14329 WORKS PROGRESS ADMINISTRATION PHYSICAL ACCOMPLISHMENT ON WPA PROJECTS Through June 30, 1938 United States Summary A preliminary summary of accomplishment on WPA projects from the be¬ ginning of the program through June 30, 1938 is presented in the attached table. The summary figures were derived from data contained in individual re¬ ports for about 200,000 WPA work projects. The report does not cover accom¬ plishments on projects operated by Federal agencies other than the Works Prog¬ ress Administration. The tabulation shows in detail the material benefits that have ac¬ crued to the various communities of the nation through the facilities of the WPA. Highways, roads, and streets have been built and improved; and bridges, culverts, and drainage structures have been installed or reconditioned. Pub¬ lic buildings and recreational facilities of many types have been constructed or rehabilitated; airways and airports have been constructed, extended and im¬ proved; conservation activities have been ca^ied on; and the nation's needy have received medical, dental, and nursing services. Accomplishment data through June 30, 1938 in some of the principal fields of WPA activity are noted below. Nearly 280,000 miles of highways, roads, and streets have been con¬ structed or improved through the country- Of the total mileage completed, about 30,500 miles or 11% resulted from operation of projects in various mu¬ nicipalities. About 23,600 miles, or over 8% of the total mileage of roads or streets, were paved with concrete, brick, block, or bituminous surface. The greet bulk of the rural roads built or reconditioned were not hard sur¬ faced although usually they were well stabilized and drained to provide all- weather rosds in rural areas. The drainage work involved the construction of over 29,000 bridges and 313,000 culverts, together with 22,000 miles of road¬ side ditches and 1,1+00 miles of drainage pipe exclusive of the culverts men¬ tioned above. The construction and repair of public buildings constituted another major item of accomplishment on WPA projects. Through June 30, 1938, 17,600 public buildings were constructed, including 2,300 new schools, 5,500 recrea¬ tional buildings, and 100 hospitals. Other public buildings completed includ¬ ed 800 courthouses, city halls, and other administrative and office buildings, 150 firehouses, and 100 new aircraft hangars. In addition to the new construction mentioned above, the work of im¬ proving and reconditioning more than 1+6,000 existing buildings was completed. Of these 21,500 were schools, 3,500 were recreational buildings, and 1,1+00 were hospital buildings. 14329 -2- Opportunity for public participation in many recreational activities has been provided through the construction of li;0 new golf courses, 900 new swimming and wading pools, 1_|.,600 tennis courts, 3»300 athletic fields and play¬ grounds, and many other facilities such as handball courts, horseshoe courts, volley ball and badminton courts, and ice skating rinks. B/lore than 5*000 parks have been developed or substantially improved. The- development of water supply, sewerage, and drainage systems for the protection of public health has been a major field of WPA activity. Through June 30, 1938, the TTPA had completed the construction of about 6,100 miles of water mains, nearly 9,000 miles of sewer lines, 80 new water purification plants, 300 new sewage treatment plants, and 35 garbage incinerators. In rural areas, where sewerage systems arc not practicable, the WPA has built more than 1,114.0,000 sanitary privies. More than 1,6I|.0,000 acres of lowlands and swamp areas were drained by the excavation of 8,700 miles of mosquito control ditches. WPA non-construction projects devoted to the production of goods and the extension of necessary medical, dental, nursing, and household services have accomplished notable results. WPA sewing rooms established in most cities and towns have produced more than 180,000,000 garments and household articles for distribution to families in need. Doctors, dentists, and nurses employed on the public health projects have given approximately 15,000,000 examinations, immu¬ nizations, or treatments to persons who otherwise might have been denied such ser¬ vices. Housekeeping aides have made over 7*000,000 visits to about 1,000,000 families in need of household assistance. Several other WPA accomplishments are of considerable general interest because of their unique contribution to national welfare and resources. Among these are the WPA mine sealing projects. Old abandoned mines have been sealed by WPA workers thus stopping stream pollution, killing of vegetation and spread¬ ing of noxious gases in surrounding areas. Another phase of WPA mine activi¬ ties is the fighting of underground fires which are wasting national resources. Thousands of acres of watersheds have been protected through the tree planting and conservftion activities of WPA workers. Archaeological excava¬ tions have contributed to present knowledge of early civilization in various sections of the country. Impetus to the current attack on venereal disease has been given through studies on the subject compiled by WPA workers. A great variety of other accomplishments not mentioned in the state¬ ments above have been achieved on WFA projects and are detailed in the attached tabulation. 14329 PHYSICAL ACC(HTPLISHMENT OH Ol|_7jOOO No. of families aided 1,076,000 Museum Activities ------------- No. of articles constructed or renovated 6.,7l|-5jOOO No. of articles cataloged 9,i|98,000 fORKS PROGRESS .^MINISTRATION Division of Statistics March 29, 1939