CRITICAL DROUGHT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20641, 13 August 1930, Page 11

CRITICAL DROUGHT.

"■EFFECTS IN -AMERICA < RUIN AND STARVATION. (DESTRUCTION OF CHOPS. t.DISEASES SPREADING. STORMS WITHOUT RAIN. ,/ . » J3y Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. (Received August 12, 5.5 p.m.) WASHINGTON, August 11. ' The President, Mr. Hoover, has been "informed that unemployment, disease and some cases of actual starvation are complicating the drought, situation, which already is critical and becoming progressively worse in spite of a few scattered storms yesterday, • The New, York and New Jersey areas fexperienced a storm, but instead of rain 'destructive! hailstones fell. In other areas serious damago was caused by unusual thunderstorms, which were not accompanied by rain, but by much destructives lightning by -which buildings were set on firo and livestock were killed. Emergency water restrictions have, been ordered in Maryland, Virginia, Pennsyl- ' \ania and West. Virginia. The livestQck in those States are being fed on winter rations of hay and bran. Spring lambs, '. usually worth £2, are being sacrificed for about 2s each. Canneries liavo been closed owing to i(ho shortage of corn. In several towns the citizens have been asked to send their , laundry elsewhere in order to conserve the water supplies. Herds of cattle are congesting the highways in Virginia as farmers move them about in search of water. The ruin of crops has affected farming families, not only from the standpoint of their incomes, but by cutting down their own food supplies and many are facing actual starvation becauso even the usual ■table vegetables have been burned up and their cattle, have been lost or become unmarketable. In Kentucky t-he corn crops are a total ■. Joss and the tobacco crop is badly damaged. Gardening farms have been almost entirely destroyed. The situation-in Louisiana is severe. Two-thirds of the cotton crop lias been .ruined and all hay and corn have been completely lost. The sugar-cane has been delayed six yeeks. In Alabama, the cotton crop has been damaged. Typhoid is bad and infantile paralysis is spreading. Representatives of the afflicted people jn the drought-stricken areas called upon Mr. Hoover, who promised to render all possible aid. One report sent to the President Stated: "The suffering among tenant farmers is beginning and will increase rapidly."

EFFECT ON WHEAT. DECREASE ESTIMATED. OFFICIAL FIGURES PUBLISHED. - (Received August 12, 5.5 p.m.) WASHINGTON, .August 11. The Department of Agriculture announces that the drought and heat in July decreased the crop prospects in the United States 7 per cent. Tim 1930 wheat crop, all varieties, was es.imated at 820;613,000 bushels. All the wheat grown in 1929 totalled 806,000,000. Tlie. winter wheat crop for this season is estimated at 597,392,000 bushels and 'its condition at August 1 was 90.4 pel cent, normal. The average yield per acre is estimated at 15.5 bushels. Durum wheat is expected to aggregate /' 43,290,000 bushels. Its condition at August 1 was 67.5 per cent, normal. Other spring wheat is estimated at 174,931,000 bushels and its condition 60.7 per cent, normal. / [AUSTRALIA BENEFITS. GOVERNMENT STOCKS. RISE ON LONDON MARKET. ■ I ■ (Received August 12, 8.45 p.m.) LONDON, August 12. A feature of investment securities on "the London market is the recovery in {Australian Government stocks. This is Attributed to the good harvest iri Australia and the effect of the drought .in the United States. Rises of i to 1£ arc recorded. I The Financial Times says the general advance in Australian stocks is due to the growing impression that tho financial problems of the Commonwealth are being disentangled. "All along wo have contended," says the paper, " that Sir Otto Jveimeyer would not have proceeded on such a mission unless the Bank of England and himself had felt reasonably confident that the difficulties wcro superable and could be overcome bv a combination of experience and economy."

STATE RAILWAY WAGES. ' _ I REDUCTION TO BE SOUGHT. SYDNEY, August 12. At J the recent meeting of the Loan Council at Canberra, which was addressed by Sir Otto Niemeyer, an undertaking was given bv some Treasurers of the States that, subject to the approval of their Cubiiiets, they would apply to the led era 1 Arbitration Court for an all-round reduction in the wages of railway employees. The Treasurers expressed the opinion 4hat without increased revenue it was impossible for them to carry on the railway services if the present rate of wages was maintained,! In an address at Epping on the economic situation the New South Wales Treasurer, Mr. B. S. Stevens, said: —" The agreement we made with the banks means that we shall not be able to raise any further loans abroad for public works and services .for some considerable time, and we are thrown on our own resources for capital development. " As frclrn September next the Governments will be required to transfer to London credits at the rate of about £3,000,000 ■ft montlj to satisfy extprnal debts."