L. 11-31 < A
A Survey of Relief
and
Security Programs
WORKS PROGRESS ADMINISTRATION
WORKS PROGRESS ADMINISTRATION
HARRY L. HOPKINS, Administrator
CORRINGTON GILL
Assistant Administrator
EMERSON ROSS
Director, Division of Research, Statistics, and Records
A SURVEY OF
RELIEF AND
SECURITY PROGRAMS
by
ARTHUR E. BURNS
and
EDWARD A. WILLIAMS
MAY, 1938
Wash ington, D. C.
iii
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
INTRODUCTION 1
RELIEF PRIOR TO 1933 6
Poor Relief 7
State Action 9
BREAKDOWN OF THE LOCAL RELIEF SYSTEM 11
Economic Changes 11
Breakdown of Looal Relief 12
Federal Action in 1932 13
RELIEF UNDER THE FERA AND THE CWA 14
FERA Objectives 16
Diversity of Relief Problems........... 17
Work Relief 21
Civil Works Program. 22
The Emergency Work Relief Program of the FERA 29
Direct Relief 30
Special Programs 31
Funds 33
RELIEF POLICY OF 1935 36
THE WORKS PROGRAM 39
Works Program Agencies 40
Funds 41
Employment 42
The Role of the WPA.... 43
WPA Projects 47
Employment Policy 47
National Youth Administration 49
Federal Agenoies (Other than the WPA) 50
Public Works Administration..... 52
Emergency Conservation Work 54
Other Agenoies 54
THE SOCIAL SECURITY PROGRAM 56
Aid to Dependent Children.... 57
Aid to the Blind 58
Old-Age Assistance 59
Old-Age Benefits 61
Unemployment Compensation 64
GENERAL RELIEF..... 66
EXPENDITURES FOR RELIEF AND WORK PROGRAMS 67
PERMANENCE OF THE PROBLEM OF DESTITUTION 70
CONCLUSION... 76
APPENDIXi Tables 79
iv
LIST OF TEXT TABLES
Page
1. Estimated net total number of relief and nonrelief house¬
holds and persons receiving relief, Works Program employ¬
ment, and emergency employment, by months, January 1933
through February 1938.... 4
2. Number of families, single persons, cases, total persons,
and percent of population receiving emergency relief
under the general relief and special programs, continen¬
tal United States, by months, January 1933 through Janua¬
ry 1938 19
3. Number of persons working on the Civil Works program and
amount of earnings on all projects, continental United
States, by weeks, November 23, 1933 through July 14, 1934 25
4. Employment on projects of the Works Progress Administra¬
tion, Civilian Conservation Corps, and other agencies, by
relief status, last week in each month, July 1935 through
April 2, 1938 44
5. Amount of Federal, State, and local funds used for secur¬
ity programj Half-year periods, January 1933 through De¬
cember 1937 68
LIST OF CHARTS
1. Estimated net total number of households and persons re¬
ceiving relief. Works Program employment, and emergency
employment, 1933-1938 5
2. Emergency relief and work programs, 1933-1938 34
3. Total obligations incurred for relief by sources of
funds, 1933-1938 35
4. Public assistance under the Social Security Board, 1936-
1938
62
INTRODUCTION
During the depression years, the United States was con¬
fronted with a problem of insecurity of unparalleled inten¬
sity. Unemployment deprived millions of families of their
source of livelihood;part-time employment provided many wage
earners with incomes too meagre to support themselves and
their families; declining agricultural prices and extensive
droughts impoverished a large segment of the fferm population;
and business failures and investment losses brought manymare
to a state of distress. To meet this problem of poverty, the
Federal Government finally embarked upon a far-reaching pro¬
gram of relief and employment. Since 1932 the Federal Gov¬
ernment, in collaboration with the States and localities, has
been slowly shaping a program of security to meet the needs
of those who have no inoome or whose income is insufficient
for adequate support. The financial outlays for this broad
program have been large and such outlays will undoubtedly
constitute a major item in future budgets.
Federal relief polioies have taken varying forms during
the years since 1932 and at present the Federal program in¬
cludes two principal parts: the Social Security program and
the Works Program. At the same time, the States and locali-
2
ties are conducting a general relief program for those des¬
titute persons who are ineligible for, or unable to obtain,
assistance from the Social Security program or the Works
Program.
Under the Social Security Act, the Federal Government is
providing financial assistance to those States which have
approved plans for aid to such classes of persons as the
destitute aged, the blind, and mothers with dependent chil¬
dren. Through these public-assistance provisions of the Aot,
benefits were being provided, in January 1938, for 1,609,000
aged persons,45,000 blind persons, and 218,000 families with
dependent children. Unemployment compensation programs are
now operating in 25 States, and early in April 1938, some
800,000 unemployed were receiving benefits. In future years
when the Social Security program is in full effect, the old-
age-benefit program will also play an important part by
bringing large groups within the security program.
Under the Works Program, 2,951,000 persons were receiv¬
ing employment on March 26, 1938. Of these, 2,395,000 were
employed by the Works Progress Administration, the remainder
receiving employment through the Emergency Conservation Work
program, the Public Works Administration, and other Federal
agencies cooperating under the Works Program in furnishing
3
employment. The sharp decline in business activity in the
closing months of 1937 and the consequent rise in unemploy¬
ment required an increase in WPA employment. From a low lev¬
el of 1,451,000 in September 1937, WPA employment increased
to over 2 million in February and, for the week ending April
2, 1938, to 2,445,000. During April the total is expeoted
to reach 2,500,000. To permit this increase. Congress appro¬
priated an additional $250,000,000 for the WPA (approved
March 2, 1938).
In addition to the persons benefiting under the Social
Security Act and the Works Program, approximately 1,915,000
families and single persons were receiving direct relief
from the States and localities in January 1938. This repre¬
sents an inorease of over 600,000 cases since September, due
in large measure to the increase in unemployment.
The magnitude of the various relief and emergency em¬
ployment activities since January 1933 can be seen from the
data presented in table 1 and chart 1, showing the number of
households (families and single persons) and the total num¬
ber of persons aided by these governmental programs. The
peak occurred in February 1934 when 7,879,000 different
households, representing 27,606,000 persons, received bene¬
fits. The major programs which make up this series include
4
Table 1.- ESTIMATED NET TOTAL NUMBER OF RELIEF AND NONRELIEF
HOUSEHOLDS AND PERSONS RECEIVING RELIEF, WORKS
PROGRAM EMPLOYMENT AND EMERGENCY EMPLOYMENT
January 1933 Through February 1938
Month
House¬
holds
Persons
House¬
holds
Persons
House¬
holds
Persons
( In
t h o
u s a n d s
)
1953
1934
1935
Jan.
4,647
18,224
7,821
27,449
6,727
23,964
Feb.
4,968
19,510
7,879
27,606
6,651
23,716
Mar.
5,463
21,479
7,169
26,495
6,630
23,492
Apr.
5,349
21,046
6,270
22,448
6,650
23,357
May
5,275
20,653
5,658
20,648
6,575
22,934
June
4,851
18,839
5,631
20,475
6,258
21,769
July
4,551
17,286
5,872
21,352
6,033
21,042
Aug.
4,372
16,895
6,106
22,244
5,916
20,461
Sep.
3,973
15,071
6,111
22,065
5,539
18,998
Oct.
4,116
15,596
6,220
22,204
5,588
18,879
Nov.
5,403
19,787
6,391
22,758
5,528
18,604
Dec.
7,062
24,802
6,547
23,475
5,886
19,851
1936
1937
1958
Jan.
6,044
20,633
6,000
19,050
5,904
17,314
Feb.
6,209
21,192
5,954
18,614
6,231
18,502
Mar.
6,229
21,243
6,015
18,846
Apr.
6,018
20,450
5,929
18,373
May
5,809
19,414
5,844
18,041
June
5,587
18,517
5,473
16,783
July
5,477
17,900
5,069
15,266
Aug.
5,602
18,286
4,849
14,380
Sep.
5,670
18,615
4,764
13,987
Oct.
5,958
19,048
4,907
14,135
Nov.
6,005
19,113
5,041
14,597
Dec.
5,968
18,872
5,390
15,603
5
Chart 1 ESTIMATED NET TOTAL NUMBER OF HOUSEHOLDS AND PERSONS
RECEIVING RELIEF, WORKS PROGRAM EMPLOYMENT,
AND EMERGENCY EMPLOYMENT
MILLIONS
OF PERSONS
MILLIONS
OF HOUSEHOLDS
12
i i i i I ; i i i I i i i 1 ; i m i 1 i i i i I i i i ■ o
1935 1936 1937 1938
Works Progress Administration 2800
6
the KERA, the CWA, the CCC, the WPA, the Social Security Old
Age Assistance program and aid to dependent children, State-
local general relief, and other programs. It is the purpose
of this pamphlet to present the historical background of the
current relief situation and of these major programs and to
indicate the work accomplished under them during recent
years.
RELIEF PRIOR TO 1933
The present status and possible future developments of
the Federal and State programs established to promote secur¬
ity are best understood in the light of the conditions which
brought them into being. Before describing the relief or¬
ganisation of 1929, two points must be emphasised which are
generally overlooked in discussions of the relief problem.
Even before 1929, unemployment of varying intensity was a
characteristic of long standing in the United States and re¬
lief needs had been expanding steadily for decades. Esti-
1/
mates of unemployment oovering the period from 1897 to
1926 for four major industries show an average uianployment
rate of 10 percent, with wide fluctuations between prosperi¬
ty and depression periods. Local censuses of unemployment
l/ Paul Douglas, Real Wages in the United States.
7
in many looalitiee over the last several decadeB also show a
substantial problem of unemployment. In 1923 and 1926 reli¬
able estimates prepared by the Committee on Economio Securi¬
ty indicate that there were more than 1,500,000 persons out
of work in the United States while in 1929 an average of
1,800,000 were jobless. Another fact not generally recog¬
nized is that relief expenditures had been rising constantly
for several decades prior to 1929., Public relief expendi¬
tures in 16 major oities increased from $1,500,000 in 1911
to $20,000,000 in 1928. At the same time the ratio of pri¬
vate to public funds decreased during this period.
Therefore, in some respects the depression of the early
1930's merely accentuated an unemployment and relief problem
I
of long standing. The drastic increase in the size of the
problem, however, forced a reorganization of the methods for¬
merly employed in dealing with it. Changes in relief policy
and organization were inevitable in any event; the depres¬
sion merely hastened their development.
Poor Relief
The basic public relief offered in 1929 was provided
under State "poor laws" which were in existence in each
State. Poor relief was primarily designed to oare for a rel¬
atively small proportion of the population, chiefly those
8
who for one reason or another were unemployable. A large
proportion of those receiving relief up to 1929 were aged
/
persons and those with some mental or physical disability
which prevented them from achieving self-support. Strictly
speaking then, this local relief Byeterr, was not designed for
the relief of unemployment, although many unemployed persons
in the urban areas did obtain some aid under it. The aid
offered under the poor lajvs wa6 usually limited to almshouse
care, burial, medical care, and small amounts of outdoor re¬
lief. Generally speaking, it was considered desirable to
make public relief as unattractive as possible on the as¬
sumption that adequate relief would encourage idleness.
In every State, the locality was the governmental unit
«
which was held responsible for the administration and fi¬
nancing of "poor relief", and under this system local "poor-
masters" or "overseers of the poor" were charged with the
duty of caring for the destitute of their own community.
This concentration of the administrative and financial re¬
sponsibility for poor relief in the political subdivisions
of the States (the comities, towns, and cities) was based on
the belief that destitution was distinctly a local problem
and that care of the destitute was a local responsibility. .
This pattern of poor relief, characterized by looal re-
9
sponsibility and repressive methods in dealing with destitu¬
tion, had been transplanted from England to the American
colonies during the 17th and 18th centuries, spreading to the
new States during the period of national expansion. In struc¬
ture, in social theory, and in methods of administration,
early American relief was a parallel of the Elizabethan poor
relief system.
The concept of local responsibility for relief was par¬
ticularly well adapted to the early American scene. The in¬
security which at present arises out of industrial unemploy¬
ment was not of great importance during this early period.
The relief system was organised to care primarily for local
indigents, not the unemployed. And until the depression of
the early 1930's, the organization of local relief in many
parts of this country remained essentially unchanged from
that of 17th century England.
State Action
Even before 1929, however, State legislatures were be¬
ginning to recognize that certain classes of needy individ¬
uals, such as mothers with dependent children, the blind, the
aged, and veterans were entitled to a more adequate public
assistance. This recognition resulted in the passage of
special legislation for these classes in a number of States,
10
a development which later was given added impetus through
the Social Security Act.
The governmental system which has just been briefly
sketched was supplemented by the activities of various pri¬
vate charitable organisations and generously inclined indi¬
viduals. Private charities were an important factor in some
localities; in others they were of trifling significance or
nonexistent. The major portion of all relief provided in
1929 was extended by governmental agencies.
The statutory status of public relief in 1929 may be
summarised briefly. All States had poor-relief laws. Veter¬
ans' relief legislation had been provided in 44 States and
assistance for the blind in 22 States. Assistance to the
aged was accorded in only 10 States. All but five States
had provisions for aid to dependent children in their own
homes, and all but three had laws making possible the care
of dependent children in foster homes and institutions. No
State had enacted unemployment compensation legislation.
With the exception of veterans' relief and care of dependent
children by agencies or institutions, the local political
subdivisions generally were charged with the responsibility
for administering and financing the various types of aid.
11
BREAKDOWN OF THE LOCAL RELIEF SYSTEM
Economic Changes
Except for the special treatment of certain categories
of dependents mentioned above, the relief system had changed
but little in over two centuries. However, the economic
structure of the country underwent a significant transforma¬
tion during this period. The United States developed from a
6imple to a complex economy, from a local agricultural and
handicraft economy to a predominantly industrial and spe¬
cialised economic system. With the advance of specialisation
and its accompanying urban concentration, economic security
became largely a matter of holding a job. Unfortunately,
with this specialisation in economic activity the 6ystem be¬
came more liable to dislocations whioh deprived millions of
persons of their employment. Thus as employment has become
more vital to eoonomic security, the possibility of loss of
employment has tended to increase.
In modern economic society characterised by a high de¬
gree of specialisation and interdependence, unemployment is
primarily a national problem. Unemployment arising out of
industrial and financial disorganisation is not a local re¬
sponsibility and the historic local poor relief could not be
expected to cope alone with the unemployment relief problem
12
which arose in the early 1930'e. With economic activity de¬
veloped primarily on a national basis, subject to national
influences and disturbances, it became obvious, particularly
during the recent depression years, that local efforts were
insufficient. Administrative and financial organisation of
relief had to be patterned, at least in part, on a national
basis, in order to cope with a relief problem arising from
national maladjustments.
Breakdown of Local Relief
The outmoded local relief system of the pre-industrial
era soon proved incapable of meeting adequately the shock of
a major depression. Shortly after the decline in employment
in 1929 large numbers of the unemployed were forced to apply
for relief. The old poor law organizations had not been de¬
signed to cope with a major unemployment problem and they
were incapable of expanding sufficiently to meet the crisis.
Local government tax revenue declined during the depression
and local borrowing became difficult, and, in many instances,
impossible. Similarly, private relief organizations were
unable to increase their revenue sufficiently and funds from
this souroe declined from 24 percent of the total outlay in
1929 to 3 percent in 1934.
The breakdown in local public and private relief reached
13
serious proportions in 1931. In that year, State emergency
relief administrations were set up in four States, and many
more were created in 1932. During this period States like¬
wise found it increasingly difficult to collect taxes or to
borrow money, and appeals were made for Federal aid.
Federal Action in 1932
It was not until 1932, however, that the Federal Govern¬
ment took steps implicitly recognising the national charac¬
ter of the unemployment relief problem. In that year. Fed¬
eral cotton and wheat were donated to destitute persons
through the Red Cross, and the Emergency Relief and Construc¬
tion Act was passed, authorising the Reconstruction Finance
Corporation to make available $300,000,000 to States and lo¬
calities for emergency relief. This legislation was a depar¬
ture from the traditional policy of Federal aloofness but it
was far more significant as a precedent than for the relief
it afforded. The Act attempted to maintain the traditional
local system by means of reimbursable advances to the States
and cities. The Federal Government merely advanced the funds
and did not attempt to set any Federal standards regarding
the administration of relief in the States and localities.
The amount of the advances, however, was insufficient and
the insistence upon repayable advances was not in harmony
14
with the fiscal and economic realities of the problem. A
subsequent Aot rescinded the repayment provisions as they
applied to the advances made to the States, thus in effect
converting these advances into grants.
RELIEF UNDER THE FERA AND THE CWA
Early in 1933 the unemployment crisis became acute,
reaching an estimated level of 15,000,000. In March over 5.4
million caces were receiving relief. The RFC relief fund of
$300,000,000 was nearing depletion, and State and local funds
were insufficient to carry the burden.
The necessity of further and more substantial Federal
aid was recognised in May 1933 with the passage of the Fed¬
eral Emergency Relief Act. This Act established the Federal
Emergency Relief Administration and made available $500,000,-
000 for nonreimbursable grants to the States. By the fall of
1933 State emergency relief administrations were functioning
in every State and were receiving grants from the FERA.
