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ll iwORK PROJECTS ADMINISTRATION ~ PROFESSIONAL AND\\ TSMsi0N
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PROJECT N
DISTRICT 3
- CHICAGO AND SUBURBAN COOK COUNTY
THIS WORK PAYS YOUR COMMUNITY
WHAT IS
OPEN HOUSE?
Over 500 of Chicago and Cook County's
locations where activities of the Profession¬
al-Service Projects are performed, will act
as voluntary host to 500,000 visitors during
the week of May 20-25, acoordlng to plans an¬
nounced by the Sponsors' Advisory Committee.
This Is the first time In the five year
history of the Works Program that these ao-
tlvltles have been generally thrown open to
the Inspection and review of the public.
This week of "Open House" for Chicago
Projects Is part of a nationally concerted
program to acquaint the people of the United
States with what the Professional and Service
Projects are doing for the taxpayer, In ex¬
tending the services of tax-supported agen¬
cies, institutions and departments - city,
county, state and federal. Under the slogan
"This Work Pays Your Community," every city,
village and neighborhood, where professional
and service activities are performed,through¬
out the country, is participating.
The purposes of this program are many.
Primarily It Is based on the frank recogni¬
tion that all the people have a right to know
at first hand Just how professional and serv¬
ice groups are repaying the nation for the
wages they get, through the application of
skills otherwise lost to use.
Public works of engineering are their
own monuments. But In Cook County, few are
the persons who have even a catalog view of
the tasks performed by the 25,000 workers
(Continued on page 4.)
Statuary group and murals in the Cook County Hospital. Work
produced by the Illinois' Art Project. tW. P. A. Photo.)
A CORDIAL INVITATION IS
EXTENDED TO YOU
Residents of Chicago's Seventy-Five Communities and Suburban Cook County
You are cordially invited to bring your
family and friends to visit actual project
locations of the Professional and Service
Projects during the week of May 20 - 20th.
Come and see for yourself
Work Pays Your Community."
that "This
These activities Include a wide range.
If gathered together under one roof, they
would prove of fascinating Interest to visit¬
ors from within and without our city. Stu¬
dents of civics, business administration,
sociology, art, education, and other fields,
would be drawn from miles around to observe
the pioneering achievements presented In this
unique display.
Lists of the various locations where
these activities are conducted are available
at project locations. For your convenience,
these lists are presented by types of project
and also by communities, Indicating the hours
the projects are open to the public.
This Is not a specially dressed-up show.
Project work will go on as usual. You will
be cordially welcomed, and the nature of the
work explained by a project worker.
Plan now to accept this opportunity of
seeing for yourself as many as possible of
these examples of how America is using the
skills of its unemployed to meet the needs of
Its unfinished business. See at first hand
how this program works to improve and pre¬
serve community life.
Lists of locations, where this work Is
shown, are available at the Administrative
offices District 3 - 1737 So. Michigan Ave.,
or at your nearest project. Information may
also be obtained by telephone, Calumet 3663,
Calumet 3700, Wabash 5120.
PROJECTS
IN REVIEW
Wwek of May 20-23, 19AO
The 145 Professional and Service pro¬
jects of the Work Projects Administration In
Chicago and Cook County provide employment
for professional, technical and clerical per¬
sons and unskilled women. The projects fall
into 3 sections: - Community Service Projects,
Research and Records Projects and Welfare
Projects. 132 of the total number of projects
are operated by the District 3 office and 11
are state-wide projects operated by the State
Office.
The Community Service Projects section
with 15 projects employs approximately 6,000
persons, Research and Record Projects section
with 90 projects employs approximately 6,000
persons and Welfare Projects section with 40
projects employs approximately 12,000 per¬
sons. It 13 obviously Impossible to describe
here the work or accomplishments of so many
individual projeots. It Is believed that
highlights of typical projects in each of the
three sections will give a bird's eye view of
the Professional and Service Division's work.
Community Service Projects
A project at the Field Museum Is, with
scientific accuracy, preparing and cataloging
for exhibit materials stored for years. It
also makes the natural habitat background for
the exhibits in the Museum. WPA Workers also
assist In the print shop making possible the
publication of a large number of scientific
reports which the Museum distributes through¬
out the world.
