El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1918-09-17
ASK S5O0OFOR
DROUTHSECTION
Defence Council Puts 1t Up
to Ell Pasoans to Re
lieYe Sufferers.

Reports that 81 counties in west
Texas have produced nothing this
year, and that the state council Of de-
fence has undertaken to contribute
at once 100000 to the relief Of the
stricken district and has asked FL
Paso to give $4,000 Of such amount.
were brought out at a meeting Of the
county council Of defence in the Of
fees Of W. ". Turney. in the First
National bank building Monday after
noon TO devise. ways and means OF
making the $4,000 Immediately avail
able. Those present Were- Mayor
Charles Davis, II. r dcClintOck. Geo
r LeBaron. o. c. Coles. J. A. Escajedas
J. A. Krakauer. Roland Harwell, J. NJ
Wyatt. W. ". Turney. Winchester
Cooley and T. L. Holiday.
Chairman Cooley. who presided,
stated the object OF the meeting. and
Mr.. LeBaron read letter sent out by
J. T. Carl. secretary Of the Texas state
council OF defence, containing the ap-
peal. Mr.. Turney gave the substance
Of the recent government report on
the district for which aid is asked. He
said that conditions in the 81 counties
that had produced nothing this year
were worse than last year; that sec
LUIS Al AAAE L4AAAAA al ca A-NeA@ AAaa nay
produced 1900 bales would not make
more than 500 this year, in some IN
stances 50 acres producing not more
than one bale. The report said fur
Their that the cattlemen were shipping
away their cattle. for all kept behind
would have to be fed. and there had
been no feed made; that those men
who were able were leaving the dis
trict, but that there were hundreds
who did not have enough money TO
get away
Families Have No Money.
Mr. Turney said that J. A. Crockett
had recently driven through the sec
I ton from Plainview TO Fort Worth
and Sweetwater and quoted him as
saying that nowhere in that vast dis
/ trict had anything been made. At one
I small railroad station one day there
were % carloads of household goods
I being shipped out TO other places, and
/ in many counties the greater part Of
I the population had already left The
sad part OF the situation is where
Z families have nothing and are unable
I 10 get money enough 10 80 TO work
I ar. Turney said II is said that peo-
l pie in the district are selling anything
that viii bring money at almost any
price, in order TO get somewhere else
hight TO Give Back 5000.
! The amount asked is only $4,000
and II would seem that FL Paso might
3 contribute this amount without much
I effort said Mr.. Tu-ney. In 1897.
[ when the flood washed away num-
I Der Of adobe houses in FL Paso. We
1 asked the state to contribute $4,000 TO
/ our aid and the the legislature made
! IL at once available and we gladly re-
/ ceived it. This drouth district needs
Z help ten times more than We ever did
and il would seem that we should re-
I turn through the drouth relief COM
mittse the money given US in our
time Of need"
Several others present told OF their
; knowledge OF the distressing condi-
tons existing and urged that some
thing be done Immediately 10 afford
Z a remedy
Pay Authorized Persons.
Subscriptions TO the fund may be
I paid 10 any block captain, any men,
Der Of the council Of defence. or TO
any bank in FL Paso- II was urged
{ that contributions be made Tuesday
and Wednesday Mr.. Turney said he
would speak briefly on the subject al
the chamber Of commerce luncheon at
the Sheldon hotel Tuesday.
The letter from secretary Carl, read
by Mr.. LeBarou, contained the follow
ing paragraph: IF we do not help
\ that section OF the state, il viii re-
! main a devastated waste and its fer
tile lands and productiveness will be
a loss TO the nation You are only
asked to raise a comparatively small
amount OF money IN your county, but
we desire to impress on you that Il is
o fthe utmost importance that this
sum be raised az once. for two rea-
sons; First. because It is so urgently
Necessary for the immediate relief Of
| these people. and. secondly. in order
that as much Of the work as possible
may be finished before the Liberty
loan drive must be taken up
Senator John G.. Willacy, Of Austin
Tex. has consented TO take charge OF
this relief work and viii maintain
headquarters in the capitol building
at Austin. He viii act in the matter
for the state council OF defence