
--------------- ------------2, 564, 167
1,081,428
5,823,017
42, 838
), 144, 651
15,081
Source: WP A stnte office reports.
Digitized by
Google
TABLE VIII.-AMOUNT OF WPA FUNDS ALLOCATED, OBLIGATED, AND ExP~JNDED,
THROUGH JUNE
BY OPERATING AGENCY
J-4
30, 1940
Agency
Allocations
Total ________________________________________ .I $8,358, 189, 574
--------------1
\\. ork Projects Administration
8,218,457, ll7
.\!locations to Federal agencies under ERA Acts of :
1938 and 1939 8 .• _________ . _____________________ . __
139, 732, 457
.I
ll<'partment of Agriculture _____________________ I
.\~ricultural Adjustment Administration _____
Bureau of Agrlc. Chcmi.,try and Engineering_
Bureau of Agricultural Economics ___________
Agricultural Marketing Service _____________
Bureau of Entomology and Plant Quarantine_
Fore:--t SerYice ____ _________________________
Bureau o( Home Economics _________ . ________
National Agricultural Research Center ______
Rural Electrification Administration. ________
Soil Consen·ation Service_
----------Weather Bureau_
-----------Undistributed
Dept. of Commerce-Coast and Geodetic Survey __
44, 430, 221\
227, 124
3,898
125,917
67, 708
13,353,424
13,393,640
784,268
1, 149,337
365,382
13,724,660
58,333
1, 176, 535
30,817
Obligations
$8,335,274,677
$8,254,491, 131
$2,231,047,067
$2, 226, 058, 513
$2, 224, 333, 550
8, 199, 022, 594
8, 122,625, 702
2,149,050, 750
2,145,372,813
2, 144, 136, 079
136, 252, 083
131,865,369
81,996,317
80,685, 700
80,197,471
43,300, 128
222,234
3,898
98,943
42, 726
13, 153, 163
13,029,543
775,552
I, 019, 920
30:J, 806
13,353,382
54,945
I, 152,016 :
21,316
18,904,213
18,408, 787
------------------- - - ---· -----Bureau of Biological Survey _________________
2, 189, 8ii
2,121,030
0
ca·
;::;:
N.
(1)
Q_
~
C;
0
a
~
(v
1
ERA Act of 1939
I
Allocations
l)ppartment of the Intt·rior
BurC"auof Fisherie:'- __ ______________________
Olllcc of Indian Affairs._
General Lnnd Ofliec• c _____ - _________________
National Park Ser dee.
Bureau of Reclamation-------·-------------Territories and Island Possessions:
Alaska Railroad _. __
Alaska Road Commission ____________ ____
Alaska-miscellaneous __ _________________
Virgin Islands .. --·-··---------------·-t:n<l;strihuted
-------------------Executiw Office of the President:
National Resources Planning BoardC _________
I
Expenditures
Obligations
1:-:
1:-.:i
I
ERA Act of 1938
ERA Acts ol 1935, 1936, 1937, 1938, and 1939
26,192,384
41,987,205
26,313,685
26,065, urn
12'2, 313
122,313 ,
217,140
127, 124
3,898
3,898
3,898
3,898
97,130
-------------- ---------------- - --------------35,037
-------------12, 79:J, 839
7,470,304
7,467,408
7,462,964
12,504,416
6, i74, 229
6, 762, 737
6,761,973
544, ,576
543,987
529, I 72
731,315
933, 198
914,391
I, 017, 516
1,009,200
166,525
166,525
354,646
166,525
13,094,099
9,081,294
9,064,203
9,039,436
51,520 -----------------------------I, 086, 650
I, 136,535
I, 128, 115
I, 065, 244
19, 798
----------------
17,825,454
11,406,852
11,361, 769
2,056,906
1,334,863
I, 334,515
662,283
639,240
785,858
42,892
------------- -------------62,391 ---------------- ---------------13,294,672
8,303,677
8,322,501
10,960 ---------------
889,085
H7, 745
95, 62,5
14,015,880
37,273
811, 999
40, 165
68,349
13,716,657
15,892
232, 7ti2
8,042
278,453
815,225
334,246
232, 762
2,692
251,034
807, i08
331,499
232, 762
1,136
241,846
765. 933
330,098
14,000
13,712
13, 149
232, 762
232, 762
----------- - -------------113, 3f,O
113,300
406,837
406, 716
334, 24G
331,499
Allocations
\ Expenditures
ll, 340,012
I, 334,062
637,440
---- --------8,286,097
------232, 762
----------113, 259
406,294
330,098
A
Obligations
I Expenditures
$1,509,300,278
$1,493,702,624
$1,415,198,942
I, 451,624, 138
1,438,136,241
1,363,531,044
-' 57, 736, 140
55,566,383
51,667,898
18, I HI, 541
100,000
17, I07, 744
99,921
15,921,289
94,827
125,917
67, 708
5,883,120
6,619,411
239,692
140,137
198,857
4,643,366
58,333
40,000
98,943
42, 726
5,685, 755
6,266,806
231,565
116, 722
197,281
4,289, 179
54,945
23,901
97, 130
35, 0:17
5,330,875
5,742.443
202, 143
103, 124
188,121
4,054,663
51,520
21,406
30,817
21,316
19, 798
7,557,361
855,014
226,802
67, 745
95,625
5,693,379
37,273
7,047,018
786,515
172, 759
49,165
68,349
5,412,980
15,892
G, 485,442
A
-----------8;042
165,093
408,388
--------------
2,692
137,674
400,992
----------
722,844
148,418
42,892
62,391
5,008,575
JO, 960
1, 136
128,587
359,630
---------------
W!~
t-:1
"d
0
..,
t,j
0
z
~
0
0
t,j
t-:1
Ul
Ul
0
..,z
~
t-:1
~
"d
14,000
13, 712
13, 149
-------------------------------------------------------- --- --------------------------- ----------
- - - - - - - - - - - ----------------
Departnwnt of Ju~tice _
56,130
55,450
55, 43fJ
5fi, 130
55,450
55,439
------------ --- --- - ---- - -- - -------Attomey-Ueneral's Ollice ____________________
3,500
3,465
3,465
3,465
3,500
3,405 ----- -----------Bureau of rrisons
52, r;30
,\I, 974
51,985
51,974
,12, ti30
51,985
------------ -- --- - - -- -----Department of Labor-Bureau of Labor Statistics_
I, 777, 702
I, 086, 756
1,905,875
2,811,595
2,729,995
2,509,024
824,830
824, 120
821,322
Lihrnry of Congress_
109, 81\7
254,524
116,500
I It\, 080
254,944
248,063
138,444
138,444
138, 196
9,272,641
Dept. of the Navy-Bureau of
24,485,294 ~ 017, 964 ___!!,_ 761,035 _ _14_, 753,596 _ _14_, 74,5, 323
9,999,095
9, 7:ll,698
24,761,030
-----Federal Security Agency ________________________
462,068
450,098
I, 270,785 ---1, 2fil;-283 ---1, 207, 226 ---782,044
488,
741
748,215
748, 128
-----Office of Education ___________________________
459,098
462,068
I, 082. 229
1,021,727
l, 018, 670
593,488
559,659
559,572
488, 741
Public Health Service. ______________________ _ _ _ 188,556
188,.156 _ _ _ 188,556 _ _ _ 188,556 _ _ _ 188,556
188,5.10
------------------ --------------Department of the Treasury _____________________ ---2, 974,846
--2-,
868,
773
--2-,
010,
837
!
,
936,500
=934,207
1,934,566
964,009
050,
040
2,886,549
L". s_ Coast Guard ___________________________
410,210
393,223
386, 750
337,009
332,850
331,008
73,201
60, 3&1
55, 742
Office of the SecrctaryD ______________________ _ _2_, 564, 636 _ _2_, 403, 326
2,482,023
I, 673,828
1,603, &II
I, 603,568
890,SOS
878,465
880,685
Veterans' Administration. _______________________ ---1, 555, 712 --1-, 471, 101
1,414,504
502,008
903, 704 _ _ _ 890,079
834,817
580,122
579,687
War Department
42,600,159
41,407,072
39,600,898
25,088,443
24,073,516
23,747,861
17,511, 716
17,333,556
15,853,037
·---------------------------Corps of Engineers ___________________________
3,044,499
2,059, 789
1,767,454
3,044,499
2,050, 780
1,767,454 -------------- ---- ---------------- --------------Quartermaster Corps ___________________ . _____
30,347,283
39,565,060
37,833,444
22,043,944
22,013, 727
21,080,407
17,511, 716
17,333,556
15,853,037
Federal Works Agency-Public Buildings Admn_
8,000
7,872
8,000
7,872
7,872
----- ·-------------7,872 ------------------ -------A Total allocations do not Include $9,884,299 of 1938 Act funds which continued to be available for obligation during the 1940 fiscal year through provisions of the 1039 Act; of this amount $7,085,976 was
available for projects operated by WPA and $2,198,323 for WPA projects operated by other Federal agencies.
8 WPA funds allocated to other Federal agencies !or project and ndmlnistro.tlve expenses under sections 3 and 11 of Lhe ERA Acts or 1938 ond 1030, respectively.
~
~~L ~~? t~!ow~~!~oo\hx~:~n::~~~~~~~ r~~Dl~fe1~go;?T~r~~~~:~i1:~d to the General Land Office or the DcpartmenL or the Interior in January 1940.
Yards-a~c(:bocks=
t,j
>
~
0
0
t,j
~
·rAnL.ID JX.-Aa.lOUN'I' OF
Wl-"A
l 1'uND8
J~XPENDl!JD
•·oa AU'J'IVITIJOH
(!ONl>lf('TIOD
DY
\-\ ... PA
AND O•rJIEU
FJODIOltAJ..
AolllNCll!JH,
HY
H•rA'l'IC
.,NI.>
HY
l•"JM,('At~
Y~AU.
THROUGH JUNE 30, 1040
State
' Orand Total
1036
1937
A
A
1938
Activities
conducted
by WPA B
Total
A
- - - - - _ _ _ _ _ I_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
Total
$8. 2.14, 491. 130 1 $1. 258,130, 2491 $1. 818,130,501
Alabama ____ _
Arizona
Arkansas. ___ .
California __ _
Colorado ___ _
Connecticut
J>elnware
District or Columbia
Florida _____ _
<korgia _______ _
-:::::::::=::::::::::\
I
-----::::::::::·1
H5, 994,675
-------------[
Idaho _________ _
Illinois ________ _
Indiana _______ _
Iowa __ _
Kansas __ _
Kentucky __
Loui~iana __
'.\!nine_
.
'.\[aryland
'.\Iassachusetts.
0
ca·
;::;:
N.
(1)
Q_
~
C;
0
a
~
(v
JOO, 345,019
30,920, 166
8,1, 602, 30i
41.1, 521,034
9:l, 269. 848
811. 081, 560
8,896,493
3.1. 440. 866
'.\[ichigan
'.\[innesota
:\li.ssissippi
:\1issouri
'.\fontana
Xcbrnska
Xevada
Xew Hampshire
Xew .Trrs<'y
Xew '.\frxico
XewYork
Xorth Carolina
Xorth Dakota
Ohio ___ _
Oklahoma
Oregon_
Pennsyl\·anin
Rhorle I,lanci
Routh Carolina
~outh Dakota
Trnnrssec
______________
·------------·1:exas
l tah ___ __
------· -· ____
\"(•rmont_ _ _
. --------- - · -----\'ir~inia_
,, ________________
Washington
·- _ ________________
\\/st Virginia-·----------------,,,sconsm
________________
Wyoming --.. . ·-------------Alnska_. -·
___________________
IIawaiL___
_____________________
P11crt0Rico_
---·-- ____________
Virginislanrts
·--------------
JO!\, 81i0, 669
29,934,925
lil.l. 676, 200
246, 286, 938
83,642, 991!
1!8, 114fi, 3,5,1
:~tm:~i i
1
2G, 07:J. 493
,11, 0.12, 172
38,,473,620
3.IO. ;60, 902
1\14, ,02,303
rn. 264, s5,
24:l,\l,59,6fll
5.1, iii, C41
i!I, J:l9, 21.1
i.339,.193
2.1. iH 30,
320,008, 03(:
3,1, 032, 041]
I, J.17, 354,334
82,,142,2,1
4fi, 4,lli, 5.14
filf\, 873,844
l:li, i,12, 9fi3
.18, 341\, 470
814, fiifi, 008
46, ll7\I, 38:J
77, .143, 228
,12,5:ll,594
Si,:164,321
l)i~
,l,, .l,l4, 0,1,l
11, ;01 • .14K
fi3,li94 . .122
127,611, 36.1
,IH\,88~.,r,.1
200,89,,99.1
13,483,431
564,726
8,000,174
4,529,029
844,fifi4
2?~·1?3,
I
13,643. r.40 '
4,812.8881
10, \12•1. 407
70,803,041
If,, /iOf>, !1115
13, S4S, 902
1,311,HliS
4,01,1,917 I
11. 40.1, :1:17
14. 481i, 2'Jl
17,529, 282
6,515,009
J.I, 721i. 091i
100,570,770
20, 29a, 120
18, 730, M 7
1.617,70H
5,563,830
15,721.3911
18,494.971
4,432, 0JS
81, li51, ilifi
40, :l22. :lfi3
11, :ll\G, GOii
la, 00,1, J.10
1:i. m14. 225
IS, o:i,.
:J, !186, 0ili
8,.1.I,SS\I
.13, 112.1. IKl:l
5,275.395
120, .562, 973
51,848, fi\}0
Ii. 671. 795
2ll, 021, fj09
2a. 929. 4rn
21. 011, \102
5,900, 64,
11,\IM,00S
91, 36.1, 0,0
,If\
.
]
I
I
.
I
!
I s1. 427. 3,4. 309 i $2,230. 749,993
$2, 157,200,362 '
28,829,353
8,271,59!1
25, 198. 835
97,785, 78f>
23,470, JOO
2,1, 047. 0U7
2,SI0,044
11,313, 71!1
2s. 7fi3, !117
31, 9811, 572
28,268,531
7,704,005
24,298,818
91,955, 151i
20,960, 03<i
23, 988, 603
2,320,704
8,847,3711
27,771,260
30, J.l6, 844
i
7. 847,065
1,9, S54, 122
Iii, 444,904
21. 993, ,13
22,487, 38\1
:is. 898,490
27, 1:l3, :rns
fi, 822. 112h
12,tll0,ill
103,232. H\G
7, Oifi, 013
HI
06, 202,500
21,737,360
21, 45S, 12,I
37. 592,494
26,782,754
6,323,998
10,022,426
100,810,480
122. ,91, 220
S3, Hifi.377
21. 49fi, 9Gi I
68,047,42,
Hi, 052, 033
21, I 12,484
l.82fl.28.I
7, 2,50, 519
83,548, ,144
8,740,379
239,390,240
23,810, 1.II
10,329, 83.1
202,091, fi29
3i,04fl, 841
14, 4Sfl. 003
209,181.204
14,275,241
2:1, i 42, 768 '
10,944,,1741
24,198,830
.1;1,z62,
I
,1,.184, Nlh
4. 021i, 4,12
rn.sc;,rn4
39,803, S23
28,~!3,2.fi
.10,6,4, 143
3,315,578
341,922
2,192,592
870,367 I
372,447.
121. 341, 111 1
.12,228.02.1 j
21. 021. 37 4
fi6,991i,022'
I.I, 321, !Wi
20,349, 1114
,.744.3.18
7,020, ,57r,
80, ;()7, 854
8,285.330
234,221.727
22,751.727
9, fi33, ;,11
201,223,006
3.1, 232, 66.5
13. 658,088
204,909, fi32
13, 94.1, 989
21. 81\9, 441
I0,24S,382
23,:125,846
.12.~3,U2!_!
X, li2X. 43,
4,500,730
14,381,443
35,240,125
28,662,334
59,045,821
2,960,644
-118
2,191,592
5,123,830
10,, 03\1, 012
14, G23, 142
IS, 4M. 633
Ii, !103, 452
21. 202. 749
Iii, 43,1, 938
:J, 8:ll, li34
7,190,098
fi8, ifi,I, 431
I
w~
Ji,, 837,
__________
WPA activities
conducted by
other Federal
agencies c
- -
WPAoctlvltle.'
Activities
conducted by
conducted
Total
other Federal
byWPAD
I agencies c
- - - - - - - ---- - --- -------
13,874,917
5,544,9321
12,248,023
71. 180,906
IS, IUO, 717 ,
Iii, 102, 842
1,S1Xl,G28
4,904,026
1.1, 242, 704 ;
14,956,532 :
57. 249. 02~
.10, 11s. .120 I
41,534, 1.1.1
3,1, 144, 14,
14. 402. 9112
10. 1m. 009
52,340,893
41, 134,li90
11,580,244
IO, 813, 25.1
15,682. ,174
J.I, 40.1, fi3i
1.598.37•1
1.44:J.885
5,948, 188
4,442,042
74,032, 323
li0. 41\4, 376
7,098, 142
5. :,,Ii, 18(1
313,719,647
209, 96S, 930
13,091,02:l
11,25:l,453.
15,033. 231
S, 3.54, Hi!
J16, 949, 13fi
10!1, S,11, ,i3
31. 648, 49,
21. fi03, 922
12, 9,11, 131i
11,007,484
20;, 832,412
JM. 440, ;88
8,303,210
8,718, 37!1
12, 138, 4fi8
JO, 798. I 37
17,581,00li
9,877,852
16,675,;,9
11,4,3,ili9
3~,86~.41i,
28,KR?,9~!1
,, 29,, !kl
h, 282, 9,4
2. 403, 81\0
2, 21)8, 28!1
12,104,,7h
9,901,452
24, 15G, 1\84
24,209,411;
27.33S,li\l
19,872.10,1
44,.188,8,14
36,7,11,813
2,060,480
2,170,970
2,:J92
18,469
----------------1
2,523,002
2,015,536
________________ ________________ ________________
________________
3,993
22
4:l. li33, o;6 I
:io.ow,015
9, 002. 12.1
30.fi.52,292
fi, 7:lll ..140
8, li88, i4fi
,.1,2.8.!I
,
:1, 188, 4 I !I
!
4,1, 354, i39
I
4,970, li,16
2.1:l, 92,, fif,!l
IO, lti4,282'
4. 51\\1, 073 ,
8,, .1,1, S!fi
21,488.219
8, .15li, 038
126, 82,1. :J8i
tl. 307,858
i, t\33, 473
.I, 114,421
12,,18X,07\I
28.1!4, 1!1;
h, 1,3, 40.,
I. 93.J,:l20
9,604,HIII.
Iii, ,IOI. 804
18,490,:J~~i
30,.IOJ.S,,.
2,388,4Xli I
________________
Y enr Ending J unc 30, l U40
Year Ending June 30, 1030
Years ~:nding June 30-
$73, 540, {\3 I
I $1, 520, l(){i, 078
560, 8221
5titi, 604
900, 017
<>, 830, fi2\)
2, f>IO, 064
I, 058, 404 .
mo. 240
2, 461i, 340
1192, Ii.I,
1, 842. 72h
-----
\ $1,461,790,340 i
I
I
$58,315, 738
361,100
608,828
512,502
3, 99H, 46H
1,757,406
438,463
76,673
2,520,773
l, 310,221
l, 353, 795
26,467, 921i
5, 775, i38
22, 504, 046
75, Ji0, f\32
Ii, 807, 91H
J.I, 115.1, 202
1. 8fi.l, 347
9, 1\43, 374
24, 81i2, 318 .
26, 033, ao:i
26, 106, 8211
5,166,910
22, 082, 3M
ii, 183, Jfi6
16,050, f>IO
15, 2 IH, 739
1, 788, lii4
7, 122, li0I
23, .14:J. 0\17
2.1•.110• .10s
ii2. 052
7, 2fiti, fi20
1, 7Hi, 081 I
2.IG, 353
I, 032, 2fj4
1. ao.1. 9\ltl ,
350, lll4
4\18, 030
2•.188. 285 I
2,421, ll8fi ,
I 20, 81i8, 32,
42,047,839
17, !.If,, 249
17, .528, tinfi
2,, 847,378
20, li:lo, :J.lli ,
5,532,208 ,
10, 72,5, 4\lli
70, 185, 11/i\J
li, MO, 175
119, 586, ,9fi
41, S311, 1102
16, 881i, 719
Hi, 324,831
2li, .196, 731
20,220,408
5,033,010
8. 909, 43;
68,654, 391 '
ifli. 445
I, 281,531
507. 84i
2fi9, 530
l, 203,834
1,250,647
414,858
400, 108
1,816,059
1,531,568
1. •I/ill, wo
938.352
4@. ,193
1,0.11,405
I, 330,007
763,290
81.92,
220,943
2, 840, fi90
4.15, 043
,I, 1;7, 513
1,0,18,42·1
696,084
868,623
1,814,176
,08, 005
4,271,662
329, 2.12
I. 873, :l2i
t\011, 11!2
X,2,984
:l,!12fi,;5~8
I. ,l/ih, ,Jh9
42,1. 722 I
2.42.1,,.11
4,563,398
250,942
628,322
354,934
342,040
1,000
870,367
372,447
67. 207, 700
r,;, Olio. ooh .
34,013, 5;7
a4.H1;,om1.
19, 96/i, 654
20. 38,1, iM
.II. l(j9, 331
51, 784,35\1
8, 9,13, ,II.I
9, 98,1, 9f,l!
Ii, 549,882
18,249, 7;4 ;
I, 26,, 562
1.358.1.II
4,944, 239
4, 71!2, 147
51, 78.1, ,523
5li, 608,048
8, fi6.I, fi8(!
8, 2,IO, 472 ;
140,341, 84h ,
137. I /iO, 837
24,223,3fi2.
23,106,004
8, I 70, 2M
i. 605,963
103,409, 4!IO
102, 262. 208
2S, 96S, 484
24,634, 201
II, 375,710
IO, 841,269
I 16,387, 21;
112,895,691
\}, 374,695
8. 979, ,148
23, 230, :J82
21,848,642
9,013,741
8. 284, 22.1
22,427,8fi4
21,911,894
.10. 343, 042
.13, 172.~-1~
8, 19S, 12,
i . .196. 832 ,
2, ;02, 422 ·
3,108, r,2r, 1
l5,18tl,908 1
12,733,910 i
22,039,938
21,276,961
22,094,367
22,275,860
38,381,308
37. 884, i3i
2,288,382
2,638,907
201,043 ______________ _
1,277,144
1,277,144
3,658,662
1,337,581 [
468,202
15,234
761, 3,18
803. 332
420, 110
615,028
1,032, 4.14
699,892
90, 6011
1S2, 092
1,822, 525
415,217
3,191,011
1,027,358
564,291
1, 147. 282
1,331,283
,134, 450
3,491,526
395, 147
1,381. i-10
729,516
,115,970
2,829,417
,198. 895
406. 203
2,452,998
I, 662,077
181,493
496,571
350,525
201,943
!, 182,4041
'1
I
I
'
·
,
1
:I
13,342,4fi0 1
2,321,081
4S2,968
Unrlistributedbystate_ --·---------50,521,7,18
6,154.0fi7 I
9,120,366
i,932,888
22,971,077,
21,152,877
1,818,200
0,531,818
2,8}9,_642
• Includes expenditures ror projects operated hy the WP A, and WPA and XYA administratin expenses.
