Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-03-27
SENATOR MARTIN TO AID
FLOOD APPROPRIATION
Chairman of Senate Commit
tee in Hearty Accord With
What Has Been Done.

Il am In hearty accord with the prompt
measures which President Wilson has
taken to aid the flood sufferers, said
Senator Martin. chairman of the Senate
committee on appropriations, today. The
senator declared that he would do all
in his power to bring about the appro-
priation by Congress of money necessary
to help the sufferers and to reimburse the
government for the supplies and services
which are being given at present through
the War and other departments at the
order Of the President
The United States government has
never been backward about rendering aid
to suffering men and women, either in
this country or abroad" said Senator
Martin. He called attention to former ap
preparations made by Congress to aid
sufferers from great disasters similar to
the floods which have devastated the mid
die west
Aided Alexandria Sufferers.
F"Back in 1897 the Congress appropri-
ated $4,000 to help the sufferers in Alex
andria, Va, when fire swept that place"
said Senator Martin. 'Tn 1872 large ap-
preparations were made to help the resi-
dents of Chicago who suffered in the
great fire. which destroyed a large part
Of that city. A cyclone did great dam
age in Mississippi back in $780, and Con-
gress appropriated for the sufferers. The
sufferers from floods in the Mississippi
valley and the Ohio valley have been aid
ed time and again by the government
The most recent appropriation made by
was provided for the relief of sufferers
from floods in the Mississippi and Ohio
valleys. Practically all of this money
went to cover expenditures already made
under executive order to aid these suffer-
ers. When Fords Theater disaster oc-
Cured in Washington and a number of
persons were killed Congress appropriated
in all $291.O7O to aid the sufferers and
their families.
1.-The government gave 81, 100000 to aid
the sufferers when the San Francisco
earthquake and fire took place in 1906
Senator Martin showed that the United
States had contributed literally in cases
of foreign disaster. The earliest contri-
button of this kind was in 1872, when $50
O3O was appropriated for the sufferers in
an earthquake in Venezuela. One of the
last appropriations for relief abroad was
$4,000 to aid the destitute people of
Italy after a volcanic eruption in 1909.
Same Sentiment in House.
Sentiment in the House appropriations
committee is exactly as expressed by the
head of the Senate committee on appro-
priations. Chairman Fitzgerald is In
New York today: but it is pointed out
the record of House appropriations for
flood and famine sufferers has always
been marked by speed and generosity
Money for the army supplies and ra-
tons which have been ordered to the
flooded district. and which will be or
dered there, will be appropriated for with
out question, according to previous GUS
tom, in a deficiency appropriation. Tech
nically the army has no right under the
law to give away it's supplies. but since
the question of legality is always brushed
aside in cases like this, all that will oc-
cur is to have the item included in
deficiency appropriate ton.