The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1936-07-24
Roosevelt Tells
Of His Drought
Relief Plans

Farm families in immediate need
as result of drOuth in the north
west states have been formulated
and set into operation, President
Roosevelt announced here.
The plans fall into three cate
gorles. Of the 10000 families So
200 will be taken care of by work
relief programs. Farmers will be
set to work digging wells, building
water conserving dams, and con-
structing farm-to-market roads.
They will be paid average week
~ wages of $15 which the Presi-
dent estimated, will carry them
into the winter. The work relief
program will be continued until
weather conditions make it impos-
sable to work outside.
Another 5000 will be cared for
through subsistence loans or sub
slstence grants from the Reset
element Administration. These
loans and grants, it is presumed,
Will be given to farmers situated
on the least favorable land and
some attempt will be made to re-
habilitate them elsewhere.
Approximately 10000 families Of
the 100000 needy in the drouth
area are already being taken care
OF by Resettlement, according to
the President, and trey will con-
tinue to receive aid. The remaining
$4,000 are the subject of continued
study and an effort will be made
to find some means of aid.
The President caused a litter to
run around his air-coiled office as
he announced to hard boiled poll
ticial newsmen that in the latter
part of August he would make a
personal inspection trip of the dust
bowl area, adding that he would
make no political or historical
speeches. The situation, he said
soberly. was too serious to get
mixed up in politics.
In announcing reports reaching
him on various phases of the
drouth the Presidet said that large
cattle owners were managing to
get tehir stock out of the drought
area without much trouble and
causing decline in prices.
The herds are being shipped either
to market or to feeding areas out
of the drouth burned plains.
Small cattle owners, unable to
pay the freight for shipping their
herds out, will be loaned money
with which to get their cattle to
feeding areas and will be allowed
to retain title to the herds. 1t is
the intention of the government,
according to the President, to en-
courage farmers to retain their
livestock and basis breeding herds
as long as possible.
The President also announced
hat although wheat acreage was
10 per cent higher this year than
he average wheat acreage be-
tween 1928 and 1892 the yield
would be considerably smaller. The
same situation exists in corn, he
said. This fact, the President care
.ully emphasized, proved that the
shortage of wheat and corn and
he consequent high prices was
lue to the drouth and not to any
scarcity programs.
His emphasis of this point was
aiken to mean that the admins
ration will claim during the COM
ng campaign summer that high
prices were the result of the AAA
scarcity program but that short
age in crops and higher prices to
were due to the drouth.
The President denied stories
hat the administration intended to
the northwest area and
claimed that the intention of the
was to reform econ
my of that section of the coun-
;ry. He said they intended to work
,ut a program that will keep the
population there and at the same
ime relieve the government of the
of providing drouth and
relief every year.
No estimate was given Of the
ost of the present relief program
~ e,,~Jr -rrsI1 l. Jo-.s-xo1 c,.o.,o