Another project contributes to the ed¬
ucational materials used in public schools
and Junior colleges, by the preparation of
charts, models, maps, dioramas and other
means of visual education, — in all over
10,000 separate pieces of material have been
(Continued on page 2,]
Comments by Civic
Leaders
Charlotte Carr,
Director, Hull-House
Because of the great concern felt by
Hull-House in all parts of the program of re¬
lief to the unemployed, of whose suffering we
are Intimately aware, we want to go on record
as sincere supporters of the Work Projects
Administration, particularly In Its dealing
with unemployed In technical and professional
fields.
(Continued on page 4.)
COME
SEE FOR YOURSELh
PROJECT NEWS
PROJECT NEWS
By workers of Professional
and Service Division - Dis¬
trict 3 - Chicago and Sub¬
urban Cook County - Work
Project Administration.
PROJECTS HAVE
PARENTS
An Open Letter to Sponsors
"Great ancestry Is some¬
times a headache, but every one
should have at least two parents."
Every WPA Project meets
that requirement; one Is the Work
Projects Administration, world's
greatest peaceful activity today.
Tou, the Sponsor, are the other
parent. The public la apt to
fall into the common error of as¬
suming that projects are the ex¬
clusive product of the Work Pro¬
jects Administration. This Is an
error.
What are Sponsore, and what
do they do? The public doesn't
know that either. They don't
know that as provided by law, you
the Sponsor, are an agency, de¬
partment or office of a Federal
state, municipal, county or loeal
government, which has a need In
terms of "public unfinished busi¬
ness" for which you have been un¬
able to provide funds, or that
sponsor's unfinished business may
be added servioe to the taxpayer,
which It would like to give and
which the public would like to
have,hut cannot because of budget
limitations. That it may be work
which has so far been emitted
from the work schedule awaiting
that future when looal tax moneys
will be available for It. That
it must bs within the field of
your accepted duties,but not pert
of your regular taska set down by
law or ordinance.
Tou know that every project
Is first a need felt by a tax
supported unit of looal government
which that unit desires to meet.
Such need takes the form of a
"project proposal" written by the
local governmental unit and then
forwarded to Washington for ex¬
amination and approval. Whan ap¬
proved, funds are set aside for
Its labor needs.
Under the present Act, each
sponsor agrees to provide materi¬
als, spaoe and supervision to the
extent of 2% of the total coat.
Sponsorship includes sharing re¬
sponsibility, for directing pro¬
ject work, within the limits
of project approval ae set by
Washington.
(Continued next column.) ~
THANKS
This paper was produced
by the Illinois Writers'
Project In co-operation
with the Chicago park
D1StrI"-
PROJECTS IN REVIEW
(Continued from page 1.)
completed so far. Many of the
workers are skilled artisans and
craft workers who by this work
ere enabled to maintain their
skills.
In suburban Cook County a
library extension project is main¬
taining libraries In 12 communi¬
ties which have never before had
libraries.
Nursery Schools
The WPA nursery schools
provide healthful living condi¬
tions and training for underpriv-
leged children for at least pert
of the day. These nursery schools
operate in the areas of the elty
end suburbs where the need is
greatest and where facilities are
available one nutritious meal Is
served end the children have
supervised play.
Recreation
Approximately 1600 workers
on recreation projects provide
many kinds of services for Chloago
and Cook County In leisure time
activities In the fields of art,
aports, music and drama, directed
by skilled leaders. Over 80 play
schools for children from three
to six years old are operated by
the Recreation project. Produc¬
tion shops produce e great varie¬
ty of games and games equipment,
handicraft materials, costumes ,
and stage properties for the use
of the public In the Chicago Park
District.
Writers' Project
The Illinois writers' pro¬
ject has printed en illustrated
"Illinois State Guide Book" of
687 pages,and smaller guide books
on various cities and towns In
the state.
The Illinois Art project in
addition to supplying hundreds of
"Projects have parents."
As in most families, smoothness
and efficiency are the result of
parental harmony and Joint oon-
cern. We,the Project Workers, ere
the ones who do the job, know how
much we owe to your cooperation.
We are gratified at this
chance offered by the week of May
20th to appear before the public
in our true colors, as your "off¬
spring." We are proud of our
eervloe and Its share In meeting
the needs of our neigibors and
fellow residents. But we know we
are doing a job, In more sense
than one, only because you have
had the foresight and ability to
plan for and direct It. We would
take this opportunity to say we
ere glad you felt so concerned
about your "Unfinished business"
as to get approval for us to do
some of it.