11 Includes exneniliturcs ror projects operated by the WP A, purchase or surplus clothing, aid to selr-help and cooperative associations, and WPA and NY A administrative expenses.
c Include, expenditures ror projects and administration made from WI' A runrls alloeated under sections 3 and l l or the ERA Acts or 1038 onrl 1039, respectively.
" I ncludrsexpenditures for projects operated by WP A, tornado relier, purchase of surplus clothing, aid to selr-help and cooperative associations, set.tlement orpropcrtydamageclaims,and WP A adm inist rnt.io11.
Sourer: Based on reports or the U. 8. Treasury Department.
1
>
"d
"d
t-:1
~
t:;;
~
~
C;j
TABLE x.-AMouNT oF WPA AND SPoNsoRs' FuNDs ExPENDED oN PRoJEcTs OPERATED BY ,vPA, BY TYPE oF PRoJEcT, BY souRcE oF FuNDs, AND BY
OBJECT OF EXPENDITURE
~
CUMULATIVE THROUGH JUNE 30. 1010
i,1::-.
:Sponsors' Funds
WPA Funds
-----
Grand Total
I
Amount
TotuL.
Hig-hwuys, roads, and street~
Primary rou<ls __ _ __ . _
Furrn-to-market and other
~treets and alleys
Other _______
--------------
secOndai-)- rOOc1S
Puhlicbuildings_ ------- • ..
Educational_
Other _____
••-- ·· ·-
---------------
-----
Other
Conservation __ ------------Land and water conservntion
Other __________________
Sanitation _______________________
0
ca·
;::;:
N.
(1)
Q_
O'
'<
C;
0
0
0.0
~
(v
•------
-•-··
--------
- · ··-· ·· -· • •·
---- · •·
Sewn -"Ystems and other uti!itiP:-,vater purification and supply
Airports and airwuys ____________
----•-
---------
Re<Teationnl facilit.ie:--, exelndine: huildira!s
,"e..,,·uge collection und dispo:,;nl
- ---
---------
· - · -·
·••------------
-•-•-
---
.... .
· •-
...
---------
-------•·-- -------· · -- · ·--- · -- · · ····
-------•------
·---------------
Professional and service __
·· · ·· • --- - - - · --- · - ·- - - - ----- - ---·
Community servire
---·Education
Recreation_
....
--------- •- ··
--·• · · · ·Library ___
--- --------- -------Museum ____
------------Art_ _______
-••··
------------- •----Music ________
-------•-- · ·-·-·Writing ____
--- -----·Research and records __
------- ----------- - - -----------·Research and surveys_
· ·••- -- --- · ··----PuhJic records_
-•----I I istorical records survey ____ . _____
- · --Sewing _______________________________
--- -- ----- -·--- ---·- ----Welfare, excludin~ sewing____________
______
---•Public health and hospital work ___
Production .. _________________________ . _______ __. ::: : _ : : : : : ::
Housekeeping aide ________________________ . _________________
Household workers' training ____________________________________ __
8chool lunches ____________________________ . _______________________
Distribution or surplus commodities ____________________________
Other_. ____ --- -------------------------------------------------- -- Misc·ellnneous » __ ·---------------- _______________________________ _____ .
I
"="'I
I
Total
Amount
1
Nonlabor
Total
Labor
Type of Project
Percent
of total
WPA
funds
Amount
Percent
of grand
total
Amount
Percent
of total
sponsors'
funds
-E3. I
$V, 578,382, 136
l00.0
$7,784,963,583
$6, 915, 348, 760
88. 8
$1,793,418,553
18. 7
$1,489,540,937
3, 727, 392, 468
38. 9
2,931, 737, 719
2, .542. 102, 583
86. 7
795,654, 749
21. 3
676,329, 261
85. ti
-120, 473, 192
1,567,251,445
1,075,037,847
663, 729, 984
4. 4
16. 4
11. 2
6. 9
359. 337,804
1,197.340. 854
862, 973, 650
512,085,411
314. 315, 166
1,035,673, 772
735,800, 141
456, 313, 504
87. 5
86 .•,
85. 3
89.1
61. 135,388
369. 910, 591
212,964, 107
151,644,573
14.
23.
19.
22.
5
6
8
8
50,720,745
314,015,214
182,576,372
129, 016, 930
83.0
84. 9
85. 7
85. 1
998, 896, 803
JO. 4
767,907,960
677,694, 712
88. 2
230, 808, 843
23. 1
194, 125, 887
339, 196, 706
659, 700, 097
3. 5
6. 0
24 7, 800, 293
520, 107, G67
220,479, 997
457, 214, 715
89. 0
87. 9
91,396,413
139, 502, 430
26. 0
21. 1
77,102,432
117,023,455
84.1
84. 4
83. 9
0
855, 246, 233
8. 0
743, 329, 2g5
640,031,851
87. 0
111,016,938
13. I
80, 707, 120
80. 2
"O
904,742,044
10. l
s:rn
liOi, Oil, 3·1fi
88. 2
207,747,219
21. .,
172,552,750
S:l. I
0
237, 39fi, 9fi!i
fi43, :l.52, 487
83, ll92, fitll
2. fi
'i
0. 9
JG4, 180, :ion
.,31, 434. 72:!
fil, 3iB, iHfi
142. 260, :J4:J
471. -IS:l, 370
li4, 227, n:i:i
8fi.fi
8~. i
73, 2]fi, 660
111,017.7114
88. 3
22, fi12, 796
30. X
17. 4
2fl. H
62,352. 15/i
90,524,825
19,675, 770
8/i. 2
n.
9
Si. 0
200, /i()/i, 4:,:J
:.!.1
150.Hll, 71f!
112. o5n. 2:w
71. 7
411. 1193, 7:34
2-1. ,-.;
45. 67fi. 108
~11. H
37S. 5S/i, flOI
4.11
32.\ 903. 909
28,5, 109, 062
1:i. 9
41,969, 26f>
79. 8
7511, 994.
87 ..1
S2, .501, S92
---------
----
8(),
85. 8
92. 2
34. 758, 7ffi
17,832,795
12. Ii
17. 4
28, 63·1, 813
13,334,443
82. 4
74. 8
152. :J28, 9fi2
94. 8
40. 718, 26-1
20. 2
38,122,583
93. 6
I. 809, :n 2. 7:N
I, fi!l9, 35,5, i-1 i
93. 9
250, r,1:i, 954
12. 2
184,091,515
73. 5
5ta, 150. 13n
!G5, 300, 25,,
147, Hfi,5.54
78, 505, fi81
19,833,228
24,653, 151
58, 308, 80·1
19,253,003
9fi. ,5
95. 2
97. 5
98. 0
96. 7
94. 1
97. I
95. 0
83. 240,898
27,382,865
3fi, 234, 757
12. 947, 754
2. 877,577
941,910
2,479,874
376, 101
14. (I
14. 2
19. 8
14.1
12. 7
63,121.540
22,231,303
27,008, 744
8,912,056
1,618.264
837,887
2, 156, 554
296, 732
75. 8
81. 2
74.;
68. 8
6f>. 2
89.0
87. 0
78. 9
355, 832, 295
215, 15,1, 721
120. 594, 75r,
20. 082, 818
·195, 20•1, 777
1.57, ,502, 672
143, 520, 4;4
76,960, lfi5
19, 187, ,512
23, 193, r,91
50,643,301
18,286,002
34,5, 712,415
207, !04, 658
llO, 302,884
19,244,873
97.
96.
98.
95.
2
3
9
8
57,240, 5-19
3fi, 988,990
19,467,028
793, 531
13. 0
14. 7
13. 9
3. 8
28,218, 45-1
10,756,354
10,841,683
49. 3
45. 3
55. 7
620,417
78. 2
fi. 6
586,745,805
519, OIO, J.,1
88.6
40, Jfi2, 509
7. 3
44,640,754
96. 7.
3.3
O_G
0.6
0. 7
246, 006, 948
49,247,903
52,479,941
60,138,557
2,555,408
32,932, 781
48,652,358
96. 4
98. a
95. 8
90.1
92. 2
95. 4
92. 9
57,048, 873
IJ, 021, 723
6. f,55, 614
2, 7311, 280
257, 27:1
17,262,404
19, 115, 579
18. 3
18. 0
10.8
4.3
8. 5
33. 3
26. 7
43,657,261
5,231,315
0.6
0.8
255, 239, ga3
50,101,607
54,764.326
60,701,543
2,771,612
34,524,401
52,376,444
76. 5
47. 5
88. 6
72. 7
87. 4
04. 9
105, 256, 000
I.I
98,343,965
92,431,456
91. 0
0, 012, 035
6. 6
4,453,506
\9],fl/10,877
2. 0
138,077,017
131,198,268
05. 0
27fi, 1:l\J. :J.5:J
102, 44G, I-IS
2. 9
1.1
241, :J80, 550
81. lil3, 353
207,131,711
Ti, 9ii, 348
201, 426, OG9
2. 1
lfiO, 707, 80.1
2. 059, 92G, 088
21. 5
5gr,, 3ai, 634
192, 773, 120
183. 381. 311
91, .51:J, 43,,
22. 710, 80!;
25,595,001
no, 788, 738
10,029, lfi4
fi. 2
2. 0
1.9
1.0
0. 2
0. 3
0. G
0. 2
413,081,844
252,143,711
140,061, 784
20,870,349
4.
2.
1.
0.
3
fl
5
2
632, 908, 404
3 l2, 288, 80G
61,123,330
61,419,940
63,437, 823
3,028,885
51,786,805
71,492,023
(A)
3. 7
4. I
1. 9
53, /i8:J, 2110 ~
5,897,074
1,988, 759
224,841
10,381,365
13. 933,307
46,966,457
72.9
----;;:u
-~
Less than 0.05 percent.
»Includes aclJustment or WPA expendlL-nres to total reported by the TrenRnry l)epurtment; Rponsors' expenditure~ Corlnnd. lnnd lenses, ensements, nnd rlghts-0£-w1\y, ror which the distrlhuUon hy type
A
or proJ~ct is not avnllnhle; nn<l projects not lnclmlecl under the heacllngi,; nhove.
Source: WPA stJ\t" offi<'(~ reports.
~
t'::
"O
0
...,~
~
~
~
~
t,j
UJ
er.
0
>,;
...,
::i:::
t,j
~
"d
>
"d
~
0
Q
~
>
a::
'rAu,~te
XJ. · -AMoUN'J' oa,•
Wl'A
ANU H1•0N ~o 1ts '
l•'uNuN
1,; x,•JolN 1>1,:n ON P1to.1Jo)c-rH (>1• ..Ht.A'l' J-H>
OH.JECT OP J.;xPENDlTUHE
ny
\VPA. HY ' rvi-l!l o ... Pno.11-:c .. 1· , nv Soun cic 01-· FuN1>6 , ANJ> DY
YE .\R J;;Nl>IN0 Jt'Nf; 30, 1940
Sponsors' ~'unds
Wl'A Funds
Grnncl Total
,---------
,-------
Nonlabor
Total
Labor
Type of Project
Percent
of total
Total
Percent
Amount
Amount
Percent
of grand
total
Amount
WPA
funds
----- ·-
- ---- -, --- - - - 1 - - - - -
--
- ·= 1 =
--41.6
791,Sti3,207
69.53X. 552 ~
20. 0
:381, 07S, :n I
1I. I
2111. 4;,7, 097
H i~ hwa ys, roads, nml str<"l~ts
..... .
Fnrm-to-mnrket and other S<'condnry roads .. .
Str<•ds and nlkys
183, Hi, S97 , - ~ • _
3. :l
6:1, 99.1, 1.17
u. :1
I 19, 452, 7411
01.}l<'r
:St>\\'t•r ..;y:-tt•ms ancl ollwr utilit iP:-\\' utn purifieation und su pply
~L'WOl!l' c•ollcirtion and disposal
Other
( 'onsrn ·o tio n
Lnn<l nnd wtitt>r <'ong(•rvntion . _
I-
_
Ot.lwr
Snnitntion
a.
St•winl,!
-Q"
W,•lfn re, t•xcluding ,.-win~
Public healt h !\IHI hospit al work ..
Product.ion
[louse keeping ni<I<• ...
llousehold workPrs' training
_. _.
. ... .
$cbool lunches . .
Dl~tributlon of surplus commodities . .. . . . . .
Other . . .. . . .
C;
0
a,......
l!l'J, 83S, f\-10
47. 390. :!fs!
130, 84.\, 043
21,603. 234
10. 5 _
2. 5
6. U
I. I _
64, S18, 8W
39,672, !I?I
25,146, ,02 ,_
211. 788.
21..117, 01,
.
----- · - - - ·---
--- -------- ·-·---- ---
----- ---- ---- '
1~1. 897,
36, 398, 02 1
4:l,717. 174
2:1, 400, 7G3
7, ~- 50.1 I
5,102.330
11, 587,tlO!i
:J,692.42'~:
98, 47-1, ·IGI I
55. 781, Gii
3/i, 789. 303 '
K,903.4~1 ,
11 s,13s.m:1
110, 111, MH I
13, 863, 900 ,
15,324,960
20, 72-5, 545 j
6. 9
1. 9
2.3
I. 2
0. !
0.3
0.6
1
_____fl_:2_
,1. 2
2. (I
1. \l
0. 4
6. 2
4.; I
o. i I
0.8
I. 1
771 ,072
(·')
19,250,830
1.0
I. 1
20,178,240
!- - 12. 400, 99() ;
0. 7
1. 3
i
1
1()3, 82~. 57~
28. 513,653
31,860.281
18. 752. 38ti ·
6. 1!0, 2~7 ,
5. 1,3.8,S:
10,025,859 .
:J.392.242
•. , .
··~ ·-·
il,~-l
XU,-1.
44,774,091
29. 408, 2W
fl. 2SO, 494
lo:!, .138. 20\1
tm. 845. OG·I
10,328, 742
1:J. 074. 310
10,552.060
696. 517
12. 854. 501
13,338,934
10. 800,474
1_
17,296, 018
89. i
22i, 084. 176
II0.3 . ~ , : 395, 024
IOG, 616, 004
88.8
60. 787, 195
89. R
39,885,293
91. 8
ao
r;-,;
I
3. ·1 I _ ... ;,O, 430. 110 I
:i.1.2:-~.05~
2.1 1
!,I. l o, ,05:>.
_ l_.3_
, --1-.0- 1
25, 490, 608 '
MisC<'llnn~ous o __ __
- .8 1.SRI,
1:11. Oill,_.1i111
2ll, 734. 71:l
Ul, 124. 45ti I
13,211. 430
Ii:!. 281. :,2(\
29. 102, Ju7
UO, 26:l, 73,1
14. 015, 624
,-~,--~~I:
~25 1
i:io
~9
197,883, 774
17, 128,926
92,424,540
53, 3158, 574
34,071 , 734
5.1, 334, 851
21. 770. 40!1
:1:1..1<H.H2
· ~11 ~ ~ 1 ~1-
4:il. 083.001
Profl>ssionul and S<'rvicr .
C'ommunity &•rvice
CD
.
$·114, 861, -137
2X. X
20. 3
28. 0
28. 9
30. 5
!11.2
00.9
91. 3
JU, 190, 1)72
22. 261, 788
a,. 2;9, -1:>C>
2. o I
===== =;~,======I-~== . ,~
Airport ~ nnd nirwny::-
E<iucation
Rt' Cn•ation
Library.
'.\IIIS<'Um
.
.-\rt
'.\lusic
Writing
. _ ___
Res(•nrch and rN~ords
Rrs~~rch and sun·c>ys
Pu hlic records
lli f-l orlcal rN·ords survt•y
. ..
= ==:·
26.11
- -
111\, S52, 2:111
:IX, 397. 15:1
i S, 45S. Oil
12.~. 11:1,0-!ti
42. 22·1, 74S
8.1.~.~>\JX
,_=(H=,x=._=21~.•=1:
- IIU,:tlH,92:l - - -0-.:-1 <===H:=
Rt•<•rt•111ionnl hwili tit•s. t•x<•J11 di n1Z huildi111?s
;::;·
.'i05, OOI, -142
-H , 381. s;r.
24:1, 039, S41
134 , ·136. iOl
83,H:l,02a
5G-I, 179, 03 l
4\1. 14:1, .I~
274. -161, &17
149. ,;70, so2
90. 1103. o;,4
$·19·1, 378, 134
91. 5
= == ===1=-=.=1-
Pnhli,• huilclin~s . . .
E<IUl'!llional __ _
cg:
6. ll
t:!0, 7&l, :14 7
Oth,'r
0
wo. o I $1.-108. 5; 1, 637 I $1,289,469, om
$1, HO:!, Y-HJ, iii
Total
Primary roads
Percent
of totnl
sponsors'
run•ls
Amount
I
4.1. 589. 17,1
27, HO,iil
18,139.401 ._
·20.mw,no,
I
Sil. 2
15, 017.662
\M). -I
1·1, 388, iOO
8. 39'J, 06~
5,989,6-1,
87.~
l-05:-;;-
I
1·
15, 466, 581
8!l. 4
2·1. 1
31. O
-40. 3
--22. 2
11. .IOO. 255
7, 118,352
·1 , 471 ,903
-27. S-
I
13. 3
- -
S2.5
--
I
Sl. 2
S7. 4
81. 6
87. fi
--03. U
---80.6
8·1. 8
74. 7
7,753,171
82,598,794 - ~
21. ~
~~. 068, 74!1
21.,
,, 88·1. 868
27.1·
11 ,856,893
20. 1 ,
4, 708. 37i
16. 2 1
1, !~~-226
IO. I ,
o,S. 452
13..\ 1
1,56 1,740
:mo.187 _ _ s_. _1
18. 3
18,002, 5i7
10. 7
11 , 007, 586
17. 8 1
0. 381,004
X. 9
613, 9S7
H , 007, 454 ~
22. ,;
:m. 269, 492
25. 5
3, 53.1, 158
14 . 7
2,250.650
5. i
I. 173, 48.1
9. 7 '
74,555
33. 2
Ii, 396. 320
6,839.315 ; ~
32. I
·-
21, 72.'i, 2 l.l
14,100, 005
21. 2
23. S
I, 660, 525 1
~6
•1
m5
18, 87~. [,ti4
- - = - = = - - -- -
u"
8. 104. 680
·
47, li!O, 148
I.I, U89, 378
2s. 7u5, 924
!i, 854, 846
28. :1
8,270,51!•
:1.10.202. 14:I ~
9(i. 4
10~, OO:I. 03fi
95. O
2,, 102, 1.12
00.S
30,832.687
9i. 3
18, 248. :!!ill
96. ~ ,
.1. 919, \12~
94.,,
4,888.XI,,
98.0
9,824,!171\
3,276.078 - ~
97. 7
78. 583, 69X
97. 2
43. 524. 48-1
98. 5
28,962. S68
96. 0
6. 000, 3-16
89. 1 .
~
98. 3
f~. 645, 9lKi
99. 0
10, 22.1. Sl7
9i. 0
12. 683, 782
99. 1
19, 3i4, 886
89. 0
620,073
97. 0
12,472, 720
99. 5
13,268.628
98. 6
10. 649. 307
~7
47,916, 0211
2U, 030, 456
2'J. 1 I
I
,lfi ..157, 114
lS, 288, 190
:11, 581,308
fl, 687,610
_!)·~
-
:!4. 0
28. l
~8
- - - --- 1 -
-
:10. 2
2ti.~H.629
91. ,\
91. 9
91. 8
88. 6 _
=
-- - - -
~ o
m1
Lt•ss than 0.0,1
'C
l'l
z
....t,
~
U3. 7
00,281,044 ~
7;,. 8
21, 2G~. 081\
82. 5
"· 50 , , 619
7;1.5
8,7 15.350
fi!J. 1
:!, 255, 313
8
716. 757
88.1
509,4 10
S5.8
1,:139,270
222.258
50. 2
0, 042, 532 ,
4.1. 8
5,043, 923
,I.I. 4
3,532,030
7H. 0
466,579
~
13, 8Ul. 031
15, 0311, 2ti7
74. 2
45. 1
I, 59.1, 30.'i
1,9%,736
ss. 2
842, 145
71. 8
65,020
87. 2
9:J. 0
5, 950, 039
67. 3
-1,601.013
li2. 8
I, 042, 228
'!°·
I~
6. 001 , 80.'i .
73. 2
(v
A
>
'"d
,__.
~
J)l'rCP 11t.
"Includes adjustment or WPA exJ,..n<litun•s to total n•porl<•d by fiw Treasury Department; sponsors' ,•xp,•n,litures for land, land leases, eaSt•nwnts, 11nd rights-of-way, for which th<• distribution by type
of proJecl is not available; and projects not inelud,•<t under the he,1di n~s above.
,;mirre: WP A state office rfports.
<:.n
126
REPORT ON PROGRESS OF THE WPA PROGRAM
TABLE XII.-A~10UN'l' OF WP A AND SPONSORS' FUNDS EXPENDED ON PROJECTS OPERATED BY
BY SOURCE OF FUNDS, AND BY OBJECT OF EXPENDITURE
CUMULATIVE
THROUGH JUNE
30, 1940
Sponsors' Fund,
WPA Funds
----------- ----------
---------
Labor
State
Grand Total
Amount
·-----
TotsL ______________________ $9, 578, 382, 136
$1, 7o:J. !IS, 553
18. 7
$1, 489, 540, 937
2ll, SSI, 627
11,639,689
89, 3G8, 225
23, 39:l, 880
23.8
29. 3
19.6
18.6
21. 5
25, ';'59, 775
8,983,005
17,132,125
66,627, 100
20,076.226
92. :l
92. 4
90. 3
86. 2
85. 9
21,381, 83:l
I, 653. 256
6, ~62, 702
23,669,135
21,390, s7s
20.2
16.9
17. 9
21. 0
21. 8
18,957, 167
1,322,692
:l, 931,657
20,426. 785
24, 91•;, 681
88. 7
80.0
61.8
87. 2
87. 7
89. 7
88. 6
29. 7
IS.P
18.1
~-0
23.0
9,277,421
96,576,439
4o, 785, P68
25, 954, .511
2-1, 312,944
82.0
6H
Idaho ____ ---- --------------------Illinois ... ____
-----------Indiana ______ .
