STUPENDOUS JOB.

Grey River Argus, 21 June 1927, Page 5

STUPENDOUS JOB.

AFTER THE FLOOD. In Mississippi Valley. (Australian & N. Z. Cable Assn.) (Received. Jun c2O at 8.15 p.m.) AV ASHINGTON, June 19. With the flood waters having reached a low stage of recession, Mr Hoover is leaving to-morrow to superintend the commencement of the rehabilitation work in the inundated Mississippi Valley area. The stupendous nature of the task can be guessed by the fact that 11,500,000 acres are included in the zones that went under water in Arkansas, Mississippi and Louisiana, and that ol a total of more than 600,000 persons are homeless refugees under the Red Cross care.

Mr Hoover has at his disposal fifteen million dollars for the preliminary work of rehabilitation, and it is expected that the coming session of Con gress will appropriate the bulk of the vast sum of money that will be required for the colossal undertaking. Mr Hoover has announced that the Erst. thirty days will be devoted to a programme of sanitation. Medical experts from the Public Health Service, the. State Health Sanitary Organisa tion, with Army and Navy doctors and civil technicians, will participate. The disposal of the carcases of thou sands of dead animals, as well as the incineration of great quantities of dead vegetable matter, all of which is a menace of the first magnitude to the great army of destitute farmers, now returning to the stricken areas, will be the first step. Mosquitoes are another big problem, and the infestation, according to the latest reports, has assumed large pro portions. Every precaution will be taken to minimise malaria, the dangei of which is perhaps the most serious phase of the sanitation problem. Roads will then be rebuilt, and an arrangement has already been made to finance the reconstruction of thousands of homes on long-time credits, at low in terest, and to supply new furnishing for the farms. The industrial plants will then be rehabilitated and . food control instituted. It is contemplated to put everyone of the 120,000 families back on a productive footing. A Conference of State Governors will be held in July, the chief subject for consideration being the flood com trol. ■*' Army engineers, co-operating with civilian engineers, all under the direction of General Jadwin, are already formulating a plan for future flood control for submission to Congress m December. It is understood this plan ! involves new levees, with spillways, i and probably reservoirs in the Upper I Mississippi reaches and tributaries.. Mr Hoover said: 11 There is no minimising the size of the job facing those who are giving their time without remuneration or the hope of reward, except that of gratitude and the consciousness of duty well done, to itask, involving, as it does, the greatest peace-time calamity m the history ot our country. Personally I have no doubt we are going to master the situ ation. ’ ’