Query: |
When are you going to start your new projects?
|
Mr. Hopkins: |
We are having a meeting here on Monday and Tuesday of Works Progress Administrators.
|
Query: |
All of them?
|
Mr. Hopkins: |
Yes.
|
Query: |
Where will it be held?
|
Mr. Hopkins: |
I don't know. Here, if we have room enough. Nobody is going to make any speeches.
|
Query: |
A lot of people are saying this thing is developing into just another CWA.
|
Mr. Hopkins: |
I did not know a lot of people were saying that.
|
Query: |
What kind of building project can you build with this $1100 limitation?
|
Mr. Hopkins: |
I did not know of any $1100 limitation,
|
Query: |
How can you hire three and one-half million men with that restriction?
|
Mr. Hopkins: |
That is too involved a question. I do not follow that.
|
Query: |
At the White House, the Allotment Board announced that the average should be around $1140. What type of project can you build for that?
|
Mr. Hopkins: |
There might be some that cost $2700. You can build almost anything for that.
|
Query: |
A reclamation project?
|
Mr. Hopkins: |
Sure,
|
Query: |
A dredging project?
|
Mr. Hopkins: |
Sure; we can build houses.
|
Query: |
Can you build a reclamation project for $1100?
|
Mr. Hopkins: |
No.
|
Query: |
Are there going to be any reclamation projects?
|
Mr. Hopkins: |
Sure, why not?
|
Query: |
Some of the boys say they come in with projects, and every time it is over the $1100 limitation, they are told to go back and revise their figures. Are they being told that?
|
Mr. Hopkins: |
Not that I know of.
|
Query: |
Would you have to get extremely low figures to balance the $2700 projects?
|
Mr. Hopkins: |
Obviously we cannot put three and one-half million men to work building tri-borough bridges. Now you move from there down to a point where you can do it. A good many of these reclamation projects are coming in now. Some of those average around that and some are a good deal more. One I saw was less than $1100.
|
Query: |
Was that a reclamation project?
|
Mr. Hopkins: |
Yes.
|
Query: |
A concrete or dirt dam?
|
Mr. Hopkins: |
Dirt; concrete costs more.
|
Query: |
It is not just a question of a dirt dam, but whether there will be a wash-out.
|
Mr. Hopkins: |
It depends on what the army engineers say as to whether or not they think there will be a wash-out. We will do whatever they say.
|
Query: |
Most of the engineers are working on it now?
|
Mr. Hopkins: |
Yes. Now it is perfectly clear; take another example. We spend all this money, lets say, on city halls, post offices or hospitals or houses. Obviously, we could not put three and one-half million men to work for four billion dollars.
|
Query: |
What is on the other end of the line?
|
Mr. Hopkins: |
Sewers are very good projects. Completing new parks.
|
Query: |
How about street paving?
|
Mr. Hopkins: |
Certain types of street paving.
|
Query: |
Highways?
|
Mr. Hopkins: |
Not main highway stuff.
|
Query: |
What about grade crossings?
|
Mr. Hopkins: |
They run about $2000 or more. It is a good project though.
|
Query: |
What about community centers?
|
Mr. Hopkins: |
They are something like any other big building.
|
Query: |
Inasmuch as a large number on relief are in cities, those projects naturally would be higher.
|
Mr. Hopkins: |
That is to some extent true, and I would say in all big cities there will be some of these high-cost projects done.
|
Query: |
What about slum clearance?
|
Mr. Hopkins: |
Slum clearance is high cost, but I assume some will be done,
|
Query: |
If you put through slum clearance as high cost, then you won't be able to put in so many others.
|
Mr. Hopkins: |
You mean others in the same cities? That is true. The cities pick and choose the kind of things they want the most.
|
Query: |
Would demolition be low cost?
|
Mr. Hopkins: |
Demolition is very low. The material cost is almost nothing,
|
Query: |
Are you planning a lot of that?
|
Mr. Hopkins: |
We are planning some in some places.
|
Query: |
You still feel it is possible to put three and one-half million men to work?
|
Mr. Hopkins: |
Not only possible, but it will be done.
|
Query: |
You figure three and one-half million as the average?
|
Mr. Hopkins: |
Yes.
|
Query: |
You say the cities pick and choose. Doesn't that get down to where they have to get a program with some high and some low cost projects?
|
Mr. Hopkins: |
All the cities that I know of are working on that very thing.
|
Query: |
When are you going to get your rules?