------------Iowa ________ ,
·-----------Kansas.
-------------
38,002, n7
736, 053, 463
290,684, 701
111. 139,008
120, 048, 056
26. 777,909
Kentucky._
--------------Loui~iana
--------------Mairn~-------·------'.\18ryl9.nr!
------------------~fassachusetts __ -•-· · ----- •-----
-----------------------------------------·-----------------~
--- •-----------------Montana_
---------·------Nebraska
. - -- -------------:-.revada_
--------------New Hampshire------------New Jersey_
----•-------New Mexico.
----•----- -------New York ___
----------------North Csrolins_
--------------North Dakota_
· ·------------Ohio _____
--------------Oklahoma_
--------------Oregon. _____
------------------Pennsylrnnia
- --------------Rhode Island
--------------South Carolina_
---·-··-------South Dakota
-------------Tennessee __ .. _
---------------Texas ________
----------------Utah ______________________________
----------------
A
A __________
85.8
86. 3
91.0
ss. 4
147,118,550
120,990, /i08
2ll, 557,078
5S, 38S 215
439. 5u5, 693
116, 92'-J, 338
95,976,482
23,293, 88,
41,650, 1%
370, 7.54. 798
98, 35.5, 347
83,056,814
20,221.660
37,280,856
349, 362, 7:l8
84. I
S6.:;
8f,,8
83 . .5
94. 2
:10, 189. 212
25,014,026
6,253, lfJJ
10, 738, 02ll
68. 810, SP5
20. 5
20. 7
21. 2
rn. 4
15. 7
2,;,035, 340
21,350,240
5,087,032
7,621,317
5S., 492, 54Z
415, 51.5, ~~~,
234,730, 88(j
99,076, 757
279,415,922
64,096,390
339, 661, 773
186,810, 235
71, .547, 148
234, 522, 897
.50, 670,360
303, 642, 798
166, 553, 481
.,8, 566, 261
206,749,407
4fi, 466, 726
89. ·!
89. I
IS. 3
20. 4
27. 8
16. I
20. 9
(,86, 532
40,459, 732
24,386,690
37,489.512
11,537,958
74. 7
SU
88.6
S8- 2
89. 7
i5, ~5:1, 7t>4
47,851,651
27, 529, (109
44,893,025
13,426,030
56,
81. 9
97,825,019
9,727,211
30,538,254
379, 613, 219
40,310, 122
74,642, 774
6,571,582
24,389,248
305, 644, 004
32,068, 82(j
65,497, 531
5, 8~. 223
22,500,858
281. 561,321
27,296,512
87. 7
88. 7
92. 3
93. I
85.1
23,182.245
3, 15.5, 629
ti, 14!1, 006
73, 95g, 245
8,241,296
23. 7
32. 4
20.1
20. 4
19,891,246
2,507,978
5,005, 734
64. 023, 727
7, 297, 1103
85.8
82.3
S1.4
86.6
88. 5
I, 315, 756, 536
l02, 551, .561
55,362,358
706, 461, 6 II
164,540,170
I, 107, :l74, 043
75,790, 190
43, 06.5, 275
600, 878, 761
128, 02:l. 670
974, 036, 84S
64,986,920
:17. 204, 6:l9
544,311,188
108, 3l.5, (i!f;
88.0
208,412,493
20, ,m, ~,1
12, 2<J7, 083
!OS, 582, ~50
36,516,500
15. 8
26.1
22. 2
14. 9
22. 2
185, 484. 062
24,504,263
I
10,993,679
56,305, 167 I
29, 771. 08'J
89.0
69,315, 185
894,919,090
55,849, 723
92, 2813, 771
62, 243, 440
54. 473,046
783, 780, 094
4-1, 708,912
70,846, 750
48,925,858
49,311,668
714, 211. liS5
43, 4G,5, 003
61,849,693
4 I , .~21;, 238
90 . .5
91.1
97. 2
87. 3
85. 5
14,842, 139
111,138.996
II, 140,811
21,440,021
13, 317, 582
21. 4
12. 4
19. 9
23. 2
21. 4
12,540,502
97,153, 539
9,683. rn7
19,299,271
11, 5-53.087
119, 286, 317
248, 793, 194
47,182,089
17, 42,5, 061
73,010, fj:,4
81,350,958
185, 929, 5-13
3-1, 256,462
13,084,295
M, 322. 63S
67. 951, 946
153, 504, 341
30, !125, 003
12,333, 3l'l
·18,:J.,.5,2(l;!
83. 5
82. 6
90. 3
94. 3
87. 4
37,935,359
62. 863, 65!
12,925,627
4, 3-10, 766
17. 6gs_ om
31. 8
27. 4
24. 9
24. 2
28,118.605
52, 207. 47-1
IQ, 701. 712
3,490,444
J.1, 544,770
147, 253, U51i
136,307,624
116,674, 120
111,746,821
201,932, r,74
12,007, 134
107, 172, OIU
98, 88i, ;)85
182, 120. ·126
10,288,280
01. U
88. 5
00. 2
85. 7
30.
:nu. 83j_i
24,560, ~3
50, 241, 163
5,286, 191
20. 8
18.0
19. 9
30. 6
24, iil. 400
21,367, 719
41. 336. 327
i, 428. 317
I, 767,064
19,240
20,7-13
7, 178, 935
I, 168, 155
10, 2-10
Ill, 20~
G, 565, Ui8
I. 086, 4(il
18,602
4, :!21, 417
4,321,417
4, 3'14. 797
11, 10!:I, U!i8
Unclisl,r!but.ecl by state
86. 2
77.2
87. 5
74.0
596, 979, 679
2:18, 186, 09H
79,986,034
92,481. 736
-----·------------------------------------•-•----------
77,765,820
7. 517,742 I
20,423, lOi
76,821. S7~
84, 279, ,,42
19, 579. 7i·l
II, 311,828
139, 073, 784
52,498,603
31, 152, 974
27,566,320
252, 17H, 837
Puerto Rico
\"irgin Islands
'
83.1
23,359, l04
523, fi39. 969
21:l, 732, 397
70,886, \137
78,969,023
Washington_
------------------West Virginia_ ---- · - · -·--------\Visconsin.
-------------------Wyoming_
------------------Hawaii
~ - - - - - ------- - - - ------- ---84. 4
89. O
8:l. 7
89. 2
88. 2
84, 297, 649
8,133,858
2ll, 248,101
89, OG~. 570
a.s, 138. lf>3
Alaska _
P£1rcent
of total
sponsors:'
funds
Amount
88.8
105,679,482
9, 787, 114
35,610.803
112, 7()8, 705
125, 52ll,1!-ll
·---·------------. - . - - - ----------
Percent
of grand
total
so. 644,939
25, O:l7, .518
67, 3M, ·Ill
348, 352, 84G
75,531. 49-!
Connecticut -----------Delaware.
-------------District of Col um b!a -----------Florida ______ --------------------Georgis. ____
------------
Vrrmont_. _
Virginia __
Amount
1,5, 498, U04
28, 145, 795
80,429,503
390, 592, 296
85,615,909
-
of total
WPA
funds
$6, 915, 348, 7f,O
125, 3ll0, 531
39,785,484
100,009, 377
479,960, 521
109, 009. 789
i~:~si~r-~~
I
Sonlabor
$7,784,963,583
-~labarna __ ----------------------Arizona_ ------------- ----------Arkansas_ -------------California --------------Colorado_ -------------
'.\1irbignn.
Minnesota_
Total
I Percent
TotRl
WPA, BY STATE,
17, 2'J3, 325
20, 743
I
85. 7
86. 4
00. 6
84. 6
49. 2
87. 8
3,721.023
9;i_ o
598,909
06. 6 -------------- --
19. 5
83.3
88. 2
82. 9
85.4
SL 2
71.0
85.0
'
83. 5
85. 9
91.6
i
25. 3
-··--33. 2
33. 9
89.1
---------------2,831,023
41'1. 569
InclU<lcs supply fund anr1 textilP. acc'lunt ndjustmcnt.s, and crntrul omce projPcts.
Digitized by
Google
81.5
84.5
87. !
S6. 0
00.0
86.8
74.1
83.Q
82.S
80. j
82.2
81.0
87.0
82.3
83.S
------76.1
75.1
---------- ------------------------- ·--------------- ---------- --------·-----·-1--
Source: WP A expenditures based on reports of the Treasury Depurtment; sponsors' expenditures based on WP A state office reports.
89.4
81.7
127
APPENDIX
TABLE XIII.-AMOUNT OF "\VPA AND SPONSORS' FUNDS EXPENDED ON PROJECT8 OPERATED BY WPA, BY STATE,
BY SOURCE OF FUNDS, AND BY OBJECT OF EXPENDITURE
YEAR ENDING JUNE 30, 1940
\\" I' A Funds
Sponsors' Funds
Labor
State
Total
Grand Total
Total
Amount
Total ____________________________ $1,902,949, iil
Percent
of total
WPA
funds
Nonlabor
I
Percent
, of grand
total
Pt.'rct•nt
I
Amount
Amount
of total
sponsors'
funds
$1, -1118. 571, 63,
i1, 289,469,619
91. 5
$404,378, 134
26. 0
$414,861,437
83. 9
Arkansas ______________________ -------California _____________________ -------Colorado _____________________________ _
35, 2,6, 851
7,803, 673
28,810,241
93,238,636
21,632, 38-3
2:;, 221,810
4,906,902
21,384,630
69,086,284
15, S36, 126
22,140, "ll6
4,394,851
18, i34, 443
63,809,220
13,939,300
87. 8
89. 6
87. 6
92. 4
80. 7
10,055,041
2,896, 771
i, 425,011
24,152,352
6,006,257
28. 5
37. I
25. 8
25. 9
28. 2
8,904,552
2,316,455
5,990,908
JO, 457, 182
5,332,505
88. 6
80. 0
80. i
80. 6
87. 5
Connecticut_ ____________________ - _---Delaware _______________________ ------District of Columbia _________________ _
Florida ______________________ __-- -----Georgia _________________________ -------
20,685,369
2,242,426
8,906,381
29,646,968
33,259, 720
14,617, 710
I, 705. MO
6,899,804
22, .580, 376
24,454, 123
13,871,039
1,606,075
6,402,062
20, 170, 133
21,819,469
94. 9
92. 8
89. 3
89. 2
0, 007, 659
536,886
2,006,577
7,066,592
8,805,597
29.3
23. 0
22. 5
23. 8
26. 5
5, 242, 137
454,672
1, 256, 552
6,134,887
7,865,644
86. 4
84. 7
02. 6
86.8
89. 3
Idaho _________
- ---- - --- -- -- - ---- - -- --- -_
________________________________
lllinois
Indiana ______________________________ _
Iowa _________________________________ _
Kansas _______________ -- - _-- -- --- ------
9,473,350
154,979,063
55,087,544
24,943,271
21, 723, 793
6,308,603
116,974, 130
40,397,060
16,319, 195
JS, 747, 3.\6
5,745,511
108,113,860
36,682,561
14. 700,609
13,982,646
91.1
92. 4
90.8
90.1
88. 8
3, 164, 753
38,004,033
14,690,484
8,624.076
5,976,437
4
5
7
6
5
2,708,021
27,759, 548
12,868,476
7, 313, 742
5,389.603
8.5.6
73.0
87. 6
84. 8
90.2
fi,~~~~!:_--==:::: :: ::: ::::::::: :::: :: ::
'.\fainc
32,432,690
25,638,520
6,450,948
11,592, 127
86,587, 781
25,515,896
19,392, 711
4, 791, Ji.\
8,584, 116
66,629,360
22,326,063
17,710,071
4,383,506
i, 963,257
63,746,052
87. 5
91. 3
91. 5
92. 8
95. 7
6,016, ;94
6,245,809
3,008,011
J9, 958. 421
21. 3
24. 4
25. 7
25. 9
23.0
5,702,034
5,336,854
], 345,034
2,372,971
17, 180, 745
82. 4
85. 4
81.0
78. 9
86.1
'.\fichigan ____________________ - _- - __ -- __
86,730,838
46, 43·1, 521
27,943,640
62,926,873
12,034,030
65,508,373
33,026,862
JO, 163,848
49, i36, 600
s, 564, 229
fli.148, 257
30,114,235
16,607,585
45,393,649
7,819, 548
03. 3
91. 2
86. 7
01. 3
91. 3
21,222,465
J3, 407,659
8, 779, 792
13,190,273
4,360,801
24. 5
28. 9
31. 4
21. 0
33. 8
16,852,604
JI, 459,529
7,798,679
J!, 225,829
3,723,803
79. 4
85. 5
88.8
85_ 1
85. 2
Xew Mexico _________ . -· ___ __· - _______ _
23,296, !OS
I, 849,893
6,097.095
72,903, Y8Q
10. 515, 8-15
Ji, 063, 15-1
I, 138.908
4,625,803
53,052,240
7,873, 205
15,380, 765
1,040. 793
4,422,219
49, 793, 102
7, 176, 22-5
90.1
92. 2
95. 6
93. 9
91. l
6, 232, 954
710, 985
1,471,292
19,851, 740
2,642, 03()
26. 8
38. 4
24. 1
27. 2
25.1
5,471,002
590,850
1, 261, 733
16,553,201
2,319, i51
87.8
83.1
8.5. 8
83. 4
87. 8
Xew York _________________ -----------ci"orth Carolina _______ ---- ----- _- ___ --Xorth Dakota __ - ________ - -- ____ - _____ _
Ohio ____________ ----- ---- -- ---- - _____ _
Oklahoma __________________________ ---
181, 509, 724
32,148,188
JO, 588,559
131,856,332
31, :l21. 478
131,952,545
22,318, WI
7, 287, 598
99,024,050
23,630,301
123, 788, 196
19,337, 114
0, 543,032
93,220,056
21,375,940
93. 8
86. 6
89. 8
93. 3
90. 5
49, 557, 179
9,829,097
3,300,961
27. 3
30. 6
31. 2
24. 2
24.6
44. 054, i81
9,053,460
2,984, 392
25, 144. 754
6,269,611
88.9
92.1
90. 4
i8. 7
81.5
28. 2
20. 2
29. 9
2,5. 7
32. I
3,585,563
23, i82. 559
3,093,669
6,490,693
3. 30i, 632
87. 5
85. 6
83. 3
89.0
88.2
.\labama _____________________________ _
A.rizona __ _________________ --- __ --------
:Maryland _____________ - --- ----- ------:\Iassachusetts ________________ - _-- -- ---
g[~J~~'.=::::::=:::::::::=::::::::::
Montana ____________ ----_ - _-- ---------
1\ebraska __________________ -- -- -- -- -- -Xe,~ada ______ - - -- - - - - - - - - ------ --- - - - --
Xew Hampshire ___ -------------------Xew Jersey ___________________________ _
Oregon __________________ -------------Pennsylvania _________________________ _
Rhode Island ____________ -------------South Carolina __________ . --- ---------South Dakota ______________ _
94. 2
33.
24.
26.
34.
27.
I, 659, 773
3
};
~if:~~ I
4, ()<J8, 280
14,525,855
137,599,394
12,410.609
28,318,077
11,696, 149
JO, 427,569
109,801, 136
8, 701, 740
21,029,699
7,948,085
0, 987,051
102, 989, 992
8,305,030
18,537,843
7,145,352
95. 8
93. 8
88. 2
89. 9
27, ,98, 258
3,714,929
7,289,278
3,748,064
Utah ____ __________________
-------------------_
Vermont
Virginia. _______________________ _
30,168,293
66,826,022
JO, 7:!6, 751
3,651,129
17, 199..164
21,026,310
48,363, llO
7,331,085
2, 5/,1, 470
12, 179, 7;34
18,396,431
41,507,461
6,892,009
2,391,079
10, 797, 756
87. 5
85. 8
94. 0
03. 6
88. 7
9,141,983
18,402,912
3,404. 766
!, 007, 659
5, !JIO, 83o
30. 3
27. 6
31. 7
30.1
29. 2
i, 011, 085
JO, 184,420
2,904,840
870, 785
3,994,211
76. 7
87. 7
85. 3
79. 3
70. 6
Washington ______________________ _
West Vlr~nia. ___________________ _
Wisconsin __ ._----------------- -- -.
Wyoming ___ ----------------------. ---
29,604,011
28, 68-1. 661
51,084,600
3, 26~. 7\11
20, S28. 234
21,421, 795
36,869,042
2, 144, 932
19, 108,374
IO, 743, 951
33,878, 723
1,978, 07S
93. 5
92. 2
91. 9
02. 3
9,075, 777
7,262,866
14,215,558
1,120,859
30. 7
25. 3
27. 8
34. 3
7,650, 643
6,301,600
11,095,330
993,074
86. 8
84. •l
88.6
Puerto Rico __ ._----------------------\'irgin Islands.------------------------
HawaiL. _____ ----------------------- --
1,961, 6.30
l, 767,064
15,234
1,183,451
I, 168,155
15,234
1,072,088
I, 086, 401
15,106
90. 6
93.0
99. 2
778, 179
598,909
39. 7
33. 9
54i, 197
451,560
70. 3
75. 4
L'ndistributcd by state•--------------
3,950, 142
3,059, 142
134,628
3. 4
Tenneso;;ee. _________________ _
Texas _____________________ _
95. 4
I
84. 3
A Includes supply fund and textile account adjustments, and central office projeC'ts.
Source: WPA expenditures based on reports of the Treasury Department; sponsors' expenditures based on WPA state office reports.
Digitized by
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128
REPORT ON PROGRESS OF THE WPA PROGRAM
TABLE XIV.-AMOUNT OF WPA AND SPONSORS' FUNDS EXPENDED ON PROJECTS OPERATED BY WPA, BY STATE AND
BY MAJOR TYPE OF PROJECT
CUMULATIVE THROUGH JUNE 30, 1940
Highways, Roads,
and Streets
Recreational Facilities, Excluding
Buildings
Public Buildings
Total
State
A1nount
cent
Amount
Percent
Amount
Per-
Percent
Sewer Systems
and Other
Utilities
Airports and
Airways
Amount
Percent
Amollllt
Percent
$3, 727, 392, 468
38. 9
$998, 896, 803
10. 4
$855, 246, 233
8. o
$964, 742, 044
10. 1
$200. 505, 453
2.1
Arkansas _______________ _
California ______________ _
Colorado. _____________ _
125,380,531
39,785,484
100. 000, 377
479,960.521
109,009. 789
66,077.919
20. 589, ,536
59. 035, 940
82, :372, 405
39. 672. 078
52. 7
51. 7
59. 0
1i. 2
36, 4
14,311,133
6,941,867
13, 128. 223
57, 526, 961
12, 55-1. 077
II. 4
17. 4
13. I
12. 0
11. 5
2, 536, 502
I, 054, 812
2, 895, 185
45, 54-4, 127
4,917.080
2. 0
2. 6
2. 9
9. 5
4. 5
7,511,083
I, 694,485
1, 116, 356
63, 543, 559
9,051,364
6. 0
4. 3
1. 1
13. 2
8. 3
2. 002, 731
2!4, 400
514. 311
17,978, 771
3,334,063
1.6
0.6
0.5
Connecticut. ----------Delaware___
_______ _
District of Columbia ___ _
Florida ___
____ _
Georgia______
_______ _
105, 6 79, 482
9, 787. 114
35,610,803
112, 768, 705
125,529,041
36, :350, 299
1,332, !HS
5,951.885
40,611,401
52,216,351
34. 4
13.6
16. 7
36. 0
41. 6
13, 446, 4-13
892,911
5, 544, 041
17,286,969
14, 294, 84.5
12. 7
9.1
15. 6
15. 3
11. 4
9,777,662
1,071,309
1, 730, 789
4,501.683
3, 570, 639
9. 3
11. 0
4.9
•I. 0
2.8
15,606,483
2,188,185
6,523,328
7,469,837
12,580,915
14. 8
2,610,560
2.5
18. 3
6. 6
10.0
1, soa, 023
4, 353, 698
2,010,242
-·T.s
Idaho __________ ._. ______ _
Illinois _______________ _
Indiana ______ ._
Iowa ____________ ------- Kansas ______________ - _-
38,092,737
736, 053, 463
200, 684, 701
111, 139. 008
120, 048, 0-56
II, 487, 766
292,416. 782
146,811.545
52. 121. 598
49. 96.5. 432
30. 2
39. 7
50. 5
46. 9
41. 6
3, 803, 067
48, 409, 2ii7
24, 764, 60 l
10. 0
6. 6
8. 5
7. I
9. 030, 416
7. 5
1, 370, 433
102, 183. 789
23, 178, 710
6, 164, 763
14,501,823
3. 6
13. 9
8. 0
5. 6
12, I
3, 565, 859
84,273,912
19. 054, 894
13, 353, 652
6, 563. 558
9. 4
11. 4
6. 6
12. 0
5. 5
840,824
9,110.105
3,125,593
1,662,955
1,626,368
2. 2
1.2
I.I
1. 5
1.4
Kentucky ______________ _
14 7, 118, 550
120, 990, 508
29,557, 078
55,388, 21.\
439, 5(15, fi93
84. 2-33, 724
48, 344, 455
14, 830, 316
21,115,735
104,786,675
57. 3
40. 0
50. 2
38. I
23. 8
19, 279, 289
14, 702. 502
1,581.171
6,633,456
55,752,690
13. I
12. I
5. 3
12. 0
12. 7
2,997,467
17,639, 100
1, 595, 497
4,033, 734
27,529, 194
2. 0
H. 6
5. 4
7. 3
6. 3
9, 133, 194
8. 373, 016
3, 872, 616
8,317, 112
60,512,871
6. 2
6. 9
13. 1
15. 0
13. 8
619,465
698,606
1,376. 59•
608,627
4,055,524
0.4
415, 515, 1;:J7
234. 730, 880
99,076, 757
279,415,922
64,006,300
210. 065. 918
82, 552, 858
46, 178, 162
118, 346. 794
27,537.084
50. 6
35. 2
46. 6
42. 4
42. 8
29, 926, 418
32,957,925
9,149,312
25, 355, 952
5, 251, 527
7. 2
14. 0
9. 2
9. I
8. 2
23 270 698
21: 489: 526
I, 628,218
15, 852, 536
4, 218, 222
5. 6
11. 7
L6
5. 7
6. 6
60,890,854
22,313,618
2, 833. 880
28,461, 488
3. 819, 890
14. 6
9. 5
10. 2
6. 0
3,579,883
3,083,920
1, 790, 158
2,269, 130
961,963
0.9
1.3
1.8
0. 8
97,825, OlU
9, 727, 21-J
30,538, 254
45. 4
32. 2
23. 9
36. 5
32. 0
7, 243, 884
620, 163
1, ·152. 718
42,090, 656
10. •194, 651
7. 4
6. 4
4. 8
r&~t~:m
44,387, 144
3, 135, 214
7. 305, 148
138. 374,659
12,886, 122
6. 2
15. 6
10. 4
12, 6
26. 0
2,168,915
5. 4
12. 080, 891
545,463
6, 966, 668
4•), 58-3, 972
2, 12;, 608
12. 3
5. 6
22. 8
10. 7
5. 3
1,913,344
216,067
862,325
6. 384,570
892,520
2. 0
2 .,
2. 8
I l. I
6, 055, 484
I, 513. 295
3, 180, 272
47,859, 118
New York ___ _
North Carolina _________ _
North Dakota __________ _
Ohio __________________ . __
Oklahoma ______________ _
I, 315, 786. ,536
102,551,561
55,362.358
706. 461. 61 l
164, 540, 170
259,219, 726
3,5, 758,461
23, 264. 520
357,414.877
84. 887, 0:34
19. 7
34. 9
42. 0
50. 6
51. 6
209, 030. 0.50
13. 093. 477
6. 965,352
45, 171, 369
25,633,632
I 6. 0
12. 8
12. fl
213, 737, 186
fl, 823, 949
16, 2
12. 9
6. 4
6. 4
15. 7
7~:4.561,265
~~t: t~Z 1~:2.8~
169, 727, 455
6, 598. 062
3, Oil, 382
74,361,621
9, 101. 201
62,020.917
2,351, 191
402, 113
8,070,239
889, 123
1.1
0.5
Oregon _________________ _
Pennsylvania ___________ _
Rhode Island ___________ _
South Carolina _________ _
South Dakota __________ _
69,315.185
894,919,090
55, 8·19, 723
92,286, 771
62,243,440
29,557.585
517. 823,333
11, 7.5-1, 706
30, 127,067
28. 002, 054
42. 6
57. 9
21. 0
32, 6
45. 0
5, 463, 594
58, 046, 80 l
5,761,825
16, 692, -ll l
5. 313. 322
7. 9
6. 5
10. 3
18. I
8. 5
3, 821, 638
47,376,-143
6, 822, 380
2, 382, 937
I. 995, 104
5. 5
5.3
12. 2
2. 6
3. 2
Tennessee. _____________ _
Texas ____________ . - ---- __
Utah ___________________ _
119, 286. 317
248, 79:3, 19'1
47,182,089
17,425.061
73,010. f,,54
67,255.379
103,686, 740
13. 402, 883
8, 414, 747
22, 809, 282
56. 4
41. 7
28. 4
48. 3
:31. 3
6, 871, 810
25. 038, 073
7, 160, 767
773, 150
6,987.640
5. 8
IO. 1
15, 2
4. -I
9. 6
3, 559, 663
10. 206, 050
1,819, 167
·187, 733
2, 870, ,195
53, 120, wi
85, \Hd, :;24
60. i-53, 8'.Jf>
:m. 1
r,:3_ 0
24_ 1
11,095,081
7,598,821
23, 855, 972
1,472, uoo
8.
