“BURNING UP”

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21101, 11 August 1930, Page 7

“BURNING UP”

DROUGHT IN AMERICA. SEVERAL STATES AFFECTED. DISTRESS AMONG FARMERS. (United Press Association.) (By Electric Telegraph—-Copyright.) WASHINGTON, August 8. (Received August 10, at 5.5 p.m.) President Hoover has ordered a conference of Governors of 12 States to decide upon methods for draught relief. The weather reports are still gloomy, and there are no indications for rain at present. One-twelfth of the live stock of 1,000,000 families has been found badly affected by typhoid, and pellagra epidemics are feared in several quarters. The temperatures continue to be high, and Washington has suffered its tenth day of over lOOdeg., with high point at 108 deg. APPALLING DEVASTATION. FOREST FIRES RAGING, NEW YORK, August 9. (Received August 10, at 8 p.m.) President Hoover is in his summer camp in the Virginia Mountains, only a few miles from where volunteers are combatting a large forest fire, and reports to-night from 48 States show 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 seriousness of its after effects. Twelve of the middle western States (Illinois, Missouri, Kentucky, Virginia, West Virginia,. Ohio, Kansas, Tennessee, lowa, Indiana, Wyoming and Arkansas have reached a point where nothing short of national aid will carry through a large proportion of the marginal producers, who otherwise will be wiped out. It was announced to-night that .the railways, under a federal man date, will reduce the freight rales on supplies for the afflicted farmers. President, Hoover’s week-end has been turned into an emergency relief planning campaign, he having summoned other Federal officials for advice. Immediate measures for the relief of suffering and permanent measures for rehabilitation •are planned. The Red Cross has announced the mobilisation of all its national chapters for the administration of immediats aid. The Department of Agriculture has warned against “ queen price jubilation.” If it is remembered that only three States (Wsshington, Oregon and California), which normally depend' upon irrigation in the summer, are unaffected by the protracted heat and lack of rain, a 1 airly accurate conception of tlio extent ci the damage from northern’New York to the Mississippi delta and to the northern tip of Idaho can be gained.” There are hot winds, blistering temperatures, rivers, creeks and lakes at record low levels, and large forest fires in New England, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and in many other areas. Fruit orchards are “ baked,” the milk supply is dangerously diminished and maize fields are burning up at the rate 0f.3,000,000 bushels a day, while the pasturage of one-fourth of the country has been virtually destroyed. Kentucky's famous blue grass has turned white, and small garden produce areas have been wiped out. This is the record of devastation produced in six weeks of so-called dry weather. The weather bureaus, more oyer, announced' to-night that the weather would continue fair and warm, with no relief in sight throughout the greater part of the country. Paradoxically,’ the cities are probably the greatest sufferers. The water ( supply of 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 should be boiled before being used. In- Virginian cities there are many cases where'police patrols are being used to see that the water shall be used for household purposes onl- The lack of milk has resulated in an increase of price, notably in New York, where the added cent.' to the price of a quart will mean a burden of millions of dollars. Fruit and vegetaM-' "rp no longer freely available. Even in New York, which has the beat distributing system in the country, prices haVe mounted and inferior foods are 'freely dispensed. Whether the situation will reach the stage of being a. national ce l - will be decided within'the coming week, as it will defend on whether the rain will come in time to save the remnants of many Crops.