Joseph Lash Scores
Insufficient Funds
In Program Of NYA

Executive Secretary Of S.LI.D.
      Denounces Shortage of Jobs,
            Fewer Hours, Delay

            Three striking weaknesses of the National Youth Administration were stated he Joseph P. Lash,.National Executive Secretary of the Student League for Industrial Democracy, in his address to The Social Science Club and the Current Problems Club on Wednesday. Considering the N.Y.A. from a national angle rather than from conditions in Brooklyn College, Mr. Lash stated that only twenty-five percent of the applications for jobs were filled.

            The N.Y.A. program as announced by the Federal Government, declared that fifteen dollars per week would be the normal wage to students with few and slight variations. The speaker explained, however, that in an effort to aid more students, funds were spread until the minimum wage of ten dollars per week became the average wage. Mr. Lash stated that the $50,000,000 appropriated for student relief was totally inadequate since there are 8,000,000 unemployed students.

            The speaker then denounced red tape and delay as means of spreading the distribution of funds.

            "There is W.P.A. money which can be directed to the funds for student relief through various legitimate devices," continued Mr. Lash. He urged student organization and pressure upon the administrative agent in the college of the N.Y.A., saying that this movement would be felt indirectly by those who control the N.Y.A "These funds will be forthcoming only if students fight for them," said the speaker.

            Mr. Lash also decried intimidation of W.P.A, workers who feared they might lose their jobs because of participation in progressive activities.

            After the conclusion of Mr. Lash's speech, Helen Margolies, president of the Social Science Club, and Sylvia Dianin, president of the Current Problems Club, were elected representatives of their clubs to the Mobilization for Peace conference to be held today at 1 p.m. The also voted to convert the Economics Conference Continuation Committee into a chapter organization. This club will be called the Students Economics Club.

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May 20, 2004