We are proud of our rela¬
tionship with you who planned the
work. But as project workers we
are also proud of the fact that
we are the ones who do it for you.
Projeot Workers, Dlstrlot
No. 3 Professional and
Service Division.
exhibitions and maintaining a
permanent art gallery has, for
example, Improved the main lobby
of the Cook County Hospital with
a large fountain, fine murals and
benohes, It has developed a num¬
ber of murals for High Sohools
and City Hall, and has contribut¬
ed In many mediums of art to the
attractiveness of the Brookfleld
Zoo. The Illinois Music projeot
employing many gifted musicians
has given to music lovers excel¬
lent concerts In public schools,
ohurches, parks, hospitals and
over the radio.
Hundreds of teachers are
engaged In en adult eduoatlon
program throughout the oountry In
teaching thousands of adults frcm
16 to 80 who came to school not
because they are required to but
because they want to. Instruc¬
tion Is given In free courses In
parent education, home-making,
health, commercial subjects end
several other fields. Special
emphasis Is given to eliminating
Illiteracy. Some of the workers
prepare slides and films to en¬
liven the process of learning.
More advanced students attend
forums where they par tie! pete In
discussions guided by well-in¬
formed leaders. Thousands of
students In Chicago end elsewhere
learn from radio lessons broad¬
cast by the projeot workers. More
than 900 workers in Chicago and
Cook County make the adult educa¬
tion program an effective meana
of giving educational opportuni¬
ties and to others who wish to
keep abreast of the time a voca¬
tionally and culturally.
A project la developing
readers for adults who are learn¬
ing to read and manuals for
teachers' use on subJects of adult
Interest, such as consumers'
problans and social security. The
39,832 books and booklets pro¬
duced end distributed in 1939 for
use In adult education classes In
Chicago, in Illinois, and many
other places throujjiout the United
States scarcely begin to meet the
urgent need for such material.
Skilled Handicraft
A project employing skilled
handicraft workers Is making many
Interesting dioramas and other
exhibit material for the State of
Illinois. Models lnelude a re¬
production of Lincoln's Tomb, the
Chloago stockyards and a diorama
of the olty of Chloago made to
scale with every building ehown.
Research and Reoords Projects
In this division over a
soore of projects are engaged In
rehabilitating old records In va¬
rious departments of the City,
County, State and Federal depart¬
ments.
Old Records
Old records of the Natur¬
alization Service are being In¬
dexed by the Soundex system which
will save 80$ of the time former¬
ly lost in searohlng for informa¬
tion, thus making possible the
verification of citizenship with
little effort end no loss of time.
When ocmplete, about 1,500,000
naturalization records will make
available all Information con¬
cerning naturalization In this
district.
WPA workers are bringing
up-to-date permanent registration
reoords for the protection of the
publio In the prevention of Ille¬
gal voting.
Through this work it was
revealed that thousands of per¬
sons did not know that they were
not citizens and they had been
voting Illegally for years.
(Continued on page 3.)
W.P.A. WORK PAYS DIVIDENDS
PROJECT NEWS
3
PROJECTS IN REVIEW!
Fortune Magazine In October
1937, published an extensive sur¬
vey on unemployment and Its re¬
lation to the efforts of the Work
Projects Administration to allev¬
iate conditions. It was the most
expensive undertaking In this
line ever attempted by Fortune.
It Involved an expenditure of
more than #12,000 for ten research
workers, who for a period of two
months carefully studied condi¬
tions of poverty, relief, unem¬
ployment end unsmployabllity In
100 or more marginal families In
eaoh of 11 communities In select¬
ed states.
Summing up the result of
this Investigation,Fortune voices
its conclusion as follows:
"This Impartial and wholly
unbiased survey gave strongest
support to the feeling that ma¬
chinery (as opposed to the labor¬
er oared for) of the damned and
despised WPA, functions with an
efficiency of which any indus¬
trialist would be proud."
"Is the trouble with unem¬
ployment the unemployed? Many
people think so. And by and large
these people are almost completely
wrong."
"The most dramatic news
written by the recovery from the
worker's standpoint, Is that a
labor shortage exists concurrent¬
ly with an unemployment problem.
