The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1931-04-30
DROUTH SEVERITY
WASEXACCERATED.
Congressman Clague, of Min
nesota, Makes Survey and
Study of Arkansas
FARMERS ARE Poems
Poor Whites and Negroes
Work Plantations on Crop
Share Basis

Conditions IN the OrOuIu StF1Chcu
areas were not half half as bad as
pictured by the press and radio in
formed Congressman Frank Clague
in his talk at the Presbyterian
church Sunday evening. Together
with Congressman Paul Kvale, a
flying trip was made over the
southern states. In Arkansas where
the drouth was considered to have
caused most suffering, they toured
the country in an automobile, and
got first hand information.
Due to the activities Of the Red
Cross the people were fairly well
provided with food and clothing.
Everywhere the drouth stricken
people were loud in praise of the
help given by the Red Cross.
In no place did he find either
black of white people in actual
want or suffering, although in few
cases they did not have all the ne
cessities to which we are accustom-
ed. Had not the Red Cross taken a
hand conditions would have been
otherwise.
"Mr Clague, we are largely to
blamed for this" more than one
landowner told the congressman.
Although slavery does not exist, it
is peonage to a certain extent in eff
feet in Arkansas, he explained.
Plantations have an average Of
1000 acres, with two-thirds under
cultivation. Only one crop is raised
and that is cotton. Tenants are
poor whites or negroes. About half
of each. From 20 to so tenants work
on these plantations. Each family
has charge of 20 or more acres, and
live in a small house.
Had these tenants had the privi-
lege of having a garden or cow, a
pig, or few chickens, conditions
would have been different and
there would have been no need for
appeal to charity. But these tenants
must buy from their landowners
store, or where he has on interest,
so that more often than not, when
it comes to settling up, the tenant
owes the landlord for food and pro-
visions. He has been denied =, the
privilege of raising his own food.
When there was drouth last
summer and the one and only crop,
cotton which they were dependent
upon failed, the tenants had no
credit to buy food and provisions,
for the crop share system is COM
monty in force. Appeal to the land
owners was of no avail. 'Let the
government help you," was their at
titude. The Red Cross and the gov
eminent stepped in with food and
provisions by the former and
money to loan by the latter. 2eo
Congress appropriated $45,000,0e0
for aiding the drouth stricken peo-
pie. Money was loaned on securing
mortgages or other securities. The
government furnished garden seeds
sufficient for one-half an acre to
125,OOO families. Response to the APP
peals of the Red Cross for assis-
lance was generous from all parts
of the United States.
Minnesota led with contributions
and over IS carloads of foodstuffs
was received at Little Rock, Arkan-
sas, headquarters for the drouth re-
lief. Families were allowed 81 per
head. The money was not given to
them but an order was issued and
they could buy at stores up to this
amount. In Roanoke county, which
has a population of $4,000 people,
24,000 received Red Cross aid.
Two-thirds of the school children
he visited had never tasted white
bread before this winter, as corn
pone is one the chief foods among
the tenants. Remarking about the
apparently healthy condition of all
the school children, school princi-