The Washington times., 1936-07-08
$4,000 NEEDY
FARMERS ARE
GIVEN WORK
TugweII Speeds Relief;
BIS, 900 to Be
Spent Monthly
international News Service


the Northwestern States, deterio-
rating crops and actually wiping
out all but a small percentage Of
the unirrigated crops in Wyoming.
Joseph B. Kincer, of the Agri-
culture Departments crop report
ing board, admitted his weekly re-
port on the crop situation, issued
today, noted no relief in the hard
hit sections. He reported:
Southern Ohio, Indiana and
Illinois, except in local areas,
the northern half Of Missouri,
all of the plains States north Of
Texas, and the Upper MisSiSsip-
pi Valley received practically no
relief during the week, and high
temperatures were extremely I'M
favorable in most Of the area"
PLANS FOR AID
With officials of the Agriculture
Department, the WPA and the Re-
settlement Administration virtu-
ally praying along with the
stricken farmers for rain, these
agencies, nevertheless, were ready
today to start to pour out millions
of dollars to aid the stricken
areas. At the outset they plan to
aid 100000 families, made desti-
tute by the drought drying up
their crops.
The Works Progress Administra-
ton started its program Of provld-
ing jobs for $4,000 destitute farm
erS at weekly wage rates Of SIS
each.
Resettlement Administrator Rex.
ford Guy Tugwell ordered his staff
to "get the money out" to- $4,000
more families, in addition to the
10000 in the hard-hit Dakotas,
eastern Montana and northeastern
wyoming who are already receiv-
ing ReSettlement Administration
aid.
Subsistence and Loans
These families will receive an
average Of SIG a month in direct
grants for subsistence-food and
necessary living costs. AS need
arises they also will be eligible
to receive loans for feed and
crops. For loans, an average Of
1925 per farmer has been ear
marked by the Resettlement Ad-
ministration.
The Surplus Commodities Cor
poration has $5,000,000 available
for loans to Stockmen and farm
ers to transfer their livestock to
feeding grounds. This plan was
substituted after a long confer
ence with President Roosevelt
for plans to buy up livestock
process and distribute the meats
to State organizations for relief
of unemployed.
For the 10000 to 1875, 900 fami-
lies for which Resetttlement Ad-
ministration will make direct sub
siStence grants, $2,375, 900 a
month will be necessary. at least
until snow flies. according to Of
ficials.
For loans for feed and crops,
$28,000,000 will be available, Tug
well aides said.
Statisticians estimated that
this program could continue at
least three months at total cost
of 100000. The workers are
given jobs digging wells, building
dams and storage reservoirs, i'm
provements which, Presid emit
Roosevelt pointed out, will be
permanent. They also are being
put to work on farm-to-market
roads.
Plans are being worked out, the
President said, to take care of the
additional $4,000 families in the
drought area in need of :mmedi-
ate cash relief. The same Gov
ernmental agencies will work out
this program, under direction of
the Presidents drought committee,
consisting of Secretary of Agricul-
ture Wallace, Resettlement Admin
istrator Tugwell, Works Progress
Administrator Hopkins and Acting
Director Of the Budget Daniel w.
Bell.
Corn Belt in Danger
The drought is most severe In
81 counties of the Dakotas, Mon
tana and wyoming. Unless rain
comes throughout the corn belt,
the prairie and Great Plains
States within the next fortnight,
the corn crop will be damaged Sc
riously, officials said.
That might force a change in
the present plans for shipping
livestock from the arid areas to
the pasture lands of the corn belt
and the Eastern Plains States.
Pasture lands of the country as
whole, the Crop Reporting Board
said, are in much better condition
this year than at the same time in
1888 and 1884, though slightly
under the 1885 condition. The
average condition for July 1 this
year was 81.6 of the 1923-32 TO-
year average, as compared with
COS for July, 1888; 48.9 for July,
1884, and 1874 for July, last year.
Public-Range Unhurt
Grazing lands of the 142,000,0 1000
acre national domain, under the
supervision of Secretary of the In
terror Ickes, have not been i'm
paired to any extent.
Cattlemen of the West, opening
a two-day conference with IckeS
and officials of the grazing di-
vision of the Interior Department
today, received this report from
harrington Carpenter, head Of the