Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-01-06
%,5OD,ODO FUND
FOR DROUGHT AID
Red Cross Chairman Tells
Senate Group $849, 1863
Has Already Been Spent.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
The Red Cross has an emergency
fund of $4,50O,000 with which to adj
minister relief to drought sufferers
throughout the Winter.
This the Senate Appropriations Com
mittee learned today from Chairman
Payne of the organization. He said
$S49,e63 had already been spent.
If its funds are exhausted, he said
the Red Cross will appeal to the Ameri-
can people. .f
The chairman denied reports of
food riot at England, Ark, last Satur-
da~ and related officers of the organi-
with some excitement" came into Eng
land. He said these men were fed.
"On the same day." said Judge Payne,
"as quietly as we are sitting here, our
Red Cross Chapter at England fed 500
other persons. Why these 40 men did
not call at the chapter for aid I have
no idea"
He added:
IT advised President Hoover some
time ago that if we were permitted to
proceed in a normal way we might
get through the Winter with our pres
ent resources
$85, 900 for Waterways.
Mai Gen. Lyle Brown, chief of
Army Engineers, informed the Senate
committee that $35 900 to 100000
600 would be spent this year on inland
waterway improvements.
SIFV rig-
ing architect of the Treasury, reported
$138, 100000 was available for public
building construction.
Senator Copeland, Democrat, New
York, asked Mr.. Payne If he was asking
or would accept a contribution from
the Federal Government for relief.
1--WE never have received Government
aid" replied Mr.. Payne. "A man can
not say whether he will accept a posi-
ton until he has been rendered 1t. I
have no doubt that the American peo-
pie will see us through"
He emphatically denied statements
by Senator Caraway, Democrat, Ar
kansas, that the Red Cross is not meet
ing the needs in Arkansas.
Confined to Rural Sections.
Mr.. Payne said Red Cross relief was
confined to the rural communities. He
expected the cities to take care OF them
selves through the Community Chests,
charity organizations and the Salvation
Army. He explained it was difficult to
estimate how much would be required
for meeting their own problem.
Maj. Gen. Brown compared the pro-
spective expenditure Of $90,000,00O this
year on inland waterway work to $72,-
000, 900 which was spent last year and to
$57,000,000 spent in 1929.
Meanwhile, House Republican leaders
planned to send its $4,000, 900 drought
loan bill to conference with the Senate,
in an effort to eliminate the Senate
amendment which would add $15,000000
for food loans.
Chairman Wood of the House Appro-
priations Committee, said he believed
the House Republicans would insist upon
removal of the amendment. Efforts will
be made to expedite action so the De-
partment of Agriculture may have the
funds at the earliest moment.
AsweII Gets Letters.
Representative ASwell Louisiana,
ranking Democrat on the Agriculture
Committee, who led the fight for food
loans in the House, said:
Secretary Hyde and the Red Cross
say they can handle the situation,
but I keep getting letters from people
starving in drought areas of Louisiana"
Judge Payne told the Senator'S cloth
ing and food had been given 49.963
families, or about 100000 individuals,
in !? States. at cost to December
81 of $520,802, in addition to the
distribution of pasturage and other
seed at a cost of 1929, 1852.
The program is being financed
through local donations of cash and
supplies, supplemented by grants from
the disaster reserve Of the national
organization.
"If the Winter continues mild, II
employment opens up in some fields
and If the Governments agricultural
loan program meets a large portion of
the need in connection with the Spring
planting, the balance of this reserve
will probably be sufficient" he said.
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