|
Mr. Hopkins: |
Our Works Progress Administrators when they leave here will have a time schedule on this; a schedule on the number of persons to be put to work, the number of projects, kind of projects, how to get them authorized, They will know everything about them, and we will move from that point on. I would say there will be a substantial number of people working in July. I do not know the exact number, but a substantial number.
|
Query: |
That does not mean transferring them from the present Works Program?
|
Mr. Hopkins: |
To some extent, yes.
|
Query: |
Will all Works Progress Administrators be appointed by Monday?
|
Mr. Hopkins: |
I cannot answer.
|
Query: |
That means a good part of this program will go out through the Works Progress Administrations?
|
Mr. Hopkins: |
Yes.
|
Query: |
The major part?
|
Mr. Hopkins: |
I cannot answer that.
|
Query: |
What type of work can they be put to work on by July?
|
Mr. Hopkins: |
Sewers; water system; new parks; roads; drainage projects; all kinds of white collar projects.
|
Query: |
Will those be small projects that will not be put through the Allotment Board?
|
Mr. Hopkins: |
The point is not whether they will go through the Allotment Board. The main thing will be the type of project—whether they can be completed within a reasonably short time, before July 1st, 1936, and for which grants are made.
|
Query: |
Will they go through the Allotment Board?
|
Mr. Hopkins: |
Sure.
|
Query: |
How about roads?
|
Mr. Hopkins: |
That is up to McDonald.
|
Query: |
Are they subject to that $1100 average?
|
Mr. Hopkins: |
Well, the whole program is subject to it now. Obviously, you get special sectors like Hackett's Housing Program. Hackett could not conform on that, but somebody else can have as many projects as Hackett and spend as much money, which will average the thing off.
|
Query: |
McDonald issued a release last Monday to the effect that the average cost of grade separation was $1400. Could that coincide with what you said?
|
Mr. Hopkins: |
Yes, taking into consideration that this is a heavy project and the Works Progress would have to take over projects to balance that.
|
Query: |
They can be done for $1400?
|
Mr. Hopkins: |
You will have to ask McDonald.
|
Query: |
The chief kick against the former CWA is that it put people to work raking leaves and things that were not really useful.
|
Mr. Hopkins: |
I am convinced that we can get projects which the tax-payers and citizens will say are useful projects and upon which the men are doing a good job in the interests of the public,
|
Query: |
Mr. Ickes says that he can get within this $1100 average by figuring it on the basis of the money the Federal Government actually puts up.
|
Mr. Hopkins: |
That is logical and reasonable, sure, because the other money does not come out of the four billion.
|
Query: |
Charges have been printed that you have learned to play politics in choosing the new Progress Division heads.
|
Mr. Hopkins: |
Some people say that I have always been playing politics.
|
Query: |
They say you have Farley's laurel wreath.
|
Mr. Hopkins: |
That is a lot of nonsense.
|
Query: |
Did you appoint Tom Prendergast a candidate from Missouri'
|
Mr. Hopkins: |
No.
|
Query: |
Has Murray been named?
|
Mr. Hopkins: |
If he has, it would not bother me any. He is a good man. The Engineering Society says he is good.
|
Query: |
How many Senators' approval did you have from the different states?
|
Mr. Hopkins: |
I suppose in the course of this thing I talked with probably half of the Congressmen and Senators on the Hill?
|
Query: |
Did you always take their recommendations?
|
Mr. Hopkins: |
No. They made lots of recommendations. Ever since I have been here they have been making recommendations for jobs. There is nothing new about it.
|
Query: |
Do you always see them?
|
Mr. Hopkins: |
I see every Congressman and Senator that knocks at this door. That is one thing I have always done here.
|
Query: |
Has the man you appointed in North Dakota any relief experience?
|
Mr. Hopkins: |
No, but he does not need relief experience. He needs to be a good executive—a man with executive ability who knows how to get things done and make the next move.
|
Query: |
Have you received a request from Mayor LaGuardia for help in demolishing buildings?
|
Mr. Hopkins: |
Yes, I have, but he has a big demolition project that could move right into Williamsburg tomorrow morning.
|
Query: |
Is that all right with you?
|
Mr. Hopkins: |
Sure, I hope they do it.
|
Query: |
You said before "he is a good man." Were you referring to Murray?
|
Mr. Hopkins: |
I was referring to Murray.
|
Query: |
Who recommended Murray?
|
Mr. Hopkins: |
One of the CWA men in Missouri.
|
Query: |
Has LaGuardia discussed a comprehensive Works Program in New York City with you?
