| Show Mer Merry Go r y G o R 0 n d H Mark Jark rk By 5 y DREW PEARSON nd nd ROBERT ALLEN llEN WASHINGTON Activity in behalf of at any nomination seekers was taboo at the meeting of the Republican national committee e yet the most in interesting interesting in- in development of the gathering was in connection with the race It consisted of the view privately voiced by some of the most important party leaders present that in the final showdown none of the present candidates will get the prize The 1936 G. G O O. P. P banner carrier in the opinion of at these politicos will be a man whose name has hasso hasso hasso so far not been mentioned No clue to 10 the identity of the mysterious ious dark horse was given In fact it was specifically stated stated stat stat- ed that th the view was largely dope But the tip was to watch for lor the emergence of a boom for a prominent figure in the next few months What m makes kes the matter additionally intriguing is the fact that the very same theory regarding the Republican nominee is held eld in the inner White House circle Some of the presidents president's closest advisers are firmly convinced that none of at the aspirants now I seeking the G. G O. O P. P nomination will get it and that a dark horse will be named at the Cleveland convention The only point on which they differ with the Republican is on the type of the candidate The new dealers believe that he be will be a member of the supreme court and the name they mention most frequently is that of Justice Owen D. D Roberts Roberts has several times denied emphatically that he was a candidate or would accept the nomination nomination nom nom- if tendered Rendered istrati refuse to be convinced They out as highly significant the fact that in no split decision of ot the supreme court this term has Roberts sided with the three liberal justices justices- Stone Brandeis and Cardozo Work fork Relief Probe The administration has been quietly tipped off by friends on Capitol Hill that an investigation of Harry Harrr H Hopkins and his relief fund is due at the coming session The warning was no surprise The relief program program program pro pro- gram has been under heavy fire for months and new dealers have t taken ken it for granted that when congress reconvened th the political opposition would demand a public airing of the way the money has been spent In fact the administration hasn't waited for the launching of the attack but already has started a count counter counter- counter r offensive That is the inside explanation for the current barrage of ot speeches by Harry Hopkins and his lieutenants explaining and justifying the works progress administration In formulating their defense W P A chiefs have divided the criticism into four general classes The criticisms plus the official answers follow First charge that charge that large sums of money have been wasted on boondoggling To this W P A replies with the following accounting accounting accounting ac ac- ac- ac counting of how the allocated for work-relief work activities is being spent 10 per cent public buildings schools hospitals courthouses 30 per cent city streets 10 per cent country roads 9 per cent water and sewer systems 30 10 0 per c cent nt parks and playgrounds 6 per cent flood control 6 per cent sanitation and drainage 3 per cent airports airports airports air air- ports 15 per cent for white-collar white jobs artists writers musicians actors women youths and the blind Second charge that charge that partisan politics has been prevalent in iri the distribution of ot relief jobs The W P Aers answer this by citing numerous orders issued from Washington demanding strict I impartiality on the part of state and local officials There is no doubt however that the W P A boys are treading g on weak on this thi Third charge that certain certain- stil-i stil states s w vere were rc favored with more and larger allocations of ot relief projects To this the counter with the argument the distribution of funds was made on the basis of need That is those states with the Heaviest unemployed rolls roUs were given givena a a larger proportion of ot the available money moncy Fourth charge that charge that costs of administering the work program have been excessive It Iris Itis is admitted that in some spots this has been true But it is hotly denied that this char charge e holds water for lor the program as a whole W V P A bosses say exact statistics statistic are arc still unavailable but contend contend con- con tend lend that present figures indicate the avera average e ad administrative administrative ad- ad cost will be less than 10 per cent This amount th they y say is moderate and compares fa favorably favorably fa- fa with the operating charges of private in in- in l rb l r. r |