Grants for emergency relief continued through 1935. The pro¬
gram was essentially a local relief program, operated by lo¬
cal officials, but financed, to the extent of 71 percent by
the Federal Government, with State and looal governments con¬
tributing 13 and 16 percent respectively.
Since the utmost confusion has prevailed on this point,
15
it may be well to emphasize again the basic fact that relief
applicants did not receive their food orders or work-relief
1/
checks from officials of the FERA. Nor did relief appli¬
cants receive their relief benefits from State officials.
The actual administration of relief was in.the hands of the
approximately 5,000 local relief agencies which were in ex¬
istence during the active period of the FERA. The FERA al¬
located funds to the Governors of the various States. These
officials then turned the funds over to the State relief or¬
ganizations which in turn allocated these Federal funds,
along with State funds, to the looal relief organizations.
The looal relief organizations spent these funds, together
with local funds, for relief purposes. Tables I-A and I-B in
the Appendix stow these expenditures by States and by sources
of funds. The function of the FERA, in addition to granting
funds to the States, consisted in issuing broad policy regu¬
lations designed to promote minimum relief standards and the
proper use of Federal funds.
1f An exception to this general statement should be noted.
In several States the FERA did assume, for various rea¬
sons, the actual administration of relief. These States
were Oklahoma, North Dakota, Massachusetts, Ohio, Louis¬
iana, and Georgia.
16
FERA Objectives
From the beginning of the FERA program, several major
objectives were continually stressed. One outstanding objec¬
tive was to provide relief throughout the oountry in accord¬
ance with adequate standards. Another major objective in¬
cluded the institution of work programs for employable per¬
sons on relief. In some areas this merely involved the con¬
tinuation, revision, and expansion of existing local work-
relief programs, A third important goal of the FERA was a
diversification of the entire relief program so as to provide
different programs for groups of persons whose needs were
different.
One of the principal reasons for the establishment of
the FERA was the fact that relief funds in virtually all lo¬
calities were insufficient. The Administration therefore
adjusted its grants to States so as to effect a gradual lev¬
eling upward of relief allowances in areas where relief was
particularly inadequate. Under the FERA, the average amounts
of relief extended per family for the oountry as a whole in¬
creased from $15.15 in May 1933 to a peak of $30.45 in Janu¬
ary 1935. Tables II-A and II-B in the Appendix show the av-
erage relief benefits by months.
These averages obscure the differences between the
17
amounts received by families wholly dependent on relief and
by those receiving only supplementary assistance. They also
ignore the fact that many families received relief during
only part of the month and,therefore, understate the average
amounts received by families completely dependent upon re¬
lief throughout the entire month. Speaking generally, it may
be said that although actual physical suffering was materi¬
ally reduced under the FERA, adequate standards of relief
were not achieved in all areas.
Diversity of Relief Problems
Soon after the FERA had been established and contact
made with the State relief administrations, it became appar¬
ent that relief problems varied enormously between different
sections of the country and between different groups. The
Relief Administration had to take these variations into ac¬
count. In the summer of 1933 it was realised that the broad
relief problem was, in fact, a compound of many previously
existing kinds of relief problems: the unemployed,the under¬
employed, the transient, the destitute farmer, the aged,
mothers with dependent children, stranded rural groups, and
other special typeB. The new factor which had aggravated
the relief problem during the depression was the presence of
vast numbers of destitute employables on relief rolls. The
18
accompanying table (Table 2.) shows the totals by months
y
from 1933 through January 1938. Each of these groups pre¬
sented varied needs. The needs of the unemployed unskilled
worker differed greatly from those of the jobless white-col¬
lar worker, the urban unemployed worker from his rural and
small-town brother. Farmers on relief were destitute for a
variety of reasons: top-heavy debts, barren soil, lack of
equipment, seed, and stock, and severe droughts were among
the special factors intensifying the troubles caused by low
agricultural prices.
Accordingly, as the special problems became urgent, the
FERA sought to differentiate the various relief groups and
to establish special programs and policies to fit the varied
needs. Thus, there was gradually developed a work-relief
program for the employable workers; a direct relief program
was instituted for those unable to work or for whom work
projects could not be devised; and a rural rehabilitation
program was created for the destitute rural groups. In addi¬
tion, a transient program, a commodity buying and distribu¬
tion program, a college-student-aid, and a white-collar pro¬
gram were instituted. The number of cases aided on each of
1/ These totals are included in the data shown in table 1
along with others aided under other programs.
19
table 2.- NUMBER OF FAMILIES, SINGLE PERSONS, CASES, TOTAL PERSONS, AND
PERCENT OF POPULATION RECEIVING EMERGENCY RELIEF UNDER
THE GENERAL RELIEF AND SPECIAL FROGRAMS,
CONTINENTAL UNITED STATES
January 1933 Through January 1938
Year
and
month
Resident oases
Total
resident persona
% of
Families
Single
persons
Total
Number
pop¬
ula¬
tion A
Transient
persons B
1933
Jan.
3,850,000
C
440,000
C
4,290,000
C
17,300,000
C
14
(D)
Feb.
4,140,000
C
470,000
C
4,610,000
C
18,600,000
C
16
(D)
Mar.
4,560,000
C
520,000
C
5,080,000
C
20,500,000
C
17
(D)
Apr.
4,422,675
E
491,000
E
4,913,675 E
19,900,000
E
16
(D)
May
4,247,450
E
476,000 E
4,723,450
E
19,100,000
E
16
(D)
June
3,754,290
E
437,000
E
4,191,290
E
16,900,000
E
14
(D)
July
3,455,414
452,654
3,908,068
15,385,275
E
13
(D)
Aug.
3,352,201
408,453
3,760,654
15,085,183
E
12
(D)
Sept.
3,005,850
398,971
3,404,821
13,402,581
E
11
(D)
Oot,
3,010,510
434,870
3,445,380
13,609,815
11
(D)
Nov.
3,366,102
463,296
3,829,398
15,081,542
12
(D)
Deo.
2,631,080
447,019
3,078,099
11,671,639
10
(D)
1934
Jan,
2,481,287
473,166
2,954,453
11,083,868
9
(D)
Feb,
2,593,318
559,184
3,152,502
11,636,036
9
126,873
Mar,
3,053,816
642,766
3,696,582
13,763,650
11
145,119
Apr.
3,791,210
653,698
4,444,908
16,842,325
14
164,244
May
3,803,455
631,473
4,434,928
17,181,692
14
174,138
June
3,753,467
577,332
4,330,799
16,829,316
14
187,282
July
3,837,578
557,259
4,394,837
17,203,083
14
195,051
Aug.
4,033,727
586,322
4,620,049
18,116,583
15
206,173
Sept.
4,068,930
673,172
4,742,102
18,300,876
15
221,734
Oct,
4,074,856
739,537
4,814,393
18,323,547
15
235,903
Nov,
4,213,963
790,255
5,004,216
18,947,688
15
266,790
Deo.
4,459,263
821,572
5,280,835
20,058,149
16
288,955
1936
Jan.
4,617,038
873,386
5,490,423
20,685,803
17
297,058
Feb,
4,585,461
887,721
5,473,182
20,611,525
17
300,460
Mar.
4,588,924
904,640
5,493,564
20,580,178
17
299,509
Apr,
4,468,611
902,698
5,371,309
20,044,831
16
293,676
May
4,304,997
883,437
5,188,434
19,279,305
16
273,824
June
4,025,163
796,508
4,821,671
17,960,602
15
263,668
20
Table
2.- NUMBER
OF FAMILIES,
SINGLE PERSONS,
CASES, TOTAL
PERSONS,
- Cont,
■ ■ ■ i ■ i i
Total
Year
Resident cases
resident persons
Transient
and
% of
persons B
month
Single
pop¬
Families
persons
Total
Number
ula¬
tion A
1935
July
3,681.528
715,524
4,397,052
16,161,517
13.0
253,340
Aug.
3,553,903
695,895
4,249,798
15,552,062
13.0
245,266
Sept.
3,263,531
669,892
3,933,423
14,231,178
12.0
218,722
Oct.
3,084,946
656,128
3,741,074
13,433,006
11.0
157,634
Nov.
2,853,100
625,871
3,478,971
12,383,778
10.0
112,277
Dec.
2,084,141
531,868
2,616,009
8,914,617
7.0
64,409
1936
Jan.F
1,640,000
576,000
2,216,000
7,211,000
5.6
34,650
Feb.F
1,571,000
564,000
2,135,000
6,930,000
5.4
25,109
Mar .F
1,453,000
557,000
2,010,000
6,435,000
5.0
17,467
Apr.F
1,303,000
523,000
1,826,000
5,799,000
4.5
13,445
May F
1,164,000
493,000
1,657,000
5,187,000
4.0
10,837
Jtxie F
1,072,000
481,000
1,553,000
4,789,000
3.7
8,336
July F
986,000
462,000
1,448,000
4,398,000
3.4
6,691
Aug.F
973,000
457,000
1,430,000
4,366,000
3.4
6,879
Sep.F
944,000
443,000
1,387,000
4,246,000
3.3
6,653
Oot.F
947,000
447,000
1,394,000
4,258,000
3.5
6,789
Nov.F
960,000
443,000
1,403,000
4,324,000
3.4
8,357
Dec.F
1,047,000
461,000
1,508,000
4,714,000
3.7
11,207
1937
Jan.F
1,171,000
488,000
1,659,000
5,287,000
4.1
4,726
Feb.F
1,218,000
505,000
1,723,000
5,496,000
4.3
4,824
Mar.F
1,179,000
502,000
1,681,000
5,333,000
4.2
4,504
Apr.F
1,067,000
491,000
1,558,000
4,857,000
3.8
4,068
May F
935,000
459,000
1,394,000 -
4,273,000
3.3
3,533
June F
848,000
435,000
1,283,000
3,888,000
5.0
3,212
July F
836,000
426,000
1,262,000
3,835,000
3.0
639
Aug.F
846,000
426,000
1,272,000
3,879,000
3.0
655
Sep.F
849,000
421,000
1,270,000
3,877,000
3.0
631
Oct.F
850,000
422,000
1,272,000
3,899,000
3.0
267
Nov.F
934,000
441,000
1,375,000
4,283,000
3.3
233
Dec.F
1,148,000
488,000
1,636,000
5,250,000
4.1
211
1938
Jan.F
1,378,000
537,000
1,916,000
6,270,000
4.9
(D)
A Based on the 1930 Census of Population through 1935; beginning with Janu¬
ary 1936 based on Rnwau of Census estimate of population as of July 1»1S56,
B As reported by the Midmonthly Census of Transients Under Care.
C Estimated. d Data not available. E Partially estimated.
F Tentative estimate—not strictly comparable with data for months prior to
January 1936 since data are not limited to emergenoy relief.
21
these programs and the obligations incurred are shown in
tables III and IV in the Appendix. This policy of differen¬
tiation has been continued by the various agencies now re¬
sponsible for meeting the needs of the destitute groups.
Work Relief
When the FERA assumed its functions in the summer of
1933, many work-relief projects had already been organized
by local and State governments. Well over one million per¬
sons were employed on these pre-FERA projects, for the most
part in the performance of unskilled tasks. After its crea¬
tion the FERA made funds available for the payment of work-
relief wages, and broad policies were laid down governing
wages, hours, types of projeots, etc. At the outset it was
ruled that "fair wages" be paid and later in the year that
"prevailing wages" be paid on the projects. Types of proj¬
ects were limited generally to work on public property.
These early projects, however, suffered from a number of de¬
fects. The earnings of the workers were low, many of the
projects were of limited social value, supervision was not
efficient in many places, and the projects were not suffi¬
ciently diversified to provide work in keeping with the job
experience of the unemployed persons. FERA funds and poli¬
cies brought about some improvement in these local programs
22
during the summer and fall of 1933, but the conviction grew
that a completely new work program was advisable.
Civil Works Program
To remedy these defects, to meet the critical unemploy¬
ment needs of the winter, and to promote recovery through the
injection of purchasing power into the economic system in a
short period of time, the Federal Government inaugurated the
Civil Works program early in the winter of 1933-34. Employ¬
ment on the program began on November 16th and the peak of
employment under this first Federal mass employment program
was reached during the week ending January 18, 1934, at which
time over 4,260,000 persons were at work. The major part of
the program came to a close at the end of March, and on July
14th the program was officially closed.
It should be understood that the FERA and the CWA were
separate organisations. During the active existence of the
CWA, the FERA continued to make grants to States to assist
them in conducting their direct relief programs. The work-
relief activities of State and local relief agencies (fi¬
nanced in part through FERA grants), were greatly curtailed
during the period of active operation of the Civil Works
program, and a considerable portion of the personnel which
had been operating these programs in the States was trans-
23
ferred to the State and local Civil Works Administrations.
However, the Civil Works Administration and the Federal Emer¬
gency Relief Administration,although operating simultaneous¬
ly and with much the same personnel, were distinct.
A major distinction between the Civil Works program and
the Federal-State-local program of the FERA lay in the fact
that the former was Federally operated. Complete authority
for the proper prosecution of the Civil Works program was
vested in a Federal agency, the Civil Works Administration
at Washington, and exercised through its subdivisions, the
State, county, and city Civil Works Administrations. The
personnel of the Civil Works Administration, both at Wash¬
ington and in the States, were Federal employees and they op¬
erated a Federal program.
Certain general principles and policies were outlined
by the Civil Works Administrator at the outset. All work
was to be of social and economic value and to be performed
on public property. These principles, in modified form, were
also applied to Civil Works Service projects which were out¬
side the construction field. A second broad policy was that
projects should not include work normally done by States or
localities or work which they might finance through Public
Works Administration grants or loans. Many localities had
24
become impoverished during the depression, however, and were
unable to carry on their normal functions of repairing pub¬
lic buildings, schools, streets, sewers, water mains, etc.
The Civil Works Administration therefore accepted these
types of projects for operation where it was obvious that
the work was essential and could not be performed without
assistance from the Civil Works Administration.
Approximately one-half of the workers on the Civil
Works program were taken from the relief rolls. The remain¬
der were nonrelief unemployed. CWA employment and earnings
are shown in table 3. The rules governing employment of
workers were prescribed by the Federal Civil Works Adminis¬
tration. The Civil Works program received its first alloca¬
tion from funds originally made available to the Public
Works Administration. It was necessary, therefore, for the
Civil Works Administration during the early part of its
existence to observe the minimum wage rates and maximum
working hour regulations established for public works em¬
ployment. The States were classified into three zones and
minimum hourly wage rates for each zone were set as follows:
Southern Zone Central Zone Northern Zone
Skilled 1.00 1.10 1.20
Unskilled .40 .45 .50
25
Table 3.- NUMBER OF PERSONS WORKING ON THE CIVIL WORKS PROGRAM
AND AMOUNT OF EARNINGS ON ALL PROJECTS,
CONTINENTAL UNITED STATES, BY WEEKS
November 23, 1933 Through July 14, 1934
Number of
Amount of
Number of
Amount of
Week
ending
persons
working A
earnings
B
Week
ending
persons
working A
earnings
B
1933
1934
Nov.
23
814,511
$7,509,135
Apr.
5
1,179,145
$12,863,210
Nov.
30
1,531,131
14,691,737
Apr.
Apr.
12
19
104,591
72,653
1,954,576
1,442,182
Dec.
7
1,976,625
24,808,571
Apr.
26
59,831
1,221,761
Dec.
14
2,726,167
34,844,802
Dec.
21
3,418,431
46,605,974
May
3
40,757
668,631
Dec.
28
3,632,120
47,290,482
May
May
10
17
13,559
11,979
330,273
289,249
1934
May
24
10,313
254,523
Jan.
4
3,843,047
54,117,482
May
31
8,912
226,570
Jan.
Jan.
Jan.
11
18
25
4,094,758
4,263,644
4,164,377
61,813,716
64,136,903
47,147,119
June
June
June
7
14
21
7,398
6,845
6,475
189,292
176,910
166,016
Feb.
1
3,915,405
43,174,060
June
28
5,886
148,448
Feb.
Feb.
Feb.
8
15
22
3,875,279
3,787,986
3,426,712
45,239,337
44,040,906
38,606,303
Jul.
Jul.
Jul.
5
12
13-
5,029
4,522
14 3,345
123,860
114,935
38,834
Mar.
1
2,902,287
33,581,055
Mar.
8
2,655,307
33,530,150
Mar.
15
2,452,544
31,982,990
Mar.
22
2,149,405
29,172,691
Total
749,542,456
Mar.
29
1,964,040
27,039,773
A Number of persons includes supervisory and administrative per¬
sonnel.
B Earnings include rental paid to drivers of their own teams,
trucks, and equipment.
26
Where prevailing rates exceeded these zone rates the
higher rate was paid. The wage rates fixed by the various
State Highway Departments were adopted for the CWA road
projects. Semiskilled workers received wages established
in accordance with local prevailing wages for their group.
A prevailing "weekly wage" was set for clerical and white-
collar work, with the provision that in no case were weekly
rates to be set below $18, $15, and $12, respectively, in the
Northern, Central, and Southern zones. Maximum hours were
set at 30 per week and 130 per month for manual workers and
a maximum 39-hour week for clerical employees.
