Show THE TIlE DAILY WASHINGTON MERRY ROUND GO GO ROUND Trade Tudo Mark By Drew Pearson and Robert bert S. S Allen Mien Authors Authou of Washington Round Merry and andiloro Moro More Round Merry V WASHINGTON To To what extent is the Civil Works Administration absorbing the unemployed unemployed Is taking it-taking employed labor away from industry How much does political pull count countin in getting a C CV V W A job What is the spirit of the men in the lines job-lines These are some of the many questions being asked by readers of this column To answer them the Merry Go have done some research in C W A job Below is printed print print- ed the first instalment of the thc results LINES OF HOPE Two long lines of men and a few women extended out into Indiana avenue in front of the Washington branch of or the C W A office An unemployed taxi-driver taxi explained how to negotiate negotiate negotiate them One ClOne is guys waiting to get a card The other is guys bringing their card back When you get your card they register you Then in about a week you come back to get your job job job-if if youre you're lucky If youre you're wise sign up as a laborer he cautioned I signed as a chauffeur and been waiting three weeks Despite this practically every man in the theline theline theline line radiated optimism There was complete confidence they would at last get jobs Few of them were much interested in who was supplying supplying supply supply- ing the jobs Few of them cared much about the policies of the administration though most of them if they talked politics polities at all thought Roosevelt was a pretty good guy and really trying to do things WHITE COLLARS There were only two exceptions to this this this- both in the white collar class One a jeweler had worked in a jewelry store until recently when successive pay cuts had whittled his pay down to 2 a week Finally the store threatened threatened threatened threat threat- ened with bankruptcy dropped him altogether The other a chiropractor lacked enough business business business busi busi- ness to pay his rent and threw up his practice about a year ago What he had been living on since he did not say fay but like the jeweler he claimed Roosevelt's policies were mere mere makeshifts makeshifts makeshifts make make- shifts that the C W A could not possibly last three e months However I dont don't mind being in a line with bums burns the jeweler said I III never did look lookdown lookdown lookdown down on a man with overalls In fact I wore them myself when I was working my way through school CHIV CHIVALRY LIMITED CHIVALRY LIMITED Only three women were in line linc all young pretty well They carried neat looking handbags probably containing more makeup than money and the line of men stood back tolerantly to let them go to the head without waiting On subsequent da days s 's however with a larger number of women in line chivalry went into the discard women had to wait their turn with the men A I lather and plasterer was just ahead He said he had belonged to a local of the A. A F. F of L. L but worked so unsteadily the past two years that he could not pay union dues Now he was out of luck on any of the new government building building building build build- ing projects A friend of his beaming broadly went by the line He had applied for a C W A Ajob Ajob Ajob job ten days ago and just got it it 45 45 cents an hour painting government buildings OLD GLORY Just behind was an sergeant ex who had done three hitches in the regular army He had spent the night in a relief mission was hungry and wished hed he'd never deserted army pork and beans He had re registered as a la laborer laborer la- la borer but the C W A official told him to go goback goback goback back in the service If ll I did that said the sergeant Id have to begin as a private at 1785 a month and it would take me years to work up to be staff sergeant sergeant sergeant ser ser- ser ser- geant again Im I'm going to to try to make a go of it on the outside instead The sergeant ex-sergeant had a face like the map of Ireland and a brogue bro to to match He was in charge of a salute detail at Fort Sheridan he said when the outfit was inspected by Patrick J. J Hurley then secretary of war var After we finished firing he said the lithe lieutenant came over to me grinning and told me the secretary of war says Very good very good I Isaid said I dont don't want a compliment from that Irishman because the firing was really rotten You see this guy that ran the war department hadn't given us enough ammunition ammunition ammunition tion for proper practice PULL PULLA A leader of the old Bonus army passed out of the registration office looked along the line called out in a aloud loud voice Well well so you have come to this Yes and it looks as if you were with us too Yeah Well Im I'm getting an administrative job Im I'm going to be a superintendent Commissioner Commissioner Com Corn missioner Allen promised me the job today These punks had handed me a card and told me meto meto meto to come back next week I didn't take that kind of stuff I phoned Allen that they were trying to give me rue the run-around run and he phoned Jones Oscar Jones of veterans' veterans replacement replacement replace replace- ment meat bureau of C W V A and believe me brother those little girls that handle the files inside cleared the way for meI meI me I phoned Commissioner Allen again and he said Fine Eine Ill I'll see that you are arc appointed by Tuesday without f fail il You see I met him through Pat Harrison who got Allen his job as district commissioner Copyright United Feature Peature Syndicate |