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Show - - - - RENEW RENEWiIGHT FIGHT AGAINST DROUGHTGovernment DROUGHT DROUGHTGovernment Government Seeks Methods of Alleviating Drought Ravages Ravagesin in Future Years Through Water Conservation . By WILLIAM C . UTLEYW UTLEYBILE UTLEY UTLEYTYHiILE WHILE WHILEa W TYHiILE BILE BILEa a blazing sun beats relentlessly on the parched fields fieldsof fieldsof fieldsW of the Northwest and South , man grapples anew with the themonster themonster themonster monster . , Drought , in an effort to minimize its destructive ef- ef effects effects ef effects - - fects , and to devise ways of mitigating future ravages . No one onecan onecan onecan can predict a drought , andno and no one can prevent pre\ent pre ent \ one , but much muchcan muchcan muchcan can be done to lessen their effects . The drought period penod through throughwhich throughwhich throughwhich which the country has been passing since 1930 has caused the theadoption theadoption theadoption adoption ofmethods of methods which will enable us to make better use of ofthe ofthe ofthe the available water in even the driest } ) cars ears . . To meet the immediate emergency government agencies have bave devised a three fold program programwhich programwhich WhICh consists of supplying supplymg 55 000 000WPA 000WPA 000WPA WPA jobs in the Dust Bowl and and20,000 and20000 20,000 20000 , in m the South ; : of ot making makmg Re- Re Resettlement Resettlement Re Resettlement - settlement administration admul1stration loans to at atleast atleast atleast least 50,000 50000 , , persons , and of purchas purchas- purchasing purchasing purchasing - ing a million l11111lon head of cattle with a afive afive afive five million dollar fund in m the hands handsof handsof handsof of the Department of AgrIculture AgricultureIn In the whole country 336 CO\UltIes CO UltIes counties COUltIeshad countieshad countieshad \ had been listed bsted up to July 15 where wherethe wherethe wherethe the crops are considered a total totalloss totalloss totalloss loss , and where efforts will be de- de devoted de devoted - . voted to saving livestock 11Vestock and al- al allevla alleviating al alleviating - levla leviating bng human distress The Dc- Dc De- De Department Dcpartment De Department - partment of Agriculture is buymg buying buymgup buyingup buyingup up some of the stock and the rail rail- railroads railroads railroads - roads are offering reduced freIght freIghtrates freightrates freightrates rates to ship the animals ammals to fresh freshpasture freshpasture freshpasture pasture , to be returned later when whenconditIons whenconditions whenconditions conditIons have unproved . . Is Desolate Desola.te . Picture Picture.The PictureThe . I The drought area presents a sad sadI sadpicture sadpicture sadpicture I picture today . The major portIon portionof portIonI I of the spring sprmg wheat area has bas been beenburned beenburned ; burned to a crisp Dakota and andMontana andMontana andMontana Montana farms present an aspect rY . " : J ? ' ' . : . : . . cuted largely by the Soil Soli Conserva Conserva- Conservation Conservation Conservation - - tion service seI'Vlce seIVlce ' of the Department of ofAgrIculture ofAgriculture ofAgriculture AgrIculture . . Grass is JS as planted to toprevent toprevent toprevent prevent erosion and 3nd to encouragl encourage encouragethe encouragathe ! the proper type of furrowing 2 . 2 . . Shelter Belt Development . . The TheForestry TheForestry TheForestry Forestry service is in m charge of ofthIS ofthis ofthis thIS It is designed to be 100 miles mileswide mileswide mileswide wide and 1,000 1000 , miles long Hal- Hal Half- Half HalmIle Halfmile Halt-mile Halt mile ! - mIle tracts , each a few feet thIck thickhave , have already been planted along alongthe alongthe alongthe the front . . More than two mllllon million mllllondol1ars milliondollars milliondollars dol1ars dollars for a project proJcct estimated to tocost tocost tocost cost seventy five millions have been beenspent beenspent beenspent spent , and congress has refused to tomake tomake tomake make further funds available 3 Reclamation Irrigation and anddam anddam anddam dam projects are being bemg carrIed carriedon on by the Department of the In- In Interior In Interior . - terior terlor m ill in the western states Under Underthe Underthe Underthe the Taylor act to preserve grass grassthe grassthe grassthe the department is 1S as also Improving Improvingrange improvingrange improvingrange range opera operations hons 4 Resettlement The Resettle Resettle- Resettlement Resettlement Resettlement - ment administration adIrumstrahon is buying up up1,282 up1282 1,282522 1282522 1,282 1282 , 522 acres , returning returnmg them to . 1:3 13 ( : : : : # " T- T Ttl " - t---l t l " - : r . ; , : . ' e " ' > " . : < - ; 1t .Y Y . ' ' # 'Kaf ' f h ar 'Ka Ka 'Kaa . / a A Ah Ak k \ C Cn n 4 4t t * . - a ' " ' " v4-r v4 r - . \ % \ K Kw w " t4 _ + . N . . " ' " . . . ; , c cwas was } 4 + ' t , * j ' > / i , t - t v s ss s 1 t ? ' t trsf rsf rsft rsfi t 9 ? i a f V Vnl i nl ' ti o oa " : \ k ' . 4 . Y Yq q , * y ( , pvr r rk ! k ' ? . MIM : ly vly lyY v vI I Y t . f M MNf Nf Y Ya Yt . a t a art ' ; a4- a4 a4r - 4 r / : < th . GMaal .SwmS SwmS . " " , . + n c\ c \ ' .Y.i Y.i Yi . . . 