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federal money through the states as a matter of relief. The first public works were put out through the FERA - Federal Emergency Relief Administration. That act was passed through Congress very hastily. Everybody was alarmed and there was not much delay. It was discussed at Cabinet meeting once or twice. It was recognized that it was not a true public works program, which would be building roads, buildings, dams, and heavy and important projects, but that it could be put into operation at once. It was work relief rather than public works.

The interesting thing was that Lewis Douglas, then the Director of the Budget, although not having actually shown his hand with regard to a true public works program, did say on the occasion when this work relief program was first discussed that he would support that as it was a form of direct relief and that the work that they did was really only a face-saving device. Some of it might be useful, but more of it would not be. Everybody admitted that relief was essential and had to be done. Douglas actually proposed in Cabinet that relief be in the form of relief in kind - that is, that the relief program should provide for the distribution of food, the distribution of clothing, the distribution even of living quarters, to persons and families who were unemployed and in need.