The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1918-08-01
TO
AID FARMERS

Governor Frazier Asks the Fed
eral Government For Assist
ance For the Drouth-Stricken
Farmers.
AT LEAST $2,OOO,OO0 NEEDED
c Commissioner of Agriculture
John N. Hagen Now in WASH
ington in the Interests Of N.
D. Agriculturalists.
Bismarck, July 3O.-"I have
received no official confirmation
of the report published in The
Courier-News this morning re-
garding the action Of the presi-
dent in setting aside five million
dollars for the relief of drouth-.
stricken farmers" said Governor
Lynn J. Frazier tonight, "but
whatever action is necessary for
the state to take that needy
grain growers may profit by the.
appropriation will be taken as
soon as possible.
Fortunately Commission
er Of Agriculture and La
Dor Hagen will be in WASH
ington on Monday and he
may be depended upon to
look after North Dakota's
interests in this matter. It
appears to me that North
Dakota will need at least
two million dollars to tide
her over until another har-
vest and if the government
wants another record acre
age Of grain something will
undoubtedly be done. Two
million dollars will be little
enough to supply our needs.
John N. Hagen, commissioner
of agriculture and labor of North
Dakota and a member of the
federal agriculture advisory
board, has been called to Wash
ington, D. c., for a conference
on Monday morning of next
week and he believes, while he
has not received any official no
tice to that effect, that the dis
t1ibution of the five million dol
lar fund will come up at that
time, with other questions COM
ing before the board.
"At least two million dol
lars of this fund should be
set aside for North Dako-
ta," said Mr.. Hagen, IF the
government intends to care
for the needs of the farm
ers in the stricken districts.
Last year we loaned nearly
three million dollars on seed
and feed bonds but the
needs of 1918 will not be so
great, according to by esti-
mates.
'The maximum loan of $3.50
to an individual, however,
appears to me to be too
low. The average farm in
North Dakota is Of about !
272 acres; the average cul-
tivated farm contains 206
acres, and anyone can readi-
ly see that a farmer will
have but little chance to
get thru a hard year and Sc
cure seed and feed for a new
crop on $3.50. But now that
the government has made a
start it is probable that the
appropriation will be in
creased as it is found neces-
sary.
With the appropriation Of five
million dollars, it was pointed
out here today, some Of which
must be used in the southern
states where planting is earlier
than it is here, there is little
doubt but that the most Of the
money would be tied up before
the northwestern states were
reached.
It is generally believed that
the agricultural advisory board
will be consulted as to the dis
tribution Of the fund for North
and South Dakota and Montana.
It is thought that those states
will get all they are entitled to
of whatever fund is finally ap-
|propriated.
While rains Of the past week
have greatly improved the crop
outlook in the state, there are q
number of the northwestern
counties where the loss is going
to be complete and this, follow
ing on the two crop failures 81
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