In January 1934, because of a shortage of funds, it was
necessary to modify these policies by sharply reducing maxi¬
mum hours per week. The original hourly wage policy was
abandoned early in March chiefly because the zone minimum
hourly rates were often in excess of prevailing rates in lo¬
calities. The new policy provided for the payment of pre¬
vailing rates but set a minimum rate of 30 cents per hour.
The Civil Works program resulted in the expenditure of
a total of $931,103,000, approximately 80 percent of which
was for wage8. The Federal Government provided $844,067,000,
local governments provided an estimated total of $84,000,000,
and the balance was contributed from State funds. Table V
27
in the Appendix gives the totals expended in each State, by-
sources of funds. While State governments and Federal agen¬
cies initiated some projects, the bulk of them were proposed
by the looal governments.
Road repair or construction projects aocounted for ap¬
proximately one-third of the total expenditures under the
Civil Works Administration. Sohool buildings and grounds
comprised another important aspeot of CWA work. School
buildings were rehabilitated throughout the country, in ur¬
ban and rural areas. In some instances where repair was im¬
possible, new buildings were erected. School grounds were
graded, planted, and made attractive. Athletic fields, sta¬
diums, and swimming pools were built, parks were improved and
developed, and other recreational facilities expanded. In
some areas extensive sanitation projects were initiated.
A wide variety of administrative, professional, and
clerical projects was instituted. These included such proj¬
ects as providing personnel in various local CWA offices,
clerks and machine operators in Weather Bureau Stations,sur¬
veying and relocating boundary lines, plotting streets, and
drafting charts, maps, and diagrams.
The Federal projects, under the supervision of Federal
Departments and Bureaus, provided the greatest number of po-
28
sitions for the nonmanual and professional workers. An out¬
standing example was the Public Works of Art project which
employed about 3,000 artists, painters, sculptors, etchers,
and mural painters. Other Federal projects involved work on
experiment stations of the Department of Agriculture,in Army
and Navy Posts and Stations, in government fish hatcheries,
and on projects of the Tennessee Valley Authority, and the
Soil Erosion Service.
A fair appraisal of the Civil Works program must take
into consideration the emergency conditions under which it
was operated. In two months, the program reached its employ¬
ment peak of over 4,200,000 persons and it was practically
terminated at the end of four and a half months. A major
difficulty encountered was the planning of projects. In
those localities where advance planning on construction was
in effect, the program operated with a large measure of suc¬
cess. In those areas where planning was nonexistent and im¬
agination and initiative were lacking, 6ome poorly conceived
projects were instituted. The inauguration of the program
during the winter months likewise added enormous difficul¬
ties. On the whole, however, the completed projects were of
definite value to the communities. Moreover, the experience
gained on the program was valuable for the development of
29
later programs. And finally, as a means of providing aid to
the unemployed, the Civil Works program was highly effective.
The Emergency Work Relief Program of the FERA
When the major part of the Civil Works program was ter¬
minated in March 1934, the FERA in cooperation with the
States established a new work-relief program, known as the
Emergency Work Relief Program. With few exceptions, only re¬
lief persons were given employment, and earnings were deter¬
mined according to need, i.e., by the budgetary deficiency.
Prevailing hourly wages were paid,and during the period from
April 1934 through the middle of 1935 earnings averaged $28
per month. The number of persons employed on this program
varied from 1,100,000 in April 1934 to nearly 2,500,000 in
January 1935. When this program was well under way approxi¬
mately 45 percent of all relief cases received work-relief
benefits, while the remainder received direct relief.
The types of projects carried on by the Emergency Work
Relief Program were substantially the same as under the CWA.
Indeed, the Emergency Work Relief Program completed many of
the projects which had been only partially completed when
the CWA was terminated. Further diversification of projects
was achieved under the FERA work-relief program in an effort
to extend employment opportunities to the widest possible
range of occupational groups.
30
This program was virtually brought to an end during the
second half of 1935, when FERA grants were terminated and
Federal work activities were oarried forward through the
creation of the present Works Program.
Direct Relief
Throughout this period of work-relief activities, first
under the FERA, then the CWA, and'again under the FERA, di¬
rect relief benefits were given to over half of the total
cases on relief. Those receiving direct relief included many
unemployable persons (although some States had removed unem-
ployables from the emergency relief rolls) as well as many
employables for whom work relief could not be found. The ex¬
pansion of work-relief activities to care for this latter
group was sometimes rendered impracticable by such difficul¬
ties as possible competition with private and regular public
enterprise, shortage of funds, insufficient supervisory per¬
sonnel or lack of skilled relief labor. Many relief clients
received both work and direct relief during the period. For
these and other reasons the direct relief program was an es¬
sential part of the FERA program and has been continued by
the States and localities since the termination of FERA
grants at the close of 1935.
31
Speolal Programs
In addition to the general relief program (work and di¬
rect relief), the FERA developed certain special programs to
meet some of the problems peculiar to such special groups as
farmers, teachers, transient persons, and youths. (See table
III in the Appendix.) The rural rehabilitation program, in¬
augurated in April 1934, was one suoh undertaking. Its pur¬
pose was to enable farm families on relief to become wholly
or largely Belf-sustaining through direction and through as¬
sistance in the form of tools, equipment, and working capi¬
tal. This activity was transferred to the Resettlement Ad¬
ministration on June 30, 1935, and the work was carried for¬
ward by that organisation. On January 1, 1937, the Reset¬
tlement Administration was transferred to the Department of
Agriculture, and on September 1, 1937, by order of the Seo-
retary of Agriculture, the Resettlement Administration was
renamed the Farm Security Administration.
The emergency education program of the FERA was organ¬
ised in October 1933 to give employment to teachers who were
both unemployed and destitute. This program included general
adult eduoation, literacy classes, vocational education and
rehabilitation, parent and worker eduoation, and nursery
sohool work. Employment reached a peak in March 1935 of over
32
44,000 persons. This program was gradually curtailed in the
later part of 1935, at which time similar activities were
undertaken by the Works Progress Administration.
■The Transient Division of the FERA was established in
July 1933. Forty States had instituted transient programs
by January 1934, and the first midmonthly census taken as of
February 15, 1934, revealed that 92,000 transient cases (fam¬
ilies and single persons) were under care. An average of
almost 300,000 transient persons received assistance during
the winter of 1934-35. Under the Works Program, provision
for transients is included in regular work project ac¬
tivities.
The special needs of young persons were recognized by
the establishment of a college-student-aid program which be¬
gan in Minnesota in December 1933 and was extended through¬
out the country in February 1934. This program provided for
part-time employment for college students who otherwise
would not have been able to continue their education. Dur¬
ing the winter of 1934-35, an average of more than 100,000
students per month were aided. Since September 1935, stu¬
dent-aid has been conducted by the National Youth Adminis¬
tration, under which it has been expanded to include high
school students.
33
In the upper half of ohart 2 data are shown for work
relief and direct relief. The influence of CWA (shown in
the lower half of ohart 2) on the FERA program is apparent
during the winter of 1933-34. The decline in the number of
families and single persons on the emergency relief rolls
during 1935 was due in large measure to the expansion of the
WPA as shown in the chart. The relief cases shown for the
period beginning January 1936 represent for the most part
those families and single persons now receiving general re¬
lief from State and local funds.
Funds
Total FERA grants to the States aggregated over
$3,000,000,000. In chart 3 expenditures for emergency re¬
lief from January 1933 through January 1938 are shown. These
total over $5,000,000,000. (In tables I-A and I-B in the
Appendix these expenditures are presented by States and by
sources of funds from January 1933 through June 1937.) Dur¬
ing the early part of 1933 the Federal funds were RFC ad¬
vances for relief purposes made under the Emergency Relief
and Construction Act of 1932. During 1936 and 1937 most of
the funds came from State and looal sources while Federal
funds were used to finance the Works Program and the Social
Security program.
34
Chart 2 EMERGENCY RELIEF AND WORK PROGRAMS
1933 -1938
MILLIONS
OF CASES
MILLIONS
OF CASES
MILLIONS MILLIONS
OF PERSONS OF PERSONS
1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938
Works Progress Administration 2426
MILLIONS
OF DOLLARS
250
200
chart s TOTAL OBLIGATIONS INCURRED FOR RELIEF
BY SOURCES OF FUNDS *
* INCLUDES RELIEF EXTENDED UNDER ALL PROCRAM5 AND EXPENSES FOR SUPPLIES AND
EQUIPMENT, SERVICES OF NON-RELIEF PERSONS, ADMINISTRATION, AND MISCELLANEOUS
ITEMS. DATA FOR 1030 COVER ALL GENERAL RELIEF ADMINISTERED BY STATE ANO LOCAL
ACENCIES, WHILE THE FIGURES TOR PRIOR YEARS ARE LIMITED TO EMERGENCY RELIEF
THE VARIOUS FEDERAL WORK PROGRAMS SUCH AS CWA ANO WPA ARE NOT INCLUDED
MILLIONS
OF DOLLARS
250
S O N D
Works Progress Administration 2757
36
In summary, the FERA represented the first major step
of the Federal Government in the field of relief. Under this
program substantial Federal responsibility for relief was
assumed in contrast to the pre-depression policy of inaction.
This program also encouraged the extensive development of
relief facilities so that at the peak of the program virtu¬
ally all counties in the country were equipped with emergen¬
cy relief agencies. Other important features of the FERA
program were its support of the work-relief movement, the
differentiation of relief programs, and the improvement in
relief standards. In general, the FERA marked an abrupt
change in Federal policy and established the basis for con¬
tinued Federal action in the field of unemployment relief.
RELIEF POLICY OF 1935
During 1935 several far-reaching changes were made in
Federal relief policies and programs. These changes involved
the liquidation of the FERA program of Federal grants to the
States; the establishment of a Federal Works Program;and the
passage of the Social Security Act. All three developments
may be viewed as an attempt to differentiate the problem of
dependence and to establish the basis of a more permanent
program. The FERA program had included employables and un-
employables, although, as discussed above, a number of spe-
37
cial programs had been evolved under the FERA to aid the nu¬
merous different groups in need. Moreover, the FERA had
been designed as an emergency and temporary agenoy.
The future program was to be carried out through, a sys¬
tem of regular Federal grants to match State expenditures
for certain relief categories, an insurance system against
the hazards of unemployment and old age, and a Federal Works
Program for destitute employable persons. Under the Social
Security Act, Federal grants to match State and local funds
for old age pensions, aid to dependent ohildren, and other
special categories were designed to stimulate a greater vol¬
ume of State and local funds than had been forthcoming for
these purposes under the FERA program. Moreover, this move
was intended to encourage permanent State programs to aid
aged persons, dependent children, and other groups.
As part of the permanent security program, the Social
Security Act also incorporated the insurance principle to
meet future problems of aged and unemployed workers. These
insurance features, in contrast to the matching grants for
old age, etc., were not designed to care for any aspect of
the immediate problem in 1935. They represent the accept¬
ance of social insurance principles as a means of combating
certain aspects of insecurity in the future.
38
The Works Program was established to provide work for
the destitute unemployed who were on the relief rolls in
1935 and for other workers who might subsequently become
destitute. This part of the broad Federal security program
was designed to employ approximately 3,500,000 persons dur¬
ing the winter of 1935-36. Since the problem of unemploy¬
ment was seen to be primarily national in scope, the unem¬
ployed were accepted as chiefly a Federal responsibility.
While States and localities contribute a share of the funds
for the Works Program, four-fifths of the funds come from
the Federal Treasury.
The financial responsibility for relief thus underwent
modification during 1935. Certainly it can be said that
lines of responsibility became more definitive than during
the 1933-35 period. Broadly viewed, the moves in 1935
brought about increased State and local responsibility for
the various groups of unemployables. Federal funds are pro¬
vided only on a matching basis for tho various categories in
the Social Security Act; and these dependent persons who do
not qualify under the Act and who do not obtain Works Pro¬
gram employment, are at present dependent upon State and lo-
cal governments. The destitute employables, on the other
hand, are viewed as chiefly a Federal responsibility. It is
39
true, of course, that some destitute employables cannot find
jobs on the Worke Program and therefore receive State and
local relief. Nevertheless, most of the employables certi¬
fied as in need are on the Works Program and receive their
employment through a program financed largely by Feder¬
al funds.
THE WORKS PROGRAM
The creation of the Worke Program reaffirmed and clari¬
fied the Federal responsibility for the relief of unemploy¬
ment. In addition to this, the Emergency Relief Appropria¬
tion Act of 1235,which made funds available for the program,
was another step in strengthening the policy that Federal
aid to the unemployed should be provided in the form of pub¬
lic employment. The Act explicitly provided for the Work6
Program and established broad policies to govern the work.
The reasons advanced for this policy of public employment
are numerous. Foremost is the aversion to maintaining in
idleness those willing and able to work, a position based on
the view that the unemployed are physically and mentally
better off when given useful work. In addition to the phys¬
ical and mental advantages to the unemployed from the work,
the completed projects in the communities are viewed as im¬
portant accomplishments. Moreover, the wages paid on a works
40
program and the purchases of materials stimulate business
activity. Idle economic resources—labor and capital—are
thus utilized by a works program, and the expenditures aris¬
ing from this utilization act in turn to increase employment
in private enterprise.
Works Program Agencies
The Federal units participating in the Works Program
include bureaus of regular Government Departments and inde¬
pendent establishments engaged in activities which could be
expanded through the employment of relief workers; previous¬
ly established emergency agencies, such as the Public Works
Administration and Emergency Conservation Work(Civilian Con¬
servation Corps); and newly created agencies designed pri¬
marily for Works Program participation—the Resettlement,
Rural Electrification, and Works Progress Administrations.
The WPA has the dual function of operating non-Federal, lo¬
cally sponsored, work projects (and several special Federal
projects) and of effecting the necessary coordination of all
agencies participating in the Works Program.
These agencies undertook a wide variety of projects
ranging from many kinds of construction work (which consti¬
tutes the major part of the program) to art, education, and
research. In addition to the operation of regular projects
41
employing as many as possible of the available workers at
their accustomed occupations, Works Program activities in¬
clude the provision of aid in oases of emergency and disas¬
ter. The services of many workers were used during periods
of immediate danger from floods in both 1936 and 1937, and
also to a large extent in the work of cleaning away debris
and repairing damage after the floods had subsided. Simi¬
larly, during the serious drought of 1936, the WPA, the Re¬
settlement Administration, and other agencies cooperated in
providing financial aid, through work relief or other mea¬
sures, to destitute farmers in the emergency drought areas.
Funds
Funds for carrying out the Works Program have been pro¬
vided under five Appropriation Acts. The Emergency Relief
Appropriation Act of 1935, which initiated the program, made
available up to $4,880,000,000; the ERA Act of 1936,
*1 ,425,000,000; the First Deficiency Appropriation Act of
1937, $789,000,000; the ERA Act of 1937, $1,500,000,000; and
the special Supplemental Relief Appropriation of $250,000,-
000, approved March 2, 1938. The ERA Act of 1937 contained
the specific provision that the funds were to last for the
whole fiscal year 1937-38. However, the sharp rise in unem¬
ployment during the winter of 1937-38 made necessary an in-
42
crease in WPA employment, and consequently more fund6 were
needed to permit this expansion. Accordingly the supplemen¬
tal relief appropriation of $250,000,000 was made for the
WPA. Expenditures of Federal funds have been made largely
for direct labor costs, with the sponsors of projects paying
for varying proportions of the other expenses such as are
incurred for materials, supplies, and equipment.
Employment.
Total Works Program employment on projects of the WPA,
Emergency Conservation Work (CCC), and all other Federal
agencies reached a peak of approximately 3,840,000 persons
during the latter part of February and early March 1936.
(See chart 2.) About 78 percent of the total, or more than
3,000,000 persons, were employed by the WPA, more than
450,000 by ECW, and almost 400,000 by other Federal agencies.
From March through June 1936 the number of persons employed
under the Works Program declined gradually, but the advent
of the drought reversed the trend in July. By November 1936
the number of workers on the program began to drop again and
by September 25, 1937, the total employment had fallen to
1,951,000. Of this number 1,451,000 were working on WPA
projects. The decline in business activity during the lat¬
ter part of 1937, coupled with seasonal influences, reversed
43
the downward movement. By February 26, 1938 WPA employment
had increased to 2,076,000. With the new appropriation of
$250,000,000 WPA employment reached 2,445,000 for the week
ending April 2, and is expected to reach 2,500,000 during
April. Employment on the entire program is shown in the ac¬
companying table. (Table 4.)
The Role of the WPA
From the above figures it is obvious that the WPA has
played a major role in the Works Program. Indeed, through¬
out nearly all the period of Works Program operation the WPA
has provided between 70 and 80 percent of the total direct
employment.
The WPA, unlike the FERA, is operating a Federal pro¬
gram. The WPA is organised and operated in a flexible manner
in order to meet local conditions and local needs. This
flexibility has been achieved through obtaining the coopera¬
tion of States and localities and inducing them to share a
part of the cost and the responsibility for the successful
operation of the program. The cooperative relationship ex¬
isting may be seen in many aspects of the program.
