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.PURPOSE AND
of
WORKS PROGRESS
ACTIVITIES
the
ADMINISTRATION
Officers
Harry L. Hopkins, Administrator
Corrington Gill, Assistant Administrator
Lawrence Westbrook, Assistant Administrator
Aubrey Williams, Assistant Administrator
Jacob Baker, Assistant Administrator
Ellen S. Woodward, Assistant Administrator
Perry A. Fellows, Acting Chief Engineer
Morton M. Milford, Special Assistant
Donald C. Stone, Special Assistant
Lee Pressman, General Counsel
William E. Linden, Counsel
Walker-Johnson Bldg., 1734 New York Avenue NW.,
Washington, D, C.
CREATION AND AUTHORITY — The Works Progress Administration
was created by Executive Order No. 7034, issued by the President May
6, 1935, under the authority of the Emergency Relief Appropriation
Act of 1935 (H. J. Res. 117, 74th Congress), approved by the President
April 8, 1935. Under the same Executive Order the President designated
the Federal Emergency Relief Administrator to serve also as the Ad¬
ministrator of the Works Progress Administration.
PURPOSE — The Works Progress Administration was established
to "be responsible to the President for the honest, efficient, speedy
and coordinated execution of the work relief program as a whole, and
for the execution of that program in such manner as to move from the
relief rolls to work on such projects or in private employment the
maximum number of persons in the shortest time possible."
ORGANIZATION — The functions of the Administration are
distributed among six major groups of divisions, headed by the five
Assistant Administrators and the Acting Chief Engineer. In addition,
the Administrator has created within the organisation a Committee on
Procedure the Chairman of which is charged with the duty of coordinating
and of correlating all operating procedure of the Works Progress Ad¬
ministration.
The Administration is represented in the field by five field
representatives, each having a certain group of states within his
territory. With the assistance of regional engineers, regional
directors of women's activities, and regional social workers assigned
to their staffs, the field representatives interpret federal policies
to officials of the Works Progress Administration within those states,
and advise the Administrator concerning developments in the states.
The Administration is also represented in the field by regional
examiners concerned with financial and reporting matters, by special
agents concerned with invostigatipns, and by advisors on labor relations
concerned with relationships of men employed to the Administration.
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Two advisory "boards havo boon appointed "by the Administrator
to assist him in carrying out tho program laid down by the President.
The Labor Policies Board, consisting of three members, acts in an
advisory capacity on questions involving labor relations, The Works
Progress Advisory Board, consisting of five to seven members, acts as
an outside observer of Works Progress operations, giving the Adminis¬
tration the benefit of the layman's perspective of the entire program.
The National Youth Administration was established within the
Works Progress Administration by Executive Order No. 7086. Details
regarding this Administration will be given elsewhere in this manual,
FUNDS — Funds are allotted to the Works Progress Administration
from time to time by the President out of the appropriation of
$4,880,000,000 made by the Emergency Relief Appropriation Act of 1935.
POWERS AND DUTIES
INVESTIGATION OF PROGRESS — Tho Works Progress Administration
is authorized to establish and operate a division of progress investi¬
gation and to coordinate the pertinent work of existing investigative
agencies of the Government, so as to insure the honest execution of
the work relief program.
REPORTS OF PROGRESS — The Administration is further given the
power to formulate, and, with the approval of the President, to require
uniform periodic reports of progress on all projects; and, where any
avoidable delay appears, to recommend to the President appropriate
measures for eliminating such delay, and similarly, to recommend the
termination of projects where it develops that they arc not affording
the amount of employment warranting their continuance.
REGULATIONS GOVERNING SELECTION OF PERSONS FOR EMPLOYMENT — The
Administration is empowered to prescribe rules and regulations, subject
to tho approval of the President, first, to assure that as many of the
persons employed on all work projects as is feasible shall be persons
receiving relief, and second, to govern the selection of such persons
for such employment.
REPORTS ON EMPLOYMENT — The Administration is charged with the
duty of formulating and administering a system of uniform periodic
reports of tho employment on such projects of persons receiving relief,
INVESTIGATION OF WAGES AND WORKING CONDITIONS — The Administra¬
tion is empowered to investigate wages and working conditions and to
make and submit to the President such findings as will aid the President
in prescribing working conditions and rates of pay on projects.
COORDINATION OF RESEARCH PROJECTS — The Administration is
authorized to provide for the coordination of such data-compiling
projects as form a part of the work relief program and of such portions
of other research activities as may be necessary or useful in carrying
out such program.
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COORDINATION OR REQUESTS FOR OPINIONS — The Works Progress
Administration is required to coordinate all requests for opinions
and decisions addressed to the Executive Departments or independent
establishments of the Government on questions affecting the administra¬
tion of the Emergency Relief Appropriation Act of 1935 or of orders
issued thereunder.
PROSECUTION OF SMALL USEFUL PROJECTS — The Administration is
required to recommend and carry on small useful projects designed to
assure a maximum of employment in all localities.