AMERICAN DROUGHT

Hokitika Guardian, 12 August 1930, Page 3

AMERICAN DROUGHT

TWELVE STATES DRIED UP.

[United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.]

NEW YORK, August 9

: With Hoover in his summer camp in the Virginia Mountains, only a few miles from where volunteeers are combating a large forest fire, and with reports to-night from ior tv-eight States showing that nowhere is there any appreciable rainfall, the nation is battling with the worst drought in its history, and one which, economically, will compare with last winter’s industrial and financial deflation in the serlousiness of its after effects. Twelve middle western States, namely, Illinois, Missouri, Kentucky, Virginia, West Virginia, Ohio, Kansas, Illinois/lowa, Indiana, and Arkansas, have all reached the point where nothing short of national aid will carry through a. large proportion of the marginal producers, who, otherwise, will be wiped out.. It is announced to-night that the railways, under a Federal mandate, ■ will reduce the freight rates on supplies for the afflicted farmeis. President Hoover’s week-end has been turned into one of emergency relief planning, he having summoned other Federal officials for advice. An Immediate measure, such as those for the Mississippi floods for the relief of suffering, and permanent measures for rehabitntion, are planned. The Red Cross has announced the mobilisation of all its national chap-ters-for the administration of immediate aid. : The Department of Agriculture issues a warning against any queer wheat, price jubilation. It is to he remembered that only three States, namely Washington, Oregon and California, which normally depend upon irrigation in the summer, and therefore are not affected by protracted heat and the lack of rain. Fairly, accurate conceptions of the extant of the damage can be gained from tlie fact that it extends from Northern New York, to the Mississippi delta,.[arid to the northern tip of the State; of .Idaho. Within tips area there are istagriant air, hot winds, blif? tering temperatures, while, .the- rivers creeks;fnd lakes are at .record ley levels.■. v ‘j ' . ;: t There ftlso ; ave -large.forest fires in ■Siew <, feu gland,' iP6imsylyania, Virginia, ■arid others sporadically throughout the nation. There are “baked” fruit orchards. ;The milk supply is dangerously diminished. The maize fields are burning up at 1 the rate of three million bushels a day, and the pasturage of one fourth of the country lias virtually been destroyed. Kentucky’s famous blue grass lias turned white, and small garden produce areas haie been wiped out.

" 'The foregoing is a record of the devastation produced in six weeks of so-called dry weather. Hie weather, bureaux, moreover, apnounced to-night that the weather ivill continue “fair and warm,” with no relief, in. sight throughout the greater part of the country. ; i Paradoxically, the cities are probably the greatest sufferers. The water supply , of all of 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 bp boiled before being used. In. the Virginia cities, there are hiany cases where police patrols are .being used to see that water shall he used for household purposes only. The-lack of milk has resulted in an increase of the price, and notably in New York, where an added cent to the price of the quart will mean a burden of millions of dollars.

Fruits and vegetables are no longer freely available, even in New York, which has the best distributing system in tiie country, and the prices have mounted where floods are being freely dispensed. Whether the situation will reach the state of a national calamity will he decided within the coming week, depending upon whether there is the rainfall necessary to save the remnants of many crops. HEAT WAVE CONTINUES. • i WASHINGTON, August 9. President Hoover has ordered a conference of the Governors of twelve States to decide upon methods for drought relief. The weather reports still continue poor, and there are no indications for rain at present. One twelfth of the livestock of a million families have been found badly affected by typhoid. Pellagra epidemics are feared in several quarters. The temperatures continue .high. Washington lias suffered its tenth day of over one hundred degrees with the high point at 108 degrees.