5.
0.
8.
TotaL _______ . __ __ $9, .578, 382, 136
Alabama. ______________ _
Arizona _________________ _
Louisiana _______________ _
Maine _________ ---------Maryland ______________ _
Massachusetts __________ _
Michigan ______________ _
Minnesota _____________ _
Mississippi_ ___________ _
Missouri_ ____ __________ _
Montana _______ _______ _
Nebraska ______________ _
Nevada ______ ._
New Hampshire ________ _
New Jersey ____________ _
New Mexico ____________ _
3
~?:~:i~~-- ~ ~:::::
==::: ===
Washington. ___________ _
West Virginia __________ _
Wisconsin___
________ _
Wyoming_ ___________ _
Alaska _________________ _
Hawaii__
______ _
Puerto Rico_
Virgin Islan<ls
_ _____ _
____ _
Un<listribtHt•tl hy state
A_
------ -----A
1-11. 253. 95fl
1:m, :307, 624
252. 176. 8:37
17,293,325
I
20, 7H ,__
II, 109. 958 ,
o, 2:n, o:i2 ·rn. o
5, 67U, 870
7, 891. 458
1
6
5
5
5~:m:m
2. 9
5. 4
10. 5
5. 5
3. 9
1.6
0. 6
4.;
LI
0. 9
Li
Li
2. 2
4. 7
2.3
o. j
II, 304. 492
5, 035, 752
3,531, 477
20. 2
,5. 5
5. 7
~:1
3,386,655
17,633, 149
173,226
2,488,014
865,397
4. 9
2.0
0.3
2. 7
1.4
3. 0
·1. I
3. 9
2. 8
3. 9
3, 577, 127
14,932,290
6, 454, 127
3. 0
6. 0
13_ 7
4,933, 792
2,321,354
1,658,053
253,967
1. 438,073
4.1
0.9
3. 5
I. 5
2.0
13,377,838
l, 807,902
43, 809_. 529
1,311.180
9. I
I. 4
17.1
7. fl
18,690,820
4,625.582
39,395,210
I, 185, 715
15. 6
6.9
5,370,810
2,574,516
2,121,459
335,609
3. 6
1. 9
0.8
2. 0
'173,873
33, 2-13
4. 2
353,141
32,5'11
3. 2
817,312
7. 3
_ _ __ _ __
_ _____ _
40. 8
2,688,388 24. 0
I, 7n: ~~J 1-- ___ '.~=~~'.725 __ '.Lo_ ----_-_-___ 61, 969--1---_3. s_ ----
4,,l21, 117 ________________ __ ___ __
6. 7
22. 4
3. 7
3.0
1.9
~'. ~i~: ~~ l}: ~
12. 7
3. 4
1.8 -------------- ------
_ ___ _
-----------------------------
Includes supply rund and textile account adjustments, and central office projects.
( Concluded on next page)
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129
APPENDIX
TABLE XIY.-AMOUNT OF
\VPA
AND SPONSOR S' FUNDS EXPENDED ON PRO.JE CTS OPERAT ED BY WPA, BY STATE
AND BY M AJOR TYPE OF P ROJECT-Conclude d
CUMULAT IVE TllROU GH JUNE
Professiona l and
Service, Excluding
Sew ing
Sewing
Sanitation
Conservation
30, 1940
M iscellancous .\
State
Amount
1
1
-
TotaL .. . . • . •• •..•........ ....... . . _. $;178, 585,501
Pcrcent
Amoun t
- --
,:_eenrt•
Amount
$191,660,877
2. 0
10. 4
JO. 3
995,638
-26,031
I, 224,401
9,268,234
3,233,492
0.8
(B)
1.2
1. 9
3.0
3,957,956
I , 557, 378
3,217, 705
13,181. 050
12,812,073
3. 7
15. 9
9. 0
11. 7
IO. 2
15,575,6 15
I, 365, 508
9, 647,952
18, 400, 238
18, 208, 774
14. 7
14.0
27. I
16. 3
14. 5
1,202. 730
649,290
825,537
1,11 5,094
3,356,027
6.6
2. 3
1.0
2. 7
1,792,910
30,014, 120
13, 601.939
i , 102. 653
11, 52S, 6 12
4. 7
4. I
4. 7
6. ·1
9. r.
3,216,059
130,158,352
24,867, 701i
12 663380
849: 095
10:
8. 4
17. 8
8. 6
II. 4
0. 0
620,543
4,249,875
.5, 204,882
3,607,338
709,276
6. 8
o. 4
10,018, 120
7, 508, 5i3
2, 132, ou:i
2,981,834
47,654. 02:l
6. 3
7. 2
5. 4
I0.8
15, 034,936
16,951,447
2,544, 71 3
6,597,378
87,809,001
IO. 2
14. 0
8. (j
11. 9
20. 0
2,534,018
1, 284,003
753, 878
3,006, 94 1
24,464,001
6-10, 454
8,747,239
7,435,849
1,7 15,002
0.3
8.8
2. 6
2. 7
14,972,243
16,327, 88i
8, 111 , 191
23,417,682
6,308, Ml
8. 2
8. 3
44, 2'25, 450
33,693,730
18, 529, 853
26, 140,614
6, 783, 598
10. r,
H .4
18. 7
9. 4
JO. G
5,890,570
5,949, i72
366,985
8,366, 955
871,990
0. 4
2,061, 851
269, 463
37, 3.53
4,655, 142
I , 670,844
2. I
13. 2
14. 2
8. 7
16. 0
7. 5
2,01 1, 154
423,072
1,734, 067
6,400.089
703, 780
4. :i
5. 7
1.6
3. 8
5. 5
I.I
2. 5
0. 6
3, 11 2, 130
188, 712
197. .17 1
2,985, 11 9
5,768,930
2.9
I. 9
0. 5
2. 7
4. 6
10, 3IO, 629
20,582. 256
24,427,415
5,856,082
12, 170, 124
27, I
2, 8
8. 4
5.3
IO. I
I, 084, 647
14,655. 00.1
5. 647,411
i l 5, 129
3, 106,352
2. 8
542,959
2,609,063
859, 434
I, 24.3, 880
25,072, 55)
0. 4
2. 2
2. 9
2. 2
5. 7
2,725,378
2,788, 843
9, 8fll)
849, SIS
I, 929, 163
(")
5. 5
4.1
:Hontana ...... . .•• .. •.... ....... ... .... ....
22, Gn. 503
9,721, Hl(i
I, 741 , 759
23, 768.922
6,598. 45:l
Nebraska __ ......•.................••••.• ..
Nevada._. ___ _- - - - -- ------ -------- ----- - --New Hampshire . . .................. . . •.. __
New Jersey ._ ..... . ••.. . .... ..... .... ..... . _
:-.lew ~{cxic<L ____ _---- - - - --- --- ----- -- --- . _
2,426, 213
670, 185
2,169,41 3
Ji, 124. 34li
4,047, 12fl
New York ... --··· · ······· ·-·-·-· ···· ··· · · ·
:'forth Carolina .. .. •........ ... ..•... . . . ...
.~~~~~~==:=====:=:=====:: : : ::::::::I
~~f~~
Oklahoma .. ....• ... •. .......... , ..... .. . . .
6, 763, f,&i
I, 448,525
5, 732. 220
17,070, 5:30
4,864,076
4. 039, 604
5'11,203
378,972
2,862, 716
710,245
Idaho .. ..... .... •.... ...... ........... •••..
Illinois ....... .. .••...••..... .... .. . ••. • .• .•
Indiana ... . .....•• ..•. ... .. ..... ......••. ..
Iowa ._._ ......................... _.... .. .. .
Kansas . •.• .•.••••• • •••.•. ••.••..• .••••••••
::::::::
::: ::::::::: :::...•.•....
~~it;t~~;:::::: :: :•.::.••..
... . .....
,\Iaine . ..........•
~faryland. __ ... . .•..•..................•...
Massachusetts ... .... . . ... •....... . . .. ••...
Michigan .......•.• .... ...•.....•. . .. •.....
:: :::::: :: :::::::::::: ::
m~i:~;i.::::::::
~lissouri . ....... .... .......... .. ...... . .. . .
1. 8
8. 5
10.:l
, l'er•
14. 0
13.1
11. 2
24. 4
13. 9
6,931,363
2,289,434
6,499,452
49,930, 186
II, 262,843
Connectic u t .. . ...•..••... . .. .. ......• . •.•. •
Delaware ... _........... ......... ....•.• .•. .
District of Columbia . . ... ................. .
Florida. __ .. _... . . .• . . ..... ....... ..•...•...
Georgia ...... ..... .... . ........... . . .•. ••. .
Amount
14. 9
$632, 908, 404
4. 9
3.0
2. 3
0. 4
I. 4
1.1
I. 5
2. 2
7. 3
7. 7
Per•
17,541 , 795
5, 202, 778
II, 145,368
116,006, 457
lb, 112, 811
2. I
6,130, 694
I, 185,863
2,283,501
I, 921 , 797
I, 488,045
4 0
1,341, fi73
608,250
2,166,550
34,968,024
8,381, 536
Amount
6. 6 $1,427,018,284
$201,426,069
1
Alabama ... _....•.•••................ . . .• . .
__._
Arizona_-----------. -__------------------------ ______ ____ ______
!r~ansas ___ ____ ___
California._ .. __ ... .. •. . ... ......... .... . . . .
Colorado.-· ......• .. •....... .... ...... . .• . .
Per-
_ n _ t · , - - - - - I cent
-"- - :·- - - - -1-ce_n_t·1- - - - - - 1 -ce
- - -- --
2.0
1.0
U.11
2. 6
I. 9
2. 3
1.6
5.5
5. 8
6. 5
3. 6
7.0
u. 9
6. 8
1. 2
1.6
0. 5
l.i
3. 2
0. 6
1. 7
1.0
2. 6
5. 4
5. 6
I. 4
2. 5
3.0
1.4
0. I
I. 2
4. J
6,695, 967
956, 336
4,171,869
21 ,502, 503
2,225,899
9. 8
13. 7
5. 7
5. 5
12,019,087
1,377, 9r,3
2,048,521
60, 620, 19-1
3,002, 657
2.0
7. 2
4.1
0. 9
4.0
38,317,4 14
II , 817,968
3,583,908
39,377, 02G
10,415, 721
2. 9
11. 5
6. 5
5. lj
6. 3
281,052, 40.i
lfi, 244,5 14
6, 993, 424
77, 900,678
15, 973, 250
21. 4
15. 8
12. ti
J I. 0
9. 7
48, 508, 2·10
:u,
26,508,596
7,363, 184
2, 250,321;
6,083, 71;2
6,658, 629
Oregon .. . . -····•··· · ···················· - ·
Pen nsylvania ._.- - ----------------- - - - - __ __
Rhode I sla nd _.. __.. . ....... .. ...... ... . .. _
South Cnrolina ········-····· ·- -·-····· -···
South Dakota . . _.. •.•.. ..............• •. •..
4, 84.5,056
7. 0
24, 671, 579
2. 7
4. 511, 127 · 8. I
892, 769
1.0
7,343,488 11. 8
I, 251,960
J l , lj()5, ,51:J
2,280, .1;o
8. 084, 212
J, 697,647
1. 8
I. :l
5, 455, 3lti
70,017,7 15
5. 000, 348
8, 017,604
4,001,978
7. 9
7. 8
10. 6
8. 0
8, 317, 66,f
89,517, 81~
5, 621, 3411
16, 889, ,54(1
7,879, 086
12. 0
-I .I
10. J
18. 3
12. 7
2,286, 197
2,833,577
1,71 0,703
1,670,165
653,887
3. 3
0. 3
3.1
1.X
1.0
Tennessee ...... . •.. .•. .. ....... . . . .•..• ....
Texas .... - . -.....•. •·· ·- .. ...... . •··· .•. • ..
Utah .... ..... ...•.• •... .......... ..... . .•..
Vermont. __ ....... • .• . .....................
Virginia __ . ---------------------------- -- --
I, 533, 62J
11, 369, .527
3,075, 128
I, 013. :382
567,837
13,034,282
I. 3
,1. 6
7, 5:lO, 007
2,328, 6:!8
8. 4
.s. 8 -----·-··· •·
4,749,898
0. 8
5,631 ,099
37,804,524
2,505,839
J, 284, 31a
7,838,41 5
4. 7
15. 2
5. 3
7. 4
10. 7
11, 660, 720
35,047, 480
G, 3'14, 510
2,81 5,565
17, 153, 35-1
14, I
13. 5
16. 2
23. 5
1,228,822
856, 18U
1,532, 977
321,938
2, !)72, 180
1.0
0. 3
Washington . .....•.. ... ... ......•....•••• . .
13, 432, 501
I, lfi6, 325
21, 122, 729
I, 275,392
9. J
0.9
8. 4
7. ·I
9,680,087
8,444,535
9, 113, 164
6. 6
6. 2
3. 6
11. 3
18, 487,845
12, 139,974
38, 11 8, ,';59
2, 455, 02,1
12. 6
8.0
15. I
14. 2
2. 075, 903
I, •108, 118
12,1 80,433
495,965
~~ r:~~!r~ ini~ : :::: : :: : : : :: : : : :: :::::::: :: : :
\\ryo rning ... ... ---·-· ------ - ------- ----- ---
2. 5
6. 9
i. l
2. 9
10. 0
0. 5
I. 4
10. 4
2. 4
i
1,021, IY3
IO, 533, 227
J, G99, 947
571 ,3(i5
2. 8
8. 7
2. 7
10. U
:l. O
4. 9
6. 5
0. 7
7. 7
0.'
3. 3
l , 957, 137
8. 7
Alaska_ -•--·· -··· · • •·· ····•·············· -·-· •• 3. I
344,934
_ ..... . .................... •••..
Hawaii.
. ------ ---- --- - - - - - - (B)
35
IG4, 592
0. 4
6,705
9. a
Pu~rto Rico _ . ... . . . .................•.•• ..
\ 'irgin Islands .--- ················· ·· ···· ··-·- ·-·-·-· -··· ... . . ... ....... ... .. . • .... ······-·--· -- · · ·--- ·
20, H3
042, l!lti
174,025
19, 240
Undistributed by state c . ....... •.. ...• ••. . .... _. _. _..... , _............. _. _....•.............. . . __ _. _. _.
5,490,235
10.0
9. 8
I, 052, 230
254,013
8,080,483
1, 556, 227
2.1
2. 0
3. 7
1.0
0. 5
I. 2
0.0
3. 2
1.8
4. 1
I. 4
1.0
4. 8
2. 8
• Includes adjustment of Federa l expendi t ures to total reported by the Treasury Department; sponsors' expenditures for land land leases ease•
'
me ats, and ri~htS-Of•way, !or which the distribution by type of project is not avoilo bk; and projects not included under t be major types,
D Less than 0.05 percent.
c Includes s up ply fund and textile account adjustments, and central office projects
Source; WP A state office repor ts.
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130
REPORT ON PROGRESS OF THE WPA PROGRAM
TABLE XV.-AMOUNT OF WPA AND SPONSORS' FUNDS EXPENDED ON PROJECTS OPERATED BY WPA, BY STATE
AND BY MAJOR TYPE OF PROJECT
YEAR ENDING JUNE 30, 1940
Highways, Roads,
ancl Slreets
I
Public Buildi ngs
I
Total
State
Amount
PPr-
cent
Amount
Pncent
Recreational Facil• I
ities, Ex~luding ,
:
Buildmgs
I
Amount
i Per·
cent
1
Sewer Systems
and Other
Utilities
Amount
Airports and
Airways
Per•
cent
Per·
C!'nl.
Amount
! $i91 , 863, 20i ! 41. 6
$183,447,897
9. 6
$119. 339, 023
6. 3
$199, 838, 640
21,539, 539
4. 780. 006
19,293.798
16,340,682
7,092, 079
01. I
61.3
67. 0
Ii. 5
35. 6
3,309,820
1,152,356
2, 918.718
13, 611,051
2,566, 702
9. 4
14. 8
10.1
14. 6
11.9
43i. 696
42, 496
464. 415
7,176,324
866,427
I. 2
0.5
I. 6
7. 7
4. 0
I, 101,784
,536, 192
268, 614
8, 968, 495
2,341,465
106,585
3.3
0. 3
6. 9 ----· ------- -----0. 9
0.3
00. 656
3,662,501
9.6
3. 9
I, 198, 187
10.8
5. 5
20,685,309
2, 242, 426
8,906,381
29,646,068
33, 259, 720
7,046,911
463,231
906,409
12,421,021
18,539,386
34. I
20. 7
10. 2
41. 9
55. 7
2,033, 673
317,011
1,123,128
4,051, 190
2,913,549
14. 2
14.1
12. 6
13. 7
8.8
1,721,640
134, 769
206,288
878,923
759,414
8.3
6.0
2. 3
3. 0
2. 3
3,189,129
454, 674
I, 580,232
I, 338,229
1,760,592
15. 4
380,906
1.8
20. 3 ----- - ------ -----956,939
17. 7
10. 7
4, 5
831, 3ii
2. s
150,637
5.3
o. 5
9, 4i3, 356
154, Oi9, 063
55,087,544
24, 043, 211
21, 723, ;93
I
3,386,991
62, 189, 244
30,603,630
12,291. 795
9,894,535
35. 8
40. 3
55. 6
49. 3
45. 5 I
1,000,005
8, 777, 130
3. 971. 415
I, 826,511
I, 795, 072
10. 6
5. 7
7. 2
7. 3
8. 3
302,045
14, 124, 513
2,521.316
780, 20i
3,295,382
3. 2
9. 1
4. 6
3.1
15. 2
912,350
19,464,394
4,766,954
2,775,554
I, 545,273
9.6
12. 0
8. 7
II.I
7.1
153, 701
859,613
125,431
Sil. 971
541. 002
fi~ls~i~r.·.:::::::::::::::::
Maine . ..... . . . . ... . ... .. .. ..
19,228. i30
10,898,881
3, 684.060
5. 080, 550
21,018,390
59. 3 '
42. 5
4,162,968
2,324,905
601,988
1,066,625
10, 410, 994
12.8
0.1
9.3
9. 2
12.0
430,489
3,036,381
261. 328
408, 190
5, 439, 798
1. 3
Maryland ... .. . ........... ..
Massacbusetts .............. .
32, 432, 690 '
25, 638. 521 I
6,450,948
11,502, 127
86, 587, 781
11.8
4. I
3. 5
6. 3
2,340,063
1, 780, 147
749. 490
I, 247,287
14,721,503
7. 2
6. 9
11.6
L0.8
17. 0
(A)
12.693
304,240 i 1. 2
59,048
0.9
294,519 i 2.5
5:14. 953 , o.~
Micbigan . .... .............. .
Minnesota .... ......... .. ... .
Mississippi. . . . ............ ..
Missouri. . .. ............... .
Montana . .. ................ .
86, 730,838
40, 434. 520
27. 943, 640
62,026,873
12,934, 030
45,182.268
15,935,578
15,078,364
29,833,818
5,840, 785
52. I
34. 3
47. 4
45. 2
4,386, 160
5,301 , 542
I, 733,843
5,300,445
1,133,285
5. l
II. 4
6. 2
8. 4
8. 8
3,973,903
5,080. 754
331. 146
3,360.842
470,896
4.6
10. 9
I. 2
5. 3
3. 7
II, 575, 766
ti, 397, 170
831,297
7,992,609
661. 834
13. 3
13. 8
3. 0
12. 7
5. I
439.186 l
770,318 j
6.5, 210 ,
171, 581 I
Nebraska . .. .......... ...... .
Nevada . .. ______ ---- -------- New Hampsbire .... ........ .
New Jersey ... ...... ....... .
New Mexico . .. ............ .
