Evening star., 1936-07-01

especially dry this year, with the
driest areas ranging from only per
| cent of normal rainfall in Louisiana
to IS or 20 per cent in Tennessee,
Kentucky and Missouri and about one
third of normal in the Northern Ohio
Valley States.
Pasture lands, hay. oats. Spring
wheat and truck crops" the bureau
said, have been the hardest hit. Very
| little pasture Is now available be-
tween the Rocky and Appalachian
Mountains. with the stock water situa-
ton serious in many Northwestern
! localities. Live stock shipments are
becoming heavy because there Is no
pasture or water. On the other hand,
conditions in the Far West. especially
in the Pacific Northwest and Cali
fornia, are decidedly favorable. with
grain crops good to excellent and
pastures fine
Also along the Atlantic Seaboard
recent rains have been timely and
helpful. but this condition is confined
to a rather narrow strip, extending
from New England to Georgia and
Florida"
President Roosevelt said it looked
now as if crops in the Western Dakotas,
Eastern Montana and Wyoming would
fail altogether. while drought condi-
tions are getting worse in Eastern Okla
homa. Western Arkansas, Northern
Tennessee and Southern Kentucky.
Millions in relief money will be
poured out If the worst comes true,
the President indicated. The Govern
ment will aid $4,000 to 100000 fam
lilies and also may buy up cattle to
save them from starving If necessary,
he said. The cattle purchases alone
might cost $20.00o.00o to $50 ,00o, 900.
Sources Of Funds.
There was no official estimate as to
how much money would be needed,
but Mr.. Roosevelt said funds could be
obtained from the relief appropriation
and from the Federal Surplus Com
modities Corp
While the picture was depicted as
dark, there Is still a chance that con-
ditions will undergo a marked i'm
provement. Mucn depends on the
amount of rainfall in the next few
days, 1t is indicated If there is no
rain within 10 days, Wallace said,
the crop situation will be worse in
some sections than it was in 1897
the year Of the great drought
AS for funds, Wallace indicated the
problem would be harder to solve
than it was two years ago. The
drought had an earlier start that
year "and Congress was still in ses-
sion to appropriate half a billion dol |
lars for relief" he said.
So far, Wallace indicated, the con-
sumer's pocketbook has not been hit. |
He said there doesn't seem to have |
been enough wheat damage to have |
an effect on bread prices and it |
usually takes about nine months after |
short corn crop for results to be
felt in meat prices"
Relief to Be Unsparing.
At st. Paul Relief Administrator |
Harry L. Hopkins outlined a relief
program which would do "all that |
needs to be done" without regard to
cost. In the same city a demand was |
heard that drought-stricken farmers
be allowed at least $50 a mcuth In |
relief payments. Robert Miller, presi-
dent Of the North Dakota Farmers |
Cooperative Union, said officials were |
considering allowing "only $16 |
month" He said $50 was the mini |
mum that should be paid.
Recommendations for Government |
aid, Wallace said, were in the hands |
of the Presidents Drought Commit |
tee, which includes Wallace, Rexford
G. Tugwell, resettlement administra-
tor; Hopkins and Daniel w. Bell, act
ing budget director.