Work Relief Administration Press Conferences
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Press Conference
Harry Hopkins
August 7, 1934

Mr. Hopkins:	"Well, you boys gave me a rotten break on that ball game up there. It was a great deal better than that. Tugwell was worse that I was but you gave him a break.
Query:	How are your muscles?
Mr. Hopkins:	I am a little sore in my right side.
Query:	What was the matter with your game?
Mr. Hopkins:	Nothing the matter with my game. It was all right. You boys just wanted to take a crack at me.
Query:	You mean you didn't have a chance?
Mr. Hopkins:	I mean my game was all right. My field work was perfect but my batting was zero.
Query:	Mr. Hopkins, How many sheep are you going to buy?
Mr. Hopkins:	I don't know how many. I think they are just starting to buy. This feed situation—or, the lack of feed—has a lot to do with it. Any sheep that are bought are being bought because there isn't going to be feed enough to keep them this winter. The number will depend on the amount of feed that there is going to be available this winter to feed those that are left. I don't know how many.
Query:	What disposition is going to be made of wool and hides?
Mr. Hopkins:	Well, we are working on those now. We are working on a device to take care of that—there are two or three things. First, something that will not interfere with the existing sales. Secondly, something that will be confined entirely to the relief outfit, and third, a plan of orderly tanning hides and manufacture of whatever we want to use in existing commercial plants, one kind and another, and the distribution of those to relief families in such a way as will protect the present market situation fully. One reason we decided to take over the hides in our new contract was because the hides are being dumped on the market by the packers very naturally, because our contract provided that they keep the hide. So in order to prevent that, in our present contracts we are taking title to all hides ourselves. We appreciate fully the importance of not in anyway upsetting the market and we believe that we can work this out so that we can increase employment in existing plants and with care can distribute these products to the unemployed over a period of time and that that will not disturb the present situation, but indeed improve it."
Query:	"How much is that going to increase your cost?"
Mr. Hopkins:	Well,—you mean the actual processing of these hides? Well obviously no one would recommend that we throw the hides away. We cannot feed these cattle because the feed is inadequate. They would starve to death if we didn't buy them and furthermore, we are going to need the food for those that are left. Everyone of these we are buying are being carefully slaughtered. Beef is being canned to give to the unemployed. That is the first thing. Second thing is the hides are there. We have unemployed that need shoes and coats and they may need gloves, for instance—I am just thinking out loud of the things they night need and we have plenty of existing commercial facilities to process these things for use. You ask me how much it cost us to process the hides instead of throwing them away. I cannot tell you.
Query:	"Will this be done instead of giving part payment?"
Mr. Hopkins:	Well, that is all in the picture. Our project will be a project which will be equivalent to the use of the number of hides that we have got and we will get those out but we will do it over a period of time so as not to disturb the market and we hope we can improve it.
Query:	Is all your canning done by contract?
Mr. Hopkins:	Beef canning? We are getting every cannery in America that we can get a contract with through the states or otherwise. Our problem is the inability to get adequate canning facilities. Our first move is to get all the canning facilities in America. If we get dammed up on the number of cattle we can do each, we have to feed the cattle as they live. They will use feed that is needed by the cattle that we are not going to kill. We can't string out the killing program indefinitely because of the feed situation. They are—I suppose, I don't know the exact figures, but my guess is—Oh, I think all of the canning plants are commercial. I think we are canning little or nothing. A great many canners' plants haven't been used for a long time and we have whipped into service these plants through the states.
Query:	Wouldn't it be possible to increase the number of cattle on winter pasturage in the southern states?
Mr. Hopkins:	We have all, or will have in the immediate future, in the southern states on pasturage that they can handle. Furthermore, the pastures run out down there in the winter and we will have to put them on feed. We have 1,300,000 now in pastures. They have gone to the various states—chiefly, the southern states. We cannot keep those cattle through the winter without feeding them and there is no feed for them. If we buy feed, which we probably will have to do, we won't have enough to go around. The government is trying to buy approximately the number of cattle necessary in order to have enough feed left for the rest of them. The figure changes. If rains come along we get a better picture of how much pasturage crop is available.
Query:	Is the policy now governing cattle going to apply to sheep?