In the first place, the segregation of 11 employables",
which amounts to the selection of workers eligible for WPA
employment, is almost entirely the responsibility of local
Table 4.- EMPLOYMENT ON PROJECTS OF THE WORKS PROGRESS ADMINISTRATION, CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CORPS, AND OTHER
AGENCIES, BY RELIEF STATUS, LAST WEEK IN EACH MONTH
(Subject to Revision)
N
umber
of p e
r e o
n s e
m p 1 o y
e d
All
a g e n c
i e s
Works Progress Admin.
Civilian Conserv.
Corps
Other agencies
Week
Certified
as in
Certified
as in
Certified
as in
Certified as
in
ending
Total
need of
relief
Total
need of relief
Total
need of
relief
Total
need of relief
Number
%
Number
%
Number
%
Number
%
1935
Jul.27
572,702
-
—
70,000
-
--
486,710
-
—
15,992
-
—
Aug.31
1,015,017
831,281
82
252,739
238,070
94
593,499
519,919
88
168,779
73,292
43
Sep.28
1,194,986
1,017,782
85
456,013
432,806
95
556,717
483,137
87
182,256
101,839
56
Oct.26
1,540,542
1,357,653
88
777,294
738,886
95
555,643
487,063
88
207,605
131,704
63
Nov,30
3,210,137
2,990,577
93
2,445,954
2,352,191
96
544,265
483,045
89
219,918
155,341
71
Dec.28
3,496,217
3,257,688
93
2,740,070
2,627,096
96
518,928
459,485
89
237,219
171,107
72
1936
Jan.25
3,707,590
3,431,735
93
2,925,605
2,798,165
96
486,594
430,199
88
295,391
203,371
69
Feb.29
3,836,087
3,535,605
92
3,035,852
2,898,849
95
459,461
405,061
88
340,774
231,695
68
Mar.28
3,727,705
3,377,122
91
2,871,637
2,734,371
95
433,770
382,420
88
422,298
260,331
62
Apr.25
3,478,755
3,086,773
89
2,570,315
2,442,694
95
391,200
342,000
87
517,240
302,079
58
May 30
3,317,744
2,895,600
87
2,339,740
2,219,749
95
409,200
360,500
88
568,804
315,351
55
Jun.27
3,236,621
2,782,841
86
2,255,898
2,135,636
95
381,140
332,900
87
599,583
314,305
52
Jul.25
3,238,151
2,778,587
86
2,249,357
2,129,488
95
403,740
355,400
88
585,054
293,699
50
Aug.29
3,337,915
2,887,985
87
2,376,565
2,253,641
95
385,600
337,800
88
575,750
296,544
52
Sep,26
3,417,375
2,997,724
88
2,481,516
2,364,379
95
363,300
316,000
87
572,559
327,345
57
Oct.31
3,501,438
3,107,774
89
2,581,208
2,449,775
95
405,274
357,338
88
514,956
300,661
58
Nov.28
3,352,296
2,977,042
89
2,482,681
2,352,142
95
388,770
340,000
87
480,845
284,900
59
Dec.26
2,987,770
2,663,193
89
2,192,409
2,075,603
95
376,710
328,525
87
418,651
259,065
62
Table 4.- EMPLOYMENT ON PROJECTS OF THE WORKS PROGRESS ADMINISTRATION, ETC
(Cont.)
Number of
e r s o n s
e m
loved
All
g e n c i e b
Worka Progress Admin. Civilian Conaerv.Corpa
Other agenolea
Week
ending
Total
Certified as in
need of relief
Total
Certified as in
need of relief
Total
Certified as in
need of relief
Total
Certified as in
need of relief
Number
%
Number
%
Number
%
Number
i
2,892,854
2,617,898
90
2,138,059
2,037,630
95
407,475
361,000
89
347,320
219,268
63
2,874,189
2,587,988
90
2,145,562
2,036,591
95
391,835
345,300
88
336,792
206,097
61
2,833,361
2,554,998
90
2,114,800
2,022,019
96
374,885
327,400
87
343,676
205,579
60
2,807,908
2,530,897
90
2,070,151
1,993,023
96
374,275
325,800
87
363,482
212,074
58
2,735,686
2,457,073
90
1,999,269
1,930,057
97
348,915
301,075
86
387,502
225,941
58
2,526,358
2,258,503
89
1,821,151
1,757,472
97
327,485
280,100
86
377,722
220,931
58
2,175,843
1,939,866
89
1,568,817
1,520,601
97
321,000
275,000
86
286,026
144,265
50
2,072,148
1,849,558
89
1,479,836
1,435,169
97
323,915
278,050
86
268,397
136,339
51
1,950,968
1,733,363
89
1,451,112
1,407,633
97
238,830
188,520
79
261,026
137,210
53
2,076,544
1,875,780
90
1,475,800
1,432,910
97
362,753
312,027
86
237,991
130,843
55
2,095,753
1,910,906
91
1,519,740
1,476,061
97
345,630
297,370
86
230,383
137,475
60
2,172,514
2,005,978
92
1,629,271
1,585,480
97
331,859
285,545
86
211,384
134,953
64
2,425,796
2,265,253
93
1,900,625
1,854,456
98
332,829
288,067
87
192,342
122,730
64
2,601,229
2,439,063
94
2,076,257
2,028,246
98
324,430
280,255
86
200,542
130,562
65
2,950,632A
2,777,086A
94
2,394,856
2,342,970
98
324,430A
280.265A
86
231.346A
153,861A
67
3,007,144B
2,832,471B
94
2,445,316
2,392,496
98
324.430B
280.255B
86
237.398B
159,720B
67
1937
Jan.30
Feb.27
Mar.27
Apr.24
May 29
Jun.26
Jul.31
Aug.28
Sep.25
Oct.30
Nov.27
Deo.25
1938
Jan.29
Feb.26
Mar.26
Apr. 2
Civilian Conservation Corps data are for week ending February 26; data included in "Other Agencies" for Bu¬
reau of Public Roads are for week ending Maroh 12.
Civilian Conservation Corps data are for week ending February 26; data for Bureau of Public Roads are for
week ending March 12; data for FWA Non-Federal are for week ending March 26.
46
agencies. The original application for assistance is made
by the.destitute person to the local relief agency, which is
usually operated under the supervision of the State emergen¬
cy relief administration." General rules of eligibility are
established by the WPA. On the basis of these rules, the
local relief office designates the eligible applicants for
"employment and certifies them to the WPA. The actual selec¬
tion of certified applicants for work assignment, however,
is the responsibility of the WPA. The planning and opera¬
tion of projects again brings the localities to the fore. It
is true that a few WPA projects are sponsored by the WPA or
other Federal agencies. The vast majority of WPA projects,
however, are locally sponsored while the remainder are spon¬
sored by State agencies. Approval of these projects is a
function of the WPA. It has been the duty of States and lo¬
calities to plan and to propose useful projects, to sponsor
then and to assume a large share of responsibility for the
direction of the projects, and to contribute a share of the
cost. Sponsors' contributions for the nation as a whole,
during the latter part of 1937 averaged slightly more than
20 percent of the total cost. Obligations incurred by the
WPA by sources of funds and by States are shown in table VI
in the Appendix.
47
WPA Projects
Highway, road, and street projects account for nearly
37 percent of the total cost of all WPA projects that have
been placed in operation. Public buildings and parks and
other recreational facilities constitute the next largest
expenditures (10.9 and 10.8 percent, respectively), followed
in order by white-collar projects (10.5 percent), sewer sys¬
tems (9.5 percent), and goods projects (8.7 percent). It
will be for the States and localities to decide, both in
terms of financial sponsorship and in terms of community
needs, as to how far this outline will be maintained or
changed during the fiscal year of 1938. It is anticipated,
however, that much the same types of projects will be oper¬
ated during the first half of 1938. Table VII in the Appen¬
dix shows the number and cost of WPA projeots by types of
projects.
Employment Policy
The employment provisions of the WPA at its inception
in 1935 embodied the so-called "security wage" policy. This
wage was a monthly amount which varied in terms of major oc¬
cupational groups, broad geographical regions, and by urban-
rural areas. The original payment schedule ranged from $19
per month for unskilled labor in the rural South to $94 per
48
month for technical and professional people in the large ur¬
ban areas of the North and West. In contrast to the FERA and
CWA wage policies, the security wage was analogous to a
monthly salary and ignored hourly wage rates. Numerous modi¬
fications in this security wage policy led to a partial
adoption of the "prevailing" hourly rate policy. The ERA Act
of 1936 required the payment of not less than the prevailing
rate.
The employment provisions of the 1937 Act for project
workers are much the same as those embodied in the 1936 Act.
Workers on a WPA project will continue to put in only the
necessary number of hours to earn the stipulated monthly
"security wage" for their region, skills, and class of work,
but the rates of pay are not to be less than the rates paid
for work of a similar nature in the same locality. All per¬
sons in actual need must be given preference in employment,
regardless of whether or not they have previously been on
the relief rolls.
A few provisions of the 1937 Act, however, are different
from those previously in force. The law now specifically
provides that no relief persons employed on a work project
may be retained on that job if he refuses an offer of pri¬
vate employment, at work he is capable of doing, if the pri-
49
vate employer offers equivalent wages and reasonable working
conditions. The 1937 Act further encourages WPA workers to
accept private employment, even if it be temporary, by the
provision that any such worker shall be immediately rein¬
stated under WPA if he loses his private job through no
fault of his own and is still in need of relief. Generally
speaking, the WPA was attempting to carry out both of these
policies for some time before they were given statutory
status.
National Youth Administration
One further important aspect of the work carried on
within the framework of the Works Progress Administration
remains to be outlined. The concept of furnishing some spe¬
cial form of aid to the youth of America may be said to have
its roots in the College Student Aid Program of the FERA.
The National Youth Administration, which was created as a
part of the WPA by Executive Order of June 26, 1935, however,
was soon to expand its work much beyond the scope of the ac¬
tivities of its predecessor.
The approach of the NYA to the youth problem has been
conduoted- along two main fronts. The first objective has
been to provide part-time employment for needy students be¬
tween 16 and 25 years of age. This policy has served the
50
dual purpose of making it possible for many students to con¬
tinue their education, while at the same time it has post¬
poned the entrance of these young people into an already
overcrowded labor market. The program operated by the NYA
has extended the previous student-aid program of the FERA by
making high-school students eligible for aid in addition to
college students. In April 1937 the NYA reached its peak
when almost 444,000 students were receiving aid under the
program.
As a complementary activity, the NYA is affording em¬
ployment through work projects to many youths who are not at
school. These NYA projects are conducted under regulations
similar to those prevailing on regular WPA projects, except
that the hours worked and the wages paid are set roughly at
one-third of the standard monthly security wage, and employ¬
ment is limited to those between the ages of 18 and 25. Dur¬
ing March 1938 about 153,000 youths were receiving part-
time employment under this aspect of the NYA program. Those
persons receiving employment under the NYA are not included
in the employment totals of the Works Program shown in
table 4.
Federal Agencies (Other than the WPA)
As has already been indicated, while the WPA has stead-
51
ily provided from 70 to 80 percent of the total employment
afforded under the Works Program, many other Federal agencies
have played an important part in furnishing employment on
work projects. Among the more important of these, from the
point of view of size of program, are the Resettlement Ad¬
ministration, the Public Works Administration, and the pro¬
gram of Emergency Conservation Work.
The Resettlement Administration was created by Execu¬
tive Order on April 30, 1935, to provide aid consistent with
the particular needs of destitute persons in rural areas. To
the new agency were transferred the activities of four gov¬
ernmental agencies which had previously been dealing with
various aspects of the rural relief problem. The trans¬
ferred activities included those previously carried on under
the Rural Rehabilitation and Land Program of the FERA, the
Land Policy Section activities of the Agricultural Adjust¬
ment Administration, the work of the Division of Subsistence
Homesteads of the Department of the Interior, and the activ¬
ities of the Farm Debt Adjustment Section of the Farm Credit
Administration. Thus the main activities of the newly
created Resettlement Administration were closely related and
may be classified as rural rehabilitation, rural and subur¬
ban resettlement and land utilization.
52
The rural rehabilitation activities taken over from the
Federal Emergency Relief Administration were designed to as¬
sist needy farm families whose land is of fair or good qual¬
ity. The types of aid offered these persons ares (1) loans
for purchase of livestock, farm equipment, repairs, feed,
and seed; (2) grants for subsistence needs; (3) loans for
community and cooperative services; and (4) negotiations for
the adjustment of farm debts.
The resettlement activities of the administration in¬
cluded the construction of rural subsistence homesteads
and suburban resettlement projects to demonstrate through
efficient land and town planning the feasibility of provid¬
ing low income workers with low rental homes in healthful
country surroundings.
The land-use program was planned to conserve land re¬
sources, to purchase submarginal land, to aid families in
moving to more suitable land, and to reduce the need for
schools and roads in impoverished land areas.
Public Works Administration
The Federal Emergency Administration of Public Works,
which had been created in 1933 to give employment and to
stimulate industry through public construction activities,
became an integral part of the Works Program in 1935. The
53
FWA has undertaken a Federal construction program and
through grants and/or loans to States and localities, has
assisted in a program of non-Federal public works. Under the
Act of 1933, maximum FWA grants for State and local projects
were limited to 30 percent of the cost of labor and materi¬
als; since 1935 the grants have usually been 45 percent of
the total cost of the project. Sponsors of the projects have
supplied the remainder of the funds, chiefly through private
borrowing, but in many cases through FNA loans.
States and localities initiate the proposals for non-
Federal projects and make application for Federal financial
assistance. The sponsors themselves let the bids, award the
contracts, and must contract with tha FWA to carry out the
work in conformity with the Federally-prescribed rules and
regulations concerning labor and construction conditions.
These rules, and the supervision exercised by the FWA, have
been designed to make the expenditures accomplish the great¬
est amount of employment possible in heavy construction
work. The projects for which the FNA has made allotments are
looated in all but three of the 3,071 counties of the United
States. These undertakings include waterworks, sewage sys¬
tems, schools, hospitals and other public buildings, streets,
highways, bridges, tunnels, power plants and distribution
54
systems, recreational facilities, and similar public works.
Low-cost housing developments were also built in cities on
local application, but as Federal projects.
Emergency Conservation Work
The activities of this agency may be divided into three
major groups: work carried on by the Civilian Conservation
Corps (which employs young unmarried men from 17 to 28 years
of age and war veterans on relief), conservation work per¬
formed by Indians on reservations, and emergency conserva¬
tion work in the territories. The Civilian Conservation
Corps is the largest of these divisions, providing almost 97
percent of the total employment in emergency conservation
work. On February 26, 1938 there were 324,000 young persons
receiving employment through the Civilian Conservation Corps,
The main objectives of the Civilian Conservation Corps
program are the improvement of the Nation's forests and
parks, and their protection against fire and the ravages of
insects and disease; the control of soil erosion on valuable
agricultural and timber land; the development of more ade¬
quate recreational areas; the prosecution of flood control
operations; and the conservation of wild life.
Other Agencies
While many more agencies have participated in the Works
55
Program, their programs have not been so large in terms of
expenditures and employment as those of the agencies already
discussed. The projects approved for prosecution by the
permanent departments have almost consistently involved ac¬
tivities supplementing normal work. The Works Program has
thus been instrumental in accelerating the development and
researches of these agencies. The War and Navy Departments,
for example, have undertaken construction and repair of their
property; the Soil Conservation Service and the Bureau of
Reclamation have expanded their activities, etc. The obli¬
gations incurred by the entire Works Program are shown in
the Appendix, table VIII.
In summary, the Works Program, through newly created
agencies and previously established agencies, has developed
a wide variety of projects in many fields of activity to
give employment to persons unable to obtain work in normal
public or private enterprise. Through this program the Fed¬
eral Government is carrying on its major work in the field
of unemployment relief. In the WPA program particularly,
Federal responsibility for a large group of the destitute
unemployed is assumed; and work is provided in every part of
the country.
56
THE SOCIAL SECURITY PROGRAM
Under the division of relief responsibility which was
effected in 1935, the Federal Government not only accepted
primary responsibility for aiding employable persons who
were out of work, but also undertook to assist the States in
the support of certain groups of unemplcyables. Federal as¬
sistance to unemployable persons, in accordance with the So¬
cial Security Act of 1935, takes the form of grants to the
States for public assistance to the needy aged, needy blind,
and needy dependent children. In addition, the Act provides
for two types of assistance to which individuals will be en¬
titled without any proof of need—unemployment compensation
and old-age benefits.
In order to effect higher standards of public assis¬
tance, and also to liberalize certain phases of public aid
and extend coverage, the Social Security Board requires, for
approval of State plans. State-wide operation, State parti¬
cipation in financing, and State responsibility for the ac¬
tual administration or the supervision of administration of
aid to the needy. To encourage the payment of more adequate
benefits, the Federal Government has assumed the responsi¬
bility of granting the States amounts proportional to those
which the States themselves contribute for distribution to
57
the "various groups of needy individuals.
Aid to Dependent Children
Although some aid was being extended for dependent
children prior to the enactment of Social Security legisla¬
tion, the majority of the States' laws were not mandatory
and during the depression many localities had become unabl e
or were unwilling to contirlue paying benefits". In the early
summer of 1935 it was estimated that 358,000 families on the
FERA program had no adult male breadwinners. Attention was
focused on the need for special aid to thi6 group when plans
for the termination of the Federal Emergency Relief Adminis¬
tration were announced.
