The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1934-08-30

the effects of future drouth, and in
addition such crop benefit payments
as have been made and which now
turn out to be in his opinion crop in
suranace.
Optimistic as to Future
Mr.. Davis is optimistic concerning
the future of the American farmer,
despite the hardships of the current
drouth. He suggested, however, that
it was necessary to face the facts of
the current drouth, but also, to re-
sort to the language of the street,
the administrators thinks the country
must not allow the current problems
to knock it down.
eff the doubts and fears lately ex-
pressed had been Needed" Mr.. Da-
Wis added, 'the great plains never
would have been settled. The trou-
bles of today are but repetitions on
less fearful scale of the obstacles en-
eountered by the early settlers. But
instead of turning back in the face of
hardships, those pioneers established
their homes and did not let drouth,
flood, hail or Indians stop them.
"Insteed, the pioneers and their
sons searched the world for drouth-
resistant wheat and grains which
would mature in season. They bred
up the drouth-resistant forage crops
and planted them. They built civil
cation on an expanse of the map
which once was labeled the Great
American desert. The drouths we
have lived through in the past did not
conquer the spirit nor stop the devel-
opment of the West. The drouth of
1884 will not stop the men Of the West
in their forward march to conquer ma
ture."
The thing about the remarks which
Mr.. Davis uttered that appealed to me
and 70 numerous other Washington
observers was the candor with which
he treated the problems. He made no
attempt in this conversation nor has
he made so in several speeches he has
made lately to use language that was
hysterical. For example Of what /
mean, dispatches coming from Presi-
dent Roosevelt's train on his home
ward trip across the northern half of
this country gave various figures as
to the loss occasioned by the drouth.
One of these dispatches credited an
emergency relief official with the
statement that the drouth had cost
the farmers five billion dollars. An
other dispatch placed the figure some
what lower and gave no authority for
the estimate. But the point is that
Mr.. Davis recognized the desperation
of the farmers and the necessity for
their relief, there was nothing sensa-
tional in his discussion. It is to be re-
membered that the total farm income
of 1888 was only little more than SIX
, billion dollars and it is hard for OBJ
servers here to believe that the drouth
destroyed five-sixths of this country's
agricultural income this year. In the
light of this fact, the tempered re-
marks of Mr.. Davis take on added sig
nificance and weight.
Will Ask More Funds
It now seems certain that when the
congress returns to Washington next
January it will be called upon inn
mediately by the administration to
vote more funds for relief Of the
drouth victims. Until later, however,
.he extent to which the administration
cannot be foretold. It is evident that
having seen the circumstances first
hand, Mr.. Roosevelt's entire sympathy
will be behind whatever proposal he
makes.
Observers here, however, forsee
some dangers as a result Of the pres
emit desperate conditions. They know
that Mr.. Roosevelt will, as he has fire.
quently stated, go to the limit with
federal funds, but the danger forseen
by astute observers here is that some
of the members Of the house and SEN
ate will attempt to go beyond all rea-
son in preparation of relief plans
during next winter. It is not unusual,
as the records show, that on every oc-
casion when the federal treasury doors
are opened senators or representa-
tives will come forward with scores
of plans under the guise Of human
relief to get their hands on govern
ment mney for their constituents. 1t
is fair to say that some of these will
be sincere. It is equally fair to say
that, as in the past, some of them
will have been misguided. The con-
versations one hears around Washing
ton therefore, indicate that those
charged with government response
bility must be on their guard if vast
sums are not to be wasted under the
guise of extending relief to needy
victims of natures pranks this year.
Some of the brain trusters already
have developed far flung plans for
the physical transfer of thousands of
Il