The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1939-1949, 1948-06-17
CONGRESSMAN Hal Holmes Outlines
Flood Measures F acing Congress


A letter from Hal Holmes to
the Kennewick Courier-Reporter
this week summarized the moves
now underway in Congress 10
provide quick relief for the de-
wasted Columbia flood area. High
on the agenda are measures lor
restoration of public works faclh-
ties and farm properties. 49,.
A bill has been introduced Tor
SIS, 100000 for the rehabilitation
of public works projects, and an
other has been introduced to pro-
vide SIS, 900 for the relief OF
farmers, said Congressman Hoi-
mes.
AS soon as word reached Wash
ingfon, DC, of the disastrous
flood, members of the delega-
tons from Washington, Oregon
Idaho and Montana began work
on legislation to aid flood victims.
The complete summary Of the
Legislation now proposed is given
below:
LEGISLATION to provide $1O,-
00O, 900 for stop-gap emergency
housing in the Portland, Oregon
Vancouver, Washington area for
displaced persons and families.
2. $4,000, 900 item to be included
in Second Deficiency Bill for
Army Engineers to give eniei.
gency relief and replacement OF
dykes, both public and private,
damaged or washed out. The en-
gineers are now using a $1,50O,O 600
fund already available with more
than 1000 employed in the work.
8. $3,300,0 900 emergency fund re-
quested for inclusion in Second
Deficiency Bill for forest service,
to repair and replace damaged
highways, bridges, and trails in
forest areas.
4. Public Roads Administration
has announced that much of a
Sc, cocoon emergency contingent
fund available to Northwest sta
ties for repair and replacement
of roads and bridges washed out
in the floods.
S. Flood Control Act passed by
House and reported favorably and
under way in the Senate con-
tains 100000 emergency
fund for the repair, restoration
and strengthening of levees, and
other flood-control works which
have been threatened or destroy.
ed by recent floods, including the
raining, extending, or other mo.
dification of such works as may
be necessary in the discretion o,
the Chief of Engineers for AIDE
quate flood control.
6. 81, 100000 remains from 1914:
farm flood relief fund and reso
luton introduced with reques
for immediate consideration t.
release these funds for use IL
the Columbia Basin area.
Reconstruction Finance Cor
poration has $22, 600, 900 avail
able for loans to individuals, com
mercial enterprises, or any SINH
lar cases, at an interest charge
of 80 under fairly broad regu
tons.
| 8. Army Engineers have alread,
made available water purifica
ton equipment for emergenc,
use and Public Health Servic,
has indicated ample funds avail
able for establishing emergenc,
water purifying equipment ant
facilities to communities whos'
systems have been damaged o.
destroyed.
| 9. The Farm Credit Admins
tration has made facilities avail
able for loans for repair, reseed
ing, and reconstruction of farm!
and farm buildings. One of it.
agencies, the Rural Rehabilita
ton Corporations, has allocatet
$128, 900 to make small loans t.
individual farmers for seed, feet
Il
and fertilizer.
i 10. The Red Cross immediatel.
sent into the area disaster stat
workers and has assured the de
legations from the affected state
that every family in the affecte'
area which has suffered loss ant
whose resources are insufficient
to meet their disaster-cause'
needs, will be assisted upon app
LEGATION. Such assistance can in
clude the repair and rebuildin
!. of homes owned by familie:
household furnishings, clothing