DROUGHT BROKEN

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 50, Issue 260, 16 August 1930, Page 5

DROUGHT BROKEN

RAIN IN AMERICA. ENORMOUS DAMAGE DONE. FIVE YEARS FOR RECOVERY. (United Press Association—Copyright.) NEW YORK, August 15. Weather reports indicated that drenching falls of rain were occurring in many areas and that inch precipitations were reported in several districts, definitely breaking the drought. The Secretary of Agriculture (Mr A. M. Hyde) advised the renewing of summer gardens for the food supply of the farmers themselves, but it is generally agreed that the damage already done is irreparable and that they required relief, as planned. Governor Pollard has described the drought conditions in Virginia as the worst in the history of the State. "Virginia has had her ups and downs and her lean years, but never a thing like this," he said. "It will take five vears to recover from the loss." He added that at least £1,000,000 would be necessary for farmers' credits. A representative of the Governor of Arkansas estimated that at least one hundred thousand families in his State would need assistance to live through the winter. Manv of these would have to b? furnished with something to eat very shortly or they would go hungry. He asked for credits amounting to £400,000. . , a 1 _ . After conferring with the President for five hours, the Governors and their representatives dined with Mr Hoover at 8 o'clock., and continued their informal discussions until a late hour.

ORGANISATION OF RELIEF.

TASK FOR THE STATES. NEW YORK, August 15. Immediately following the conclusion of the Governors' conference, President Hoover issued the following statement : "While the extent of the damage cannot vet be determined, it is certain that there are at least 250 counties most acutely affected, where some decree of relief must be provided. It was the view of the conference that the burden of effective organisation to meet the situation over the winter in the acutelv-affected counties must rest primarily upon the States themselves, supplemented by such co-operation and assistance as may be found necessary on the parts of the Federal Government. The objective of such rebel is to assist those families over the winter who have been, deprived of the means of support through the failure of their crops, to prevent unnecessary sacrifice of live stock and the protection of public health. This is to be accomplished by the placing of loans privately or where necessary with the assistance of State or national agencies, Red Cross assistance, employment and reduced railway rates. Thirteen States were represented at the conference and the Governors were much cheered by the Weather Bureau report placed before them immediately upon the opening of the conference, showing that good rains had fallen Q-enerally over the territoiy from the lower lake regions in Northern Ohio south to the middle of Tennessee and west to Eastern Missouri. It was this area which was the heaviest hit by the drought.

DARK PICTURE OF KENTUCKY. (United Press Association— Copyright.) NEW YORK, Aug. 15. While the Governors are co-operat-ing in the formation of various county, State and national organisations for the admistration of President Hoover s plan of relief, there was considerable informal comment after the conference, and dissatisfaction was expressed at the likelihood that credits will be extended only to those sufferers who can offer security. Some of those at the conference openly stated that the problem was one of extending credits to unsecured farmers, particularly where the damage was so great that the farmers were left without many resources, i , Senator A. B. Robinson, who represented the Governor of Kentucky, painted probablyi the darkest picture of the situation. His State was the hardest hit of all. The maize crop was but teu per cent, of normal, the tobacco crop but twenty per cent., and the hay crop live per cent. Pastures throughout the State had been damaged beyond repair. Even the blue grass which had withstood all droughts hitherto had been killed. There were practically no vegetables, berries, bush or tree fruits, and water everywhere had dried up. Other States showed much better conditions, but even in the least affected States certain counties were heavily damaged. _ . The' 50 per ceti't. reduction in railway rates was certified to-day for 123 counties in Pennsylvania, Kentucky, and Tennessee.