The shortage Is In skilled labor;
If skilled workers could be dis¬
covered, they would each in his
turn provide jobs for one, two,
or five unskilled workmen."
"Are there "marginal men"
unemployable? The unskilled, no;
the aged and disabled, probably
Tss."
"Is the «FA "spoiling" them
and wasting the taxpayers money?
No."
"Most of the answers to the
questions do, of oourse, depend
ultimately on human beings. But
they are baaed on the sample
methods that Is used by Fortune
four times a year for Its Quar¬
terly Survey, so the element of
human Judgement Is reduced to a
minimum."
"As a matter of cold pre¬
diction, it Is our guess that
such agencies have come to stay.
Americans are pragmatlsts; they
put their trusts In what has
worked. And slnoe SPA has worked,
even If expensively, It will al¬
most oertainly be a light to guide
statesman and politician alike In
the future. Whether you like it
or not, the past depression has
setupbenoh marks that will still
be followed long after Harry
Hopkins, and President Roosevelt
have gene to their reward."
( Reprinted by permission of
Fortune Magazine.)
(Continued from page 2.)
About 1400 workers ere gath¬
ering statistical Information
concerning the use and condition
of land and buildings In Chloago.
A study of residential properties
has been oompleted. A survey of
coisaerclal and Industrial proper¬
ties is In progress. The sponsor,
The Chloago Flan Commission, will
have for the first time basic In
formation for all future city
planning.
Data being collected and
recorded by WPA workers on mass
traffic carriers will be the bas¬
is of new city traffic routing
and parking regulations.
Another survey is gathering
facts whioh can be used by Chloa¬
go to effeot greater efficiency
and reduce the cost of garbage
collection and alley cleaning.
Studies are being made to
assist the State Department of
1 Labor to determine wages being
paid to women and minors in cer¬
tain occupatlona and whether
! these conform to the minimum wage
i laws.
I
| In response to requests
from manufacturers and pattern
makers, the Bureau of Home loon-
omlcs In Washington, sponsored a
national study of measurements of
women in order to standardize the
sizing of women's garments. In
Chi cage, measurements are being
taken on 10,000 women.
One project Is studying
50,000 medical records in an in¬
vestigation of blood pressure.
Research Is being done at the
University of Chloago In many
fields of learning, geology, so¬
ciology, aroheology and physics.
Workers assist In compiling ma¬
terial in the famous cosmic ray
experiment. Some are studying
food values and vitamin deficien¬
cies In the hope that more ade¬
quate diets for children may be
established.
Valuable assistance is be¬
ing given to the Chicago Public
Library by workers who are cata¬
loging and Indexing books and
making specialized bibliographies
never before compiled. In accor¬
dance with WPA policies, no work
Is done that can be done by the
regular staff of the library and
no work Is undertaken which would
otherwise be given to private
concerns. About 300 persons are
making an Index of the Metropoli¬
tan Press from 1833 to the pre¬
sent, thus making available In¬
formation to historians, sociol¬
ogists and others engaged In ref¬
erence work. Other Indexes and
bibliographies include: - For¬
eign Language Press, Printing
Periodicals, and Music Period¬
icals, and other Periodicals, and
cooperating In this huge under¬
taking are many of the University
libraries and other quasi public
libraries which serve the general
public.
The new social security
laws make essential the careful
preservation of birth and death
records. A cross index system so
far has rearranged for more effi¬
cient handling, 2,500,000 birth
and death reoords. In some in¬
stances, public school records
are accepted as proof of age and
these are also being made Into an[
up-to-date oard index from mustyj
old books.
Hundreds of workers are
renovating and organizing lmpor-j
tant city and oounty records thatj
are badly worn, poorly arranged,j
or incomplete. Tract books ofi
the County Recorder's office that)
are worn out and made lnleglble|
from constant use are retrans-
cribed. Records In the Assessor'si
offlee have been Improved to fac-:
llltate Inquiries from the pub¬
lic. Inventories of old equip-)
ment have been made for the Chi¬
cago Park District.
ALL THINGS
CONSIDERED
L— BY HOWARD VINCENT O'BRIEN —
According to my friend
Squldge, the WPA Is a device for
providing lazy people with shovels
upon which they may lean, receiv¬
ing In return for this activity a
handsome honorarium paid for by
the hard-working citizen.