|
Mr. Hopkins: |
No.
|
Query: |
Can you tell us why you have not picked the Maine Administrator yet.
|
Mr. Hopkins: |
No.
|
Query: |
How about Wisconsin?
|
Mr. Hopkins: |
The same answer.
|
Query: |
What are you going to do with Haynes? Are you going to leave him in charge of relief or transfer him out of the state?
|
Mr. Hopkins: |
He will be in charge of relief.
|
Query: |
Can you tell us something on this Virginia case about this fellow Hamilton? His friends claim that he has been embarrassed.
|
Mr. Hopkins: |
I certainly did not mean to embarrass him.
|
Query: |
He had never been a candidate.
|
Mr. Hopkins: |
That is what I understand.
|
Query: |
There are a large number of PWA employees who will be left out of work when the PWA first program is completed. Is there any way that they can be taken care of under this program?
|
Mr. Hopkins: |
You are talking about the workers? No, we could not handle them.
|
Query: |
Wouldn't that put a penalty on people for not being on relief rolls?
|
Mr. Hopkins: |
I have heard lots of people say we should not take these people from relief rolls—just keep on giving them relief.
|
Query: |
Is this going to be a twelve month program or sixteen?
|
Mr. Hopkins: |
Well, from my point of view it is a twelve month program.
|
Query: |
Have you heard that they are building up another relief crisis in Pennsylvania?
|
Mr. Hopkins: |
No, I hope not. I believe you fellows cooked that up. News is bad in Pennsylvania these days, is it?
|
Query: |
We will see you next week on that.
|
Query: |
Speaking of cities picking and choosing, suppose a city tentatively approved a six or seven million dollar low cost housing project, and has an application in for a fifteen million dollar sewer disposal plant. Could both of them be done? Would the city get two big projects?
|
Mr. Hopkins: |
It might.
|
Query: |
How are you going to sift projects that might well be financed on a borrowed money basis, and projects on which you will pay 100% of the cost?
|
Mr. Hopkins: |
That is not as difficult an it sounds. Obviously, on housing projects you can borrow money. On sewer projects, you can borrow money.
|
Query: |
They will probably ask you for it first, won't they?
|
Mr. Hopkins: |
We will set up a scheme by which they won't get away with that. We have people all over the country that will work that out.
|
Query: |
What will be the relationship of the Works Progress men with the Federal Reemployment Service?
|
Mr. Hopkins: |
Well, we are going into that Monday and Tuesday and I would rather not discuss it. That is a separate outfit under the Labor Department, and will have a very important part in this whole picture.
|
Query: |
How many people are on work relief now?
|
Mr. Hopkins: |
Two and one-half million.
|
Query: |
How about Abby Wilder?
|
Mr. Hopkins: |
She was never employed by me.
|
Query: |
By whom?
|
Mr. Hopkins: |
The State of New Hampshire. These are Federal employees. These people were not Federal employees before and many people who are quite competent to administer relief would not make a wise choice as an administrator on this kind of a job of putting people to work.
|
Query: |
Some of these states, particularly the middle western states are having a hard time getting things whipped into shape. It looks like some time before applications....
|
Mr. Hopkins: |
Don't worry about that.
|
Query: |
You mean they will be taken care of regardless....
|
Mr. Hopkins: |
Any state in the Union. We can get all applications in ten days for all projects that could possibly be done in the United States. The problem of getting these applications where engineering and planning has been done is no trick. The trick is in knowing which to weed out and to pick the best.
|
Query: |
Will some limit be put on the amount of money allocated to the states?
|
Mr. Hopkins: |
Obviously, we have to get a device somewhere so that the states have some idea of how many men to get to work and how much money to do it with, Before these fellows come next Tuesday, we will have a substantial idea.
|
Query: |
Is it more or less mechanical?
|
Mr. Hopkins: |
You can figure it out as well as we can.
|
Query: |
The north will get more than the south?
|
Mr. Hopkins: |
That is right. It will all be taken into consideration.
|
Query: |
How can we figure it out?
|
Mr. Hopkins: |
You have two constant factors. Three and one-half million persons and four billion dollars. You know the size of the relief roll and the population of every state in the Union.
|
Query: |
The object of this program is to give jobs to people on relief rolls and not to provide secondary employment?
|
Mr. Hopkins: |
That is right. The objective of the program is to put three and one-half million people to work.
|
Query: |
When the President explained the plan, he said the secondary object was to put another three and one-half million to work in private industry. If you limit the cost of your projects, the number of persons employed in private industry will be smaller.
