RAIN FALLS TOO LATE TO SAVE U.S.A. CROPS

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1052, 16 August 1930, Page 9

RAIN FALLS TOO LATE TO SAVE U.S.A. CROPS

RAVAGES OF DROUGHT URGENT RELIEF WORK United P.A.—By Telegraph—Copyright NEW YORK, Friday. The weather reports to hand this evening, show tha t rains are still drenching many of the droughtstricken area, falls of one inch having been registered at numerous points, thus definitely breaking the drought. At the conference with President Hoover, the Governor of Virginia, Mr. J. G. Pollard, described the conditions in that State as the worst in its history. It had had its ups and downs and its lean years, but never a thing like this. It would be five years recovering from the loss. A sum of at least £1,000,000 would be necessary for farmers’ credits.

A representative of the Governor of Arkansas estimated that at least 100,000 families in that State would need assistance to live through the winter. Many of them would have to be supplied with food or they would go hungry within the next two months. He asked for credits to-talling £400,000. URGENCY OF RELIEF After having conferred with the President for five hours the Governors dined with him and subsequently continued informal -discussions until a late hour. Immediately after the conference, Mr. Hoover issued a statement saying: “The extent of damage caused by the drought cannot yet be determined, but is is certain that at least 250 counties are most acutely affected and some degree of relief for them 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 rests primarily upon the States themselves, supplemented by such cooperation and assistance as may be found necessary on the part of the Federal Government. LOANS FOR FAMILIES “The objectives are to asist families over the winter who have been deprived of their means of support by the failure of their crops, to prevent unnecessary sacrifices of livestock and to protect public health. These are to be accomplished by placing loans, privately, or, where necessary, with the assistance of State or tlie national agencies, by assisting the Red Cross Society, by relieving unemployment and by reducing railway freight rates. Although the Governors are to cooperate in the formation of various State and National organisations for the administration of Mr. Hoover’s plan of relief, there has been considerable informal comment on the dissatisfaction caused by the fact that the credits are to be extended only to those sufferers who can offer security. Some of those who attended the conference openly state that the problem is one of extending unsecured credits, particularly where the damage is so great that farmers have been left without many resources. HARDEST HIT STATE The representative of the Governor of Kentucky painted probably the darkest picture of the situation, saying that State had been the hardest hit of all. The maize crop was only 10 per cent, of normal, the tobacco crop 20 per cent, and the hay crop 5 per cent.

The pastures throughout the State had been killed beyond repair. Even the blue grass which had withstood al] droughts in the past, had been killed. There were practically no vegetables or tree fruits and the water had dried up everywhere.

A 50 per cent, reduction in railway freight rates was agreed to today for 123 counties in Pennsylvania, Kentucky and Tennessee.