I wish 3quldge could have
been with me the other morning on
my visit to an exhibition of the
woman's and professional division
of the WPA. His eyes might have
opened at wide as mine did.
Some of the finest work In
the United States In the control
of venereal disease has bean done
by the Chicago syphilis oontrol
project. Units of other oitles
have adopted the system developed
here for assisting the Board of
Health In locating, examining and
bringing under treatment persons
affooted with a venereal disease
and in educating the public in
the importance of venereal dis¬
ease oontrol. More than one mil¬
lion pieces of literature were
distributed In a wide spread edu¬
cational campaign. Blood tests
made throughout the city dis¬
closed thousands of unsuspected
cases of syphilis.
In Suburban Cook County, a
project is codifying ordinances
in the following towns; - Kenil-
worth, Arlington Heights, Pala¬
tine, Forest Park, Brookfield,
Blue Island and Harvey. Several
smaller projects are preparing
new tax records, and codifying
special assessments In the fol¬
lowing towns: - Slenview, Arling¬
ton Heights and ClceDo.
Welfare Projects
In Chicago, almost 5,000
workers are employed on the se¬
cond largest sewing project In
the United States. Not all these
workers are able to sew when they
are first assigned to the project
but they are willing to work and
need to earn a living. After
training in the use of modern
equipment, they become skilled
power-machine operators equipped
for jobs In private industry.
In 1939 these workers made
almost 3,000,000 garments and
85,000 household articles for
distribution to the needy by the
Chicago Relief Administration.
The distribution Is handled
through another project, the Sur¬
plus Commodities project which
also handles the distribution of
surplus food. Garments made on
the Sewing Projeot range from
layettes, children's clothing to
women's clothing, men's shirts
and trousers. Since the design¬
ers and sample makers produce a
great variety of original and at¬
tractive styles, the garments
cannot be identified as "relief
uniforms."
Keeping many children in
school Is often dependent on the
problem of keeping them In shoes.
During the past year 155,627
pairs of shoes were repaired and
over 19,105 pairs were recondi¬
tioned and distributed to the
needy by the Chicago Relief Ad¬
ministration. The same project
(Continued on page 4.)
I have not space In which
to mention the many activities of
the WPA. It Is doing a thousand
things — practically none of
which did I know anything about.
I didn't know, for example, that
It was operating tours of the
olty In which I live. I knew
nothing of the toy-lending sta¬
tions — places where poor chil¬
dren can borrow toys made or re-
) paired by the WPA. 1 was unaware
of the sewing staHons,where Idle
I women are provided with equipment
I and material and taught to make
i clothing for themselves.
|
1 Something New
I had only a hazy idea of
the Instruction which Is being
given In the fine arts; and the
unsuspected wealth of talent which
, it Is revealing. I knew little
of the rehabilitation work being
done by the WPA — the sick and
the injured being given new hope
and confidence.
Most of all, I was Ignorant
of what la perhaps the IPA's
greatest service — the preser¬
vation of skills. This aspect of
"made work" has, I think, been
given less attention than It
marlts.
We tend to think too much
unemployment as a negative af¬
fliction. We forget that the
total of our national income is
being reduced by the Inability of
the Idle to find work that pro¬
duces wealth. We forget^, too,
that unemployment is a curse which
feeds upon itself.
It Is a law of psychology
that the last thing learned Is
the first thing forgotten. Skill
is lost by disuse. When a skilled
workman loeas the opportunity to
practice his skill, ha reverts
rapidly to the class of the un¬
skilled.
Labor Shortage
Already there la a shortage
of skilled workmen. Many Indus¬
tries are beginning to be alarmed
about it. As unemployment con¬
tinues and skills are lost, the
vlolous circle widens. Our pres¬
ent economic recession means not
only that we are producing less
than we should; it means that
presently our production will be
limited by the lack of skilled
workman.
Herein lies the greatest
service of the WPA. It is keep¬
ing skilled workmen active; and
It is creating a new reservoir of
productive ability.
(Continued on page 4.~j
BUILDING CITIZENSHIP
PROJECT NEWS
PROJECTS
(Continued from page 3.)
renovates contributed furniture
for families on relief. Another
unit of this project Is engaged
In handicraft work, particularly
weaving.
