Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-08-16
ROAD-A|D FUND
TO Be ALLOCATED
AS DROUGHT AID
President Hoover Makes De-
cision Following Confer
ence With Governors.
MEETING OF BANKERS
NEXT STEP IN PROGRAM
War Department Increases Water
Supply and Turns Over
Grazing Land.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
Federal road aid money will be al
located to the States in advance of the
usual time to relieve unemployment
and to aid States suffering from the
drought.
The decision was made by President
Hoover after State governors who at
tended the conference here to work out
drought relief measures said they be-
neved 1T would help materially.
Congress authorized $125, 100000 for
road aid next year. This will be an
portioned to the various States, prob
ably by September /. Ordinarily 1t
would not be allocated until next
January /.
Bankers Conference Next.
A Hoover conference with bankers
from the drought-ridden States stood
out today as the next national move in
the drought relief campaign. Beneficial
rains meanwhile alleviated conditions
in several of the sun-parched areas.
AS soon as the State Relief Commit
tees-agreed upon at the White House
Conference of Governors-have been set
up, President Hoover expects to call in
their banking members for q discus
sion of the financial means to be EN-
ployed in the campaign to prevent hui
man suffering and disease, and TO tide
farmers and their live stock over the
Winter season.
Meanwhile, Federal agencies virtu-
ally are marking time. Except for minor
measures and polishing up of the
Government organization to be EN-
ployed in the relief campaign, officials
feel little can be accomplished until the
State. county and local committees ere
functioning, to apply directly the local
relief available.
The program adopted received the
unqualified approval yesterday Of the
eheads of three important farm organi-
Nations, the National Grange, Farmers
Union and American Farm Bureau
Federation. At a White House con-
ference Louis j. Taber, @. 9. Talbot
and Sam H. Thompson, heads Of the
three groups, told the President they
considered the plan the best available
and pledged their wholehearted coop
Grafton.
Look TO Rains for Aid.
Rains were looked to meanwhile to
rejuvenate pasture land and to aid In
raising the morale of farmers who have
been driven near to restitution by the
dry weather and parching sun. Preva-
lence of cooler weather, even without
rain, was seen as considerable aid In
delaying deterioration OF grazing lands
and forage.
Forecasts were for rains today and
Sunday in the South Atlantic States,
the Ohio Valley, Tennessee, the South
ern Appalachian region and the West
ern lower lake region.
Mr.. Hoover feels little can be done
until the State, county and local COM
mitteeS are selected to deal directly
with conditions In communities where
distress already exists.
The War Department, however, moved
today to help relieve the situation In
two States. Diversion of greater guam
titles of water from Lake Michigan by
the sanitary district than the amount
fixed recently by the Supreme Court
was authorized by Secretary Hurley to
diminish the health menace. He also
informed Gov. Pollard of Virginia that
several thousand acres of artillery
ranges would be turned over to the
State for private grazing.
Farm Heads Approve Plan.
Mr.. Hoover was told by Mr.. Taber,
master of the National Grange; Mr..
Talbot, chairman of the board of die
rectors of the Farmers Union, who also
represented the Farmers National
Grain Corporation, and Mr.. Thompson,
president of the American Farm Bu-
reau Federation, that the relief organ
ization outlined at the Governors Con-
ference was the most workable plan yet
presented.
The conditions in Montana were
viewed today as among the most dim
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