The Social Security Act provides for Federal contribu¬
tions of one-third of the States' outlay for the care of de-
1/
pendent children. In any month the Federal Government's
contribution may not exceed $6 for one child and $4 for each
additional child at home. By January 1938, 38 States, the
District of Columbia, and Hawaii were operating approved
plans for aid to dependent children.
l/ The Act also provides for grants to States to extend ma¬
ternal and child welfare services, services to crippled
children, and other services for the protection and care
of "homeless, dependent and neglected children, and chil¬
dren in danger of beooming delinquent."
58
In a year the number of families with dependent chil¬
dren, aided under approved plans increased approximately
fourfold, from 26,670 in February 1936 to 117,560 in January
1937. By January 1938, this number further increased to
218,499. The total Federal, State, and local funds expended
(exclusive of administrative expenses) rose during the peri¬
od, February '1936 to January 1937, from $604,962 to
$3,331,728, with such funds totalling $7,004,022 for the
month of January 1938. Average benefits per family with de¬
pendent children amounted to $32.06 for the month of
January 1938.
Aid to the Blind
According to the Census of 1930 approximately 63,500
persons in the United States were blind; the inclusion of
individuals with seriously impaired vision would probably
bring the total to more than 100,000. According to the same
census 70 percent of the blind were over 45 years of age and
45 percent were over 65.
The Social Security Act provides for Federal assistance
equal to one-half of the total benefits paid to blind per¬
sons not in institutions. The Federal Government's share may
not exceed $15 per person per month. Sixteen of the 29
States in which provision had existed for the blind in 1935
59
had received approval of their plana by October 1936. In
addition, six States and the District of Columbia which had
had no legislation for aid to the blind in 1935 were operat¬
ing approved plans. By January 1938, plans had been ap¬
proved for 39 States, the District of Columbia, and Hawaii.
In January 1938 more persons were being cared for under
approved plans than had been cared for under State provi¬
sions prior to the passage of the Social Security Act—
44,836 persons for whom fl,144,964 had been expended in that
one month. The average benefit was $25.54 for the month of
January 1938.
Old-Age Assistance
Old-age-assistance laws have been rapidly adopted in
the last half dozen years and the number of persons covered
has expanded greatly. During the period from 1931 to 1934
the number of persons receiving pensions increased from
76,663 to 235,265. Although this increase was substantial,
it did not include all the needy aged, for the relief census
of October 1933 showed 477,230 persons on the FERA program
who were 65 years of age or older. During the period of Fed¬
eral relief grants to the States many aged persons were un¬
doubtedly shifted from the State programs so as to receive
aid under the emergency relief programs.
60
By January 1938, 47 States, the District of Columbia,
Hawaii, and Alaska had enacted legislation in conformity
with Social Security Act standards; that is, the laws were
mandatory on all political subdivisions, a person could claim
1/
relief at 70, and residence requirements were made less
stringent. The Federal Government encourages the States to
enact conforming laws by offering to pay half the benefits,
up to a maximum Federal contribution of $15 per person per
month.
In States conducting programs in cooperation with the
Social Security Board, recipients of old-age pensions num¬
bered 247,421 in February 1936. By January 1938, the number
had increased to 1,608,780 persons. Total monthly outlays
rose from $3,753,290 to $31,367,388 during the same period.
The average benefit per month amounted to $15.17 in February
1936 and to $19.50 in January 1938 but has not approached
the total which would elioit maximum Federal aid.
The special phases of the Social Security program dis¬
cussed above are designed to aid oertain groups found upon
investigation to be in need. The assistance granted to these
l/ The Social Security Act requires that by 1940, State laws
must lower the age requirement to 65. Actually, in only
a few States is the age requirement above 65 at the pres¬
ent time.
61
destitute persons is not provided unless the fact of need is
established. The numbers aided under the publio assistance
provisions of the Act are shown in chart 4. In tables IX
and X in the Appendix the numbers aided and the obligations
incurred by these programs are shown.
In contrast to these the Social Security Act provides
for two programs based on the insurance principles namely,
the old-age benefit and the unemployment-compensation sys¬
tems. The distinction between the old-age pension program
with pensions based on need and the old-age benefit system,
with benefits paid to those entitled to them, is of particu¬
lar importance.
Old-Age Benefits
Under the old-age benefit plan, taxes are levied equal¬
ly on both employers and employees and are assessed upon
that portion of the workers' remuneration which does not ex¬
ceed $3,000 a year. This old-age benefit plan, in contrast
to old-age pensions, is a Federal program. Certain types of
workers are excluded from the plan—those in agriculture,
domestic service, casual labor, maritime service, Federal,
State, and local government servioe, and those working for
nonprofit organisations. In addition, employees in rail
transportation are excluded because of the Railroad Retire-
62
Chart 4 PUBLIC ASSISTANCE UNDER THE
SOCIAL SECURITY BOARD
MILLIONS MILLIONS
OF DOLLARS OF DOLLARS
55
TOTAL OBLIGATIONS INCURRED FOR PAYMENTS TO RECIPIENTS
AID TO THE BLIND
AID TO DEPENDENT CHILDREN
OLD-AGE ASSISTANCE
THOUSANDS
I800r
RECIPIENTS OF OLD-AGE ASSISTANCE
I I I I I I I I I I
J F M
1936
Source - Social Security Board
THOUSANDS
700
600
500
D J F M A M J
1937 1938
Works Projress Administration 2778
1938
THOUSANDS
60
50
63
merit Act of 1935.
Persons falling within the soope of the Act and making
the required contributions during their working years,become
eligible for monthly annuities at the age of 65. There are,
of course, oertain qualifications. First, a claimant must
have been employed during each of at least 5 years, and,
second,he must have received in all at least $2,000 in wages
or salaries. The scale of monthly annuities is to be com¬
puted on the basis of earnings received, and will range from
$10 to $85.
The Federal old-age benefit system is not expected to
eliminate the need for the old-age pension system. These
programs are complementary. It has been estimated that al¬
most half the gainfully occupied workers in 1930 will not
come under the old-age benefit plan. Aged persons in
excluded occupations and aged self-employed individuals have
no recourse to benefits. Wives who survive their husbands
and who receive a lump-6um settlement may require pensions
to supplement this amount. Even if the insured person lives,
his benefits may be inadequate to support other aged members
of his family, in which case it will be necessary for the
State to supplement old-age benefits by pension. Moreover,
in view of the facts that benefits will not be payable until
64
1942, and that at the outset annuities will, on the whole,
be comparatively small, considerable reliance will have to
be placed on old-age pensions.
Unemployment Compensation
The Social Security Act itself does not establish a
system of unemployment compensation, but it does encourage
the setting up of State plans that meet certain minimum re¬
quirements. This is accomplished by crediting employers for
contributions to mandatory State systems of unemployment in¬
surance as an offset against a special Federal tax on pay¬
rolls. The Federal tax applies exclusively to employers and
not to employees and is levied on all salaries, irrespective
of size.
Employers in every industry are exempted if they have
not employed at least eight workers during 20 weeks of a
given calendar year. In addition, seven groups of labor are
excluded from the Federal tax, no matter what the total em¬
ployment has been. These are agriculture, domestic service
in a private home, shipping within the navigable waters of
the United States, service of members of the immediate family
(except where the children are over 21 and the parents' es¬
tablishment meets other necessary requirements), service of
the Federal Government (or one of its instrumentalities) and
65
of State and local governments, and of agencies not operated
for profit. The employer is permitted to credit as an off¬
set the amount which he contributes under an approved State
unemployment insurance fund, but such credits may not exceed
nine-tenths of the Federal tax for that year.
Benefits are not to be paid for two years from the
initiation of the State system, and once payment begins, the
disbursement of benefits will be made through publio employ¬
ment offices or other agencies approved by the Social Secur¬
ity Board.
Approved unemployment compensation programs are in ex¬
istence in every State at the present time. Benefits are now
available to the eligible unemployed in 24 States and the
District of Columbia. With the exception of Wisconsin, these
programs came into operation early in 1S38 at a time when
unemployment had reached very high levels. During the first
week in April over 800,000 unemployed were receiving unem¬
ployment compensation benefits in 22 States and the District
of Columbia.
Other States will begin benefit payments during the
second half of 1938, and in 1939 all States will have unem¬
ployment-compensation programs in operation.
66
GENERAL RELIEF
A third aspect of the present jr.ethod of relieving des¬
titution is represented by the general relief programs of
the various States. By December 1935 all States had been
notified of the amounts of their final FERA grants and 6ince
that time the general relief programs have been a matter of
State and local responsibility (see chart 3). The persons
receiving aid under these programs are primarily the unem-
ployables who are not receiving aid under some phase of So¬
cial Security operations but they also include employable
persons and their families who have not secured employment
under the Works Program. This latter group has increased
rapidly in recent months because of the decline in private
employment. In January 1936 about 2,216,000 families and
single persons were receiving general relief in the United
States. These cases represented 7,211,000 persons,or almost
6 percent of the total population. A steady decline in num¬
bers aided is reflected in the estimated total of 1,270,000
cases for September 1937, representing 3,877,000 persons, or
about 3 percent of the total population. Because of the de¬
cline in private employment during the latter part of 1937
general relief cases have increased in recent months
to 1,915,000.
67
State rather than local governments contributed a some¬
what larger portion of the total cost of general relief dur¬
ing 1936 and 1937. The amount contributed by States during
the first six months of 1936 was more than 40 percent great¬
er than the amount made available by States for relief pur¬
poses during the first six months of 1935. Fundamental
ohanges have also occurred in the administration of relief
activities in a number of States sinoe the inauguration of
the Works Program. Although there are many exceptions, the
general tendency has been to enact legislation providing for
State administration or supervision of general relief as
part of the work of a unified publio welfare department.
EXPENDITURES FOR RELIEF AND WORK PROGRAMS
Expenditures for the relief, work, and security programs
are given in table 5. From January 1933 through December
1937, a total of $13,148,000,000 of Federal, State, and lo¬
cal funds was expended. This does not inolude the expendi¬
tures of the PWA, the Bureau of Publio Roads, and several
other agencies. Of the total, the Federal Government pro¬
vided 9.7 billion dollars,or 74 percent.
68
Table 5.- AMOUNT OF FEDERAL, STATE, AND LOCAL FUNDS USED FOR SECURITY PROGRAM:
HALF-YEAR PERIODS
19 3 3
19 3 4
Program
Total
January-
through
June
July
through
December
January
through
June
July
through
December
TOTAL
Federal
State and local
General and emer¬
gency relief
(FERA and State
and local relief
agencies)
Federal.
State and local
Civil Works pro¬
gram
Federal
State and local
WPA and NYA pro¬
grams
Federal B
State and local
Civilian Conser¬
vation Corps
Federal
Categorical
as sistance
Federal (Social
Security Board)
State and local
$13,148,032
9,673,313
3,474,719
5,108,699
2,951,352
2,157,347
931,103
844,067
87,036
4,362,668
3,805,098
557,570
1,806,120
939,442
266,676
672,766
(in thousands of dollars)
$507,220 $799,914 $1,463,639 $1,190,007
1,163,694
307,001
200,219
419,507
258,983
160,524
590,502
209,412
373,631
222,040
151,591
219,057
199,135
19,922
48,018 169,527
39,695 57,899
39,695 37,899
299,945
546,768
354,554
192,214
712,046
644,932
67,114
924,469
265,538
932,211
712,045
220,166
164,208 212,424
40,617 45,372
40,617 45,372
69
Table 5.- AMOUNT OF FEDERAL, STATE, AND LOCAL FUNDS, ETC (Cont.)
19 3 5
19 3 6
19 3 7
Program
January-
through
June
July
through
December
January
through
June
July
through
December
January
through
June
July
through
DecemberA
(In thousands of dollars)
11,378,068 #1,334,343 $1,728,329 $1,697,802 $1,654,791 $1,393,919
1,064,710 1,032,960 1,297,206 1,256,995 1,157,436 878,340
313,358 301,383 431,123 440,807
TOTAL
Federal........
State and local
General and emer¬
gency relief
(FERA and State
and local relief
agencies)«......
Federal........
State and local
Civil Works pro¬
gram
Federal
State and local
497,355 515,579
1,114,129
858,642
255,487
718,835
506,250
212,585
302,976
27,086
275,890
227,610
7,734
219,876
246,862
4,018
242,844
226,170"
226,170
WPA and NYA pro¬
grams.
Federal A
State and local
Civilian Conser¬
vation Corps
Federal
Categorical
assistance
Federal (Social
Security Board)
State and local
279,313 1,124,462 1,141,813 1,016,404 800,676
256,503 1,037,162 1,007,462 875,445 628,526
22,810 87,300 134,351 140,959 172,150
206,068 270,207 211,566 181,021 193,281 150,000
57,871 65,988 89,325 147,358 198,244 217,073
21,392 60,778 84,692 99,814
57,871 65,988 67,933 86,580 113,552 117,259
A Preliminary estimate.
3 Excludes land utilisation and rural rehabilitation programs which, although fi¬
nanced? with Works Progress Administration funds, were administered for the most
part by the Farm Security Administration.
70
PERMANENCE OF THE PROBLEM OF DESTITUTION
The future place and importance of these major programs
of economic security must be analysed in terms of the proba¬
ble permanence of destitution. The basic feature of insecur¬
ity is the inadequacy or absence of income. It is clear that
many of those in destitute ciroumstances have no employable
member in the family, hence for them public assistance is
the major, and often the only, source of income. The perma¬
nence of this part of the problem of destitution is- scarcely
open to question. The acceptance of public responsibility
for the mitigation of this aspect of destitution must be met
by a permanent program. Various aspects of a permanent pro¬
gram have been established by the Social Security Act.
The problem of destitution among employable groups
largely arises out of the failure of the economy to achieve
full employment; or to the failure to provide employment at
wages sufficient to meet the needs of the family. The in¬
stability of employment and the presence of some idle labor
at all times has resulted in a chronic problem of destitu¬
tion, varying in magnitude and intensity over the course of
time. A high degree of instability is characteristic of
modern economic society. This economic instability is not
merely a phenomenon associated with the depression of the
71
early 1930's or with the depression of early 1938. It has
marked the development of industrialism for well over a
century and, indeed, was prevalent before the emergence of
the industrial processes.
The failure to provide full employment and the insta¬
bility of employment over a period of time cannot be a-
scribed to a few simple causes. Instability in the United
States appears to be a normal or expected accompaniment of
the highly specialised economic system based on prioes and
profits. In suoh a system, instability of production and
employment arises from a variety of processes, foremost of
which are those commonly viewed as part of the cycli¬
cal movement.
Among the major factors found at work in the business
cycle are those associated with money, credit, and banking.
The expansible nature of the credit mechanism stimulates and
makes possible the upward surge of prices, production, and
incomes. The cumulative expansion, whatever its causes may
be, is accompanied by a rapid growth in the very large in¬
comes which leads to the saving of a relatively larger pro¬
portion of national income. Part of this saved income is
used for investment and a stimulation of the durable capi¬
tal-goods industries; part of it is used for speculation.
72
Large incomes also lead to an expansion in durable consum¬
ers' goods such as housing, automobiles, etc. The output of
both durable producers' and durable consumers' goods advances
sharply during the upswing and falls precipitately during
recession, due largely to the postponable nature of the de¬
mand for them. Shifts in consumer demand, or the failure of
consumers' spending to keep pace with total national income
produce major repercussions in these basic industries. Re¬
latively small changes in consumer demand may produce inten¬
sified fluctuations in the demand for durable goods. Price
movements and price disparities add to the instability in
production and employment; monopolistic practices designed
to control price appear to aggravate the movement in output
and employment.
The tendency of demand for durable goods to fluctuate
widely, the existence of monopolistic enterprise and the
control of price, the disparity of income distribution, and
the expansible nature of the credit system are mutually re¬
inforcing and together exert a far-reaching influence on
economic instability. There is reason to expect these con¬
ditions which lead to instability to grew in importance. As
living standards increase, a relatively larger part of con¬
sumers' income is 6pent on durable consumers' goods, many of
73
a luxury character. And the trend toward increased indus¬
trialization leads to the employment of a relatively larger
part of industrial labor in durable capital-goods indus¬
tries. The trend towards large-scale monopolistic enter¬
prise accentuates the inherent instability of the basic in¬
dustries producing these durable goods. While many of the
factors contributing to instability and unemployment may be
amenable to a measure of control, some probably are not. In
short, business cycles appear to be an inherent feature of
the present economy, so that more or less cyclical unemploy¬
ment may be reasonably expected as a permanent problem.
Seasonal variations in employment and output likewise
influence the stability of the economic system. Many at¬
tempts have been made to reduce seasonal variations. While
some of these measures have been successful and further sta¬
bility is undoubtedly feasible, muoh seasonal unemployment
appears unavoidable. In addition to the short-term seasonal
lay-off, temporary maladjustments which are probably inevi¬
table in any highly interdependent economic system also con¬
tribute to unemployment. The migration of industry and the
exhaustion of natural resources often leave pools of stranded
unemployed for whom little hope of employment exists. Shifts
in consumer demand from one type of commodity to another
74
also frequently result in loss of employment.
