Evening star., 1934-06-06
Jobs TO SUPP[ANT
|DOLES AS DROUGHT
RELIEF MEASURE
Farmers Should Decide
Feed and Seed Needs,
81 Hopkins Says.
MOVE TO LIFT CROP
RESTRICTIONS DEFEATED
No Danger of Real Food Short
age" President Says as He
Writes Message.
BY the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press
A shift in Federal drought relief by
which farmers will get paying jobs in
stead of doles for feed and seed was
presaged today.
While President Roosevelt was per-
sonally asserting it a Federal duty to
aid those in distress, his relief chief,
Harry L. Hopkins, expressed to Con-
gressmen from affected States a
feeling that it was not good policy
to donate to farmers who had been
independent all their lives.
I'VE believe it is better to give them
cash benefits so they can make their
own decisions regarding feed for their
stock and seed for their crops." he
said.
Davis Checks Move.
Meanwhile. Chester Davis, farm ad-
Justment administrator, apparently
checked move by the legislators to
adopt a resolution asking the Farm
Administration to lift crop restrictions
10 permit growing of forage crops on
contracted acreage. He said the de-
partment was willing to 60 that far
only when farm leaders and depart
ment representatives in the field re-
ported it necessary.
Davis said the majority Of farmers
in the corn-hog control program re-
garded their contracts as Serious
things" and were not ready to have
them abrogated.
At his press conference, in connec-
ton with preparations for his request
that Congress vote S525 900 900 for
drought relief, the President spoke of
the tens of thousands of families af-
fected by the drought. There need
be no fear Of food shortage, however,
he emphasized.
100000 Families in Need.
To the meeting at the Capitol
Hopkins said his relief agency would
be caring for 800, 900 families in
drought territory by the end Of the
week and that 10000 of these were
| already deriving living from work
| projects. 1t was explained earlier
that the program would include work
on roads, conservation of water sup
plies, soil erosion and similar projects
He estimated more than a million
persons were receiving Government
benefits as the result of the drought.
In reply to a suggestion that the
Relief Administration should not pay
too high a wage level in farm areas.
Hopkins said he had no intention of
setting up a big public works pro-
gram "at miserably low wage rates"
as long as he was running the
show" He added there would be no
exploitation of the people" because
of the situation.
Under the work program, he said,
farmers will be paid minimum wage
of 80 cents an hour, the scale above
that to be determined by the States
on the basis of existing schedules.
To Affect Food Supply.
The Department Of Agriculture
meanwhile declared in an official
| drought report that conditions will
materially affect the national food
supply"
1t stated, however, that "inasmuch
as the present drought area ordi-
narily contributes a large share of
the Nations wheat, feed grains and
hay. the total production of these will
be greatly reduced"
The wheat crop from present indi-
cations was reported likely to be
much below" the quantities harvest
ed in any of the last Is years. with
the possible exception of last year.
The condition of live stock is such
in the worst areas, it was said, that
many animals are already too weak
to stand shipment and many animals
are too thin to have much value for
| slaughter purposes"
Death losses" the report added,
"are mounting steadily and, consider
ing the large area that is in difficulty,
heavy death losses during the next
few weeks at least can hardly be
avoided even should there be a nor
NAL total rainfall during the remain.
der of the season."
The final outcome of this seasons
crops depends largely on whether the
| recent rains are the turning point or
whether they are followed by con-
tinued dry weather, the department
declared
The President said at his press con-
ference today he regards it as the
duty of the Government to give aid,
and he feels it is the frank thing to
| do to appropriate directly rather than
to borrow from the Reconstruction
Finance Corporation.
The President is expected to send
message to Congress in plenty of
time to get an appropriation. Lead
ers said passage would require only a
| few hours.
1t seemed certain the program
would call for fexibility in the ap-
preparation. The administration en-
phasized that the situation was
changing hourly and that to allot
money for specific purposes in an
| lCnntinued on PAGE s. Column d