Mr. Hopkins:	Yes, I think the same problem is involved in the killing of sheep. It depends on the amount of feed that will be left to take care of the sheep on the ranges.
Query:	Is this canning being done without profit?
Mr. Hopkins:	I can't say that. I don't see why it should be. I don t see why these corporations should do business for the government without profit.
Query:	It is not in your contracts then?
Mr. Hopkins:	I don't know—we make no specifications that they do it at cost. I assume they are all doing it with some profit.
Query:	They have to abide by code regulations?
Mr. Hopkins:	Yes, and by our specifications. We don't ask them to do it at cost.
Query:	Wasn't there an announcement about the government taking over some canning places and doing the canning themselves?
Mr. Hopkins:	No. I didn't make that announcement. We have a few instances where some of our unemployed are canning a little fruit and meat but they are inconsequential.
Query:	Are you making shoes?
Mr. Hopkins:	No. We may have some shoemakers unemployed who are mending workers' shoes or someone on relief making a few paira of shoes. I don't know. But that is not our plan.
Query:	The states can go ahead, however, and make shoes, can they not?
Mr. Hopkins:	Yes, but I mean it just isn't in the picture. It is a highly technical business and that is not on the cards in any way that amounts to anything. We might get into a theoretical argument of some kind but properly it is not in the picture.
Query:	You seem to be getting around to an EPIC plan.
Mr. Hopkins:	What—? If you think—If you think that I am getting around to an EPIC plan —
Query:	After talking to Sinclair, do you still think he is on our side?
Mr. Hopkins:	I don't want to comment on that.
Query:	May I ask you this question—He made a statement the other night that you told him the FERA would make loans to Self-Help most likely and that he had every reason to think that you would.
Mr. Hopkins:	I don't want to comment on that.
Query:	Have you given any further thought to the suggestion of long term grants, over a period of months instead of month by month?
Mr. Hopkins:	It would be nice if we had the money.
Query:	Has any definite policy been adopted?
Mr. Hopkins:	Well, you can't adopt the policy unless you have the money. I don't make commitments unless I have money in the bank. As a matter of fact, these State Administrators know personally substantially what they are going to get from month to month. We have had informal discussions and I have told them "This is what you are going to get, what we intend to do, and you go ahead and make your plans accordingly." The formal record doesn't show that, of course. We have just now got the actual counts of the families on relief in July. We made an estimate of four million families. The actual count is 3,000,000 families actually on relief, instead of the four millions we estimated.
Query:	What was the date of that?
Mr. Hopkins:	That was for the month of July. The total number that got relief of any kind from the states, the counties, the Federal government and everywhere.
Query:	About how much was spent on these people?
Mr. Hopkins:	Substantially $132,000,000, all money included. Now you see it is very important that we guard this Federal money very carefully and to watch this thing. We are now making a new drive to get the relief rolls down to those people that are in need. You know that old story that we go through ever so often about really making a drive to cut this thing down to those who are actually in need. In a thing like this there are always a few on that shouldn't be on. We want our relief machinery tightened up for the winter.
Query:	Are your costs rising greatly?
Mr. Hopkins:	Well, the cost of living has risen and our costs have risen in accordance with that.
Query:	Does that indicate a higher average?
Mr. Hopkins:	Yes, and I think that is due to the fact that the things relief families buy have risen about 20 per cent. I don't think it represents in any substantial way an increase in the adequacy of relief given lately. I think it is too bad because we have considerable a evidence in many places of this.
Query:	Since you returned, have you considered a possible new plan for relief to be worked out?
Mr. Hopkins:	I don't know. I don't think so.
Query:	Have you had any requests for increased grants in these textile states?
Mr. Hopkins:	No.
Query:	Have you made any preparations for relief to strikers?
Mr. Hopkins:	Nothing except as our policy has indicated. We have made no grants and I know of no states that have received any requests for grants.
Query:	Does this $132,000,000 cover your July bill? Does that include a number of single persons?
Mr. Hopkins:	Yes. That includes a total cost of all in America.
Query:	What is the count on single people?
Mr. Hopkins:	525,000 single persons.
Query:	What is the count on transients?
Mr. Hopkins:	200,000 transients.
Query:	What is the proportion of Federal money?