Sohool lunohes are prepared
and served without cost to needy
and undernourished ohildren. This
project Is making a real contri¬
bution to the health of the
younger generation and Its suc¬
cess is largely due to the gener¬
ous support of women's organiza¬
tions throughout the country.
In needy families where the
home maker is temporarily ill or
out of the home, housekeeping
aides are assigned to do the
housework and oare for the ohil¬
dren. The training given these
aides by qualified Home Econom¬
ists makes it possible not only
to raise the standard of house¬
keeping and living in the homes
of the needy families served but
also in the aides' own homes.
Almost 1,000 aides are required
in Chicago and Cook County to
meet the need for this service.
A household workers' train¬
ing program gives a three months'
practical training in general
housework. Only those may take
the course who are willing to ac¬
cept private employment. At the
end of the course these trainees
receive a certificate and are
plaoed in private employment
through the Illinois State Bn-
ployment Service. During the
past year, 1,177 persons were
plaoed at salaries from $8(00 to
#18.00 a week.
Hundreds of workers are em¬
ployed on service projoots oper¬
ating in publio hospitals and
other tax-supported institutions.
Some assist in cleaning, sewing,
and laundry work, others are as¬
sisting in diet kitchens. Atten¬
dants are relieving the regular
staff nurses of some of their
nonprofessional duties, thus
freeing them to devote more time
to nursing. The patients receive
more individual attention and
their reoovery is speeded by the
oomfort that oomes when needs are
more promptly oared for. The
work of occupational therapists
is helping many mental patients
back to health. Clerical workers
and research workers assist the
medical staff in their work in
medioal offices and laboratories.
Others assist the regular staff
of the Board of Health in Infant
(Continued from page 1.)
Tour program of Profes¬
sional and Servioe projects will
emerge from the experience of this
decade as perhaps the sole bene¬
fit to a generation challenged
with the problem of too great a
production and too great a measure
of Involuntary leisure.
A. A. Sprague
Chairman
Chicago Plan Commission
I am glad to learn that
during the week of Hay 20, the
Work Projects Administration Is
Inviting the public to Inspect
WPA projects.
IN REVIEW
Welfare Stations. Over 400 work¬
ers are providing assistance to
the Munioipal Sooial Hygiene
Cllnlo in all of its departments,
Including the Laboratory, med¬
ioal department and olerloal
departments.
ilore than 5,500 toys are
loaned each month in the Chloago
Park District fleldhouse3 in un¬
derprivileged areas. An average
of 25,000 children attend toy
lending oenters eaoh month. New
toys are designed and contributed
toys are renovated in the produc¬
tion shop of this projeot. An¬
other project repairs contributed
toys for distribution to publio
institutions, children's hospi¬
tals and needy ohildren by the
Chicago Eire Department.
Eyesight and hearing of
school children is being tested in
Chicago and Cook County and cor¬
rective measures taken enable
many ohildren to do better work
at school. A dental project pro¬
vides free dental service for
over 6,000 needy school children
and is under the direction of the
Board of Health.
Standard books are trans¬
cribed Into Braille to be given
to public or charitable Institu¬
tions for the use of the blind.
Thirty blind or partially blind
persons have assisted In the pro¬
duction of almost 700 volumes.
At the request of the blind wom¬
en of Chicago, a 24 volume cook
book was prepared. It is having
a heavy circulation at the Chica¬
go Public Library.
The Gardening and Canning
project of Chicago and Suburban
Cook County provides fresh fruits
and vegetables as well as canned
goods for distribution to the
needy. Over 855,207 quarts of
foods have so far been canned.
This Is but a cold state¬
ment of some activities and ac¬
complishments of Professional and
Service Projects. In It there Is
no attempt to measure the values
In extended public service cre¬
ated through this program for
preserving and building skills.
It attempts to make no accounting
of hope revived, confidence re¬
stored and will to serve that
have been renewed In Its thous¬
ands of project workers.
As a rule, businessmen will
Judge the various activities of
the WPA from the point of view of
value received. Are they worth
what they cost? As one business¬
man who Is more or less familiar
with a number of WPA projects, I
do not hesitate to say that in my
opinion the Work Projects Admin¬
istration has been of great value
to the nation
It Is to the credit of our
Government, Federal and local,
that It has taken effective steps
to meet the growing threat to our
disablement bv setting up a social
mechanism through which our people
may satisfy those hungers for ex¬
pression, which are secondary only
to physical needs.