23, 296, I08
], 849,803
0, 007, O\l5
72,003,980
10, 515, 835
II, 208,468
607, 203
I, 297, 711
29,900, 789
3,306,931
48, I
36. I
21. 3
41. 0
31. 5
2,141,845
102,853
306,589
6,549,368
2,925,851
9. 2
8. 8
5. 0
9. 0
27. 8
055, 041
189,569
565,006
6,682,274
376,288
4.1
10. 2
9. 3
9. 2
3. 6
2,731,442
221,979
I, 617,305
6, !l05, 384
745,648
11. 7
12. 0
26. 5
9. 5
7. I
113,623
1,790
480
441,080
88. 509
New York .... .............. .
North Carolina . ............ .
:'lortb Dakota .. ............ .
Ohio . . .. . . ... . . ............ .
Oklahoma .. . .......... ..
181,509, 724
32, 148, 188
10,588,559
131, 856, 332
31,321, 478
40,863,830
15,160.071
5,089.229
68,100.651
16,268,935
22.
47.
48.
5 1.
51.
5
2
I
6
9
26,005,672
4,103,221
1,430,823
4,352, 95(1
5,003,282
14. 8
17,127,047
12. 8
13. 5
3. 3
16.0
I, 704. 939
431. 195
II, 917,053
699, 682
9. 5
5. 3
4. I
9. 0
2. 2
28, 186, 131
2,064,451
592, 797
12,740,942
1,104, 517
15.
6.
5.
0.
3.
5
4
6
16. 423. 849
423,032
156. 284
I. 198. 890
175. 246
Oregon . . .. ... .. ............ · I
Pennsylvania . .
Rbodc Island ......... . . . 1
South Caroli nu . ...... .
South Dakota ........ .
14,525, 855
137, 509, 394
12, 416, 060
28, 318,977
11 , 696,140
6, i61 , 430
68,554.905
2,368.300
11,866,420
5,112,295
40. 6
49. 8
19.1
41. 9
43. 7
I, 647,892
10, 649,211
677,271
5,044,816
1, 272. 707
II. 3
7. 7
5. 5
17. 8
10. 9
789, 580
6, 772, 116
1,258, 538
588,807
328,331
5. 4
4. 9
10. I
2. I
2. 8
I, 351,984
lO, 640,419
4,174,250
2,784,614
917,029
2'20. 660
7. 7
573. i90
33. 6 -· - --------361,402
9. 8
136. 469
i. 8
Tennessee __________ ___ _
T exas . .. . ................. . .
Utah ... ......... .
Vermont. ... . ...... •.. . . .
Virginia . ..............•... . .
30, 108, 293
66,826,021
JO, 730, 751
3,651. 120
17,100.564
19. 253,353
20,529.839
3,827,902
1,710,395
7,064, 760
63. 8
44. 2
35. 6
46. 9
41. I
1,200.999
8,237, 286
1,663, 275
154. 432
1. 711,505
•I. 2
12. 3
15. 5
4. 2
9. 9
739, 142
I, 807,922
236. 775
50,831
442,280
2. 5
2. i
2. 2
2. 6
I, 173,380
4,227, 542
1,658,314
486,638
1,384,587
3. 9
6. 3
15. 4
13. 3
8. 0
206, 136
334. 037
86,809
19,024
258. 238
0. i
0. 5
0.8
0. 5
I. 5
Washington . .. .. ........... .
29,604, Oil
28,684,661
51,084,601
:l, 205, 701
9, 124, 5il
18. 131, 50g
13, i40, i50
l, 391,663
30. 8
63. 2
26. 9
42. 6
2,006, 769
I. 524,912
3,817,380
323, 626
6. 8
5. 3
7. 5
9. 9
I, 890,069
352,076
6,748,018
115,026
6. 4
I. 2
13. 2
3. 5
5,272,420
770.519
8,334.261
292,630
17. 8
2. i
10. 3
9, 0
I, 912. 452
901. 259
402,223
0, 305
6. 5
3. 2
0.8
0. 3
I, 961,630
1, 70i, 064
15, 234
823,970
1, 253, 725
42. 0
71. 0
004, 501
61. 960
40. I
3. 5
----·
14,832
33,243
0.8
1.9
56, 720
32,54 1
·----· -·-·-
2. 9
1.8
62,857
3. 2
------
TotaL
Alabama.. ..
$1. 002, 040, ;71
[
:::::::::::::::: ·
1~~i~s:~
California . . .............. .
Colorado . ... . . . .
35, 2i6, 851
7,803, 673
28,810, 241
93,238, 1)36
21, 632,383
Connecticut .. . . . ......... .
Delaware ....... . ........... .
District of Columbia ....... .
Florida.... . . . . ......... .
Georgia ..... . . . ....... ...... .
Idaho . . ....... . ............. .
Illinois ..... . ............... .
Indiana ... . .... . ............ .
Iowa .. ..................... .
Kansas . ... ................. .
1
~~;r:Jo~!ftnla : :: :::::::::: : :
Wyoming . . .. . ............ . .
Hnwaii. .. __ _____________ ___
PuNt0 Rico ... . . ··········
Virgin Islands .. .
Undistributed by state a.
I
i
I
3. 059. 142
1. . . . . . . . . .
J. ..
,j/. 1
43. 8
24.3
54. 0
- . - --
1. 7
I
i
5
2.0
I
I. 6
0.5
0. 2
3. 5
2. 5
i
200.m
9. 3
----------
I
0.5
l. 7
0. 2
0. 3
I. 6
0.5
0.1
(A)
I
0. 6
0.8
9.1
I. 3
1.5
0.9
0. 6
1.5
0.4
-----
I. 3
I. 2
------- --··
----- - ·-- - ... ····•· i ----- -------- -- ---- ------------ -----...
I
i
10. 5 $37,279,450
-' Less than 0.05 perc('llt.
B Includes supply fund and textile account adjustmen ts, and ccnlrnl office proje.cts.
(Concluded on nc,1 page)
Digitized by
Google
- -----------
131
APPENDIX
TABLE XV.-AMOUNT OF WPA A::-.l'D SPONSORS' FUNDS EXPENDED ON PROJECTS OPERATED BY WPA, BY STATE
AND BY MAJOR TYPE OF PROJECT-Concluded
YEAR ENDING JUNE 30, 1940
Conservation
Sanitation
Professional and Service,!
Excluding Sewing
Sewing
State
Amount
I
TotaL _______________ -,I $64,818,819
Percent
i
Amount
I Percent
I Percent
Amount
Amount
I Percent
I
Miscellaneous
Amount
I
'
Percent
3_ 4
$29, 788, 136
1-6
$118, 135, 663
6. 2
$332,047, 338 i
17. 5
$25, 490, 698
L3
L9
0. 6
0. 5
II. 3
2. 9
I, 476,977
198,041
162,:!40
196,751
324, 129
4. 2
2. 5
0. 6
o_ 2
L5
1,080,905
173,055
I, 628,367
9,183,581
l, 670,431
3.1
2. 2
5. 7
9_9
7_ 7
4,947,095
I, 018, 166
3,657,952
21,109,566
3,535,662
14. 0
13. 0
12. 7
22. 6
10. 4
541,931
-140, 130
166,835
2,503,459
801,061
L5
-LS
0. 6
2. 7
3. i
4.
3.
2.
I.
0.
4 I
7
l
9
5
442, 741
26, 719
86,066
63,5, 679
l, 206, 161
2.1
1. 2
1.0
2. 2
3. 6
633,542
290,555
449,820
3,004,040
2,315, 790
3.1
12. 9
5.0
10. 1
7. ()
3,381,634
280,389
3,282,202
5,852, 791
5,004, 501
10, 3
12_ 5
36. 9
19, 7
15, 0
53,478
193,019
129,373
63,854
444,050
0, 3
8. 6
l. 5
0. 2
1. 3
2,526, 9:lO
1,954,927
3, 149,439
915, 768
543,996
26. i I'
1. 3 I
5. i
3.; I
2. s I
152,083
l, 716,033
644, 718
55,069
353,869
L6
I.I
1. 2
0. 2
1.6
285,252
7,669,683
2,703,439
1,436,285
l, 479, 774
3.0
4. 9
4. 9
5_ 8
6. 8
674, 734
37,786,092
6,905, 113
3,521,656
2,232,453
7. 1
24. 4
12. 5
14.1
10. 3
78,365
136,534
-303, 911
468,455
42,377
0. 8
0.1
-0.6
L9
0. 2
,='i0,074
520,504
45,830
611,428
6,618, 140
0. 2
2. l
0. 7
5. 3
7. 7
257, 116
533, 156
0.8
2.1
172,832
72, 498
1. 5
0.1
l, 799, 708
1,554, 780
450, 107
476, 718
5,314, •142
5. 6
6. l
7. 0
4.1
6. I
4,238, 769
4, 159, 740
538, 745
l, 443, 728
18,619,478
13. 1
16. 2
8. 4
12. 5
21. 5
-87, 920
516, 772
00, 352
790,250
3,838,489
-0.3
2,0
0. 9
6. 8
4. 4
'.\Iichigan ____________________
~Iinnesota ___________ ---- - - - '.\Iississippi__ __________ - _-- - -Missouri__ __
------------
2,310, 182
I. 775, i65
501,030
3,499,358
1,131,194
2. 6
3. 8
1.8
5. 6
8. 8
2,660,299
82,484
233,726
0. 5
0.1
1.8
4,394,000
2,955,934
1,576,258
3,305, 733
1,318,27:l
5. l
6. 4
5. 6
5. :l
10. 2
13,540, 180
7, 742, 741
5,083, 571
8,007,305
1, 911, 674
15. 6
16. 7
18. 2
12. 7
14. 8
920,133
474, 718
82,622
1,366,698
31,680
1.1
1.0
0, 3
2. 2
Nebraska __________________ __
Xevada __
-----------------
l. 7
0.8
14. 2
2. 2
11. 4
420, 129
78,444
1.8
4. 2
I. 280,649
189,536
New Mexico __________ _______
308,808
14. 547
863,201
l, 593,957
l, 199, 718
871,287
256,635
l. 2
2. 4
3,812,440
522, 98i
5. ,5
10. 2
13, 9
5. 2
5. 0
3,629, 720
304, 602
470,516
15, 114,090
871,382
15. 6
16. 5
7. 7
20. 7
8. 3
410,293
19,370
129, 211
1,033,311
221,886
1.8
l.l
2.1
l. 4
2.1
New York ___________________
~forth Carolina _____ ________ __
:-forth Dakota _______________ _
Ohio ________________________
Oklahoma ___________________
790,528
335, 195
594,371
I, 202, 794
266, 571
0. 4
1.0
5_ 6
o_ g
0. 9
1,942,918
l, 348,573
376,370
206,200
606,554
1. 1
4. 2
3. 6
0. 2
l. 9
6, 590, 559
l, 936, 418
520,922
8,788,380
2,212,005
3. G
6. 0
4. 9
6. 7
7. l
40,131,980
22. l
15. 9
12. I
17. 3
16. 4
2,547,201
-45, 684
110, 953
556, 878
-166, 007
l. 4
-0. !
1,285,615
22,784,988
5,149,793
0. 4
-0.5
Oregon _________________ ---- -Pennsylvania ___ ----------Rhode Is-land ___ -----------South Carolina _______________
South Dakota ________ ______ __
554,534
2,965,205
480,244
110,903
887, 144
3. 8
2. 2
3. 9
0. 4
7. 6
198,087
1,697,049
376,439
l, 421, 377
394,972
I. 4
I. 2
3. 0
5. 0
3. 4
667, 172
14,220,361
l, 252, 523
l, 468, .446
732, 159
4. 6
10. :l
10. I
5. 2
6. 3
I, 887,699
21,401, 776
1,521,214
4,519,518
1,865,318
13. 0
15. 6
12. 3
16.0
15. 0
446,817
218, 562
301,890
152,668
49, 725
3. l
0. 2
2. 4
0. 5
0. 4
Tennessee ________ -----Texas ________________ -- -- -t:tah ___ ------------------- · --
l. 5
3,191,809
I, 036, 245
224, 716
10. 6
1. 6
2. 1
o. o I
423,824
2. 5
458,200
8,836,376
503,869
230,815
1,506,201
l. 5
13. 2
Vermont ___________________ ._
Virginia ____ ----------------
447, 794
2,874, 285
804, 66:l
237,810
153. 566
6. 3
8. 8
3,599,386
9,897, 150
l, 488, 730
718,294
3,936,804
11. 9
14. 8
13. 9
19. 7
22. 9
-161, 907
45,330
241,698
33,890
317, 709
-0.6
0.1
2. 3
o_ 9
1.8
Washington. _______________ . West Virginia ________________
,visconsin. _
----------Wyoming_ ------- - ----------
3, 702, 270
196,492
3,035,323
120.140
12. 5
0. 7 i
7. 7
3. 9
121,805
2,286, 700
328, 76'1
124, 164
0. 4
8. 0
0. 6
3. 8
l, 71J, 317
642,910
.5.8
2. 2
3.4
9. 8
3,914,681
3,648,510
10, 185, 154
527,651
13, 2
12. 7
19. 9
16, 2
-61, 352
220, 768
1,866, 786
31,512
-0.2
0. 8
3. 7
1.0
98,901
174,025
15,234
5. 0
9. 8
100. 0
-151
40, I:l9
202,412
5. 1
3, 7,56, 730
Alabama ___________________
Arizona _____________________
674,519
43,491
158. 546
10,485,326
636,240
-~rkansas ___________________
California __________________
Colorado ____
----------Connecticut ____
Delaware __________________
District of Columbia _____
Florida ___________________
901, i15
82,059
185,825
569,864
165,631
I
I
Georgia ________________
Idaho ____________________
Illinois __________________
Indiana __________________
Iowa ______________________
Kansas _____________ . ____ ._
Ei~~Y:~r::::::::::::::_
~Iaine ____
----------------
:\iaryland ______________ ___
Massachusetts __________ ___
;Montana ___ ----·------------
Xew Hampshire _____________
New Jersey _________________ -
Hawaii_ _____ ---------------Puerto Rico_ ---------------Virgin Islands
---------- -----
Undistributed by state c _____
6,795
-------· -
I
I
1-I
-l. 3
7. ,5
6. 5
I
--------
-----
846,977
-- ~~ 4:i::::-'.~4;
--1---------
592 _
4. 7
1,m:mi
-----9. 3
-------
(B)
35
I
·i----- -
I-
5,117,072
(B)
1.11
(B)
2. 3
94. 9
-' Includes adjustment of Federal expenditures to total reported by the Treasury Department; sponsors' expenditures for land, land leases, easements, and rights-of-way, for which the distribution by type of project is not available; and projects not included under tile major types.
B Less than 0.05 percent.
c Includes supply fund and textile account adjustments, and central office projects.
Source: WP A state office reports,
Digitized by
Google
TABLE
XV !.-
..-
WPA
PHY S ICAL AccOMPLISHMEN'l'S AND PUBLIC PARTICIPATION ON PROJECTS OPEKA'l'El) 11 y
C;J
1:-..?
Cu>rnl.ATIVE TII ROUGH DECEMBER .JI, 1939
Number
Unit or
Item
Mensuremen t
Ui ~hwnys, roads, streets, and related facil ities:
Hh!IH\""flys. roads. Rn<l strcC'ts- to ta l
Miles . .. .. . . . .
H 11ml rnnds- tot.aJ _
-I
H ieh 1.r pr surfnce-tor.nl
:\° rw const ructio n ......... . __ _
H(•construction or impro,·cm<'D1 .
Urha 11 :- trrc·t~-tot.nl.
1=
412,204
:Ill. 002
~files ..
.\1ilcs . - ..... .
:llilcs . . .. .
1.1, 198
13. 501
~83, 142
Miles ..
. ..... .
:20, .li6
. . . .. _ MU~ .
It, 583
Mi~ .
Mil~ .
R,09:1
2ft. 71\5
Rrconslrurtion or impronm1co t .
Low t-n1r surface' nnrl unsurrnrrd
Other roarls (in parks, ctc.)- lot.al
Miks
----
~lik·s
1. liO~
Miko
Miks
M~
U13
co
;::;;
;;::;·
CD
0.
~
CJ
0
a
~
(v
Wood ....
~tcrl.
_\l asonry .
li95
5. 005
,
I
CuiYerls __ __
Hoa,1:-:.ich- 1lrninag(' rlitch am l pipe- total .
IJitch
Pipe
Sidewalks and paths-total.
Paved ..... .
U npaved .
Curbs ....... .
_. .
. . .. . .
Gutters .
Ounrdrnlls nnrl guar<lwalls
Road and street lighting _
Si, 200
I, 824, 263
1 - -- - 12, 500
I , 276,854
Numb<'r _____ ___
1,180
· - •{ Linra r feet. .....
23i, 007
10, 214
);umber . - · · ···
Number .... .
{Li near feet .- ... .
{ Linear feet. . ...
:--iumher .
{ l ,inr>ar fprt
:.Vfilcs
~1ilcs _
Miles .
37,511
I, 5114, 3Y I
;
I
:
.
I
2 1, oaa
672. IOI
12, 25s
773. 330
3,6 13
309, ·l l 2 '
"18, 954
6ii. 330
18,218. 300
·13.
I
~8!1 .,
I
------:W.681
2, iO~
83, 783
2. 10\l. 223
08. 687
Number. .·-----···
Auditoriums . ..... . .
Gymnusiums.
Other
.
Hospitals
Penal ins titutions .
Firehouses ..
Garages . ... . .
Stora~e __ __ . _
Armorie~ __
--
Mlles .. . .. .... .
Miles .
12, 71i
2,686
4,140
Miles . . .. . .. . . .
. ... . . . .
14, 532
2,730
4, JOO
685
I, 500
1. 727 ,
860
20, 757 :
632
58,120
I, 417
(Oontlaue<l on next pnge)
~ · -··· ········
133
23. 195
2,848
03, 131
I, .11S
28,562
t:i:1
27,801
Number ..
f,,
504
396
4, 28fi
0
Number · ··· ·• ·· ---· · ···
Number ...
Number ····- ···· .. ··
31;
850
5,328
94
101
141
308
507
3,411
"t:I
Number
Number. .. .. . ...... .
Number -- · · · · - ····- · · ·
Numbe<r.
Number · ···- · · ····--·· ·
Number .
Number
Number.
{Number .
.. ---···• ··· · ·
Arca in acres ..
Number . . . .
Number. . . .
{Number . ...... -........ . .
· · · · · · · · • · · · · Square reet or surface .... . .
g
{Number . .. .. - ........ ... .
Watling pools
· · · · · · · · · · · · · · · - Square foot of surface .. ... .
{Number • . -. •--·· · ·-·· .. . .
Jee.ska ting ar•••
Square feet of surface . .. . .
Ski trails .. ... ... . ... . • . ... - .. Miles .. . ... ... ·-·· · · ·· ····
Skljumps .. . .. . . ......... . . .. Number . _ ... . ...... . . .. .
Bandshells . . -· . . ... . . . .. . . . . . Number ... .
Outrloor the>ltres .. .... _. .... . Number ... .
Number . . . ..... ... . ... . .
Golf courses. . .... . .... .... . . {Number of boles ... .... .. .
Aref\ m acres ___ _____ ____..
5, 711
I·-..:::. :::T ··-·- ao:I, 21s
5:i
I , 49,i
~2.1
Swim min 1>ools
i
1, OOi
Number ..
Number .. ---··-···· . . ...
Athl e t .ic fl eId 5 - - - - ------- - -- Handball courts . .... .. . . .. ..
llorseshoe court.s ... .. . ... ....
provPment
Numher __
{~~:Y:;rci,p,1cii.;;.·:: ~·-·::.
School.
Other .
4,n:,
IRcconstruc·
tion or im·
:-l'umber ..
Other . . . . . . . . . .
---- -----·-- -Number
Out.door recreational facilities:
Stadiums, grandstands, nntl
bleachers.
ro,leo {r~~?irac,res . . . ... . ... .
and
Fairgrounds
grounds.
Number ...
Parks .
{ Area in acres _____ ____ ___ __
Pla)·grounds- total
043, 000
.
.-l.dd1·
tlons _
-4, 115- 108-
Tennis rourts _ ______ ______ ___ Number __ . _____ . _____ ___ _
15,403
: ~~1:bcr oi°llght
standards . ..
· I{Miles or road ..
Number. ... . .
Miles ofline ... .
M ilcs or rood .
Miles .. ....... .
68. 002
Miles .. .... - .. .
··1Miles
Recreational- total
Ofllces anU nthnini strnth·c
---I -- - Reconstruction
New
:
~constructio n o~i1:1~~oYement
0
Libraries .
Schools ..
; _.'>7:i
:--.;ew c·onstruction . .
Ht.•co nstrurtion or irnpron•mcnt
Low typr surrncr• Rn<l unsurrarrd
.\'umber .. . .
( Linear feet.
I· ~ew con·
.1.-~~uctio~ I-
Educational-total. ... ... I Number ..
:= == = = == = = =
H icil type surface-total
Brldgl's and viaducts-total_
Unit or
Measurement
,10, 341
:1-rnes .... -- · · ·
1-1 h!h 1~-1,r :--nrfncP- t.otal
Highways, roods, streets, and
related fadlitles-Continued .
Traffic signs erected ... ...... .
Trnffic·control line painted .. .
Roadside landscaping .... ... . .
Car and railroad track removal.
Public buildings, excluding utility
plants and buildings a t airports:
Public buildin~s-totnl.. . ... .
470. 118
~l1lcs .. .. . . . . .
L ow t riw surrar<' nn<l um:nrrncr<l . .
'.'\l•\\" co 11struc1.ion .
~lilcs . .. . .. . . .
Item
Number
-
- --
- --- - - -
;01
=
==
t_,,j
"t:I
0
:x,
...,
z
~
0
0
216
7,040
30
329
3,402
1,482
450
I, 9IO
I, 306
2,077
344
19,312
1,f.12
2,700, 000
79
218, 000
5
40
123
2, 38i
584
2,485, 000
235
lO, 886
5,375
346,992
~
:x,
I, 043
132
193
12;
200
I, 739
I, 479
22
37
2, 152
I. 300
5U, 552
- 2, 332
- -
I)(\
52
129
83
:x,
t_,,j
(f)
(f)
0
'::j
8
~
t_,,j
~
"t:I
8•1
i,880
I, 403
929
73
0,805
I, 075
0
2. 196
13,903
37
135
2,016
12,188
100
144
2,546
2&1
~
- -
I, 3;.1
I. iD5
II
-- -- ----·
- - . - . ---..
7, ,98 -·· ···· --630 --- ----- -·
7,512,000
1140 ----·-·- -2,270,000 ···-··· ··I, 047 ---- ---- -43,639, 000 · · · · ·----298 -- -- ·--- --
------ --·-
5B
162
1m
204
.. -~. - - - - -•-• "' ------ --- ---· ·
-- -- ------
2,280 ···· · ····-
14, 744 . . ... . . •.
