Evening star., 1936-08-24
Times Do Change.

The President leaves Washington to-
morrow on "non-political" trip
through the drought stricken States Of
the Middle West, personally to inspect
the front lines of the far-fung Federal
army fighting the ravages of nature on
the warpath. His visitation with Cover
nors, Senators, Representatives and his
own lieutenants in active charge Of the
drought-relief work should acquaint him
personally with what is going on and
perhaps produce program of some sort
for presentation to the next Congress.
One of his final acts before leaving
Hyde Park was to sign an executive order
increasing from 5000 to $400 the maxi
mum loan to individual farmers from the
Farm Credit Administration for Winter
seed. Previously he had approved plans
whereby the Resettlement Administra-
ton is expected to spend about $40 100000
on one type of drought-relief, while the
w. P. A. is spending some s5,0O0000 a
month on other types of drought-relief.
Minimum drought expenditures between
now and next January are expected to be
about 10O.O00,000. Five hundred thou
sand families, representing more than
100000 individuals, will probably be
receiving drought aid in one form or
another before snow flies. Additional
forms of aid may result from the Presi-
dents trip.
The fact that these plans are being
placed into execution without specific
egislation-although existing relief leg
islation contains ample authority-offe
an interesting commentary on the
changes that few short years have
brought in executive power, springing
from new conceptions of governmental
responsibility. No such changes could
have developed without the depression,
of course, and the drastic delegations OF
power to the Executive which have been
q part of the whole relief program.
Just six years ago, almost to the day,
President Hoover was confronted with
the serious problem of a scorching
drought accompanied by widespread
suffering among the inhabitants OF
large area. He, too, as President, was
taking non-political action to combat the
drought. Unlike Mr.. Roosevelts pro-
posed conferences with the Governors
of the drought States, Mr.. Hoover's con-
ference with the Governors was held at
the White House.
What he did probably represented the
maximum that could be done under the
authority the Chief Executive then pos
sessed. Congress then, as now, was not
in session. No emergency legislation was
obtainable. The Governors conference
resulted in formulation of drought
fighting plans. The Red Cross was to
spend about $4,000 oO0-a large sum OF
money in those days, but one-twentieth
of what is being spent today. The rail-
roads were Offering fifty per cent reduc-
ton on some freight rates as a measure
of aid. Committees Of citizens were to
be organized in the counties and the
States, with proper liaison with such
agencies in Washington as the Federal
Farm Board and the Federal Farm Loan
Board in seeking easier credit facilities.
Federal road-building funds, already
appropriated, would not ordinarily be-
come available until December. But
efforts were being made to rush the
ad-building funds to the States that
could arrange to put up their share OF
the dollars to match them. That was
about all that could be done. The facil-
tiles of the Federal Government were
made available, but the responsibility
lay with the local communities. Some
how they met 1t then. But times-if not
droughts-