H. J. Dunham
President
Chicago Park District
In the emergency inoldent
to the reoent depression,the Park
District has been materially aid¬
ed by the Work Projects Adminis¬
tration. A Production Projeot has
most usefully added to our equip¬
ment. Assistance in leadership
has enabled us to open numerous
halls to use as games rooms. Our
program has been enlarged because
skilled workers became available
to teaoh new techniques to our
regular staff, to be Incorporated
In the sohedule of park activi¬
ties. Toys have been made for
loan, or use in children's toy
play oenters. All of these have
augmented our regular specialists,
program, or equipment, to make
possible a broader and more ef¬
fective servioe.
John P. Mo Goorty
Judge, Superior Court
of Cook County
From my experience with the
activities of the Work Projects
Administration, I am glad of the
opportunity of endorsing Its
splendid program. Professional
and Service Projeots have deliv¬
ered full measure, not only In
work return for tax dollar ex¬
pended, but in what is vastly
more Important to our country,
the faith and hope they have re¬
stored to those employed.
Wilfred S. Reynolds
Executive Secretary
Council of Sooial Agencies
Looking backward over the
past ten years of relief effort,
Impartial observers are forced to
the conviction that 'work relief
is a beneficial way of meeting
some of the unemployment of de¬
pressions.
Work relief provided by
the Work Projects Administration
has meant Jobs - not a dole. In
terms of human waBte, It has
meant immeasurable savings in
character and work-skills In ad¬
dition to the enormous salvage of
publio service otherwise lost.
Work relief of the Profes¬
sional and Service Division de¬
serves support of both the social
and political economist, as well
as the humanitarian.
Noble J. Puffer
County Sup't. of Schools
Personal and Servioe Pro¬
jects have not only provided work
for unemployed white collar work¬
ers, but have performed a service
to the residents of Cook County
that will pay dividends long af¬
ter the Work Projects Administra¬
tion have finished.
I sincerely trust that this
program will be continued for it
fills a need which the public
schools are not able to give at
the present time.
OPEN
HOUSE
(Continued from page 1.)
assigned to these 145 projeots of
the Professional and Service
Divlsl on.
In great institutions and
agendas,only part of the persons
employed on the sponsor's regular
staff have first hand knowledge
of a given project's actual per¬
formance. But there are few res¬
idents, rich or poor, whose lives
are not In some way and In some
degree, enriched, made easier or
safer, through the dally work of
these almost anonymous and un¬
heralded efforts. They are per¬
formed behind doors ordinarily
entered byfew but project workers
on anything but projeot business.
During the week of May 20 -
25, project business will include
the added service to the public
of throwing open those doors for
community Inspection.
Another purpose of holding
"Open House" during this period
is to give each activity a chance
to show it3 friends and neighbors
the products of Its toll. Spon¬
sors who devote their time and
energy to direct these efforts
are Justly proud of their results.
Project workers In even the low¬
est wage braokets look to this
week as their opportunity to prove
to their friends and oritios that
they have contributed to a worthy
achievement. The tasks themselves^
all parts of a great national
need, have a right to call upon
oonmunlty dwellers to show concern
for those bits of America's un¬
finished business existing within
each community. This is an op¬
portunity for the public, regard¬
less of party, race or creed, to
participate through interest in
the attempt of our government to
meet the needs of it3 unemployed.
— (Continued from page 3.)
There are those who argue
that relief should be in the form
of oash. This, they say, would
be cheaper. It would stimulate
buying and thus bring private em¬
ployment baok to life.
Conceding that this is true,
the fact remains that direct cash
relief does not produce wealth.
It merely stimulates trade. Even
if the end result were the same,
much wealth would be Irrevocably
lost.
Forms of Relief
The argument for direct re¬
lief also evades the psychologi¬
cal phase. It leaves out of ac-
oount the fact that most people
like to loaf — but not all the
time, no matter how well they are
paid for loafing. My guess is
that the average person would
rather get a dollar for some sort
of productive Job than get two
dollars for doing nothing.
Abridged reprint by permission of
the Chloago Dally News, Ino.
THIS WORK PAYS YOUR COMMUNITY
Comments by Civic Leaders
Philip L. Seman, Chairman,
Chicago Recreation Commission
ALL THINGS
CONSIDERED