I wouldn't allow these men to work without constant and expert supervision, instruction in the use of power saws, instruction in tree identification, precautions about toxic plants, and physical examinations. We have other work needing to be done outside woodlands-grading, building rock jetties, leveling beaches, etc. This June we had a deluge of applications from 18- to 23-year-old boys trying to earn money to go to or to continue their college and graduate school educations. Also, there are the high school dropouts and what are termed "unemployables" which frequently means only slowness in paperwork or taking IQ tests. You may be interested in the enclosed bulletin given to all summer student workers. Hon. GAYLORD NELSON, U.S. Senate, Washington, D.C. EDWARD A. CONNELL, Superintendent. CITY OF HARTFORD, DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION, Hartford, Conn., June 19, 1964. DEAR SENATOR NELSON: In reply to your letter of inquiry, dated June 17, 1964, I submit the following information: The city of Hartford has recently completed a master plan for redevelopment of the park system to meet the current and anticipated needs of the metropolitan area now served. Most of these projects have had initial planning and a few have progressed to the point of engineering study. It would be impossible at this time to make even an educated guess on man-years but the overall development could cost between $10 and $12 million to complete the master plan. Your proposal is real interesting and would be of tremendous assistance in providing facilities and areas to meet the needs of today's mobile population that seeks to make more and better use of this leisure time. Yours sincerely, R. P. HUNTER, Director. BOARD OF PARK COMMISSIONERS, DEPARTMENT OF PARKS, Hon. GAYLORD NELSON, DEAR SENATOR: I received your letter this morning and have discussed your proposed program with Mayor John Roth of the city of Middletown. We are both 100 percent in favor of your proposed bill, both as a solution to the unemployment and poverty conditions which now exist and as a possible solution to the dire needs of many cities to increase and develop their park and recreational facilities. In Middletown, which has a population of some 32,000 persons we have started a rather extensive park program in an effort to bring our park system up to par. Seven years ago we purchased a 39-acre tract near the center of the town and last year added a parcel of approximately 40 acres and one of about 15 acres in other sections. However, we have done nothing in the line of development on the latter two at the present time and have probably developed only 15 acres of the plot we purchased 7 years ago. We operate with a working staff of only six men who do all the skilled work and the unskilled work. A program such as yours would be of great value to us for these men could act as group leaders for workers under your proposed program and we could soon realize the development of all this new property. I believe that it would be safe to say that we could utilize a minimum of 8 man-vears at the present time to accomplish our immediate objectives. This would for the main part, be unskilled labor. At present we are also having a survey made of the present and recommended park facilities and I am sure that when this report is finished we will have a number of added facilities proposed to supplement those which we already have. Thank you again for your communication and if I can be of any help to you in the future in such ways as contacting the Connecticut Representatives and Senators, I will be glad to do so. Sincerely, JOHN W. ENGLISH, Superintendent of Parks. U.S. Senator GAYLORD NELSON, CITY OF MERIDEN, CONN., DEAR SENATOR NELSON: Your letter of June 17 was read with a great deal of enthusiasm. The proposed legislation would be more than welcome here in Meriden as there are a great many areas which we presently own or are in the process of securing under open spaces which are and will be in dire need of development. In answer to your questions specifically: (a) We could use a substantial number of workers in our programs. (b) Clearing parks and general areas of scrub brush, tree planting, grassing, clearing areas of trees for play space, making trails. (c) As to man-years of work which might be usefully undertaken in the immediate future-we now have over 1,200 acres of land and are securing another 700 under the open space program all of which would be under the above classification. The total of 1,900 acres of land would mean a considerable amount of man-years of work I would imagine. I could not, however, at this time give you the exact amount. I do hope that this has answered your inquiry, and if more information is desired please feel free to contact me. Sincerely yours, FREDERICK C. MANDEVILLE, Hon. GAYLORD NELSON, U.S. Senate, Washington, D.C. DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION, DEAR SENATOR NELSON: I am in receipt of your letter of June 17, 1964, concerning your proposed legislation to provide funds to Federal, State, county, and municipal agencies to utilize unemployed workers on conservation projects. Please be advised that in our particular situation, especially during off season months, the use of individuals within the park system of the city of Bridgeport would be welcomed. We have a park system of approximately 2,000 acres, much of which is woodland, which because of our present budget, we cannot take care of in the manner in which we consider necessary. The use of this type of manpower for the clearing of brush, new drainage systems, repair of culverts, etc., would be a godsend to this community. I would like you to give me a few more particulars concerning your proposed bill so that I can attempt to be of some help to you. I consider that your thoughts in this matter and your aims would make a necessary contribution to this community. It is impossible for me to estimate the number of man-hours of work which might be usefully undertaken because we have had little of this type of help since the days of CCC's and the WPA. Please let me know soon, specifically, what you wish in this matter, and I will aid you in every way possible. As president of the Connecticut Public Park Administrators, I may be able to aid you in collecting data from the other cities in the State of Connecticut. Very truly yours, Hon. GAYLORD NELSON, U.S. Senate, Washington, D.C. JOSEPH M. FENNELL, Director of Parks and Recreation. DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION, DEAR SENATOR NELSON: This department has several hundred acres of undeveloped park land which could be greatly improved through a program such as you suggest. The improvement of the area for use as picnicking, winter sports, day camps, etc., has been deferred through lack of funds. Its development