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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (May 17, 1937)
ifEDFOTlD MAIL TRIBUyE. MEPFORD, OREGON'. MOyPAT. MAY 17. 1937. WPA Finds Work for Many in Southwestern Oregon PATS TWO 1 5. y'-h'f, ' f WORK k. - r ' . J' ' . ur Ilk -4 'U'l OF rij f I v'HtSiw I , '-Emm felt r- rh,"t. .rrWKrr '--r-:y - rrTmXy y , r V -V.q r V : 1r - -iv '.,4 yt, .- ..... Ii, .intJ8RW mm If s i. Vv 1 "1 G (Ml' 7.- IN (1) Vjew of tb North Bend irport, WPA Projoot 635, ihowing dredge In the foreground pumping sand to raise the elevation of the field. The beautiful new Coos Bay bridge, complettd during 1936, it shown in the background. (2) WPA workmen installing a drainaga ayjtom in Medford's fine municipal airport with tha hangar building painted by WPA erew in the background. Mtdford'a airport improvement program ia being conducted under WPA Project 1021. (3) Road construc tion In Josephine County was undertaken as a part of tha WPA program for that area. This photograph shows workmen engaged in construction of the Merlin-UMice section on the banks of beautiful Rogue River, a part of W'l'A Project 230-A. (4) The beautification of and addition of new facilities for l.itliia Park in Ashland i another WPA undertaking. This is Project 1352. (6) When a disastrous foreBt fire almost wiped out the coast city of Bandon in the fall of 1936, the task of providing temporary shelters, hospital, city hall and rehabilitation of utilities was undertaken by the WPA. The accom panying photograph shows a portion of this housing program which is listed in WPA files as Project 1167. (7) A partial view of a 300 foot reinforced concrete culvert at the municipal airport of Roscburg. Improvement, of this airport, Project U75, is another WPA activity in southwestern Oregon. (81 The expansion and beautification of the Grants Pass municipal park it WPA Projeot 129S. This photograph shows a glimpse of workmen busy on this improvement work. (9) Glimpse of WPA workmen engaged in opening up Commercial Avenue, a two elevation street in the city of Marshfield. This Project 1230 is another evidence of the cooperation of the Works Progress Administration with municipalities of-southwestern Oregon I Medford Headquarters Directs Large Program Worthwhile Projects Editor's Hot: Th Works ProftrMi Administration hu engaged In a compreheiuMv program of public Improvement In outhwtstfrn Ore gon inc Itf Inception hr In July. 1PS5. Tnla program ta replete with atrcet, road and bridge construction, expansion of recreational facilities, the erection of public building, IniUlHition of sewage diapcMl ayatemi. and Improvement of municipal airports. BrratiM of the widespread Interest In the numerous WPA projects In this section of the state, this newspaper baa prevailed upon Harold D. Grey, director of District Number 4. to outline the major functions, alms and accomplishment of the Works Progress Administration In this district which comprises Jackson, Josephine, Klamath, Lake. Coos, Curry and Doug Ins counties. By Harold P Ore (Director. District No. 4. Oregon Works Progress Administration) During the period since July IK, 188, all of tha governmental bodies functioning In the southwestern part of Oregon bare actively aided the Works Progress Administration In the development and operation of a splendid work program in this area This program of employment throughout the seven southwestern counties in Oregon has been directed from th fourth district office of the WPA with headquarters In tha eity ball. Medford. Or. The employment of many persons on this work program, who other wise would have remained unemploy ed, has followed the tiibmtt'al of many worthwhile work projerte which were favorably accepted bv trs WPA from the various countiea. school districts and cities, it has baen eery gratifying to officials of both tha . Works Progress Adminis tration and the various counties and cities to reallna that the accomplish ment of the main objective of this flrogmm, that of placing many needy persons bark into gainful employ ment, has lo been accompanied by many resulting public Improvements In the main, the eipendlture of federal funds has been devoted to the meeting of Isbor payrolls while funds from local sources have large ly gone for the purchase and rentals of needed materials and equipment. Pome eipendltures of federal funds has been made for materials and equipment In order to make possible the employment on some particular ly desirable projects wherein the sponsoring agencies were financially unable to assist to a normal extent Many T.ipes of rk Many types of work projects have been Instituted and carried to com pletion within district No. 4 of the WPA and all have baen entirely ei. press iv of the wlshea of th various local communities. All project oper ations originate with a proposal from a local source such ss s county court, city council, etc. They re scceptabla by the Works Progress Administration when they propose an improvement that is for tte gen eral benefit of the public and are of a type that can he done with tne servioea of those persona who are eligible for such employment. As It is not Intended that this work pro gram b administered In such a maimer as to displace other persons In their normally ei pec ted employ ment, no consideration Is given to project sppllcstions which request federal eipendlture for normal bud geted ftinctlons of local government. Acceptance and operation of work project la also contingent upon their being located near the sourca of supply of workers who are eligible for such employment. The larger sise projects are undertaken on a unit basts of operation, so that If con ditions make necessary a stoppage of operation at afty time, certain useful unit will have been com pleted In the partial period of oper ation. Need U Certified Persons who are etltible for WPA employment are those persons who are 18 years of ace and older, who are able to perform the types of work required and whose need for assistance has been certified to by the various county relief offices. Em ployment on WPA project is also limited to one member of $ family group. Thee worker receive hourly rnte of pay which sre comparable to those prevailing In their own com munity for the same tvpe of vrv Ices. Thsv work a sufficient number of hours each roomii that will make possible the earning of an estab lished sum each month. Payment art made only for time actually worked on project, but time that Is lost Involuntarily msy be made up within certain limitation An effort la made to plan profit I work in such a way as to continue the, persons in their former types of occupations as nearly as possible In order that they may mora readily be able to resume their ploces In normal private employment when that may become available for them. Operation nd employment on WPA projects must be so planned as to coordinate vtth trends of employ ment In ae atonal work and other types of private Industry wtthln the various communities. Employment wen Ice Aids It L the policy of th Work Pro gress administration that this type of emergency federal employment be made available only as a tide-over be .xeen tha period of opportunity in private employment. Thus It ha been true In thla part of Oregon, whtch la quite largely ggrleulturat. thst WPA employment has been ma Urlally decreased during harvesting and seasonal work periods, Worker who withdraw from the work program to take advantage of these opportuni ty have not Jeopardlred their ellgi tlllty to return to their wpa project when these other employment oppor tunities have terminated. The facilities of the United States Employment Service have greatly aid Hi these workers in finding other em ployment and for this purpose those offices maintain records of all who are being employed on the WPA pro pram. IWsuse of these fluctusting periods of employment on WPA pro jects, trie result of mass withdrawal of workers fr tewonel work. It has been necessary to conduct this work during disadvantageous weather con ditions in tha winter month. WPA worker ar paid by check twice each month and the uaea to which these earnings sra put sre t Dtirely within the province of the tCcntiauod on Psa Pour.) 15 J 4-Mf"M-r t" , vV-.- .... '4 ' 1 1 .1 ' WORK - ' i " : , tS r 1 j vVv if 1 1 w - yfr iC;; -y , d - O)'-: -.ry-r, , .Ty - 7 - " vft 4 t-, ' ,, b' 1 : ' " y ' t 7 -1 y- h ' . ' '-y - -T il . f--r. . I ' vny 1 ' v uc; yw-IrVVs-. ' .V- uy-,. k- -'
