Early Statesman synthesis distilling legal jargon into practical meaning, statutory anchors, and structural constitutional impacts.
This executive order, signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on 1933-06-16, establishes federal administrative policy concerning "Administration of Public Work." It outlines operative directives for executive department officers, delegating enforcement responsibilities and establishing official governance guidelines.
Constitutional Assessment: Scrutinized through Article II, Section 2, this action exercises the President's constitutional role as Commander in Chief. Early Framers recognized broad executive discretion in commanding military forces during conflict, provided it remains bounded by congressional declarations and respects civilian domestic courts.
Key Directives & Operative Actions
▪I hereby appoint a Special Board for Public Works consisting of the following: The Secretary of the Interior, Chairman; the Secretary of War; the Attorney General; the Secretary of Agriculture; the Secretary of Commerce; the Secretary of Labor; the Director of the Budget; Colonel George R.
▪The distribution of the money herein allocated for public roads shall be subject to the approval of the Board for Public Works.
▪The Federal Emergency Administrator of Public Works is hereby authorized to employ such necessary personnel on a temporary basis as may be approved by the Board.
▪During the next 20 days it shall be the duty of the Federal Emergency Administrator of Public Works and the Board herein constituted to study and report to me on all public-works projects which have heretofore been submitted or shall hereafter be submitted.
Exec. Order No. 6174, Franklin D. Roosevelt (Jun 16, 1933). Available at https://executiveordersarchive.org/orders/app-executive-order-6174-administration-public-work.
Official Document Text
Source: The American Presidency Project (UCSB Archive)
Pursuant to the authority of "An Act to encourage national industrial recovery, to foster fair competition, and to provide for the construction of certain useful public works, and for other purposes," approved June 16, 1933, and in order to effectuate Title III— Public Works and Construction Projects—thereof; 1. I hereby appoint Colonel Donald H. Sawyer to exercise temporarily the office of Federal Emergency Administrator of Public Works. 2. I hereby appoint a Special Board for Public Works consisting of the following: The Secretary of the Interior, Chairman; the Secretary of War; the Attorney General; the Secretary of Agriculture; the Secretary of Commerce; the Secretary of Labor; the Director of the Budget; Colonel George R. Spalding and Assistant Secretary of the Treasury Robert. During the ensuing 30 days the Federal Emergency Administrator of Public Works shall have authority to allot the sum of not to exceed $400,000,000 provided for in Title II of said act for highway building for distribution among the States, Territories, and the District of Columbia, and authority to allot the sum of not to exceed $238,000,000 to the Department of the Navy for the construction of certain vessels, the construction whereof conforms to the London Naval Treaty and has heretofore been approved by me. The distribution of the money herein allocated for public roads shall be subject to the approval of the Board for Public Works. The Federal Emergency Administrator of Public Works is hereby authorized to employ such necessary personnel on a temporary basis as may be approved by the Board. During the next 20 days it shall be the duty of the Federal Emergency Administrator of Public Works and the Board herein constituted to study and report to me on all public-works projects which have heretofore been submitted or shall hereafter be submitted. FRANKLIN D ROOSEVELT The White House, June 16, 1933.
