A DEVASTATED LAND

Gisborne Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 11281, 11 August 1930, Page 5

A DEVASTATED LAND

WORST- -DROUGHT IN AMEiRr ICA’S HISTORY

FOREST 'FIRES,-ADD TO DAM- . " AGE

FOR.ITrEIOHT . STATES AFFECTED NATIONAITaId NEEDED RED CUOSs” SUMMONED

United Pres* A»«D. by El. Tel. Oopyrljjhl

(Received Aug. 10, 0.30 p.m.) NEW YORK, Aug. 9.

With Mr Hoover hi his summmer camp in Virginia mountains only a few miles from where volunteers are combattng a large forest -fire, and reports from forty-eight States showing that nowhere is there any appreciable rainfall, the nation is. battling, with the worst drought in. its Ifistory, and one which economically will compare with last winter’s industrial ami financial deflation .in - seriousness of after-effects, . >

Twelve.-Middle-Western States, including, Illinois, '.Missouri, Kentucky, Virginia, West Virginia, Ohio, Kansas, Towa, and Indiana, have reached a point- , where nothing short of national aid. .will carry .through, a largo proportion of marginal producers who otherwise .will be wiped opt. It-was announced to-night that the railways., under Federal mandate, will reduce the freight rates .on..supplies .for afflicted farmers.’

,Mr Hoover s week-end . has been turned into pn emergency relief planning campaign, ho having sum/ motied other Federal officials foi advice- and ; immediate measures, such as those, taken for the Mississippi, floods, for, the relief of suffering, and .permanent; measures foi rehabilitation, are planned.. - Tlio Red Cross has .announced the mobilisation of all its national chapters for the administration of immediate aid.

. , The Department of Agriculture lias warned, against “queen, price jubilation.” ,If ft. is remembered that , there arc only three .States—• Washington, Oregon and California —which normally depend upon irrigation in , summer and are therefore unaffected ljy the protracted heat and the lack of rain, a .fairly accurate conception, of the extent of the damage, pan ~be. gained-> From, New -York to the Mississippi . .delta-, to the northern tip of Idaho r there are “hot. .winds, stagnant air, blistering temperatures, rivers, .creeks,' and-. lake s at record low levels, large forest fires in New England. Pennsylvania and Virginia, and sporadically, throughout the nation, “baked”’ fruit ’ orchards.. and milk supply dangerously diminished.

ONE FOURTH OF COUNTRY'S PASTURES DESTROYED

v Tl’e. maize fields are burning up at the rate o,f 3,000.000 bushels, a day. and the pastures or one-fourth of the country, are virtually destroyed. t

Kentucky-s .famous blue grass has been turned wliite, and small gardens and produce areas have been out.

This is the record of devastation produced in six weeks of the socalled dry weather.

NO RELIEF -IN SIGHT

The feather Bureau., moreover, announced to-night,that, the weather continues lair 'and warm, with no relief in sight throughout the greater part of the country.

FEARS OF CONTA MINATED - WATER. IN CITIES

Paradoxically the cities are . probably the greatest sufferers. The water supply, in all the large ~cities .is -seriously depleted and many .. . .communities are employing , sources which are believed to be contaminated. The health authorities are asking that .such water be boiled before being used. . . .. In Virginia, cities there are many eases where police patpois are being used to see that the water to lie used for ' household uses only.

SHORTAGE OF MILK IN NEW

YORK

Lack of milk has resulted in an increase of price, notably in New York, where an added cent to the price of a quart will, mean a burden of millions .of dollars. (Fruits and vegetables; are -no longer freely available even in New York, which has tho best distributing system in the country, and prices have, mounted, and inferior foods are freely dispensed.

Whether tlig situation will reach a state of national calamity* will bo decided within .-.the coming week, deponing upon the rainfall necessary to save the remnants of many crops.. TWELVE STATES TO CONFER DISEASE FEARED ~. V: . , WASHINGTON. Aug.,.. S. .. President Hoover lias,, offered a conference of. the.. governors of twelyo „ States. ..to .decide Vupou, methods. for drought relief. The weather reports T stilt continue poor and there are indications for rain at present. The health of the, livestock of a; million .families haE been ; found badly affected by-typlioid and pel-; lagra and epidemics are^ feared, ini tunic high. JEishipgton bgs suffered! its. tenth day of with ' t136,‘ highest' .poinf yflK.ipS. , y |