The idea of public works projects as a device to prevent or control depression was des
igned as a means of creating job opportunities for unemployed workers and as a "pump priming" device to aid business to revive. It was conceived during the early years the New Deal Era (1933 - 1937. By 1933, the number of unemployed workers had reached about 13 million. This meant that about 50 million people - about one-third of the nation - were without means of support. At first, direct relief in the form. of cash or food was provided these people. This made them recipients of government charity. In order to remove, this stigma and restore to the unemployed some measure of respectability and human dignity, a plan was devised to create governmentally sponsored work projects that private industry would not or could not provide. This would also stimulate production and revive business activity.The best way to explain how this procedure is expected to work is to explain how it actually worked when it was first tried. The first experiment with it was the creation of the Works Project Administration (WPA. This agency set up work projects in various fields in which there were many unemployed. For example, unemployed actors were organized into theater projects, orchestras were organized for unemployed musicians, teaching projects for unemployed teachers, and even writers' projects for unemployed writers. Unemployed laborers were put to work building or maintaining roads, parks, playgrounds, or public buildings. These were all temporary "work relief" projects rather than permanent work opportunities.More substantial work projects of a permanent nature were organized by another agency, the Public Works Administration (PWA. This agency undertook the planning of construction of schools, houses, post offices, dams, and other public structures. It entered into contracts with private construction firms to erect them, or it loaned money to local or state governments which undertook their constructions. This created many jobs in the factories producing the material as well as in the projects themselves, and greatly reduced the number of unemployed.Still another agency which provided work projects for the unemployed was the Civilian Conservation Corps. This agency provided job opportunities for youths aged 16 to 20 to work in national parks or forests clearing land, guarding against fires, building roads, or doing other conservation work. In the event of a future depression, the federate government might revive any or all of the above methods to relieve unemployment and stimulate business.
1.The PWA differed from the WPS in that ____.
A、the work projects of the former were carried out by the Federal Government
B、the government subsidized private industry
C、the number of unemployed was reduced
D、the former was government's first attempt to end hardship due to unemployment
2.One method of preventing or alleviating depression Not mentioned by the author is the use of ____.
A、the dole
B、the WPA
C、the CCC
D、job sharing
3.The author implies that ____.
A、individuals on relief do not receive enough money to meet basic needs
B、those who get direct financial aid from the government suffer a loss of human dignity
C、aid should be given in the form. of food subsidies
D、a program of "pump priming" is vital at all times
4.By using the expression "pump priming" as a description of public works projects, the author implies that it ____.
A、was pouring money down the drain
B、lowered human dignity
C、avoided direct charity
D、provided business with initial impetus which would make it self-sufficient
5.The passage mainly talks about ____.
A、the New Deal Era (1933 - 1937)
B、the WPA and the PWA
C、a pattern for the future
D、one-third of a nation
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