In addition to the factors noted above, technological
changes contribute to the volume of unemployment. It is cer¬
tain that technological displacement results at least in
temporary unemployment during the period of the readjustment
of the supply of labor to the altered demand. In any period
some unemployment from this source will exist. This is true
even if technological improvements do not alter the total
demand for labor. When, however, in a given period the rate
of technological improvement is greater than the growth of
output, unemployment of more than a temporary character
arises.
The extent of technological improvement since the war
is indicated in findings of the National Research Project of
the Works Progress Administration on Reemployment Opportuni¬
ties and Recent Changes in Industrial Techniques. These
show that the overall productivity of labor increased by 45
percent from 1920 to 1935. From 1923 to 1929 the growth of
total production in all industry was sufficient to permit
total employment to increase throughout the period. This in¬
crease in total employment oocurred despite actual declines
in the manufacturing, agricultural, and mining industries.
Since 1929 productivity has continued to increase. The av-
75
erage increase from 1929 through 1935 for all lines of eco¬
nomic activity (goods and services combined) is estimated at
about 10 percent.
Changes in the available supply of labor must also be
considered in connection with the problem of unemployment.
Each year approximately 500,000 workers are being added to
the labor supply. This represents a net addition of workers
after allowing for deaths and the retirement of older work¬
ers. It is likely that these annual additions to the labor
supply will continue for some time to come. An additional
factor affecting the supply of labor involves persons not
heretofore gainfully employed who seek jobs in an effort to
increase family earnings reduced by unemployment of the
chief wage earner. Young persons leaving school prematurely
and housewives trying to obtain jobs thus add to the total
of the unemployed. Older workers who delay retirement and
persons formerly independent or self-employed constitute
further additions to the labor supply.
In view of these factors it appears certain that unem¬
ployment will continue to be a serious problem in the fu¬
ture. The sharp increase in unemployment during the closing
months of 1937 lends support to this position. Part of this
problem will be made up of the short-duration unemployed for
76
whom an unemployment insurance system will provide the means
of bridging the gap between jobs. Thi6 group will vary in
terms of cyclical movements,with a larger proportion of them
probably receiving unemployment compensation benefits during
prosperity them during depression. The long-term unemployed,
once their insurance benefits are exhausted, will constitute
a problem for the other phases of a broad unemployment re¬
lief program. The need for a varied program of assistance
to the unemployed arises from the fact that many different
causes and conditions lead to loss of employment, with the
losses ranging from a few weeks to several years in dura¬
tion. The need for a permanent program arises from the con¬
tinuing nature of the problem of unemployment.
CONCLUSION
The foregoing pages have been an attempt to trace the
development of recent relief policies and to show the close
interrelationships of the Federal work program, the direct
relief programs of the several States, and the cooperative
Federal-State activities under the Sooial Security Act. It
has been shown that, in a widespread and prolonged depres¬
sion, the Federal Government was obliged to come to the aid
of the States and localities in meeting unprecedented relief
rolls. Federal loans in 1932 proved insufficient, and a sys-
77
tern of grants-in-aid was established in 1933 whereby the na¬
tional government, through the Federal Emergency Relief Ad¬
ministration, assumed "residual" financial responsibility
after States and localities had contributed to the extent of
their ability. Under the FERA, work-relief programs were
carried on by the States as well as systems of direct re¬
lief, while the Civil Works program inaugurated a large-
scale Federal works program in the winter of 1933-34. Fi¬
nally, in 1935, a somewhat more definitive division of relief
responsibility between Federal and State governments was ef¬
fected, The "unemployables" were returned to the care of
States and localities with Federal Social Security grants to
aid special categories; while the bulk' of the "employables"
on relief were taken care of through a Federal works program.
The nationwide unemployment crisis which characterized
the depression of the early 1930's contributed to the break¬
down of the looal poor relief systems and the consequent en¬
trance of the Federal Government into the relief picture.
During the years 1933-1935 Federal relief policy was in the
formative stages. The relief programs and polioies shifted
considerably but the general trend was towards differentia¬
tion of relief groups and selective treatment of these
groupB. On the basis of the difficulties and experience of
78
this early period the basis of what may be a permanent re¬
lief policy was established during 1935. This broad program
includes the Works Program, the Social Security Program, and
the general relief programs in the States.
No single program will eliminate the distress resulting
from unemployment. An integrated and perfected program of
insurance, public work, and public assistance will be neces¬
sary. Under such a program unemployment insurance would
care for persons who lose their jobs for relatively short
periods of time. Persons unemployed for protracted periods
would receive incomes through work programs. The most im¬
portant fact is that unemployment relief can no longer be
regarded as a temporary problem to be treated on an emergen¬
cy basis. In view of the underlying economic factors, the
problem of unemployment must be viewed as a continuing one
to be met by means of a permanent comprehensive program of
economic security.
APPENDIX
Tables
80
LIST OF TABLES
Page
I-A. Amount of obligations incurred for emergency relief, by
States and by souroes of funds, 1933 through 1935 81
I-B. Amount of obligations incurred for relief,by States and
by souroes of funds, January 1936 through June 1937.... 83
II-A. Average monthly relief benefits per family, by months.
May 1933 through December 1935 85
II-B. Average amount of general relief extended per case, by
months, January 1936 through January 1938..... 86
III. Number of resident cases receiving emergency relief
under the general relief and special programs,continen¬
tal United States, by months, January 1933 through Jan¬
uary 1938 87
IV. Amount of obligations incurred for the general relief
and special programs, continental United States, by
months, January 1933 through Deoember 1935. 90
V. Funds used for Civil Works program, by States and by
souroes of funds for duration of program (November 16,
1933 through July 14, 1934) 93
VI. Funds used for Works Progress Administration program,
by States and by sources of funds, through October 1937 95
VII. Number and estimated total cost of Works Progress Ad¬
ministration projects placed in operation, by types of
projects and by operating status, cumulative through
September 30, 1937 97
VIII. Funds used for relief and work programs by major agen-
oies now participating in the Federal Works Program,
1933 through June 1937 100
IX. Recipients of special types of publio assistance tinder
the Social Security Act, by months, February 1936
through Maroh 1938 101
X. Obligations incurred for payments to recipients of pub¬
lic assistance under the Social Security Act,by months,
February 1936 through Maroh 1938 102
81
Table I-A.- AMOUNT OF OBLIGATIONS' INCURRED FOR EMERGENCY RELIEF, BY STATES AND
BY SOURCES OF FUNDS A
1933 Through 1935
Federal funds State funds Local funds
State
Total
Amount
i
Amount
i
Amount
i
Ala.
147,318,376
#44,762,571
95
♦312,212
(B)
♦2,243,593
5
Ariz.
19,214,371
16,170,501
84
2,660,321
14
383,549
2
Ark.
41,524,165
40,001,661
96
305,136
1
1,217,368
3
Calif.
235,096,613
158,041,760
67
38,209,480
16
38,845,383
17
Colo.
46,509,880
39,269,117
84
2,100,257
5
5,140,506
11
Conn.
53,526,634
23,514,388
44
5,300,394
10
24,711,852
46
Del.
5,194,435
2,103,468
40
2,107,942
41
983,025
19
D. C.
20,012,872
14,665,529
73
-
-
5,347,343
27
Fla.
42,376,989
40,361,552
95
15,492
(B)
1,999,945
5
Ga.
47,730,325
44,793,264
94
5
(B)
2,937,056
6
Idaho
15,883,655
13,359,321
84
806,612
5
1,717,722
11
111.
308,672,762
232,791,591
75
62,119,849
20
13,761,322
5
Ind.
80,303,842
51,782,792
65
164,635
(B)
28,356,415
35
Iowa
41,764,128
24,126,482
58
4,169,752
10
13,467,894
32
Kans.
54,747,935
39,949,245
73
470,877
1
14,327,813
26
Ky.
45,078,692
38,819,639
86
2,573,998
6
3,685,055
8
La.
53,126,959
51,495,793
97
1,697
(B)
1,629,469
3
Maine
23,299,386
11,787,577
51
2,087,142
9
9,424,667
40
Md.
45,916,020
33,349,321
73
10,127,288
22
2,439,411
5
Mass.
218,996,550
114,510,390
52
560,381
(B)
103,925,779
48
Mich.
173,020,332
127,137,454
74
26,466,306
15,
19,416,572
11
Minn.
68,657,414
67,695,056
76
5,545,818
6
15,416,540
18
Miss.
32,179,719
30,948,147
96
208,334
1
1,023,238
3
Mo.
82,747,423
64,083,417
77
9,008,186
11
9,655,820
12
Mont.
25,334,633
22,439,392
89
451,219
2
2,444,022
9
Nebr,
28,091,784
21,583,107
77
2,748
(B)
6,505,929
23
Nev.
5,724,742
5,074,574
89
130,489
2
519,679
9
N. H.
12,299,611
5,493,617
45
3,664,359
30
3,141,635
25
N. J.
13 8, 413', 43 3
94,725,915
68
32,832,757
24
10,854,761
8
N. Ilex.
15,269,713
14,738,853
97
351,293
2
179,567
1
N. Y.
726,684,294
385,601,208
53
125,445,319
17
215,637,767
30
N. C.
39,657,112
38,402,296
97
-
-
1,254,816
3
N. D.
28,802,104
24,856,991
86
41,938
(B)
3,903,175
14
Ohio
219,473,200
170,540,527
78
33,017,460
15
15,915,213
7
Okla.
51,874,144
44,864,484
86
364,785
1
6,644,875
13
Table I-A.- AMOUNT OF OBLIGATIONS INCURRED FOR EMERGENCY RELIEF (Cont.)
Federal funds State funds Local funds
State
Total
Amount
%
Amount
%
Amount
%
Oreg.
$27,717,907
$22,018,553
80
$2,682,754
9
$3,116,600
11
Pa.
446,355,327
316,686,933
71
104,695,574
23
24,972,820
6
R. I.
20,190,295
7,940,253
39
5,299,281
26
6,950,761
35
S. C.
36,613,734
35,866,576
98
1,324
(B)
746,834
2
S. D.
35,957,208
32,234,557
90
-
-
3,722,661
10
Tenn.
36,897,618
34,449,851
93
893,324
3
1,554,443
4
Texas
97,152,410
76,693,808
79
19,412,654
20
1,045,948
1
Utah
25,041,740
19,754,620
79
3,370,051
13
1,917,069
8
vt.
6,013,946
3,406,100
56
39,845
1
2,568,001
43
Va.
26,361,447
23,779,324
90
34,452
(B)
2,547,671
10
Wash.
48,890,429
39,965,184
82
5,919,720
12
3,005,526
6
W. Va.
57,232,504
50,655,633
88
5,016,987
9
1,559,884
3
Wise.
109,901,020
79,669,888
72
4,234,316
4
25,996,816
24
Wyo.
7,724,461
7,044,855
91
267,039
4
412,567
5
TOTAL
4,096,574,293
2,904,007,125
71
523,391,802
13
669,175,366
16
A Includes relief extended to oases under the general relief program, oost of
administration and special programs} beginning April 1934 these figures also
include purchases of materials, supplies, and equipment, rental of equipment
(such as team and truok hire),earnings of nonrelief persons, and other costs
of the Emergency Work Relief Program.
B Less than 1 peroent.
NOTE: These data do not agree exactly with the totals shown in table 5 in the
text because of a small miscellaneous amount which cannot be allotted
to any specific State.
83
Table I-B.- AMOUNT OF OBLIGATIONS INCURRED FOR RELIEF, BY STATES AND
BY SOURCES OF FUNDS
January 1936 Through June 1937
Federal
State
and
State
Total A
funds B
local
funds
Amount
%
Amount
~Jo
(in thousands of dollars)
Alabama
#705
#357
51
#348
49
Arizona
1,997
549
27
1,448
73
Arkansas
1,328
769
58
559
42
California
53,263
1,647
3
51,616
97
Colorado
4,527
161
4
4,366
96
Connecticut
10,183
614
6
9,569
94
Delaware
657
(c)
-
657
100
Dist. of Columbia
3,024
665
22
2,359
78
Florida
2,213
1,383
62
830
38
Georgia
3,111
1,120
36
1,991
64
Idaho
1,257
219
17
1,038
83
Illinois
74,763
1,173
2
73,590
98
Indiana
10,349
979
9
9,370
91
Iowa
12,063
1,058
9
11,005
91
Kansas
6,966
184
3
6,782
97
Kentucky
2,084
302
14
1,782
86
Louisiana
3,089
613
20
2,476
80
Maine
5,623
102
2
5,521
98
Maryland
3,961
58
1
3,903
99
Massachusetts
35,431
1,136
3
34,295
97
Michigan
30,741
452
1
30,289
99
Minnesota
20,601
917
4
19,684
96
Mississippi
404
244
60
160
40
Missouri
9,554
1,320
14
8,234
86
Montana
1,716
106
6
1,610
94
Nebraska
3,806
1,099
29
2,707
71
Nevada
662
114
17
648
83
New Hampshire
3,878
204
5
3,674
95
New Jersey
29,038
71
(D)
28,967
100
New Mexico
1,082
330
30
752
70
New York
219,600
1,623
1
217,977
99
North Carolina
1,926
476
25
1,450
75
North Dakota
3,568
1,384
39
2,184
61
Ohio
41,264
1,228
3
40,036
97
Oklahoma
4,544
529
12
4,015
88
84
Table I-fl.- AMOUNT OF OBLIGATIONS INCURRED FOR RELIEF. . . .(Cont.)
Federal State and
State Total A funds B local funds
Amount % Amount \
(In thousands of dollars)
Oregon
$3,679
$336
9
$3,343
91
Pennsylvania
104,352
5,845
6
98,507
94
Rhode Island
5,344
149
3
5,195
97
South Carolina
1,508
1,315
87
193
13
South Dakota
2,339
297
13
2,042
87
Tennessee
2,250
874
39
1,376
61
Texas
5,202
1,651
32
3,551
68
Utah
2,295
282
12
2,013
88
Vermont
1,804
156
9
1,648
91
Virginia
2,388
408
17
1,980
83
Washington
9,051
328
4
8,723
96
West Virginia
5,524
244
4
5,280
96
Wisconsin
19,755
1,274
6
18,481
94
Wyoming
578
92
16
486
84
TOTAL
775,047
36,437
5
738,610
95
A These data have a somewhat broader coverage than data for pre¬
ceding years in that they are not limited to emergency relief
but are intended to include all relief extended to cases from
public funds exclusive of institutional care and special types
of assistance. These figures inolude estimates of the amount
of relief extended to cases in States for which complete data
are not available. Other general relief costs including admin¬
istrative have been used as reported by the States, although the
figures for a number of States are incomplete while those for
others include extraneous items.
B Represent obligations incurred against balances remaining from
final grants made by the Federal Emergency Relief Administration
to the States.
C Less than $500.
D Less than 1 percent.
NOTE: These data do not agree exactly with the totals shown in
table 5 in the text because of a small miscellaneous amount
which cannot be allotted to any specific State.
85
Table II-A.-
AVERAGE MONTHLY
RELIEF BENEFITS PER
FAMILY, A
BY
MONTHS
May 1933 Through December 1935
Months
Years
1933
1934
1935
January
(B)
♦17.15
♦30.45
February
(B)
17.24
28.00
March
(B)
17.73
28.82
April
(B)
22.12
28.96
May
♦15.15
24.53
29.33
June
15.95
23.83
28.17
July
15.51
24.34
29.63
August
16.29
25.97
28.43
September
17.42
24.22
25.87
October
19.08
26.43
27.84
November
18.47
28.39
23.90
December
17.62
28.42
23.21
A The families used in obtaining these averages include
not only those who received relief throughout the month
but also those who received relief during part of the
period. The averages, which are computed by dividing
the amount of obligations incurred for relief to fami¬
lies by the number of families who received relief at
any time during the month, therefore, understateto some
extent the average benefit to families wholly dependent
on relief.
B Not available.
86
Table II-B.- AVERAGE AMOUNT OF GENERAL RELIEF EXTENDED PER
CASE, BY MONTHS
January 1936 Through January 1938
Years
Months 1936 1937 1938
January
$21.62
$22.79
February
21.95
22.73
March
22.17
23.60
April
21.94
23.02
May
21.11
21.92
June
21.37
22.03
July
21.26
23.06
August
20.72
23.54
September
21.63
23.97
October
22.01
24.22
November
22.71
24.79
December
24.05
25.25
Note.- Average monthly relief benefits per family are not
available after December 1935,
Table III.- NUMBER OF RESIDENT CASES RECEIVING HtfERGENCY RELIEF UNDER THE
SPECIAL PROGRAMS, CONTINENTAL UNITED STATES
January 1933 Through January 1938
GENERAL RELIEF AND
Tear
and
Month
General Relief Program
Grand
Total
Total
Direct
Relief
Only
Worlc
Relief
A
Speoial Programs
Emer- College
Total
genoy
Educa¬
tion B
Student
Aid
C
Rural
Reha¬
bilita¬
tion D
1933
is?:
Feb.
Mar.
Apr.
May
June
July
Aug.
Sep.
Oct.
Nov.
Dec.
1934
Jan.
Feb.
Mar.
Apr.
May
June
July
Aug.
Sep.
Oct.
Nov.
Dec.