4,63'.J, OOO
02
219,000
74
15,430,000
52
12
06
23
2U8
3,916
28, !<32
0
~
>
TABLE XVJ.-PHYSICAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND PUBLIC PARTICIPATION ON PROJECTS OI•ERA'I'El> BY
WPA--Cu11t,i11ued
CUMULATIVE THROUGH DECEMBER 31, 19:19
Number
Number
Unit of Measurement
Item
Public utilities nod sanitation:
utility plants~totaL _
Number_
Xumher________ _ _
{ Capacity in kilowatts
~:lectric power plants __
)lumber ____ . _
. __ _
{ Capacity in tons per day
Incinerator plants_
_
Pumping stalions_
Number _
\Yakrw(•ll:,;_
{~~:~i1.~.- iD gallons _____ _
Qt 0 rage dams
{Xumber - - - -
Storm and sanitary scw1.."rs
Seweragr sr-rdc" connection~-
'.\Ianholes and catch basins_
Sanitary prides_
___
Abandoned mine sealin~- __
Xumber
?\'"umber ___ _
Op,,nin~s seale<l
PolicC', fin:i-alarm, and traffic
signal systems _____ _
Electric powrr linrs
Gas, oil. and steam pipe linC's
Conservation, flood and erosion
control. and irrip:ation:
Fish hatchrrics.
~
C;
0
a
~
(v
~
J\Iiles_
'.\li'es of line
'.\1iles __ _
Miles ___ _
_
capacity in flngpr{ Annual
lings _____ _
Firebreaks ________
J\Iiles ___ _
Fire and rorest trails __________ Miles __ _
.
{Acres __ _
r t 8 I ton---------------R cores
Trees plantrd
Planting oysters ___ ________ _ Bushels plan I NI
Le,·res and Pmhankments ___ _ Miles_
Miles __
JctliC's nnd breakwaters_
Ilulkheads ___________ _
Miles __
Retaining walls and revetMiles _____ _
ments __
Riprap___
______________ _
Square yards_
Riverbank and shore ImMiles _____ _
provement. ________ _
Miles __ _
Streamhrd improvrmc•nt
Conservation, flood. and erosion rontrol dams ________ _
Xnmhf•r
I, S21i
73:J. Olfl
\.5, 4UIJ
:lS,I, 000
,175, 1)4!1
:l, 113
:H. 000
2/S. 353
2H, !XIII
46S, 74S
Gal!ons sprayed
Number__
1,-175,05:1,0IJU
173, 000
1,847,000
J:J, 11,IU
2, IJ!ll. OlMI
I. 820,000
18,106
2, (\72
I. 588
I, 12,\
1,862
438
865
911
94
i6
1:11
64:l, Xl7, 11011 l\l:l,1124,0IXI
1. 742
:1, XIY
57!i, 37,""i, (K)O
:'iSH
I, 171
1:t~..""i~J2
157
lfil, Jnl, Ollll
.l,Xl4,00tl I
412 :
.17 I
114 ; _
I, 252
11,790,000
:I
Airport and airway facilities: A
Facilities at airports and
landing areflS:
Number_ __ _
Landini:: fields _____ _
{ Area in acres __
Linear rcet_ __ _
Runways_
~\o1i7
2
39
110
I, 701,000
712
235,000
2,902,000
76:l
3,760
19i
2:J, 454
1,071,414
50
2, X4,\
Numher __
,Ji'S
H,')
Administratiw and
terminal__ ___________ l l'.umber__
Hangars__
_____ _ _ Number __
Other______ _ __
_ Number_
74
168
230
41
Airport buildings- lotaL
317
49,893
llt)53, 212
1.0'11
(l()
14
to
260
i71
-
Seaplane ramps and landing platforms __________ _ Numher
___ _
Landing areas 0oodlighl- Number of areas __
{
Number
or
light
standards_
ed.
Airway facilities:
Airway markers
Airwa), beacons __
:rvriscellanrnus construction:
Number_
Number_
25
2
69
17
I, 915
191
10,493
fli
2,870
15
Number ___ _
Ii
226
li2
077
nu
1vlonunwnts and
hi~toric
markers~ _______ ~---
805
12~
ltl, 11!\9, 000
~. 11711
1:1.:irn
lti, 645
596
211, 63i
fl,58
'27,\ oos
7S
;,l,551
20
2,586
!\, (i4i
Numher_
Vehicular __
Pedestrian __ _
Other _______ _
1
:i, 42fl,
ono
I, fi71i
....
~
8,413
===1~~1====
Number ___ _
{ Linear feet.
Number ___ _
{ Linear rcet _
,)
Number_
{Linear feet. ____ . _______ _
JNumber _______________ _
12fl
25
19,831
,\12
lLinear feet_ ____________ _
252, ,591 I
8,901
48
40,003
Dock:-;, wltarYcs, 11ml pit.>rs
I Number __
ArtJficinl ehunncls, other than
drninnge and irrigation. ____ , J\lile..::
t,,J
zti
7S, 77:J
Acres drained.
DrainagP, other than road- Miles
or ditch_
sirll' and mosquito-control. { Miles or pipe_
~li!PS_
Fencin~
Tunrwls-total ______ _
m~
..,..,;,.
754
Ccmc•t.crirs
{ Area in acres
Landscaping and heautifleation, other than roadside
Acres __
and parks_
_
OrnanH•ntal pools and fountains_
Number__
- - •
3,495
fi, 1!12
I:\ liU
o( <i11c11: cana(-pi1,e,
{~ii~~
or flume. _______________ _
I rrlgatlon sys! ems ____ _
i
4'14
20,H40. l 7 l,1100
2-13
ReconstrucAdditlons I tlon or improvement
control, and irrigation-rontd.
:i77, 000
.i, 02(i
3, 182
2,094
New construction
Conservation, flood and erosion
:?, ii-1
1, 7fil, 000
Ur;~:; ~i~~~~ and 1;ipe
--------1
N.
-- -
Capacity in acre-rect_ _.
::\lilC's. __ _
Number __ _
--
'fclophone and telegraph lines
Q_
138
11,091
2H,OOO
S.torage tanks, reservoirs, etc_ -
1Josquito-control spraying.
(I)
7t)
1,483
9, fi3S
Number _______ _
l\losquilo-control drainage_ -
0
249, 222
'-===1=1====
lines_
________________ ;\!iles ______ _
,Yater consumer conn{'ctions
Number_
ca·
;::;:
11
ll, 978
Tl, 614
123
111
10
{ Capacity in ~allons per day_ 181, 145,000 4,583,000 I. 7VI, 24Y. 000
\Yater treatment plants
•-
838
_
\\pater mains and distribution
,
68
as
Xumber ____ __
_
682
22,S
8
{ Capacity in gallons per day 1,087,442,000 41,812,000 I. 11.111, 263, 000
~umber ____ ._ __ _ _
.152
39
:120
{ Capacity in gallons per day 261. 9fi9, ooo 21,452,000 2. 70Y, Htl2, 000
Scwng,, treatment plants
....,
I. •lil
Unit of Measurement
Item
ReconstrucNew c,on- '1Addltlonsi tlon or imstruct1on
provomcnt
---------1'
------
250
2;: 1----------
182
' Data reluti_• lo tlw e11m11lat.iYe period 1hrough June :m, HMO and applr to the continonial United Stnter only.
" Includes surfacing.
~~
(Concluded on next page)
c,,:i
c,,:i
.....
TABLE XVL-PHYSICAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND PUBLIC PARTICIPATION ON PROJECTS OPERATED BY WPA-Concluded
Unit ol Measurement
~~
- Number
- cc....:....
Item
Educat ion , ort, and music acti vi•
ties:·'
Adult education:
Literacy and naturalization classes . . . ......... I Enrollees ...•.• ....... .. . .
Vocatio·nal
ou
---- - -- - - · · - -- - - -
Enrollees ... . .... .... . . . .
Enrollees ... ... ...... . . . .
Enrollees . . .. . . . . .
Persons attending
Schools.. . _.. . .. . __
{Enrollees . . . . . . . .. .
Enrollees . . . . . _. _.
{Performances .. . __
ices:
Dental clinics : Examinations and treatments
M erlical clinks:
Examinations
41,288, 000
48, 342,000
27,961,000
67,900,000
=
-
~
rv
A
B
42,203,000
I, 810,000
('hildrcn
Adults
·-·- - - - -
35,100
27,300
7,800
119,300
21,700
4,400
97,600
16,500
3,300
and
Tests _____ ____ ___ ____ I Personsreceiving service __
Immunizations ... ___
Persons ree9lving service .
0
Housekeeping-aide services:
Fami lies assisted_ . . . . . .
Visits made
--- -- --··· ·
School lnnch services:
on January 17 1940
'
- · --· Cumulative through December 31, 1939. . . .. . .
Library and book-repair activity:
Libraries operated or assisted ll-totaL . . _.. . . . . .
222, 683. 000
47,299,000
,\ 7, 793, 000
--
[ Persons receiving serviC'e .
Data relate to a two-week period in January 1940 only,
Data relate to the month of December 1939 only.
Persons receiving service __
Persons receiving service
Persons receiving service_
30,000
:!3, JOO
3, 100
11.
100
1,000
000
20,900
10, 700
7,400
General public libraries . .
Public school libraries. . ..
Other libraries __ .. . . .....
Bookmobiles . . ___ .. . . . . ..
Book renovation- total vol· --~ -- --- - _
umes ___ _
I
Adults
5,000
300
1,100
36,600
33, 100
j
3, JOO : . . •• • • . •. ...
Persons rece iving serv ice .
Persons receiving service.
Persons receiving serv ice . _
34, 100 I
2;:~~
~
l'l
I
i
25,300
10,900 I
i.
ooo
Number
290, IH3, 000
Total
I
treatments ___ __ ___. . Persons recejving service . .
C;
Immunizations
A
0-
'<
4,000
47,000
Other services:
and
Exa minations
treatments __ .
Tests . . . . . . .
17,000
1,300
I , 700
2,500
Food preser\"lng:
Quarts canned ... . ... . . . . , Number . . .
Pounds rlried .... _. . _. .. Number . _
a.
- ~~t_:_I__: Children I
Persons receiving serv ice_
Persons receiving service.
Persons receiving service __
I, 100,000
Number
Number . . . .
\Vomen's ___. . __. . ____ Number.
Boys'_- . .... . . .. . ... . Number .
Girls' .. . .... . ....... . Number ..
Infants' (excluding
layettes) . .. .
Number . .
Other articles ._ . . . .
Number .
CD
38,000
Examinations
and
trentme ats __ _
__ ___ _
1.'ests
Immun izations
160,000
Persons ~ttending_
Public- healt!J and hosp ital a<"tivitics:
Clinic and other health serv-
School services:
16t ,OOO
I, 354
Ga rments __ . .
:\!en's ..
0
Immunizations .
48,000
534,000
3ewin g and food preser\'ing:
Articles produced- total.. . . . . Number . . . . .
cgN.
trcntments_
T ests ..... .. _ _
191,000
Enrollees . . _. . . . . .
Enrollees . .. . . .
Unit of Measurement
Public health and hospital activities-Continued.
Home visits:
Examinations
and
293,000
trninin~
classes.~.--······-·····
Correspondence courses ..
Other .... ....... . .. . .
Lectures and forums . ... . _...
Nursery schools. __ . . . . . . .. .
Special instruction for institutionalized and handica pped children . . . . . . . . . .
Art instruction classes . .. . .
:\lusic:
Ins truction classes. . . . . .
c cert 8
ft>-
CUMULATIVE THROUGH DECEMBER 31, 1930
============ = =-.c.c====~ -··Item
C/.j
I
9,400
16,300
100
"O
0
~
>-3
0
z
"O
Nu mber. __
Number . ..
{Schools serviced ... . . . .. .
Lunches served _
" ,;, ooo
17, 1,59, 000
II, 180
J, 018, 000
Lunches served ..... . . . .
384,213,000
Number._ .. .. ·- · · · ··· · ·
9,358
Number. _. •.. . .... .. . . .
Number _
Number._ .. . . . . .. ... .. .
Number .
3, 358
5,0M
799
135
::cl
0
0
::cl
t;,:j
Ul
Ul
0
>,:j
Number ~
H7, 364,000
Ocnerul public library
volumes __________ _. .. .. Number.. · · · ··· · -· · · ··-·_
32, HI I, 000
Public school library volwnes . .. . . _. . ... __.. . . .. Number_
26,407,000
8,346,000
Other library volumes .. .. Number. . . . . . ... . . •· -· - I·= ======
Braille .... . . . . . . . . .. . .... . . . . Pages transcribed ________ _
-
3,009,000
>-3
~
l'l
~
"O
>
"O
::cl
0
0
~
~
135
APPENDIX
TABLE XVII.-SELECTED ACTIVITIES ON PROFESSIONAL AND SERVICE PROJECTS OPERATED BY
SELECTED
1\Vork in Sewing Rooms A
State
'iE~~
1
I-----I-N_u_m_bc_r_o_l_
Number of I other arti • Served B
gp·~~~iiet,l , cles pro•
duced
I
WPA,
BY STATE
p ERIODS
Number of
:Enrollmmt in s\dult •
Medic-al and Number of ' Education Classes c
Numher of
Attend•
Visits
Enroll·
Dental Exancc at Particip~nt
ment in
aminations, Made by
Nursery Music Per• Hours In
Treatments, House•
Naturalkeeping
Tests, and
Other Schools c formances c
ization
Aides-'
and liter· classes
Immunizations c
acy
f:f{;i~l~~';,
- - - - - - - - - - 1 - - - · - -i- - - - - 1 - - - - · l - - - - - l - - - - -l- - -·- United States .. ... ..... . 222, 68.1. ooo
I 07. 960. ooo
17, 1., 0,
ooo
1,018,000
342, 400
623,000
16i, 000
309,000
5, 089, 000
523, 000
20. r,oo
3. 300
2, 500
233,000
Arkansas ... . . . ..•...... . •...
California
Colorado . ..... .. . ... ...... . . .
2, o:ll, 000 ·
916, 000 :
I, 809, 000 ·
15, 720, 000
2, 930, 000
5, 600
28,500
22,500
9, 100
6,600
516, 000
I , 418,000
301, 000
Connecticut . ... .... ....... .
Delaware . . . . . ... . . . .... .
District of Columbia . . .. ..... .
Florida . .. . . . . . . ...... .. .. . . .
Georgia . . . . . ..... . . . . ... ..... .
l. 584,000
228,000
f,49, 000
4, fl47, 000
7,767,000
300,000
119,000
186,000
l, 380,000
848. 000
2,000
800
143, 700
16,000
,527, 000
Idaho . ... . . . . . ... . . .. . . . ..... .
Illinois . -- · · · · · ···· ··· ··· ·· ·· •·· 13, 2~8. 000
·1. 530,000
Indiana . ... . . ....... . .. . .. .. .
2, 7,11, 000
Iowa . . .. ... . . . . . ... . ... ... ... .
3, 80i, 000
Kansas .......• •··-··· · ... . . .
139,000
3, ,5,57, 000
l, 490,000
l , 138,000
868,000
8,900
33, 800
16,000
2,400
5,800
,5, 025, 000
2, 406,000
6f>5, 000
419,000
14i, 000
1,58, 000
2, l,'io, 000
5,500
7, 100
100
,500
s, 600
Alabama . . . .. ...... .. ...... .
Ari1.ona _________ ___________ __
~~fs~;~f:::::::::::::::::::.
Maine ..... . . . . .. . .. . . . . . . .
Maryland . . ... . . ...... .
Massachusetts . . . . . . ......... .
Michigan .. ... . . . ... . ... . . ... .
Minn~sota . . __ . __--- . ___ ___ . . _
~t:;;;~:.r~J::::: :::::: :::: :.
Montana . . . . .. . __________
Nebraska . . ...... . .. . .... .
Nevada . . .. .. . ..... . ......... .
New Hampshire . . . . . . ....... .
~::: ~~~:i~n-- ::::::::::::··-·
New York .... . .. . . . ... . .. .
North Carolina . .... .. .... . .
North Dakota ... . ... . . . ... .
Ohio . .. ... . .. ...... ... . . . . . .
Oklahoma .. ..... . ... . .. .. . . .
Oregon ...... . . . ... .. . ........ .
Pcnnsyh·ania . .. .. ... .. .. .. .
Rhode Island .. . . . . . .. . . . . . .
South Carolina ..... ...... . . .
South Dakota ... ... ... ..... .
l , ll2, 000
I , 087, 000
20. r,91,
ooo
12,219,000
I. 243,000
656,000
l, ,514, 000
238,000
33,900
28,100
2,306,000
161,000
l, 6.10, 000
5,281,000
529,000
I, 829,000
137,000
357, 000
I, 244,000
23,000
5,100
I, 400
16,508,000
s, 951,000
I, 481,000
10,524,000
3,180,000
10, 263, 000 I
1.2.5 1.000
12.1, ()()0
:l, 623,000
720,000 I
1, 1.1 1,000
452, ooo
2, 710,000
I, i43, 000
Wyomin!? .... .. .
3,686,000
3,321,000
000
4,
.,o.~.
174,000
105,000
639,000
900
2, 500
14,300
10,400
800
294,000
140,000
520, 000
192,000
32,000
2,600
174, 000
12, 700
300
12,000
700
618,000
5,000
M,400
l, 967,600
23,300
I l~:~8Z
2,300 I....
j
248,000 ,
f,~3. 000
~78, 000
869,000
8.12.000
l,1)9;,000
\12,000
i
12,900
200
l, 900
3,600
8,300
1,400
800
19,200
I, 300
,I, (i00
46,300
20,900
4,300
8,300
400
1,400
1,300
800
400
259, 700
24,800
6,300
JO, 500
I, 100
I
4,700
1.800
l, 600
4,300
12,100
100
500 '
1,000 ·
800
300
1, 400
600
10,600
l , 200 .
46,100
2, 000
500
100
13,900
·1
9,000
I, 500
61 iOO
121 ,000
96,000
98, 000
I, 721,000
92. 000
t:!3, 000
2,5, 000
66,000
11,5, 000
192,000
89,000
I, 297, 000
385, 000
328, 000
96,000
2, JOO
174, 000
140,000
3,200
500
6,500
98,800
120,000
I, 014, 000
1,300
15, 100
900
400
800
13,000
5, 800
22,600
300
100
600
1,800
500
14,800
15,680,000
I
4,000
.5, 800
I
700
100
476, 000
16,800
I, 400
14, 700
261,000
107,000
6,800
100
200
38,000
12,000
2,700
9,100
89,900
9, ~00
17, 100
144,000
2,303,000
451,000
321,000
360, 000
67,100
47. 700
16,100
G, 900
3,008,000 I
I. 908,000 !
Tennessee . . . ... _____________ _
2, r.45, 000 1 2,618,000
I, 213,000
19,591,000
Texas .. .... ... .. . ... ....... .
233,000 ,
806,000
Utah .... . . . ... . .. ... ......... .
148,000 '
611,000
Vermont .... ...... . ... .. . . ..... .
r,.15, ooo I
Virginia .. .. ..•....... . ......... 3,348,000
Washington
West Vlr~lnia . . .. .. . . ..... .
,visconsin .... .. .. __. __. . . .. .
7,000
19,400
4i, 700
773,000
i , 100
600
2,700
7,200
1,500
· ··fl~ ,
18,900
i, 400
24,500
3 346 000
~: 91 S'. 000
3,207.000
.5, 630,000
l, 471,000
rn, 198, ooo
-17. 00C
I, 100,000
293,000
40,000
l, 030, 000
8,300
24, ,\()(] I
2,800
300
i3, 100 .
6,!JOO ,..
7,200 I
8,900 :
I
'
I
2,000
74, 100
24,000 1.. - ..
24, 100 1.....
500
400
7, 400
29, ,500 I
ig:~~ Ii::::
35, 100
11. 800
2, 100 ....
I, (i(l(J
9,200
10, ooo
l, 300
I
I
I
I
8,5, 000
808,000
26,800
448. 000
85, 8()()
I
I
234,000 I
343,000
266,000
62,000
29,000
43, 700
I
1
I
68,600
H, iOO
19,400
34,600
9,100
f,00
10,:ioo
800
6,500
21, :JOO
3, 100
I
4r>4 . 000
l, 022, ()(}()
I
l, 500
100
l. 500
3,900
l, 500
259,000
49,500
73,400 ....
11.200
9,000 :
23. 800
16, 700
900
JO, 600 '
l. 800
I
i~ 1·····3~:•: •
600
700 .
168,200
2, 700
I, 400
72, 700
500
4, 4(]()
9,700
300
I, 700
600
72,000
2,8()()
53,800
8,800
4,800
33, iOO
8,800
54,900
400
1,500
5, iOO
96,700
2, :JOO
G, 700
500
9,500
11,0011 I
400
400
200
6,400
9,100
5,600
15. 400
800
2, 100
100
200
2,300
11 , 100
2,600
2,000
5, 100
l , 200
21,000
200
17, 800
100
1·
1
'i~I,
I
1'1, 000
5, ~(](I
3.
200
6, 500
l, 900
800
fi,ooo
I
29,000
l!i, 100
10, f,()()
iOO
879,000
368,000
150,000
268,000
99,000
134,000
9,000
2,000
532,000
42,000
2,103,000
140,000
122,000
I, 059, 000
98,000
82,000
808,000
16,000
295,000
126,000
124,000
602,000
130,000
42,000
140,000
32R, 000
179,000
,
167,000
I, 21~) '
34,000
• CumulatiYc through December 31, 1939,
B On January 17, 1940.
c Two•wcck period in January 1940.
D Weck ending February 18, 1939.
Digitized by
Google
136
REPORT ON PROGRESS OF THE WPA PROGRAM
TABLE XVJII.-SELECTED
ITEMS
OF
PHYSICAL ACCOMPLISHMENT ON
WPA, BY STATE
CONSTRUCTION
PROJECTS
OPERATED
BY
CUMULATIVE TIIROUGII DECEMBER 31, 1939
Number of Public Buildings
~=-~
Number of
PlayM~~
Higbways,
Scbools
All other
Bridges
Numberof Nurnberof grounds
Roads, and ___________ 1_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 1 and ViaCulverts
Parks
and AthStreets
ducts (New (New and (New and letic Field•
(New and New conReconNew conReconand
Improved) Impro-ced) (New and
Improved) struction
struction
struction
st.ruction Improved)
Improved)
and addi- or improve- and addi- or improvctions
ment
tion.s
mcnt
State
Total
Alabama ______________________ _
Arizona _______________ _______ _
Arkansas ____________________ .