Mr. Hopkins:	About two-thirds.
Query:	Have you any reports of strikers applying for relief? They said yesterday that you had a good many requests from the south about inadequate food and medical supplies and attention.
Mr. Hopkins:	I don't know. I don't think there have been any.
Query:	What is the average cost per family?
Mr. Hopkins:	It is—I don't like to use this figure. I think it is about $25.00 a month, but I am not sure. Do you want to know it? I will get it for you. (Figures were brought in by Secretary).
Query:	Any disturbances on the Pennsylvania front?
Mr. Hopkins:	None.
Query:	How about the Kentucky front?
Mr. Hopkins:	None, whatever.
Query:	Quite a few speculative news stories have been out about the possibility of the CWA being brought into use again this winter. Have you given any consideration to that?
Mr. Hopkins:	No.
Query:	Is there any probability?
Mr. Hopkins:	No. I don't want to comment on it.
Query:	Have you made an estimate of the amount of money needed for the next summer?
Mr. Hopkins:	Well, it is not a sum that is going to scare anybody.
Query:	About $500,000,000?
Mr. Hopkins:	I don't want to comment on it.
Query:	Have you had any reply from Governor Laffoon yet?
Mr. Hopkins:	I don't know. I haven't seen it if there is.
Query:	Are you going to buy feed in Canada for use in America?
Mr. Hopkins:	Well, undoubtedly we are going to have to buy feed this winter for the cattle of families on the relief rolls this winter in the drought areas. We will get feed just like we get any other form of feed.
Query:	Some official in Alberta has stated that we may buy $10,000,000 worth of food there.
Mr. Hopkins:	I don't know. I didn't say so. I wouldn't say that much anyway.
Query:	Is there any possibility of using large amounts of mash from distilleries?
Mr. Hopkins:	That is a new one on me. I don't say that it has not been given consideration, though. We are going to have to use anything in the way of feed that we can get this winter. We might do that. Everything that can be used in the United States is going to be used.
Query:	How is the drought situation going now?
Mr. Hopkins:	I would say it is falling off. You see, if it weren't for this damned drought the picture for this number of families would have been much better.
Query:	How many would you estimate.
Mr. Hopkins:	I don't like to say.
Query:	Would a guess of a million be too many?
Mr. Hopkins:	I don't know the facts. I think a million is too high. But there is no question in my mind that if it were not for the drought it would be a great deal less. Here is the average relief per family. $23.09 per month per family on relief. That is everything, work and everything else.
Query:	Have you had any complaints from Kentucky on inadequate relief? I notice some figures give it as $1.50 to $1.80 per family.
Mr. Hopkins:	well, you have to dig down to the inside of those families. They may live on a farm and that might represent what they need over and above what they have. It is risky to use these figures. You know they have more than $23.00. Our figures are kept to show the case amount in each State. I would say that the relief is about that. I am not sure.
Query:	Has any value been placed on the total value of foodstuffs? What is it?
Mr. Hopkins:	I can get that for you if you want it.
Query:	There were some reports of a shake-up in Kentucky resulting from investigations from this office and we have reports about political favoritism and this office is said to be considering taking some action in Missouri, too, in the same matters.
Mr. Hopkins:	Remember, there is an election going on there. We have heard nothing on it. That is rather surprising.
Query:	How many people are on work relief projects now?
Mr. Hopkins:	1,600,000.
Query:	Is that an increase?
Mr. Hopkins:	Well, it is going up a little, increasing gradually. Out of 3,830,000 familiea. That includes some single persons, one million six hundred thousand individuals. There is not more than one person to a family working on relief projects.
Query:	How much of the 132,000,000 is represented by work relief? Do you intend to build up the number on work relief throughout the winter?
Mr. Hopkins:	I wouldn't say so.
Query:	Do you expect the number to increase?
Mr. Hopkins:	I don't know. I am watching that very closely. I am pleased that we have so many as we have and if you multiply 170,000 by four you have seven or eight thousand people on relief that are not on relief as we had estimated.
Query:	Do you think the mattress making project will employ many of these people?
Mr. Hopkins:	I don't know. I might be wrong. These people down below might tell me lot more than that. I don't know. After this the Press Conference adjourned about 11:00 A.M.