ifEDFOTlD MAIL TRIBUyE. MEPFORD, OREGON'. MOyPAT. MAY 17. 1937.
WPA Finds Work for Many in Southwestern Oregon
PATS TWO
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(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.)
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