California ___________________ _
Colorado __________________________ __
470. 118
0, fi02
27.801
20,541
35. 330
94, 711
761. 122
6.681
14.724
16,210
1,714
7,881
8,580
6. 245
182
37
334
196
96
,500
209
397
694
343
:i:J6
199
503
I. 382
359
487
129
247
2,040
574
8. 774
272
3,841
1,209
2. 693
31,306
28
3,886
9
34
367
116
189
39
105
574
150
Connecticut_ _____ _
Delaware __________ _
District of Columbia __
Florida ___ _
Georgia ___________ . ____________ _
3. 112
89
122
5,419
6,635
10
3
179
17
28
569
466
194
293
255
1,267
291
222
274
404
40
5
2i7
4i2
3,065
32
58
5,480
21,642
130
16
93
138
Idaho __________ _____ •. . _______ .
Illinois __________ Tndiana _______________________ . .
Iowa ____________________________ __
Kansas _______________________ _
2,608
15,159
18,344
21. 617
14, 772
28
62
41
23
61
53
164
844
634
r,o3
506
.\ 140
5. 042
79, 759
20,068
26, 180
281
42
Maryland ______________________ _
Massachusetts _________________ _
8.843
3,236
1. 591
899
3,286
Miehi~an_
Minnesota ________________ ... _.
Mississippi __________ . ______ ... .
MissourL
Montana ____________________ _
Nebraska __
Nevada _______ ._
New Hampshire_
New Jersey_
New Mexico
fi~l~;~L:
::::::::::::::::: ---- ·
Maine __________________________ _
810
153
126
3fl8
359
355
7
), 084
2. 315
21,060
14. 663
14. 679
65
1, 532
1,000
392
257
759
10,138
2,468
700
14,070
r,o, 722
6,609
3,000
3. 323
117
37
29
Ii
149
108
667
406
3,145
68
7
397
1,839
210
183
283
17,215
19, 511
11,377
16. 008
7,239
119
131
174
293
23
1.001
86.o
198
593
283
652
996
1,381
45i
221
298
110
364
452
541
1.086
7. 336
I. 248
2, 138
52, 186
22. 683
14,205
31. 440
10,509
1,705
1,318
4. 405
2.967
48
2
337
139
65
379
2f\4
916
48
5,742
120
92
238
20
269
245
32
63
834
210
1,635
57
322
1,381
17. 194
901
3. 595
I. 312
856
1,015
1,382
1.621
1.846
9i7
532
351
789
957
3,516
374
481
3,105
429
6i5
32.1
7r,o
19,623
23,980
15
129
45
84
678
5. 716
2. 002
38,654
39,343
Oregon_
________________ _
Pennsylvania .. _____ _____ __
Rhode IslancL _______________ _
South Carolina .. ___________ _
South Dakota ________________ _
3,850
12,803
35
87
202
729
618
69
266
2,468
2fi0
565
12,703
102
2, i66
149
1,251
150
314
1,399
32
976
1,046
6,072
22. 955
100
6,549
7,453
Tennessee __________________ . __
TPxas. ______________________ _
Utah _____________________________ __ _
Vermont ______________________ _
Virginia ________________ . ____ _
29, 134
21,217
3. 337
), 436
5,029
216
184
27
6
130
,536
229
147
104
805
39,152
306
170
4,618
5,559
843
.521
758
27fl
5.983
33
Washington __________ _
W~st Vi~ginia
W1sconsm . __________ _
Wyoming _________________________ _
9. 216
13,520
16,601
3,240
43
45
54
17
431
I, 424
4i7
80
.547
550
999
156
447
289
1,385
152
722
I, 032
580
22,949
16,460
13,044
2.822
390
28
Hawaii. ___________________________ _
Puerto Rico ________________________ _
77
15
2.5
113
100
9
16
1
I
New
------·. ____
NorthYork
Carolina _________
________
7,761
7,827
~~f~h ~akot._a __ :::::::::::: _______ :[
Oklahoma _________________________ _
11, 133
569
7,530
11
43
892
232
601
971
218
404
85
637
226
1.135
33
203
26
2 ------------
1. 052
21
41
2. 468
10,664
48
247
163
103
26
26
39
12.041
437
75
122
447
108
16
Google
5.1
152
430
442
3. 987
11,688
6,926
2,957
159
255
284
22
161
86
287
30
(Concluded on next page)
Digitized by
34
2.268
18,311
49
934
327
153
341
224
49
133
I. 559
20
166
329
323
250
126
752
282
88
386
I. 246
15
143
117
432
100
692
208
67
430
124
744
454
239
682
1,866
70
178
301
29
71
1,070
51
272
90
69
61
148
50
248
377
147
23
193
14
155
559
24
150
375
53
4
1 ------------
137
APPENDIX
TABLE XVIII.-SELECTED ITEMS
OF
PHYSICAL
\YPA,
Acco~IPLISH~IENT ON CONSTRUCTION
BY STATE-Concluclecl
Ct·McLATJYE THRot·o11 DECEMBER
OPERATED
1
31, 1n9
I
:\files of Storm and
sant·tary sewers
--·---Total. .......................... .
Alabama ........................... .
Arizona ................................. .
Arkansas ................... . . . ........ .
California ................... .. . • . .. . .......
Colorado...
. ............................ .
9, r.:is
------Su
87
31
917
171
Connecticut.
Delaware ... _...... .
District of Columbia
Florida ....
58
27
26
155
147
Idaho ................................ .
Illinois ........................ .
13.5
437
169
188
301
Georgia _____________ _
-·-~
2, 774
-
-----
L\ -mo
---~-
3, 113
I, 760,956
5,272,592
12,485,439
I, 366
30
25,060
25,518
17, 781
49,731
19,110
23, 734
29
23
51
74
3
84,250
204,658
290
89
802,059
90,600
26,253
26i
24
06
2,786
43 -------82
12 ---244
47
20,192
39,130
356
9
13,616
579,800
234
905, 109
293,210
434
759,430
178,515
118,041
20
I
2
13
17
9,732
127, 707
1-1, 434
37,864
231, 746
09, 479
875,363
58, 569
483, 115
112,109
33
17
27
11\4
4
4
169
74
13
I
27
15
f)I
(-')
23
33
785
144
8
365
94
30
87
1,170
386
18i
110
Maine ... -•-······························•
Maryland ...................... .
:\iassachusetts ...... . ................ .
82
181
43
92
410
14
1
4
44
:139
3.52
73
136
Sf1i
•18
20
3
,5
11/i
Michigan ..
:\Iinnesota...
Mississippi..
:\Ilssouri. ... .
Montana ... .
457
210
117
342
103
155
8
15
25
17
I, 100
410
1.5/i
,510
100
38
78
Nebraska ... .
18ij
25
2.5
.59
ii9
86
7
4
30
J.5
246
14
113
452
116
S:l9
204
r.o
1. 179
897
f)
,19
6
82
13!l
380
,;g
1,381
212
Indiana .............. . ...... .
Iowa ............................ . . .
Kansas ...................... _.. .
Kentucky ..... . ....... . .............. .
Louisiana ___ _______________________ -
Nevada _____ _
New Hampshire ...
New Jersey_
~ew Mexico __ _
New Yark_
North Carolina __
North Dakota._.
Ohio_
_
Oklahoma.
Orel(on ........ .
Pennsylrnnia .
Rhode Island .
South Carolina ..
South Dakota_ ..
Tennessee ................. . ................ •
Texas._ ........ _................ . ...... . . . . . .
Utah.·-·········-·············
-···Vermont. ......... . .................... ··· --. Virginia ......... .. .. . ........................ .
Washington ............................... .
West. Virginia .... . ..................... .
Wisconsin___
_______ -- _____ - _- -- - - --- Wyoming .. .
Hawaii. ...... .
Puerto Rico .. .
A
BY
Acres Drained (Ex·
'I
l\Iiles of
eluding Roadside
Bulkh ea d s,
Drainage)
Number of I
Retaining
I
Sanitary
I
PriYies
: Walls and
ReconstrucReconstr11c- (New Con•
Reconstruc-: Revet•
ments
N"ew con•
tion or
New contion or
struction) New contion or
impro,elmpro,·e· (New Con•
improvestruction
struction
struction)
I, struction
ment
ment
ment
, :\Iiles of Water :\Iains
and Distribution Lines
State
PROJECTS
I, 194
13
10
!H9
249
I
16
47
,55, 390
41,457
IO, 776
180
13
40
3
30
7
27,498
2, 5/i2
33
19,594
lfi, 223
19,701
4,016
15,654
55,831
fi, 5i8
4,941
7,300
176
141,092
44,919
22
5
7
60
22
28
1!8
63
831
!JS, 228
27,366
70,442
79, 3,50
71, 710
280,266
1,434
32, r,24
205,962
25,952
79,496
I, 720
506,528
4, /i06
8¼
12
2
70
19
13,073
"ll,i.50
16
93,573
:io, :i15
22, 502
M,026
6,093
34,225
28,314
787
IOI, 778
960
58'
2
62
4
(-')
217
(-')
10
97
182
08
18
271
l
I
9
I
100
461
176
34
200
2
142
2
7
11
160, 707
47,371
24, 225
2
121,296
16
1-1, 971
192,526
14,975
.5, 380
10
478
S2
27.5
54
2.r1
34
6
32
265
225
730
34
1f,
24
19
I
I
60
I
!
1
--------
-·,··
··•
47
135,931
67, 424
756,672
30
56
38
212
25
6
2
21
Ii, 591,658
8S7
1.54
50
17
29
201,949
40. 426
34,070
106,178
7,272
73
i:l
2:l2
J.50
195
139
J II, 435
I, 945
14,014
51
2
,5
11
250
16
110
50
35,000
57,835
325,323
68, 736
458 -----------171,200
996
20,321
23, 722
... ...
I><S
ss
rn,om
17,960
50,604
87,883
9,674
39, 476
344
12
l!'i9
296
:::.1
08
243
5-1, fiOfi
7,250
4:J, 713
I
32
17
6
34,937
25
164, 7fi5
51,786
216,405
52, 712
10
120. 476
34
23
16
35,342
I, 514
8,890
I, 434
130, f,()()
81
23, 137
2,540
42
32
I, 082, 393
1----
26
161
230
109,801
---- -----
8
21
29
5
I
Less than 0.-5 miles.
Digitized by
Google
5
2
138
REPORT ON PROGRESS OF THE WPA PROGRAM
TABLE XIX.--NUMBER OF PERSONS EMPLOYED ON FEDERAL WORK AND CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS AND RECIPIENTS
OF PUBLIC RELIEF, BY STATE AND BY PROGRAM A
CO~TI:SENT.\L U~JTEll STATES
JUNE
Work
Projects
Adruinistration
State
(Em-
ployecs)
United States._
1940
~ational Youth Administration
Special Types of Public Assistance
Other
Civilian
Federal
Conscrva- Agencies
c
Student
Out-oftionCorps"
(Emwork pro- school work (Enrollees) ployees)
gram
program
(employees) (employees)
ti, 196
Gill
4, 105 I
9,522
I, 425
E :J92, 621
1, 9i0, 226 I
------19,940
I
9,889
ti, Y50
I, ,3~
2. ,547
8, 1361
,, S23 I
19, i55
2,946
,. 455 '
141, i92
2:i, 414
2,282
41,152 I
3. 684
2,471
649
1, 33i
5, 92ti '
8,863
1, 545
358
ti88
3. i:m
i, tiOO
5,508
9i0
13, Oi8
8,852
i, 942
I, 406
14,805
ti,!JOti
-1, 989
5,425
!104
11, 545
4, 88<i
2, 1)51
3, 399
I, Oi9
Ii, 218
5,382
4, 19i
3,499
ti, 02<J
.=i. 704
5,308
1. ,)lti
JI:
6,050
2,098
3,988
ti, 1178
15,577
10,14S
3,262
9, 5tiS
630
7,803
6,555
5,932
9 360 '
,: 420 ,
269,033
1, 734, -lYI
313, 36i
..
California . _____ ...
Colorado
·-----
H, 523
5, 7-tU
26,941
75, 571
17, 234
I, oo:i
I, 855
I, 043
16, 124
2,564
CounecticuL _
--Delaware_
--District of Columbia __
Florida ......
-----Georgia _________
10, i24
2, i3ti
10, i99
25, 379
35,388
3, 6titi
54i
1 ti82
3; 6ti5
3,398
Idaho. _____________ --Illinois _________ ._._. ___
7, 23i
135, i3i
19,093
20, 374
808
24,434
4,611
7, 30i
3, 85,5
Maine
____ . _______ _
Maryland.
Massachusetts. _______ _
-----------1
34, 41;3
24 783
6'. 246
15, 220
65,910
I 468
1: 815
2,065
3 138
789
l\fichigan _
Minnesota. __________ _
Mississippi ____________ _
Missouri
Montana __
67, 155
3,5, ti74
25, 758
64, 411
8,736
Nebraska ..
Nevada_
New Hampshire ____ _
~cw Jersey
New Mexico.
20,196
1, 4i0
6,234
58,511
9,024
4 6-ltl
'143
566
11, 707
2, 92i ,
:l2i
I, 508
6, 737
2, It\2
New York_
_
North Carolina __ _
North Dakota.
Ohio_
Oklahoma._
145, 146
37, 4()0
9,598
118. 004
37,843
42, 85-1
4,064
Oregon ________________
Pennsylvania ______ _
Rhmle Islarnl.. .
. __
South Carolina. ___ _
South Dakota . _
1
12,658
158,605
10, 052
28,668
9,463
20, Oil
2,039
5,435
I, 225
Tennessee._
rrexas _____ _
Utah.
___________ _
Vermont_ __ . _____ _____ _
Virginia ____ . __________ _
33,600
73, 246
8, 702
3, 83:l
26, 259
2, -ltil
14, 057
2, 34(i
1, 128
6,325
Washington __ . _____ . __ _
\Vest Virginia ______ ._
\Visconsin" __
Wyoming
23, 557
30,011
38, 713
2, ,177
J, 891
3 50''
3, ,572
11, 051i
808
:i.
4191
4, Olli
5,513
t\18
5, 21i2
2, 130
5S8
2, Olll
Alabama _____
Arizona __
-··
- -Arkansas ______ ..
I
Aid to the
Old-age
Aid to
assistance dcp~ nd ent
blind
(recipients) children (recipients)
, (fam1hes)
2:3tl, 573
----
I
346, 28i I
General
Relicf D
(Cases)
Farm
Security
Administration
Grants
(Grant
Vouchers)
71,854
I, 372,651
60,310
600
356
812
7,161
640
2,498
3,614
4, 149
112,322
14, 133
I, 262
4,234
799
8,383
3,001
i
5,914
2,544
4,654
15,517
5,960
I
mtt~s~::::=::::::::J
Kentucky .. ___________ ..
Louisiana ____ --• ______ _
'17,:J45
I
1
I
I
1, iii
24, 932
ti, ti,58
2, 46i
IO, 9ti0
5, :l2ti
2, 37:i
17,080
5, 51T
1, (ilO
I
1
8,933
138,291
66,255
55, 100
1,400
246
513 -----------210
933
2,351
3, i83 i
a, 815
I, Ill
F
I
F~:~
I
278
Fi,
2.
I,
I,
700 :
439 I
460 [
2i2
27, 14;
17,365
F 3 000
6'. 416
wB'. soi
8. 554
6. 461
4, 4,0
ti, 40,
20. ll7H
48, ,34
31,882
13,884
18, 5lti
86,005
290
13,081
I, 527
7,326
12, 114
7,473
5 6U3
i3, 302
62, 90S
21,510
92,032
12, li,5
18,639
8,864
F 104
11,076
2,370
27, 78·1
2, 2i2
5,785
31, 1-15
4,483
5,428
F 100
673
11, 174
1,888
688 I
F 15
321 I
118, i02
35,694
8,822
122,885
72, i311
3tl, 058
9,352
2,368
9,934
18,554
19, 173
98,218
6, i72
19,796
14, i,52
I, 980
38,010
I, 210
2,964
9
6, 28H
.=i,-uu
U, il8
I, 8li2
2. Hau
2:33
527
3'. 861
S,449
9. 131
3,H:!O
5, ,5-14
1, IT:l
1. 947
4,025
21, 50S
2,032
1-1, 11:!S
2i, 3114
6, ,)0,1
6,09:l
2, 8ffj
,.:ms
11, OIS
0.028
I,:Jlil
10, 942
:J, 805
I, 185
20, 47i
I, li3U
4,304
I, 0,0
I.SOI ,
14, \H2
19:i
3.:'i, 877
,), 552
,\, tiOO
15, 15,
1, :!59
71ti
0, 2011
ti, -18,
15. 88V
!1:l9
:J,.J
5, 4,'56 i
s: 743
Ii, 148 I
2, 68ti I
3,353
35,222 I
28,243
,), 218
2,44-1
3, ti40
8,938
I, 799
10, 48i
13, fi51)
1,442
7; 4
17, 111
13,
os;
2, fit;'
I
1ti: ~iz
I'
F
l'
I
I, 900
1
19,053
1,259
2,131
9,820
6, 744
2
34
-----------548
1, l.2i
2,166
148,035
41,620
28, 789
19,726
2,469
F 5 600
238
I, 067
I, 233
683
I, 183
9: 677
9,924
8,458
68,133
863
035
780
F 3,655
105
53,976
35,948
I, 166
23,633
4,931
JO, 501
770
469
133
141
528
184
210
17
450
983
I, 103
1,910
3,790
k~I
669
F6,000
48,138
2,152
2, ll5
22
41
102
5,873
2,8481
1,947
181
3,947
2,228
240,870
5,465
5,080
86,345
F 12,400
1,943
292
2,706
452
12,062
65
794
238
9,491
183,601
10 500
2: 185
F 5,000
F
3,800
349
399
279
4.45
10
413
6,470
14, 18i
F 95
3,392
560
2,975
1,607
13. 030 I
5,442 ,
17,438
202
153
1,023
12,384
5,445
2,488
7,460
3,886
583
39,128
Ii, 816
51, 54., I
3,40:l
4,079
i, 800
12,303
747
1,037
807
2,008
148
11,051
15,820
45,803
I, 398
761
106
825
713
I
F
118
u
30
A See notes on pp. 101 to 100 for description anJ sources of da·ta included.
n Average enrollment during the month by state from which cnrollr,I.
c Includes ornployrncnt on projects financed from PW A funds an,! 011 other F,•,h-rnl work and construction projects financed in whole or In part
from emergency and regular funds.
o Figures for a number of states include cases recci ving hospitalization and/or burial only.
E Includes four persons not reported by states.
F Est.imated.
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139
APPENDIX
TABLE XX.-AMOUNT OF EARNINGS OF PERSONS E~fPLOYED ON FEDERAL WORK AND CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS
AND PAYMENTS FOR PUBLIC RELIEF, BY STATE AND BY PROGRAM A
CONTI!\E,:,,;TAL liXITED STATES
JUNE 1940
[In thousands of dollars]
------1
State
Grand
Total
\Vork Programs
---------,---------National Youth I
Adm1nistrat10n
I Work I- - - ~ - - - Ch·ilian
Total
Projects '
Conser•
Admin- I St 1d t
Out•of•
vation
istration
~ or'kn
swc_l10r~l
Corps
0 ,..
, program program
I
Other
Federal
agen•
cies n
I
Special Types of Public
Assistance
Old•age
assistance
I
General
ReliefC
Aid to
depenent d- Aid to
the blind
children
Farin
Security
Admin·
lstration
Grants
- - - - _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ,_ _ _ _ :_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ I_ _ _ _ - - - - - - - - - - - -
United States . . jo 256, 371 IO 170,054
100, 6381
2, 314
j
5, 510 I
15,872 I
45, 720
39,603 I
10, 990
1,814
32,394
I, 516
460 !
169 I
518
494
151
1,000
208
230
3,069
429
187:
225
149
5, 383
1,389
84
82
56
707
179
6
9
7
345
19
24
50
23
3, 186
229
81
62
17
205
65
102
24
701
96
1,995
764
620
O
California.............
Colorado..............
3,846 !
I, 212 I
2,397 ,
18,061 i
3,629 '
3,464
784
2, 145
9, 135
1, 748
1,842
381
1,307
5, 256
1, ll6
130
24
Connecticut ......... .
Delaware ............ .
District of Columbia ..
Florida .............. .
Georgia .............. .
2,0ll
361
3,017
3,083
3,389
I, 838
288
2,838
2,474
3,007
957
153
754
1,353
1,682
25
4
18
26
28
Idaho ..•..............
Illinois.•..............
Indiana.............. .
Iowa ................. .
Kansas •..............
967
18,952
6,067
3,574
2,798
625
12,020
3,777
1,830
I, 703
416
8,306
2,658
1,133
1, 121
174
44
Kentucky ........... .
Louisiana ........... .
Maine ............... .
Maryland .......... • .
Massachusetts ...... .
3,649
3,327
1,564
2,724
12, 717
3,153
2,469
932
1,972
7,768
1, 710
1,274
321
885
4,407
Michigan ............ .
Minnesota ........... .
M!sslssippl. ......... .
M1Ssour1- __________ _
Montana ........... .
8,348
5,671
2,510
7,659
1,6i3
5,277
3, 175
2,290
5,422
1,206
3,915
2,132
1,188
3,809
598
ll8
68
23
73
6
171
155
99
152
27
Nebraska .•..........
Nevada ............. .
New Hampshire ..... .
New Jersey ...... .
New Mexico ...... .
2,745
358
I, 450
9,123
1,213
1,956
278
1,136
7,005
062
1,207
89
355
3 609
'568
32
61
1
79
11
6
29
173
45
175
15
35
431
129
711
2, 713
209
New York ........... .
North Carolina ...... .
North Dakota ....... .
Ohio ............ .
Oklahoma.
28, 260
3,498
1,240
14,381
4,478
1~::~ I
9, :178
1, 721
515
7,460
1,685
312
38
21
116
47
045
127
39
200
83
990
404
190
730
598
3, li80
592
122
l,l'i(l
;144
3,034
362
73
29
887
9,682
2,757
148
2,863
I, 289
4
78
Oregon .............. .
Pennsylvania ........ .
Rhode Island ........ .
South Carolina ...... .
Sou th Dakota .. .
2,128
23,985
1,034
3,035
1,398
1,464
15,2n
1,461
2,782
893
852
9, 276
634
1. 444
541
16
170
16
33
12
20
393
33
96
33
1111
457
410
089
13
4,445
2, 166
7t-i
l, 3(ii
765
863
145
132
5,j
163
291
49
"32
9
F285
20
4
>"S4
12
94
Tennessee ........... .
Texas ................ .
Utah ................ .
Vermont ............. .
Virginia._ ........... .
4,050
7,683
1,380
490
3,847
3, 33!i
6. 250
838
321
3. ,517
1,608
3,488
27
lll
24
9
42
I. 183
I. 208
406
I, 221
261
18
289
87
171
120 I
19 I
61 I
5
•·22
101
112
101
168
4
13
56
3
83
2
W ashlngton ......... .
