DROUGHT BREAKS

Hokitika Guardian, 16 August 1930, Page 5

DROUGHT BREAKS

IN UNITED STATES

RAINS CONTINUE

BUT DAMAGE IRREPARBLE,

(.United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.]

WASHINGTON, Aug. 15.

The; weather reports continue to indicate nuns. There were drenching rains in many areas, and the reports state that one-inch precipitations were occurring at many .points, thus definitely breaking the drought. Mr Hyde has advised the renewing of summer .gardens for the food supply of the farmers themselves, but it is generally agreed that the damage already done is irreparable, and required the relief as planned. 'After conferring with the President fore five hours on drought relief, the Governors of the States and their representatives dined with President Hoover at eight .o’clock and they continued their informal discussions until a late hour.

100,000 FAMILIES WITHOUT FOOD

NEW YORK, Aug. 15.

The representative of the Governor of Arkansas estimated that at least one hundred thousand families in his State would need assistance to live through the winter. Many of these Would have to be furnished with something to eat, or else go hungry Within the next sixty days. He asked for two million dollars of credits.

VIRGINIA’S WORST' SET-BACK

NEW YORK, Aug. 14

; Governor Pollard described the conditions in Virginia as being the worst in the history of that State, “Virginia,” he says, “has had her ups and downs and her lean/vears, but never a thing like this. It will take five ybars To recover from the loss. 1 ’ He added that at least five million dollars would be necessary for fanners’ credits.

I ' RESULT OF CONFERENCE,

STATES TO BEAR RELIEF

BURDEN.

NEW YORK, Aug. 15

'lmmediately following the conclusibn of the conference of Governors wtlV Mr Hoover on the drought, the President isued a statement as follows: “While the extent of the damage cannot yet 'be determined, it is certain that there are at least 250 counties most acutely affected where some degree of relief must be provided. It was the view of the Conference that the burden of effective organisation to meet the situation over the winter in the acutely-affected counties must rest primarily upon the ; States themselves.,. supplemented by 'such co-operation and assistance as may be found necessary on the part of the Federal Government. The objective of such relief is, (1) to assist those families over the winter ' who have been deprived of their means of support through the failure 'of their crops; (2) to prevent any 'uhnecesasrv sacrifices of live stock; arid Y 3) the protection of the public 'health. This is to be accomplished by placing loans privately, or, where necessary with the assistance of State or National agencies, Red Cross assistance, employment assistance, and reduced railway rates.”

‘Thirteen States were represented at the Conference, nnd the Governors were much cheered by the weather bureau report placed before them immediately upon the opening of the 'conference showing that good rains had fallen generally over the territory from the lower Lake regions in Northern Ohio, south to Middle Tennessee and west to Eastern Missouri, which was.the area that was heaviest hit by the. drought.

hoover’s Relief plan

j NEW YORK. Aug. 15. - While the State Governors have cooperated in the formation of various county, State and national organisations for the administration of President Hoover’s plan of drought relief, there has been considerable informal 'comment afterwards on the drastic 'dissatisfaction arising from the fact that ■ credits will he extended only lo those sufferers who can offer security. Some of the Governors’ confreres openly state that the problem 'was' one of extending unsecured credits, particularly where damage has been so great that the farmers are 'left without much resources.

be. Senator Robinson, who represented the Governor of Kentucky, painted probably the darkest picture of the .situation. His State is the hardest :hit of all. He said: “Tbe maize crop is hut ten per cent of the normal crop. The tobacco crop is but twenty per cent, and the bay crop is

only five per cent of the normal one. The pastures throughout tl.e State of Kentuohv have been killed beyond repair. Even the blue grass, which has withstood all the droughts hitherto, has teen killed. There are practically no vegetables, and no berries or hush and tree fruits. The water has dried up everywhere.” Other States showed much better conditions, hut even in the least-af-fected States, certain of the counties were heavily damaged. A fifty per cent reduction in the railway rates was certified to-day for 123 counties in Pennsylvania, Kentucky and Tennessee.