|
Mr. Hopkins: |
That is always a matter of opinion as to how many men can be employed indirectly. At any rate, my motivation in this thing is entirely in terms of three and one-half million now on relief,
|
Query: |
Obviously, the less material you use, the fewer men will be benefited in private industry,
|
Mr. Hopkins: |
That is partly true.
|
Query: |
Where you don't have a state administrator appointed, will the entire program hang fire until he is appointed?
|
Mr. Hopkins: |
It won't hang fire very long.
|
Query: |
Will the program move as fast as the CWA?
|
Mr. Hopkins: |
Yes, the organization will move as fast, but these people are not going to be told they must get so many people to work on such and such a date. We are going to give relief until we get the work thing going. There will be a very substantial number at work in July. We are going to give these figures out regularly.
|
Query: |
Are you going to do it?
|
Mr. Hopkins: |
I think Walker's outfit will release it.
|
Query: |
What do you regard as the number of people that will be put to work indirectly?
|
Mr. Hopkins: |
I think a minimum of 1 to 1.
|
Query: |
On the $1100 figure?
|
Mr. Hopkins: |
Yes, but I do not like you to get me connected with this.
|
Query: |
Would you care to state who recommended the Director for Virginia?
|
Mr. Hopkins: |
I did.
|
Query: |
Who is he?
|
Mr. Hopkins: |
Mr. Smith.
|
Query: |
What is his background?
|
Mr. Hopkins: |
He has been Relief Administrator there.
|
Query: |
How, about the District of Columbia?
|
Mr. Hopkins: |
I have just forgotten,
|
Query: |
They are having quite a time in the District Building.
|
Mr. Hopkins: |
Over this? They are?
|
Query: |
Isn't it true that all but three or four of the Works Progress Administrators named are Democrats?
|
Mr. Hopkins: |
I cannot answer that. I hope they are all in sympathy with this program,
|
Query: |
How many have not been named?
|
Mr. Hopkins: |
About three or four.
|
Query: |
What is holding up the District?
|
Mr. Hopkins: |
Nothing. It is so close, it is something that can be done any minute. I have not had my mind on it.
|
Query: |
Who passes on the white collar projects? Here or the Central Statistical Board?
|
Mr. Hopkins: |
I guess I had better tell you something of this organization from our own office. I made up my mind that I am going to use our people. This crowd here—four or five fellows, have been with me since the beginning, and they suit me. I cannot hire any better, and if they cannot do it, I cannot get any better to do it. So, Gill, Williams, Baker, Westbrook and Mrs. Woodward are all going to move into this Works Progress Administration and each one will have specific duties and responsibilities. They are going to be the people that, as far as I am concerned, I am going to depend on to do the work. They were all here during the CWA, except Westbrook, and he was running the CWA in Texas. They are going to be our staff people.
|
Query: |
What about the relief work?
|
Mr. Hopkins: |
As far as Federal relief is concerned, Williams will do the most of that.
|
Query: |
Is Williams to become the Relief Director?
|
Mr. Hopkins: |
I do not know. He will be the Assistant Director in the Works Progress Administration.
|
Query: |
Will Miss Hickok retain a position with you?
|
Mr. Hopkins: |
I hope so. Nothing has been decided one way or the other. I am just assuring she will. That is true with most of our staff. A lot bf our staff are going to work for the Relief Administration.
|
Query: |
You say that more than half of the members of Congress have been up to see you?
|
Mr. Hopkins: |
That is probably an exaggeration. Some of those fellows never come up here.
|
Query: |
How many Republicans come up?
|
Mr. Hopkins: |
Yes, lots of my Republican friends come up to see about jobs. Why not?
|
Query: |
What can you tell us about the Labor Policy Board?
|
Mr. Hopkins: |
I was hoping to announce the names on that Board today. I did not want to announce it until it was ready. We are going to have a Labor Policy Board made up of five members. This Board will receive all complaints and make all suggestions to me regarding labor policy.
|
Query: |
Who is going to be Chairman?
|
Mr. Hopkins: |
I will appoint the Chairman.
|
Query: |
Have you had kicks from organized labor because of the restriction on the amount that is going to be spent per man per year?
|
Mr. Hopkins: |
No.
|
Query: |
Have you made any final decision on Georgia wanting more school money?
|
Mr. Hopkins: |
I have, but nobody else has.
|
Query: |
Will you appoint the District Works Administrators or will the State?
|
Mr. Hopkins: |
The State.
At this point the Conference Adjourned.
|