West Virginia ........ .
\Vlseonsin ........... .
Wyoming .... . ....... .
5,371
2,931
5, 794
4. 138
2,301
3,142 I
864
247
151i
178
27
I. 154
439 I
41\8
24
154
18•1
966
593
1,562
I. 638
2,323
160
Alabama..............
.~rizona...............
Arkansas.............
558
108
1,095
15:
13
6
9
61
26
17
18
15
24
75
6
25
26
85
6
147
13
84
177
28
53
11
46
I
461
30
86
423 '
22tl
25
84
173
247
504
34
243
123
91
68
71)5
2 532
324
176
225
'628
369
263
378
358
100
144
451
934
436
858
2,675
495
41ti
360
620
230
1:I 351
170
744
452
1,481
220
481
459
60
124
G45
65
114
173
60
61
160
60 I
644
123
34(i
162
88
430
400
I, 052
13
133
62
25
361
w
68
115
148
10
227
269
340
37
106
646
578
404
167
{{j
1,886
2. 25t;
253
237
22f,
JOU
2,899
1, 193
I, 153
F
66
F
83 i
168 I
488 I
530
'62
188
426
370
31U
2U5
327
2,445
.~ I
5
30
ll
6
F205
57
35
28
FS
(G)
15
25
32
3,650
540
25
10
490
4
41
3
308
43
141
245
178
1,771
19
12
25
1,084
795
6
9
•91
277
83
13
20
25
124
94
F
59
228
706
16
28
14
27
1m
305
1·1
264
6t)
4
149
F3
30
540
25
53
58
42
6
17
35
83
78
I
E
10
14
(F G)
346
7
17
48
4
34
,·1
133
16
152
1, 107
18
3
116
8,514
33
92
1,369
F 54
10
36
35
6
75.
34
1
1
F
11
155
303
I
4. 774
32
14
47
I
5
5
H
(G)
2/i
10
12
7
16
7
17
20
See notes on pp. 104 to 100 for description and sources of data included.
Includes earnings on projects financed from PWA funds and on other Federal work and construction projects financed in whole or in psrt from
emergency and regular funds.
c Figures for a number of states include cost of hospitalization and burials.
D Includes $244 not reported by states.
E Hospitalization and burials amounting to $20,745 not included because number or cns(>s receiving I.hes(' services only is not available.
F Estimated.
G Less than $500.
H Medical care, hospitahzat-ion,and burials amounting to $3.5,452 not included because number of cases receiving these services only is not available.
A
B
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INDEX
(Excluding tables and charts, which arc listed in table of contents and appendix)
Accessions to \VP A projects, 4, 40-41, 42-43.
Accomplishments, physical, 7-9, 65-80.
On airport and airway projects, 26-28, 34-37, 69.
On national defense projects, 6-7, 21-25.
Administration of the WPA program, 81-89.
Administrative employees, 57-58.
Administrative expenses, 6, 11, -52, 53, 54, 57-.~8.
Advisory Commission to the Council of National
Defense, 15, 20.
Age, requirements concerning, for WPA employment,
82.
Aged, aid to the, 92, 93, 95-98, 103, 108-109.
Agricultural Adjustment Administration, appropriation of fiscal year 1941 ERA Act funds to, 10.
Agriculture, Department of:
Allocation of WPA funds to bureaus of, 5:t
Appropriation of ERA Act funds for loans to needy
farmers, 10.
Employment on WP A projects operated by
bureaus of, 44.
See also individual bureaus of.
Aid to the blind and to dependent children and old-age
assistance, 92, 93, 95-98, 103, 108-109.
Airport and airway projects, 22, 26-37.
Accomplishments on, 26-28, 34-37, 69.
Albuquerque Airport, New Mexico, 32.
Approval procedure, 28-29.
Berry Field, Nashville, Tennessee, 32.
Employment on, 18, 45.
Expenditures on, 37, 62.
Idaho Falls Airport, Idaho, 33.
La Guardia Field, New York, 29-31, 3.5, 37.
Maxwell Field, near Montgomery, Alaba111a, 33-34.
Moline Airport, Illinois, 32-33.
Morgantown, \Vest Virginia, 3:3.
Reeves Field, Los Angeles (San Pedro) California,
33-34.
Snohomish County Airport, near Everett, \\"ashington, :n.
Sponsors' participation in, 28, 37.
Albuquerque Airport, New Mexico, \YPA work on, 32.
Aliens, statutory provisions concerning, 13-14, 82.
Allocation of WPA funds, 11, 52- ,rn.
American Red Cross, appropriation of ERA Act funds
to, 10.
Appropriations, 1, 10-11, 52.
See also Emergency Relief Appropriation Act of
1939; Emergency Relief Appropriation Act,
fiscal year 1941; individual agencies.
Army reservatious, projects on, 16-25.
Arts program, 80, 86.
Assignment of workers to \VP A employment, procedures concerning, 82-83.
Assignments to WP A projects, number of, 4, 40-41, 42-43.
Berry Field, Nashville, Tennessee, WPA work on, a2.
Blind, aid to the, 92, 93, 95-98, 103, 108-109.
Blind persons, provisions in ERA Act, fiscal year 1941,
concerning, 13.
Braille projects, accomplishments on, 72.
Bridges, viaducts, and culverts, 8, 67-68.
Camp Ord, California, survey of WPA project operations in, 23-2.5.
Canning projects, accomplishments on, 77-78.
Certification of workers for WP A employment, 2, 13-14,
39, 82.
Children, aid to dependent, 92, 93, 95-98, 103, 108-109.
Civil Aeronautics Authority, responsibilities of, for
WP A airport and airway work, 28.
Civil Works Administration, 100, 108.
Civilian Conservation Corps, 90, 91, 108.
Coast Guard, U.S., 16, 17-18, 22.
Communication projects, accomplishments 011, 69.
Communists and members of Nazi Bunds barred from
WP A employment, 82.
Community service projects, 45, 62.
See also Arts program; Education; Library; Museum; and Recreation.
Compensation for injuries sustained by workers on
WP A projects, 88-89.
Competition with private industry, regulations preventing, 86.
Conservation projects:
Accomplishments 011, 78-79.
Employment on, 45.
Expenditures 011, 62.
Provisions in ERA Act, fiscal year 1941, concernin!!:, 11-12.
Construction projects:
Accomplishments on, 22-25, 65-70, 72-73, 7.5-76.
Employment on, 44-46, 47-48.
Expenditures on, fiscal year 1940, 62.
See al.~o individual types of projects.
Costs. (See Expenditures.)
Co1111cil of National Defense, Advisory CommiHsion to,
15, 20.
Defense projects. (See National defense projcctH.)
Dependent children, aid to, 92, 93, 95-98, 103, 108-109.
Earnings of project workers:
Amount of, .50-51, .59-60, 103.
Schedule of, ,5, 13, 48-,jl, 83-85.
Education, Office of, 20, 69.
Education projects, 8-9, 70-71.
143
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REPORT ON PROGRESS OF THE WPA PROGRAM
Eighteen-month employment provision, 4-5, 38-39,
41-42, 83, 99-100.
Eligibility requirements for employment on WP A projects, 82.
Emergency Relief Appropriation Act of 1939:
BalanceH, unobligated, reappropriated under the
ERA Act, fiscal year 1941, 10.
Funds appropriated, 1, 52.
Funds transferred from WP A to the other Federal
agencies, 52-53.
Emergency Relief Appropriation Act, fiscal year 1941 :
Employment contemplated under, 11.
Provisions of, 10-14.
Relaxation of usual provisions in case of \VP A
defense projectH, 6-7, 15- I 6.
Employees Compensation Commission, U. S., 88-89.
Employment, 1-5, 38-51, 81-85.
Of administrative personnel, 57-58.
Assignments to WPA projects, number of, 4, 40-41,
42-43.
Contemplated for fiscal year 1941, 11.
On Federal work programs, 90--\l2, 9,,.
Fiscal year 1940, 1-5, 38.
Hours of work, 5, 13, 50-51, 84-8.5.
On national defense projects, I 7 18.
Of persons certified as in need of relief, 2, 39.
Policies and procedures:
Assignment, 82-83.
Certification and referral, 2, 82.
Eighteen-month provision, 4-5, 38-39, 41-42,
83.
Eligibility, 82.
Under ERA Act, fiscal ~-ear 1941, 13-14.
Relation to unemployment., 3- -1.
Separations from WPA projects, 11umber of, 4,
41-42.
By size of comm1111ity, 3, 46-48.
Total number of different workers sinee beginning
of WP A program, 8.
Trend of, 1-2, 38-39, 100-101.
Turnover, 4-5, 40-43.
By t_vpes of projects, 3, 44-46.
By wage classes, 2, 48-,50.
Of women, 2, 39-40.
On WPA projects operated by ot.hPr Federal
agencies, 43-44.
Entomology and Pla11t Q11ara11ti11e, Bun•:111 of, 44, ;'i3.
Equipment, supplies, and matcriab, p11rchases of,
56, 59-62.
Expenditures, 5-6, 54-64.
Administrative, 6, I I ..52. ,'i3, !i4, ,'i7-ii8.
On airport and airway projects, 37, 62.
Labor costs, 5-6, 56, 59-60.
Man-month costs, 60.
Monthly, 54-56.
On 11ational defc11se projects, 25.
No11lahor costs, 5-6, 13, rn. ;j(i, .59-62.
Objects of, 56, ,59-62.
Sponsors', 6, 37, 58-59, 63 f>4.
Treasury Depart 111c11t. c-0111 rol of, 89.
Trend of, .'i4-5fi.
Expenditures-Co11tinued.
By types of projects, 6, 62-64.
On WP A projects operated by other Federal
agencies, 6, 54.
Year ending June 30, 1940, 5-6, 54.
Farm Security Administration:
Appropriation of fiscal year 1941 ERA Act funds
to, 10.
Grants to needy farm families, 92, 93, 100, 109.
Farm-to-market and other secondary roads, WP.A
work on, 8, 66.
Federal agencies:
Allocation of WP A funds to, 11, 52-53.
Employment on WPA projects operated by, 43-44.
Expenditures of WP A funds, 6, 54.
Federal-aid highway .work, employment on, 92.
Federal Emergency Relief Administration, 100, 109.
Federal Housing Administration, WPA cooperation in
program of, 87.
Federal projects, statutory eligibility requirements of,
12.
Federal Surplus Commodities Corporation, food stamp
plan, 92-93.
Federal work ·programs and public assistance, 90--109.
Federal Works Agency, ERA Act funds for, ,i2.
Flood control projects, accomplishments on, 78.
Food stamp plan for distribution of surplus commodities t.o need.,·, 92-9~.
Fore,-t fkn·ice, 44, 5~.
Fort. Dix, New Jersey, survey of WPA project operations in, 23.
Funds, fi2-64.
Alloc-ation of WPA funds, 11, !i2-53.
Appropriated 1mder the ERA Act of 1939, 1, 52.
Appropriated under the ERA Act, fiscal ~-ear 1941.
10-11.
See also Appropriations; Expenditures.
General relief:
Number of families and sini.:le persons receiYing,
9:3, 98, 100.
Pa~·ments to recipients of, 10:3.
Program, 92, 93-94, 98-100, 109.
Gran ts to needy farm families, !)2, 9~, I 00, 10\l.
Health projects, accomplishments 011, 9, 76.
Higlrn·a)·, road, and street projects:
Accomplishments 011, 8, 6!'i-68.
Ernplo>·ment on, 3, 44, 4-~-46.
ExJll'Hditures on, 62.
Hours worked on, 51.
Of importance for national defense, proposed operation of, 17.
ReYiew of Federal-aid highway projects by the
Public Roads A<lmi11ist.mt.in11, 88.
11 is tori cal records s11rve~· projects, accomplishments on,
80.
I lospital building projeets, accon,plishments on, 75.
llonrs worked on projects:
Nurnher of, 51.
Stnt.utor_,· proyisions concerning, 5, 1:~, rn, 50-31,
84-8:":,.
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INDEX
Households and persons benefiting from Federal work
and public assistance programs, 94-103.
Housekeeping aide projects, accomplishments on, 77.
Housing Authority, r. S., 87, 92.
Idaho Falls Airport, Idaho, WPA work on, 33.
Indian Affairs, Bureau of, appropriation of ERA Act
funds to, 10.
Injuries sustained by WPA workers, compensation for,
88-89.
Labor, expenditures for, 5-6, 56, 59-60.
Labor Statistics, Bureau of, allocation of \VPA fm1ds
to, 53.
Labor turnover on \VP A projects, 4-5, 40-43.
La Guardia Field, New York, \\"PA work on, 29-31,
35, 37.
Legislation concerning the WPA,·10-14, 81-89.
Library projects, accomplishments on, 72.
Man-month costs on WP A projects, 60.
Man-months of employment, 8.
Mare Island Navy Yard, \VPA work in, 19.
Materials, supplies, and equipment, purchases of, -~6,
59-62.
Maxwell Field, near Montgomery, Alabama, WPA
work on airport, 33-34.
Moline Airport, Illinois, WPA wmk on, :{2-:i:l.
Morgantown, West Virginia, \YPA work on airport, :n.
Motion picture films, provisions regarding in ERA Act,
fiscal year 1941, 11.
Museum extension projects, \YPA work on, 71.
Music projects, accomplishn1ents on, SO.
NashYille (Berry Field) Terrnes:;ee, \\"PA work on, 32.
National defense projects, 6-7, 15-25.
Accomplishments on, through June 1940, 6-7, 21-25.
Camp Ord, California, 23- 25.
Employment on, 17-18.
Expenditures on, 25.
Fort Dix, Ne\\· Jcrse_\·, 23.
Mare Island Navy Yard, California, 19.
Number in operation in spring of 1940, 17, 22.
San Diego, California, 19.
Statutory provisions concerning, 7, 11-J:{, 15-lfi.
Types of, 6-7, 16-20, 22-25.
For vocational training, 7, 12. 16, 20-21.
See afao Airport and airwa_\. projects.
Na1-ional Education Asrnciation, survey of the Nation's
school building nee(b, 69.
National Guard, WPA projects sponsored by, 16, 1718, 22.
National Park Service, 44, .53.
Natio11al Youth Administration, 91-92, 95, 103, 108.
Navy, Department of the:
Accomplishments, physical, on WPA projects
sponsored by, 22.
Employment on \YPA projects sponsored or operated by, 17-18.
Employment provided on Federal coirntruction
projects, 92.
Secretary's certification of defense pro_kcts for
operation by \\"PA, 11, 15.
Need:
Certification of, as requirement for project employment, 2, 13-14, 39, 82.
Periodic investigation of, 2, 14, 83.
Non construction projects. (See Professional and service
projects.)
Nonlabor expenditures:
Amounts of, t>-6, 56, 59-62.
Statutor_\· provisions concerning, 5-6, 13, 16, 87.
Office of Government Reports, appropriation of ERA
Act f11nds to, 10.
Old-age assistance, 92, 93, 9.5-98, 10:1, 108-109.
Ord, Camp, California, 2a-25.
Park and other recreational tacilit.,· projects:
Accomplishments on, 72- 7:l.
Emplo~·ment on, 45.
Expenditures on, 62.
Payments to recipients of Federal "·ork program
employment and of public relief, 103-104.
Persons bc11cfiting from Federal work and public assista11ce programs, 94-103.
Physical accomplishments. (See Accomplishments,
physical.)
Pclicies, operating, and procedures of the WP A, 2-3,
81-89.
Proc11rement Di\"ision, Treasury Departm(•nt, ERA
Act funds for, 52.
Professional and ser\"ice projects:
Accomplishments on, 22, 08--74, 7(i- 78, 80.
Employment on, 4.5-4(i, 47, 48.
Expenditures on, fiscal year 1940, 62.
Project procedures and policies, 2-3, 85-89.
Projects:
Accomplishments, physical, 7-9, 65-80.
Approval procedure, 2-3, 85-88.
Eligibility of, 11-12, 85-87.
Jo:xpcnclitures on, fiscal year 1940, .59-00.
F1•deral agency, financed with WPA funds, 11, 4344, 52-53.
OpC'ration of, 88-89.
~p011sorship of, 86, 87, 88.
Statutory provisions relating to, 11-13, 86-87.
See also Employment: Expenditures; individual
types of projects; Sponsors.
Property damage claims, allocation of funds for f<l'ttlC'mC'nt of, 53.
Public assistance programs, 92-94, 108-109.
Public buildings projects:
Accomplishments on, 8-9, 69-70, 72-73, 75, 79-·80.
Employment on, 3, 45.
Expendit11re:s on, 62.
For natiorml defense, 22.
Statutory prm·is;ons concerning, 12, 16, 87.
Public health projects, accomplishments on, 9, 76.
Public librar~· l>nildings, accomplislm1ents on, 72.
Puhlie Hoads Adn1inistmtio11, l'mploymcnt on Federalaid highway \\"Ork, 92.
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146
REPORT ON PROGRESS OF THE WPA PROGRAM
Public utility projects. (See Sewer system and other
utility projects.)
Public Works Administration, 92, 103, 108.
Puerto Rico Reco11struction Administration, appropriation of ERA Act funds to, 10.
Purchase of materials, supplies, and equipment for
project operation, .56, ,59--62.
Quartermaster Corps, 44, 53.
Radio broadcasting, limitation in the ERA Act, fiscal
year 194 I , 11.
Recreation projects, public participatio11 in, 73-74.
Reeves Field, Los A11gclcs (San Pedro), California,
WPA work on, 33-34.
Rcf Prral and certtficatio11 of workers for c111plo.\·111c11t, 82.
Hdief. (See Blind, aid to; Children, depe11deut, aid to;
Federal work and public assistance programs; General relief; Grants to needy farm families; Old-age
assista11cc; Workers, certification of.)
Rent of equipment and buildings, 56, .'\9-li2.
Research and record projects, li2, 80.
Safety provisions for WP A workers, 88-Sfl.
Sanitation projects:
Accomplishments on, 9, 76.
Employment on, 45.
Expenditures on, 62.
Review of, by the Biological Surn,~· of t,hP DPpartment of the Interior, 88.
Schedule of monthly earning.,. ,5, I 3, i\0-/\ I. 83-85.
School buildings:
Acco111plishme11ts on, 8, fl9--70.
Employment on construct ion or impron'mcnt of,
45.
School lunch projects, accomplislun(•nts 011, 9, 77.
Separations of workers from \VPA prnjcets. -1. 41, 42.
Sewer system and other utility projects:
Accomplishments on, 9, 7.",-7fi.
Emplo~•ment 011, 3, 44-45.
Expenditures on, 62.
Sewing projects:
Accomplislunents 011, 76-77.
Employment. on, 3, 45, -16.
Expenditures on, 62.
Snohomish County Airport, Washington, \YPA work
on, 31.
Social Security programs, sp(!cial t_qics of puhli<' as,istance, 92, 93, 9/\-98, 103, 108-109.
Soil Conservation Sen·icc, 44, 53.
Special t.~•1ws of public assistane<' undPr th(• Social
Sec11rit~' programs, 92, 93. 9/\-98. l03, I 08--109.
Sponsors:
Expenditures 011 projects opcrnt(•d h_,- \VP A, 6,
37, ,'\8-,59, 63-64.
Funds pledged for approved prnjPcts, fi.
Participation in initiation and prosecution of
projects, 12-13, 28, 37, /\9, 81i 88.
Twenty-five percent proyi,do11. 13. Hi, 87.
Typos of agencies acti11g as. ,'\9.
States, variation in typos of projects operated, 62 li3.
8t-at,istical sturlics and surveys, nccomplislmwnts 011. 80.
Streets and alleys, accomplishments on, 67.
Supplies, materials, and equipment. purchases of, 56,
;'\9--62.
Surplus commodities, distribution of, 77-78. 92-93.
Theatre projects, prohibition of, 12, 86.
Tornado relief, allocation of funds for. 53.
Traffic ,;11rveys, benefits of WP A work on. 68-69.
Training of workerR in occupations required by industrieR producing defense materials. 7. 12, 16, 20-21.
Trea,sury, Department of the, financial controls of ERA
Act funds, 89.
Turnover, labor, on WPA projects, 4-5, 40-43.
Twenty-five perce11t provision for sponsor~' share of
project cost, 13, 16, 87.
Unemployment:
Rclat.ion of Federal work and assistance programs
to, 101-102.
Relation of WP A employment to, 3-4.
Trend of, l-2.
Veterans, employment of, 13, 82.
\" ocational training project, for industries producing
defense materials, 7, 12, 16, 20-21.
Wage rates:
Exemptions from regular schedule of monthly
earnings, 16.
Monthly schedule, 5, 13, 48-51, 60, 83-8,5.
War Department:
Accomplishments, physical, on WP.-\ projects
sponsored by, 22-25.
Employment prodded 011 Ferleral construction
projects, 92.
Secretary's certification of defense projects for
operation by WPA, 11, 15.
WP A projects sponsored or operated b~·, 17, 18,
19, 23-25.
Welfare projects:
Accomplishments 011, 76-78.
Employment on, 45.
Expenditures on, 62.
Women, employment of, 2, 39-40.
\Vork camps, provision for medical and hospital facilitie;; for employees in, ERA Act, fiscal year 1941, 14.
Workers:
Admi1iistrative, number and salary of, .57-58.
Affidavit as to their citizenship and Jo_,·alty to the
U.S., 82.
Aliens, communists, etc., statutory pro\·isious
concerning, 13-14.
AsRignment of, 82-83.
Certification of, 2, 13-14, 39, 82.
Compensation for i11jurics sustained by, 88-89.
Earnings of, 5, 13, 48-51, 60, 83-85, 103.
Effect of 18-month provision on, 4-,5, 38-39,
41-42, 83.
Eligibility requirements for WPA employment, 82.
Hours of work, 5, 13, 16, 50-51, 84-8,'i.
Xeed of, periodic investigation of, 2, 14, 83.
:\' oncertified, 2, 39, 83.
Profossional and technical, 49--50.
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Workers-Continued.
Referral aud eertificatio11 of, 2, 13-14, 39, 82.
Safety proYisions f0r, 88-89.
Skilled, 49-50.
Total number since beginning of WP A program, 8.
Training, \"ocational, for industries producing
defense materials, 7, 12, 16, 2{}-21.
17nskilled, 48-50.
Veterans, employment proYisions concerning, 13,
82.
Wage cla~ses, 2, 48-.'i0.
W orkers---Co11tinued.
Women, 2, 39 -40.
In work campH, provision of medical and hospital
facilities for, 14.
See also J<;mploymcnt.
Writers' project, accomplishme11ts on, 80.
Yards and Docks, Bureau of:
Allocation of WP A funds to, under ERA Act of
1939, ,'i3.
Employment on WPA projects operated by, 44.
Xational defense projects, operated by, 19.
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