2,954,453
3,152,502
3,696,582
4,444,908
4,814,393
fi.004..
4,290,000E 4,290,000E
4,610,000E 4,610,000E
5,080,000E * nRn nnrvi?
4,913,675F
4,723,450F
4,191,290F
3,908,068
3,760,654
3,404,821
3,445,380
3,829,398
3,078,099
4,&iu,uuut;
5,080,000E
4,913,675F
4,723,450F
4,191,290F
3,908,068
3,760,654
3,404,821
3,445,198
3,327,370
3,067,742
2,928,076
3,087,883
3,603,472
4,355,289
4,337,288
4,260,621
4,355,527
4,576,249
^ j) TXTI | VVO
4,434,928
4,330,799
4,394,837
4,620,049 4,576,249
4,742,102 4,620,082
A OTA lot A CAP KA7
2,720
2,880
3,110
2.964
2,821
2,546
2,228
2,042
1.965
1,980
2,274
2,900
,000E
,000E
,000E
, 930F
,243F
,593F
,812
,480
,353
,929
,688
,842
2,834,952
2,992,896
3,443,470
3,266,868
2,975,751
2,756,076
2,630,215
2,651,796
2,667,993
2,648,490
2,655,813
2,774,413
1,570,000E
1,730,OOOE
1,970,000E
1,948,745F
1,902,207F
1,644,697F
1,679,256
1,718,174
1,439,468
1,464,269
3,552,682
166,900
93,124
94,987
160,002
1,088,421
1,361,537
1,504,545
1,725,312
1,924,453
182
2,028
10,357
26,377
64,619
93,110
89,619
97,640
70,178
39,310
182
2,028
10,227
25,263
33,124
32,943
23,770
17,216
8,399
a K7A
130
1,114
31,495
60,167
65,524
62,353
34 RRfi
325
18,071
Table III.- NUMBER OF RESIDENT CASES RECEIVING EMERGENCY RELIEF, ETC
(Cont.)
Year
and
Month
General Relief Program
Grand
Total
Total
Direct
Relief
Only-
Work
Relief
A
Total
Special Programs
~Emer- College Rural
genoy Student Reha-
Eduoa- Aid bilita-
tion B C tion D
1935
Jan.
5,490,423
5,276,065
2,829,799
2,446,266
214,358
39,839
102,297
72,222
Feb.
5,473,182
5,240,154
2,805,581
2,434,573
233,028
42,424
103,254
87,350
Mar.
5,493,564
5,171,690
2,802,085
2,369,605
321,874
44,248
104,740
172,886
Apr.
5,371,309
5,013,266
2,737,081
2,276,185
358,043
43,674
104,445
209,924
May
5,188,434
4,842,009
2,645,356
2,196,653
346,425
40,962
100,013
205,450
June
4,821,671
4,533,572
2,512,483
2,021,089
288,099
32,297
52,190
203,612
July
4,397,052
4,368,825
2,440,053
1,928,772
28,227
28,227
-
-
Aug.
4,249,798
4,218,180
2,806,718
1,411,462
31,618
31,618
-
-
Sep.
3,933,423
3,908,187
3,018,960
889,227
25,236
25,236
-
-
Oct.
3,741,074
3,721,606
3,076,597
645,009
19,468
19,468
-
-
Not.
3,478,971
3,462,298
3,116,161
346,137
16,673
16,673
-
-
Dec.
2,616,009
2,608,079
2,548,668
59,411
7,930
7,930
-
-
1936
Jan.E
2,216,000
2,215,202
2,188,204
26,998
798
798
-
-
Feb.H
2,135,000
2,134,776
2,113,428
21,348
224
224
-
-
Mar.E
2,010,000
2,009,744
1,986,991
22,753
256
256
-
-
Apr.E
1,826,000
1,825,870
l,e04,S77
20,993
130
130
-
-
May E
1,657,000
1,656,848
1,637,330
19,518
152
152
-
-
JuneE
1,553,000
1,552,841
1,533,193
19,648
159
159
-
-
JulyE
1,448,000
1,447,860
1,4-27,643
20,217
140
140
-
-
Aug.H
1,430,000
1,429,924
1,412,195
17,729
76
76
-
-
Sep.H
1,387,000
1,386,974
1,370,624
16,350
26
26
-
-
Oct.E
1,394,000
1,393,971
1,378,858
15,113
29
29
-
-
Nov.H
1,403,000
1,402,995
1,389,588
13,407
5
5
-
-
Dec.E
1,508,000
1,507,994
1,493,241
14,753
6
6
-
Table III.- NUMBER OF RESIDENT CASES RECEIVING EMERGENCY RELIEF, ETC.... (Cont.)
Special Programs
Year
and
Month
General Relief Program
Grand
Total
Total
Direct
Relief
Only
Work
Relief
A
Total
Emer¬
gency
Eduoa-
tion B
sgra
College Rural
Student Reha-
Aid bilita-
C tion D
1937
Jan.H
1,659,000
1,658,987
1,643,297
15,690
13
13
-
Feb.H
1,723,000
1,722,991
1,707,360
15,631
9
9
-
Mar.H
1,681,000
1,680,951
1,666,358
14,593
49
49
-
Apr .5
1,558,000
1,558,000
1,558,000K
(L)
(L)
(L)
-
May H
1,394,000
1,394,000
1,394.000K
(L)
U)
(L)
-
JuneH
1,283,000
1,283,000
1,285,OOOK
(L)
(L)
(L)
-
JulyH
1,262,000
1,262,000
l,262,OOOK
(L)
(L)
(L)
-
Aug .H
1,272,000
1,272,000
1,272,000K
(L)
(L)
(L)
-
Sep.E
1,270,000
1,270,000
1,270,000K
(L)
(L)
(L)
-
Oct.H
1,272,000
1,272,000
1,272.000K
(L)
(L)
(L)
•
Nov.H
1,375,000
1,375,000
1,375,000K
(L)
(L)
(L)
-
Dec.E
1,636,000
1,636,000
1,636,000K
(L)
(L)
(L)
-
1938
Jan.E
1,915,000
1,915,000
1,915.000K
(L)
(L)
(L)
-
eases receiving Emergency Work Relief Program earnings for the period April 1934 through De¬
cember 1935. The data shown for the period January 1936 through March 1937 refer only to the
program conducted by the State and local emergency relief administrations; they are actual
reported figures.
B Program started in October 1933 and was gradually curtailed in the latter part of 1935, at
which time similar activities were undertaken by WPA.
C Program started during Deoember 1933 in Minnesota and during February 1934 in other States
and was discontinued at the end of the school year 1934-35. Sinoe this time a student-aid
program has been conducted by the NYA.
D Program started during April 1934 and was transferred to the Resettlement Administration as
of June 30, 1935.
E Estimated. F Partially estimated. G Program not in operation.
H Tentative estimate—not strictly comparable with data for months prior to January 1936 since
data are not limited to emergency relief.
K Includes a slight number of work relief and emergency eduoation oases.
L Not available; see footnote K.
90
Table IV.- AMOUNT OF OBLIGATIONS INCURRED FOR THE GENERAL RELIEF AND SPECIAL
PROGRAMS, CONTINENTAL UNITED STATES, BY MONTHS
January 1933 Through Deoember•1935
' " " ' " ' "
G e n e r
a 1 Re
lief
P r o g r
a b
Year
Work
R e 1 i e
f A
Grand
Direct
Ear
n i n g s
Pur. of
and
total
Total
relief
Relief
Non-
mat'Is.
Month
Total
Total
per¬
relief Supp. A
sons ]
persons Equips
1933
(in thousands of dollars)
-
Jan.
#60,827
#57,956
*39,051F
I18.905F
*18,906F
#18,905F
-
-
Feb.
67,375
63,966
42.453F
21,513F
21.513F
21.513F
-
-
Mar.
81,206
76,820
50.201F
26,619F
26,619F
26.619F
-
-
Apr.
72,954
68,637
44,325
24,312
24,312
24,312
-
-
May
70,807
66,517
41,348
25,169
25,169
25,169
-
-
June
66,338
62,055
39,425
22,630
22,630
22,630
-
-
July
60,095
56,256
34,675
21,581
21,581
21,581
-
-
Aug.
61,468
57,197
33,401
23,796
23,796
23,796
-
-
Sep.
59,338
54,754
32,788
21,966
21,966
21,966
-
-
Oct.
64,905
60,080
35,254
24,826
24,826
24,826
-
-
Not.
70,878
65,092
43,377
21,715
21,715
21,715
-
-
Dec.
56,597
49,139
45,671
3,468
3,468
3,468
-
-
1933
792,788
758,469
481,969
256,500
256,500
256,500
-
-
1934
Jan.
54,109
45,313
43,752
1,561
1,561
1,561
-
-
Feb.
57,113
47,555
45,851
1,704
1,704
1,704
-
-
Mar.
69,637
57,682
54,288
3,394
3,394
3,394
-
-
Apr.
111,692
88,349
54,544
33,805
33,805
33,805
(G)
(G)
May
128,508
108,077
54,932
53,145
48,964
42,681
#6,283
*4,181
June
125,401
105,926
51,105
54,e21
48,554
42,424
6,130
6,267
July
130,909
110,249
50,179
60,070
53,309
47,355
5,954
6,761
Aug.
149,151
124,743
54,591
70,152
61,678
54,928
6,750
8,474
Sep.
141,613
116,820
52,951
63,869
55,864
50,375
5,489
8,005
Oct.
156,221
128,043
59,614
68,429
60,067
54,028
6,039
8,362
Not.
171,942
142,182
63,225
78,957
70,091
63,069
7,022
8,866
Deo.
179,496
149,045
71,506
77,639
68,868
62,088
6,780
8,671
1934
1,475,792
1,223,984
666,636
567,446
507,859
457,412
56,44?
59,587
1935
Jan.
196,511
163,132
77,535
85,697
77,952
70,902
7,050
7,645
Feb.
180,630
147,908
72,802
75,106
68,751
62,862
5,889
6,355
Mar.
188,459
149,393
75,482
73,911
66,949
61,848
5,101
6,962
Apr.
186,348
145,310
71,970
73,340
66,463
61,333
5,130
6,877
May
188,603
144,430
67,061
77,369
69,514
63,539
5,975
7,855
June
169,471
129,990
62,681
67,309
59,861
54,384
5,477
7,448
July
160,632
132,173
65,732
66,441
58,799
53,137
5,662
7,642
Aug.
147,877
120,964
71,375
49,589
43,423
38,989
4,434
6,166
Sep.
121,197
99,618
71,658
27,960
23,753
21,184
2,569
4,207
Oct.
120,990
100,396
77,215
23,181
19,879
17,791
2,088
3,302
Not.
95,279
78,619
67,597
11,022
9,298
8,257
1,041
1,724
Deo.
69,997
56,331
53,305
3,026
2,046
1,584
461
981
1935
1,627,994
1,466,264
834,413
633,851
566,687
515,810
"507877
67,164
GRAND
TOTAL
4,096,574
3,430,717
1,972,920 1
,457,797 :
1,331,046 :
1,229,722
101,324
126,751
91
Table IV.- AMOUNT OF OBLIGATIONS INCURRED FOR THE GEN¬
ERAL RELIEF, ETC (Cont.)
Spec
i a 1
P r o g r
a m s
Year
Emer¬
College
Rural
and
Month
gency
Stu¬
Reha¬
All
Total
Educa¬
dent
bilita¬
Other
tion
B
Aid
C
tion
D
E
1933
(In thousands of dollars)
Jan.
-
-
-
-
$2,871F
Feb.
-
-
-
-
3,409F
Mar.
-
-
-
-
4,386F
Apr.
-
-
-
-
4,317
May-
-
-
-
-
4,290
June
-
-
-
-
4,283
July
-
-
-
-
3,839
Aug.
-
-
-
-
4,271
Sep.
-
-
-
-
4,584
Oct.
14
14
-
-
4,821
Nov.
61
61
-
-
5,725
Deo.
353
350
13
-
7,105
1933
418
415
3
-
53,961
1934
Jan.
1,075
1,056
19
-
7,721
Feb.
1,805
1,480
325
-
7,753
Mar.
2,516
1,670
846
-
9,439
Apr.
2,195
1,247
946
*2
21,148H
May
2,340
897
923
520
18,091
June
1,738
385
311
1,042
17,737
July
1,062
376
(I)
686
19,598
Aug.
1,379
595
(I)
784
23,029
Sep.
2,226
547
547
1,132
22,567
Oct.
3,731
1,191
1,267
1,273
24,447
Nov.
4,620
1,741
1,340
1,539
25,140
Dec.
4,835
1,866
1,266
1,703
25,616
1934
29,522
13,651
7,766
8,681
222,286
1955
Jan.
5,723
2,421
1,345
1,957
27,656
Feb.
7,462
2,334
1,346
3,782
25,260
Mar.
12,010
2,530
1,380
8,100
27,056
Apr.
16,270
2,459
1,385
12,426
26,768
May
15,957
2,415
1,298
12,244
28,216
June
12,821
1,703
384
10,734
26,660
July
1,502
1,502
-
••
26,957
Aug.
1,836
1,836
-
-
25,077
Sep.
1,211
1,211
-
-
20,368
Oct.
986
985
-
-
19,609
Nov.
848
848
-
-
15,812
Dec.
391
391
-
-
13,275
1935
7V,616
20,635
7,138
49,243
282,714
GRAND
TOTAL
106,956
34,101
14,931
57,924
558,901
92
Table IV.- AMOUNT OF OBLIGATIONS INCURRED FOR THE GEN¬
ERAL RELIEF, ETC (Cont.)
A During the period January 1933 through March 1934,
when work relief was extended at the discretion of
State or local relief administrations, figures do not
include cost of materials and the earnings of nonre-
lief persons. Beginning with April 1934, figures re¬
late to the Emergency Work Relief Program which was
conducted under policies and procedures outlined by
the FERA.
B Program started in October 1S33 and was gradually
curtailed in the latter part of 1935, at which time
similar activities were undertaken by WPA.
C Program started during December 1933 in Minnesota
and during February 1934 in other States and was
discontinued at the end of the school year 1934-35.
Since this time a student-aid program has been con¬
ducted ty the NY A.
D Program started during April 1934 and was trans¬
ferred to the Resettlement Administration as of June
30, 1935.
E "All Other" includes miscellaneous expenses of the
Emergency Work Relief Program, such as rental of
equipment and team and truck hire; purchases of
office supplies and equipment; administrative costs;
transient relief, and other services and charges.
F Distribution by direct and work relief and "All
Other" obligations has been estimated.
G Not available; see footnote H.
H Includes obligations inourred for earnings of nonre-
lief persons and purchases of materials.supplies and
equipment for Emergency Work Relief Program projects
during the month of April 1934.
I Program not in operation.
93
Table V.- FUNDS USED FOR CIVIL WCBKS PROGRAM, BY STATES AND BY
SOURCES OF FUNDS FOR DURATION OF PROGRAM
November 16, 1933 Through July 14, 1934
Federal
State and
State
Total
funds A
local funds
B
Amount
%
Amount
%
Alabama
118,121,982
$16,109,739
89
$2,012,243
11
Arizona
5,055,881
4,786,333
95
269,548
5
Arkansas
12,929,490
12,219,867
95
709,623
5
California
45,493,179
41,468,680
91
4,024,499
9
Colorado
8,617,816
7,432,540
86
1,185,276
14
Conneotiout
11,494,364
9,884,149
86
1,610,215
14
Delaware
693,851
580,155
84
113,696
16
Dist. of Columbia
6,673,943
5,604,057
99
69,886
1
Florida
18,075,071
16,837,613
93
1,237,458
7
Georgia
16,406,211
14,092,128
91
1,314,083
9
Idaho
5,870,234
5,439,538
93
430,696
7
Illinois
62,904,161
57,601,492
92
6,302,669
8
Indiana
26,992,716
23,066,349
85
3,936,366
15
Iowa
17,859,337
14,711,654
82
3,147,683
18
Kansas
14,808,372
12,247,040
83
2,561,332
17
Kentuoky
11,329,166
10,086,561
89
1,242,605
11
Louisiana
14,694,518
13,202,835
90
1,491,683
10
Maine
6,028,870
4,648,370
92
380,500
8
Maryland
9,564,022
9,042,673
95
521,349
5
Massaohusetts
33,484,100
29,699,373
89
3,784,727
11
Miohigan
46,953,756
44,416,469
95
2,537,286
5
Minnesota
21,615,000
19,547,496
90
2,067,505
10
Mississippi
10,551,388
9,798,966
93
752,422
7
Missouri
22,363,660
19,983,106
89
2,380,545
11
Montana
6,982,799
6,309,421
90
673,378
10
Nebraska
7,880,859
6,178,767
78
1,702,092
22
Nevada
1,453,893
1,299,562
89
154,331
11
New Hampshire
3,373,415
3,028,076
90
345,339
10
New Jersey
30,030,461
27,732,022
92
2,298,439
8
New Mexico
2,606,752
2,352,060
90
254,692
10
New York
98,643,237
86,835,306
88
11,707,931
12
North Carolina
14,108,046
12,942,379
92
1,165,667
8
North Dakota
5,607,830
5,101,544
91
506,286
9
Ohio
63,612,381
58,434,269
92
5,078,112
8
Oklahoma
19,072,662
17,819,787
93
1,252,875
7
94
Table V.- FUNDS USED FOR CIVIL WORKS PROGRAM (Cont.)