could be accelerated with a program utilizing the services of unemployed workers. We could over the next 4 or 5 years use 25 to 50 men regularly for such work without any elaborate new preparation. We shall be pleased to furnish additional information regarding this matter if you require it. Yours sincerely, JAMES J. CURTIN, Director, Parks and Recreation. DELAWARE RESPONSES Senator GAYLORD NELSON, CITY OF WILMINGTON, DEL., U.S. Senate, Washington, D.O. DEAR SENATOR NELSON: Mr. Edward P. Laverty, director of parks and recreation of the city of Wilmington, outlined in his letter of July 8 the tasks that could be performed by unemployed workers if Federal funds were available. Please keep me posted as to the progress of this legislation. Sincerely, JOHN E. BABIARZ, Mayor. BOARD OF PARK COMMISSIONERS, Subject: Funds for unemployed workers. Senator GAYLORD NELSON, U.S. Senate, Washington, D.C. DEAR SENATOR NELSON: In connection with your letter requesting information on June 17, 1964, the board of park commissioners could easily utilize groups of workers in the projects listed below. These tasks require little preliminary planning and could be instituted on short notice. 1. Clearing treams through parks. 2. Improvements of paths and walks. 3. Setting permanent-type benches in all parks. 4. Erection of picnic areas. 5. Regrading and filling playground areas. 6. Removal of dead and downed trees. 7. Replanting trees. Estimated numbers of man-years is 4. I am sorry I did not answer your letter sooner; I was on vacation at the time your letter arrived. DEAR SENATOR NELSON: In response to your letter of May 29, 1964, I would like to offer the following for your consideration in drafting legislation to utilize unemployed workers. Our department of public works is about to start an 8-week summer program for teenage boys. A copy of this program is attached. The director of this department estimates that three times this many workers could be used to com plete current projects of this type. This would indicate that the city of Wilmington could use at least 15 man-years of work in these public works projects. In addition, our park director estimates the need for 4 man-years of work for park improvements. It would be my estimate that we could use at least 10 man-years of work in neighborhood conservation and rehabilitation projects, in addition to present government personnel and private contractors' employees. It would be my estimate, therefore, that at least 30 man-years of work could be usefully undertaken in Wilmington in the immediate future on current and projected projects. I hope these estimates will be helpful to you in preparing this legislation. Please do not hesitate to contact us again for further information. Sincerely, PETER A. LARSON, To: Peter A. Larson. ΜΕΜΟ BOARD OF PARK COMMISSIONERS, From: Edward P. Laverty. Re: Park improvement. If funds are made available by the Federal Government, we could utilize a substantial number of workers in a park improvement program. Some of the projects we could institute immediately. These would be cleaning streams in the outlying park areas, improvements on bridle paths, the erection of picnic areas, and so forth. Another program that would aid us considerably is the planting of trees in the parks in the city of Wilmington. Estimated number of man-years, 4. MEMORANDUM DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS, Wilmington, Del. To: Mayor John Babiarz. From: Robert A. Mitchell, chief engineer. We recommend the following work which could be done by teenage boys during the summer in a youth work program for Wilmington. 1. Cleaning "tax" and private property. 2. Cleaning ditches. 3. Cleaning catch basins and sewerlines. 4. Some street cleaning. 5. Housekeeping park lands. We estimate it will require nine crews to properly handle these jobs. Each crew to be composed of eight laborers and one driver foreman. We also feel there should be a supervisor to take active, overall charge of the project. On this basis and assuming the wages to be $1 per hour for laborers, $1.50 per hour for foreman, and $2 per hour for supervisor, we estimate the personnel cost for 8 weeks at 40 hours per week to be We estimate the cost of tools and equipment for the entire project to be $1,800. We estimate the cost of renting various types of trucks required for the project to be Pickup truck (2, at $56 per week X8 weeks) Dump truck (3, at $185.60 per week X8 weeks). Stake body dump (4, at $329.20 per week X8 weeks). Total cost for truck rental_. $896.00 4, 454. 40 10, 534. 40 15, 884. 80 DEAR SENATOR NELSON: This letter is in reply to your questions about utilization of unemployed workers on conservation projects and, in particular, park improvements. At present we could not use additional workers since we already have a program which uses those men able to work who are currently receiving welfare subsistetnce grants. Each man is required to work a minimum of 32 hours a week to remain eligible for welfare payments. We pick up and return these men to two central locations each day. The average workers per day has been 15 and it requires 2 of our foremen to handle them and no other costs. The program has met with success here. Several of the men in the past have found good paying jobs as a result of getting back on a regular schedule. Our park lands are not of sufficient size at this time to take on additional nonskilled personnel-we simply would not have the projects for them. I think your plans are good and should be of great help to those in areas lacking an effective plan at present. Very truly yours, JACK W. MOODY, Park Administrator. STATE OF DELAWARE, Dover, June 9, 1964. Hon. GAYLORD NELSON, Washington, D.C. DEAR SENATOR NELSON: I was pleased to learn from your letter of May 29 that you are drafting legislation to provide funds to Federal, State, county, and municipal agencies to utilize unemployed workers on a number of projects. I think your proposal is excellent and I hope that it may be the means of removing a number of able-bodied men from relief rolls. Specifically, we would not be able to utilize such workers as our requirements are for those of definite technical skills and we do not employ in large numbers. We do, however, appreciate the opportunity to send our comments to you. Very truly yours, LEON DEVALINGER, Jr., State Archivist. STATE OF DELAWARE, Hon. GAYLORD NELSON, Washington, D.C. BOARD OF GAME AND FISH COMMISSIONERS, DEAR SENATOR NELSON: Your letter of May 29, 1964, regarding a proposed Federal program to utilize unemployed workers on conservation projects, has been received. If funds were available our commission could fruitfully employ approximately 30 full-time men without extensive new preparations on our part. These men would be employed in developing and maintaining public recreation areas such |