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EXPLAINING HOW NEW DEAL JOBS ARE AWARDED
174
●
ROOSEVELT, FRANKLIN D. Typed Letter Signed, as President, to Counsel for
the American Federation of Labor Charlton Ogburn, assuring him that Harry Hopkins is
not favoring applications to the Works Progress Administration over those to the Public
Works Administration. 1
1
/
2
pages, 4to,White House stationery, written on rectos only; two
punch holes in left margins, horizontal folds. (TFC)
Aboard U.S.S.
Houston
, 14 October 1935
[600/900]
“
. . . I assure you that I thoroughly concur with your high estimate of the value of the work
performed by the Publics Works Administration. I wish to correct, however, the impression you
have relative to the functions performed by Mr. Hopkins. . . . Prior to the conference between
Secretary Ickes, Mr. Hopkins and myself at Hyde Park on September twelfth, all applications
under the Works program were referred to the Works Progress Administration, under Mr.
Hopkins, for statistical analysis, with particular reference to the availability of relief labor of suit-
able skill for the projects under consideration in the locality concerned, and the estimated
man-year cost of the project.
“
In making this analysis, the Works Progress Administration took into consideration, first, the
number of persons on relief in the locality concerned and their occupational characteristics; sec-
ond, the number of employable people remaining on relief as related to the amount of
unallocated money. On the basis of these considerations, theWorks Progress Administration sub-
mitted its findings to the Allotment Board, which in turn made recommendations to me for
approval or disapproval of the various applications.
“
It is, therefore, not proper to say that Mr. Hopkins approved or disapproved these applications.
His function was merely to make the statistical analysis as indicated above and to report to the
Allotment Board the result of such analysis.
“
Due to the fact that applications for projects totaling in value many times the amount of
money remaining available were received by the Public Works Administration, the Works
Progress Administration and other governmental agencies engaged inWorks programs, it became
necessary that a change in the procedure for the handling of the projects be made, and the con-
ference at Hyde Park was called for the purpose of determining what this new procedure should be.
“
. . . I hope that any thought that you may have had that Mr. Hopkins was turning down
Public Works Administration projects in order to accomplish more projects under the Works
Progress Administration has been removed by this letter.”
175
●
ROOSEVELT, FRANKLIN D.Autograph Letter Signed,“Roosevelt,” as President,
to Cordell Hull (“Secretary of State, Buenos Aires”), retained draft of a telegram, in pencil,
congratulating him and offering to make a public statement.
1
/
2
page, 4to, ruled paper; ver-
tical line through center of text in pencil, faint scattered foxing, evenly toned, two holes
punched in upper margin. (TFC)
Np, [December 1936?]
[400/600]
“
I am delighted with and congratulate you on the good news and splendid progress. Stop. If you
think it useful I can give out a short statement inWashingtonWednesday stressing general sat-
isfaction in Team work and its future usefulness, and if you agree would appreciate a short draft
from you to reach me byThursday evening.”
In December of 1936, the Inter-American Conference for the Maintenance of Peace was held
in Buenos Aires, where Cordell Hull led the American delegation.The Conference resulted in
an agreement among the 21 American republics.