The President's News Conference

PUBLIC WORKS PROGRAM

THE PRESIDENT. I have nothing to announce that warrants so large an attendance today. In order to give further aid to employment I have instructed the various departments to undertake the speeding up of the Federal public works programs by the amount of slightly less than $200 million which was provided under contingent appropriations under the 1932 Relief and Reconstruction Act. 1 The Secretary of the Treasury has notified me that the funds are available and the various projects will be undertaken at once. By the additional amounts that can be supplied from this fund, the total construction work by the Federal Government during this current fiscal year will exceed $750 million. The speeding up, or rather the programs which can be speeded up under this appropriation are those which were established some 2 to 5 years ago and are in course of preparation or actual consideration. They lie largely in the river and harbor, flood control, and public building projects. It will be interesting to note that the expenditure on all classes of construction since the depression began and up until next July will total about $2,300 million. That sum is just about double the normal pace of Federal construction work, and obviously the increase is due entirely to the desire to assist in employment.

¹ The Emergency Relief and Construction Act of 1932.

The actual projects which will be speeded up in this program will be given out by the various departments. I think the Treasury will be ready with the buildings not later than Monday. So that you can get the details from the various departments.

As I said, it largely amounts to a speeding up program of projects already in course and the undertaking of public buildings which have been authorized some years ago.

Q. Mr. President, do you know if any of the departments are ready with the projects today ?

THE PRESIDENT. The War Department may be able to indicate where they are going to apply their major strength. I don't think the Treasury is ready with the buildings. I was in hopes of having it today. As you will recollect, the location of those buildings are determined by the Secretary of the Treasury and the Postmaster General, and they have determined on most of them but some of the borderline they wanted more time with.

And that is all I have got today.