Evening star., 1953-09-05
RRyu.
Benson IN Stdte1
Drought Crisis
Expounded Program
of Aid to Be Asked
For Virginia Farmers
BY the Asseeioted Prsss

RICHMOND, Sept. 5. - Gov.
Battle will go to Washington,
probably next week to discuss
an expanded program of Federal
aid for drought-affected Virginia
farmers.
The Governor goes with a rec
ommendation in his pocket from
the Virginia Emergency Drought
Committee, which urged tnat the
State be declared disaster area.
Such a declaration by the Fed
eral Government would make
relief available in counties which
decide they need helping hand.
The drought committee made its
recommendation yesterday after
surveying the effect on farmers
Of the $100 million summer dry
spell.
Seeks Early Conference.
Gov. Battle quickly said he
would attempt to secure an ap-
pointment with Secretary Of
Agriculture Benson at the
earliest possible moment :"
probably next week.
He added that he wanted to
confer with Mr.. Benson before
making a final decision on what
to do about asking that all the
State be declared disaster area
as the committee suggested.
| But the 17-member commit
tee, which deliberated four
hours, didn't stop with the re-
quest for Federal help.
Urge Other Moves.
The group also called for:
/. Call on railroads and truck
ing companies to halve freight
rates on hay during the farm
emergency.
2. Urge all banks and other
lending agencies to make credit
available as literally as possible
to farmers. -,
3. Request farm suppliers of
feedstuffS, seed and fertilizers to
operate on minimum margins
and apply the lowest prices dur
ing the emergency,
Gov. Battle said he also wanted
to take up the committees rec
ommendation on hay with Mr..
Benson and that he already was
working on the committees pro-
posal for lower freight rates on
hay.
Many Voice Objections.
Partly because of Virginia's re-
luctance to turn to Washington
with an outstretched hand, there
was considerable objection voiced
in the committee hearing to hav-
ing the State designated as q
disaster area. =.
w. Tayloe Murphy of Warsaw,
for example, suggested the COM
mtttee see if it couldn't get some
sort of Federal hay program
without asking for the disaster
declaration. He said Virginia
long has been accustomed to
standing on her own legs-even
when they were wobbly.
But Paul D. Sanders, editor Of
the Southern Planter, said he
thought the number Of appeals
to the committee for help indir
Gated majority sentiment was
for a Federal aid program and
that the farmers, rather than
the committee, should be the
decisive factor.
Local Decisions Taken. ;,
AS the law stands, local COM
mittees decide whether their
counties are disaster areas and
the State committee will pass
these recommendations along to
the Secretary of Agriculture.
After that, only farmers who are
unable to buy feed on the open
market without undue financial
hardship will be able to buy the
bargain feeds at about half the
market price.
Committee members found
that existing Federal programs
do not have provision for subsi-
died hay purchases. Only one-
fourth of the $3.50 million Presi-
dent Eisenhower earmarked for
drought relief is available for
feed subsidies.
The drought, which dried up
the pastures and reduced the
corn harvest, is causing Virginia
beef and dairy cattle farmers to
liquidate their herds. Some
farmers already are feeding WIN
ter stocks of hay to the cattle
now.