Windham County Observer

$225,000 Project For P.H.S. Returned Ends Hope For Addition To High School. - WPA Explains No Funds Available.

Putnam's $225,000 WPA project, submitted a year ago for the improvement of Putnam High School, was returned to school officials here Thursday as the Public Works Administration at Washington returned 169 construction projects to municipalities and other public bodies throughout New England. Col. M. E. Gilmore, Regional Director of the Administration, said the projects returned in New England alone represented approximately $59,500,000 worth of public building.

Putnam's application for PWA aid to assist with building of additions to and renovation of Putnam High School was returned under orders from Federal Works Administrator John M. Carmody. In returning the projects, Mr. Carmody explained that, since Congress had not appropriated funds for a further program of WPA construction, it would be unfair to the communities involved to retain their applications longer.

Commenting on the action as far as the New England states are concerned, Col. Gilmore said: "The construction involved in the New England projects represents a vast well of work for men in the building trades, unskilled workers and the men employed in the manufacturing and transportation of the needed materials.

"Obviously, if the Public Works Administration were to retain the applications, many communities might delay this much needed construction in the mistaken belief that it is still possible to obtain a PWA loan or grant. Thus this recovery organization, set up to stimulate labor and the heavy industries in 1933, might be placed in the position of impeding the very type of recovery it seeks to aid.

"I am convinced, as are Administrator Carmody and Acting Public Works Commissioner E. W. Clark, that if all, or even a large portion of the projects involved in these applications are undertaken with private funds, industry and labor will no longer feel the need of the stimulation which PWA has furnished in the past."

Return of the project definitely culminated any hope Putnam might have entertained for any large scale development of its high school educational plant.

There was considerable opposition to the project when it was originally proposed at a town meeting on October 10, 1938, due to the size of the appropriation the town was asked to furnish. Under terms of the project, the Public Works Administration was to furnish federal funds in the amount of $101,250 with the $123,750 balance to come from the town.

The $123,750 appropriation was voted at the 1938 town meeting with a total of 1,073 votes cast. A total of 618 votes favored granting the appropriation with 455 opposed. With the project back now from Washington, town officials said upon its receipt that there was no possibility that the town would attempt such a large scale undertaking without the aid of federal funds.