State
Total
Federal
funds A
Amount
%
State and
local funds B
Amount %
Oregon
$7,359,176
16,501,076
88
$858,100
12
Pennsylvania
52,676,535
46,241,696
88
6,434,839
12
Rhode Island
4,388,617
3,822,996
87
565,621
13
South Carolina
11,043,783
10,349,401
94
694,382
6
South"Dakota
8,760,988
6,843,143
78
1,917,845
22
Tennessee
14,042,300
13,225,789
94
816,511
6
Texas
33,706,137
33,706,137
100
(c)
-
Utah
5,258,302
4,524,451
86
733,851
14
Vermont
2,148,586
1,777,522
83
371,064
17
Virginia
12,907,927
12,154,637
94
753,290
6
Washington
16,247,558
13,556,504
83
2,691,054
17
West Virginia
13,522,040
13,014,316
96
507,724
4
Wi sconsin
36,420,644
34,489,234
95
1,931,410
5
Wyoming
2,999,004
2,461,459
82
537,545
18
Various
10,868,053
10,868,053
100
-
-
TOTAL
931,103,061
844,066,788
91
87,036,273
9
A Represents CWA funds advanced to States adjusted for miscellane¬
ous repayments to the Treasury through November 1936, and obli¬
gations incurred from FERA funds for Civil Works as reported by
the States.
B As reported by the State Civil Works Administrations to the Fed¬
eral Civil Works Administration.
C Not reported.
95
Table VI.- FUNDS USED FOR WORKS PROGRESS ADMINISTRATION PROGRAM, BY
STATES AND BY SOURCES OF FUNDS
Through October 1937
State and
State Total A Federal funda local funds
Amount
7>
Amount
%
Alabama
$44,465,403
$37,107,709
83
$7,357,694
17
Arizona
17,295,257
13,431,097
78
3,864,160
22
Arkansas
37,489,822
31,874,537
85
5,615,285
15
California
232,039,004
200,218,576
86
31,820,428
14
Colorado
51,093,437
42,683,018
84
8,410,419
16
Connecticut
44,877,412
38,134,439
85
6,742,973
15
Delaware
3,936,653
3,619,148
92
317,505
8
Diet, of Col.
32,492,796
31,492,239
97
1,000,557
3
Florida
40,795,722
34,560,078
85
6,235,644
15
Georgia
48,850,366
40,627,044
83
8,223,322
17
Idaho
15,297,051
11,536,385
75
3,760,666
25
Illinois
286,721,837
245,102,589
85
41,619,248
15
Indiana
121,710,596
107,471,018
88
14,239,578
12
Iowa
42,708,616
34,622,672
81
8,085,944
19
Kansas
59,518,517
49,437,700
83
10,080,817
17
Kentucky
57,677,786
48,065,565
83
9,612,233
17
Louisiana
50,298,413
43,941,299
87 .
6,357,114
13
Maine
14,006,083
11,841,711
85
2,164,372
15
Maryland
26,819,333
24,011,309
90
2,808,024
10
Massachusetts
187,834,588
167,762,758
89
20,081,830
11
Michigan
139,245,877
117,886,054
86
21,360,823
15
Minnesota
95,208,099
84,557,625
89
10,650,474
11
Mississippi
35,889,142
28,388,065
79
7,501,077
21
Missouri
110,958,777
98,693,536
89
12,265,241
11
Montana
25,731,030
22,938,196
89
2,792,834
11
Nebraska
36,173,567
30,270,597
84
5,902,970
16
Nevada
3,982,872
3,175,287
80
807,585
20
New Hampshire
12,716,740
10,897,164
86
1,819,576
14
New Jersey
156,940,985
140,599,724
90
16,341,261
10
New Mexioo
16,735,489
14,642,354
87
2,193,135
13
New York
688,004,812
650,319,440
95
37,685,372 B
5
North Carolina
35,577,055
29,046,913
82
6,530,142
18
North Dakota
27,416,184
23,745,866
87
3,670,318
13
Ohio
265,003,129
235,647,727
89
29,455,402
11
Oklahoma
78,639,099
63,660,056
81
14,979,043
19
96
Table VI.- FUNDS USED FOE WORKS PROGRESS ADMINISTRATION. . .(Cont.)
State and
State Total A Federal funds local funds
Amount
%
Amount
ft
Oregon
$30,716,111
$25,911,181
84
$4,804,930
16
Pennsylvania
416,275,490
392,302,820
94
23,972,670
6
Rhode Island
21,451,651
17,974,490
84
3,477,161
16
South Carolina
31,492,700
26,638,124
81
5,854,576
19
South Dakota
31,220,015
27,764,342
89
3,455,673
11
Tennessee
49,422,917
36,238,961
73
13,183,956
27
Texas
99,065,532
78,061,073
79
21,004,459
21
Utah
20,654,948
16,253,281
79
4,401,667
21
Vermont
6,563,670
5,113,013
78
1,450,657
22
Virginia
32,320,564
27,263,068
84
5,057,496
16
Washington
55,163,753
48,136,372
87
7,027,381
13
West Virginia
60,754,813
53,861,950
89
6,892,863
11
Wisconsin
104,517,935
89,207,542
85
15,310,393
15
Wyoming
8,241,033
6,268,421
76
1,972,612
24
TOTAL
4,112,012,683
•3,621,793,123
88
490,219,560
12
A Includes all programs.
B In addition to amount shown. New York City has made available to
the WPA approximately $2,600,000 in cash which had not been ex¬
pended as of October 31, 1937j also excluded are substantial a-
mounts expended by New York City for which reports are now being
obtained.
Table VII.- NUMBER AND ESTIMATED TOTAL COST OF WORKS PROGRESS ADMINISTRATION PROJECTS PLACED IN OPERATION,
BY TYPES OF PROJECTS AND BY OPERATING STATUS
Cumulative Through September 30, 1937
All
Project
8
Active Projects
Completed Projeots
Type of Project
Number
Estimated total
Amount
cost
%
Number
Estimated
total cost
Number
Estimated
total cost
GRAND TOTAL
158,036
$4,690,134,316
100
32,705 $2,080,691,377
125,331 $2,609,442,939
Highways, roads, and streets....
48,328
1,716,575,184
36
9,044
812,259,390
39,284
904,315,794
Highways—primary roads
439
28,804,594
(A)
107
12,850,396
332
15,954,195)
Farm-to-market and other
secondary roads
20,504
547,016,941
12
3,663
237,284,069
16,841
309,732,872
Streets and alleys
10,571
432,681,369
9
1,853
188,790,261
8,718
243,891,108
Sidewalks, curbs, and paths...
3,871
82,754,642
2
840
40,620,734
3,031
42,133,908
Roadside improvements
3,603
129,028,409
3
533
62,762,899
3,070
66,265,510
Bridges and viaducts.
2,605
37,409,459
(A)
282
12,846,189
2,323
24,563,270
Grade-crossing elimination....
19
215,453
(A)
-
-
19
215,453
Other B
6,716
458,664,317
10
1,766
257,104,843
4,950
201,559,474
Publio buildings
25,684
509,616,389
11
4,480
199,297,327
21,204
310,319,062
Administrative.
3,706
66,905,607
T
576
"27,095,590
3,129
41,816,217
Charitable, medical, and men¬
tal institutions
1,607
50,545,697
1
296
16,005,678
1,311
34,540,019
Educational
11,603
171,399,545
4
1,920
68,562,574
9,683
102,836,971
Social and recreational
3,269
79,869,011
2
689
28,546,036
2,580
51,322,975
Federal (including military
and naval)
696
37,910,643
1
154
12,898,825
542
25,011,818
Improvement of grounds
3,337
61,298,154
1
539
19,960,961
2,798
31,337,193
Housing and demolition.
44
10,540,711
(A)
4
4,470,695
40
6,070,016
Other B
1,423
39,146,821
1
302
21,756,968
1,121
17,389,853
Parks and other recreational
facilities
10,130
508,010,445
11
2,065
193,578,526
8,065
314,431,919
Playgrounds and athletic
fields
3,951
68,970,910
2
667
22,552,559
3,284
46,418,351
Parks
4,302
228,299,840
5
954
114,403,469
3,348
113,396,371
Other B
1,877
210,739,695
4
444
56,622,498
1,433
154,117,197
Table VII.- NUMBER AND ESTIMATED TOTAL COST OF WORKS PROGRESS ADMINISTRATION PROJECTS, ETC
(Cont.)
Type of Project
aTT
Project
Estimated total
8
cost
Active"
Projects
Estimated
Comple
ited Projects
Estimated
Number
Amount
%
Number
total cost
Number
total cost
Conservation
6,711
1222,484,482
5
1,079
$97,301,539
5,632
$125,182,943
Forestatlon
237
5,035,824
(AT
23
1,439,581
214
3,596,243
Erosion oontrol and land
utilisation
396
8,753,802
(A)
55
3,726,573
341
5,027,229
Irrigation and miter conser¬
vation
4,208
166,174,509
4
684
75,081,142
3,524
91,093,367
Plant, crop, and livestock
conservation.
537
10,391,924
(a)
79
4,696,936
458
5,694,988
Other B
1,333
32,128,423
1
238
12,357,307
1,095
19,771,116
Sewer systems and other utilities
15,752
444,571,474
9
2,394
190,933,647
13,368
253,637,327
Water purification and supply.
5,053
118,145,281
3
708
48,349,106
4,345
69,796,175
Sewer systems
9,797
296,983,433
6
1,492
127,398,158
8,305
169,085,275
Electric utilities..
359
11,173,352
(a)
61
5,199,660
298
5,974,192
Other B
543
18,268,908
(a)
123
9,486,723
420
8,782,185
Airports and other transportation
1,383
130,780,400
3
330
72,064,075
1,053
58,716,325
Airports and airways
1,099
100,664,928
279
58,785,596
820
41,879,332
Navigation
245
22,369,586
1
45
9,287,766
200
13,081,820
Other B
39
7,745,886
(a)
6
3,990,713
33
3,755,173
White collar
25,271
490,874,467
10
5,847
199,079,400
19,424
291,795,067
Eduoational.
2,5S9
98,130,144
628
53,286,876
1,961
44,843,274
Reoreational
2,640
76,876,771
1
415
35,827,585
2,225
41,049,186
Professional and clerical.....
20,042
315,867,552
7
4,804
109,964,945
15,238
205,902,607
Goods
10,467
408,251,358
9
3,855
202,469,371
6,612
205,781,987
Sewing
1,6S4
34MS1,S24
7
3,693
175,314,479
4,561
163,916,845
Canning
308
4,315,280
(a)
141
2,558,488
167
1,756,792
Other B ......................
2,505
64,704,754
2
621
24,596,404
1,384
40,108,350
Table VII.- NUMBER AND ESTIMATED TOTAL COST OF WORKS PROGRESS ADMINISTRATION PROJECTS, ETC
(Cont.)
~ AllProjeots Active Projects Completed Projects'
Type of Project Estimated total oost Estimated Estimated
** ■ . I VttmVAM I 1 «1 L
Number ■
Amount
96
Number
total cost
Number
total cost
Sanitation and health
3,968
123,960,594
s
1,225
59,231,982
2,743
64,728,612
Elimination of stream pollu¬
tion...
Mosquito eradication
Other B ......................
172
938
2,858
6,228,799
42,197,301
75,534,494
(A)
1
2
52
192
981
3,628,187
18,599,050
37,004,745
120
746
1,877
2,600,612
23,598,251
38,529,749
Miscellaneous
10,342
135,009,523
3
2,396
54,476,120
7,946
80,533,403
A Less than one percent.
B Includes projects classifiable under more than one of the headings above.
Table VIII.- FUNDS USED FOR RELIEF AND WORK PROGRAMS BY MAJOR AGENCIES NCW PARTICI¬
PATING IN THE FEDERAL WORKS PROGRAM
1933 Through June 1937
Agenoy
Total
Federal funds
State and
local funds
Amount
%
Amount
%
(In thousands of dollars)
Works Progress Administration
$3,561,992
$3,176,572
89
$385,420
11
Farm Security Administration
(formerly Resettlement
Administration)
224,314
224,314
100
Public Works Administration
1,715,202
571,802
33
1,143,400
67
Non-Federal
Housing
1,633,164
82,036
489,764
82,038
30
100
1,143,400
70
Emergenoy Conservation Work
1,656,120
1,656,120
100
-
-
Bureau of Public Roads
1,232,142
1,232,142
100
-
-
Other agencies
1,752,329
1,752,329
100
-
•»
TOTAL
10,142,099
8,613,279
85
1,528,820
15
101
Table IX.- RECIPIENTS OF SPECIAL TYPES OF PUBLIC ASSISTANCE UNDER
THE SOCIAL SECURITY ACT
February 1936 Through March 1938 A
Year
Aid to dependent
and
Old-age
Aid to the
children
month
assistance
blind
Families
Children
1936
February
247,421
12,054
26,670
68,915
March
294,137
13,103
27,447
70,301
April
471,189
16,374
56,898
144,413
May
563,393
16,646
61,170
154,600
June
603,855
17,570
70,026
177,466
July
785,873
26,503
89,135
225,784
August
841,421
26,903
83,974
218,273
September
860,106
27,482
91,693
238,708
October
971,288
27,985
104,845
269,107
November
1,032,697
28,461
107,094
273,751
December
1,103,945
28,971
109,527
279,898
1937
January
1,146,330
29,419
117,560
299,366
February
1,199,825
30,120
122,254
310,108
March
1,256,171
30,993
128,497
324,917
April
1,295,219
31,594
134,866
340,999
May
1,326,575
33,734
167,130
416,589
June
1,291,452
35,045
171,526
427,689
July
1,397,015
37,254
175,101
431,814
August
1,437,389
38,647
183,037
453,054
September
1,470,574
40,166
193,912
481,580
October
1,607,964
41,232
199,693
496,237
November
1,546,980
42,603
204,731
509,193
December
1,582,449
43,785
211,982
527,073
1938
January
1,608,780
44,836
218,499
542,287
February
1,633,000
46,000
225,000
559,000
March
1,660,000
47,000
231,000
573,000
A Includes the three special types of publio assistance in all
States and Territories and the District of Columbia with plans
approved by the Sooial Seourity Board. Figures include rela¬
tively small numbers of cases eligible under State laws for whom
no Federal funds may be expended.
The several columns must not be added together to obtain a grand
total for any month since, by definition, the same family may be
counted in two or more columns and since it is known that this
occurs in a considerable proportion of the cases.
102
Table X.- OBLIGATIONS INCURRED FOR PAYMENTS TO RECIPIENTS OF PUBLIC
ASSISTANCE UNDER THE SOCIAL SECURITY ACT
February 1936 Through March 1938 A
Year
Old-age
assistance
Aid to de¬
and
month
Total
Aid to the
blind
pendent
children
1936
February
14,644,994
$3,753,290
$286,742
$604,962
Mar oh
5,292,753
4,335,877
315,694
641,182
April
8,792,806
7,076,315
385,126
1,331,365
May
10,778,233
8,982,300
399,125
1,396,808
June
11,707,192
9,650,733
423,413
1,633,041
July
15,784,739
13,037,502
646,655
2,100,582
August
18,070,716
15,076,303
663,562
2,330,851
September
19,354,807
16,055,655
683,288
2,615,864
October
21,422,574
17,955,548
704,901
2,762,125
November
22,856,291
19,292,370
722,862
2,841,059
December
24,455,997
20,717,494
738,302
3,000,201
Total, 1936
163,161,102
135,933,387
5
,969,675
21,258,040
1937
January
25,691,752
21,609,598
750,426
3,331,728
February
26,786,305
22,519,643
767,173
3,499,489
March
28,122,602
23,589,553
787,750
3,745,299
April
29,021,403
24,331,523
795,993
3,893,887
May
30,794,716
24,723,065
847,357
5,224,294
June
30,565,164
24,429,231
875,259
5,260,674
July
32,201,447
25,880,039
921,207
5,400,201
August
33,240,133
26,662,936
949,177
5,628,020
September
34,870,705
27,894,994
1
,034,241
5,941,470
Ootober
35,964,179
28,702,509
1
,057,374
6,204,296
November
37,363,260
29,725,980
1
,089,737
6,547,543
December
38,713,903
30,794,675
1
,120,170
6,799,058
Total, 1937
383,335,569
310,863,746
10
,995,864
61,475,959
1938
January
39,516,374
31,367,388
1
,144,964
7,004,022
February
39,982,000
31,585,000
1
,183,000
7,214,000
March
40,611,000
32,354,000
1
,202,000
7,055,000
Total, 1938
120,109,374
95,306,388
3
,529,964
21,273,022
Grand total
666,606,045
542,103,521
20
,495,503
104,007,021
A Amount of payments to recipients from Federal, State, and local
funds, administrative expense excluded. Prior to July 1937, ob¬
ligations incurred for assistance in kind and for payments to
persons other than recipients for services to the recipients are
excluded.
Figures include payments to individuals in excess of amounts
which can be matohed from Federal funds. The first Federal funds
were made available to the States for February 1936. No figures
are inoluded in any month for any State not administering Federal
funds.