4r ar.w arw . . .M M . r70 . drerM.w drerMw . .w w . . . . .rnwrx rnwrx . .rnwrxOnce Once a comfortable farm home now surrounded by a Sahara-hke Sahara hke Sahara-like like Saharahkeexpanse Saharalikeexpanse - expanse of sh shifting hng sand and dust . , of desolation desolabon that veteran farmers farmerssay farmerssay farmerssay say is 1S without precedent . . This T1ns condition con con- condition condition - dition even e extends tends mto into Mmnesota Minnesota MmnesotaFIelds MinnesotaFields MinnesotaFields FIelds that were green with gram grain gramand grainand gramand and where lush pastures grew a ayear ayear ayear year ago , , appear today as only onlya a blackened expanse The range rangecountry rangecountry rangecountry country is burned so dry that it can can- cannot cannot cannot - not support either sheep or cattleMllhons cattleMillions cattle cattleMillions Millions Mllhons of grasshoppers are ev- ev everywhere ev everywhere . - erywhere Even the small spots spotsthat spotsthat spotsthat that have escaped the ravages of ofthe ofthe ofthe the drought have been desolated by bythIS bythis bythis thIS plague When they complete completetheIr completetheir completetheir theIr work m ill in one field they fly to toanother toanother toanother another . . It is not uncommon , ac- ac accordmg according ac according - - cording cordmg to travelers , to see some someautomobIle someautomobile someautomobile automobIle stopped so that the bat bat- battered battered - . tered tired bodies of thousands of these thesepests thesepests thesepests pests may be scraped from the ra- ra radIator radiator ra radiator - - diator and windshieldHundreds willdshleldHundreds windshield willdshleld windshieldHundreds Hundreds of farmers whose l1ves lives l1veshave liveshave liveshave have been spent on these farms lre are lretoday aretoday < aretoday today loading loadmg their few possessIOns possessionsin in autos au . os s , trucks and wagons and andstarting andstarting andstarting starting out tor for some other sechon section sechonof sectionof sectionof of the country , where they111 they ' will \111 111 \ at attempt attempt attempt tempt to start life hfe over again agam To- To Today To To- Today Today - - day , their work of years is 1S completely com com- completely completely - pletely gone and they have become becomedIscouraged becomediscouraged becomediscouraged dIscouraged with the struggle to toobtain toobtain toobtain obtain a living bvmg for their families famllles In Inthe inthe inthe the stricken area areaOffer . Offer OITer Local Relief Reher . To help these unfortunate folk folkthe , , the Resettlement admmlstrahon administration administrationhas has declared a one year moratori moratofl- moratofl moratori- moratorium moratoflI moratoflurn moratorium - I um urn on rural rehabilitation rehablhtabon loans on onbetween onbetween onbetween between 25 000 and 30 000 tarms farms tarmsill farmsin farmsin ill in the drought stricken counhes counties counhesthroughout countiesthroughout countiesthroughout throughout the nation nahon At the same sametime sametime sametime time the Works Progress adminis admmls- admmls adminis- admmlstrahon administration administration - - tration trahon has started a ? program Irogram to toprovIde toprovide toprovide provIde jobs lobs , , digging dlggmg wells , build bUlld- bUlld build- building bUllding building - ing farm to market roads , and ter- ter terr terracmg ter terracing - racing racmg r cmg land About $18 18 $18000,000 18000000 $ 000,000 000000 000,000111 , \\111 111 will willbe \ willbe 111be be ava available able tor for crop loans and andfeed andfeed andfeed feed , and the RA will spend spend $1,700 1700 $1,700- $1,700 1700 $1,700000 $1,700-000 $1,700 1700 000 $ , , - . 000 monthly on $ $20 20 $ doles to suffer suffer- suffering suffering suffering - ing farmers . . It is estimated that between 3- 3 3000,000 3000,000 3-000,000 3 000,000 000000 , - 000,000 000000 , , and 5,000 5000 , , 000 farm dwellers dwellershave dwellershave dwellershave have been seriously affected by the thedrought thedrought thedrought drought . . A total of 204 000 famIlIes famIlIeshas familieshas familieshas has been listed listcd as dependent on re- re relIef relief re relief - - lief . . . Crop losses are estimated cstunated as ashigh ashigh ashigh high as $300 300 $300000,000 300000000 $300000,000In $ 000,000 000000 000,000In 000,000In , In the opinion opmlon of many . , includmg including includmgPresldent includingPresident includingPresident Presldent President Roosevelt . , , unless some something something something thing is as done to check the drop inthe In Inthe inthe the water v.ater vater . table , the now tert fertile fertileregions fertileregions e eregIons regIons of Nebraska , Iowa and Kan Kan- Kansas Kan- Kan Kansas Kansas - - sas will Wll1 be drawn into mto the great greatDust greatDust greatDust Dust Bowl The consequences of ofthis ofthis ofthis this can hardly be imagined imagmed Our Ourentire Ourentire Ourentire entire national nahonal economy , would , ould be bed1splaced bedisplaced bedisplaced bedisplacedLong d1splaced displaced d1splacedLong displacedLong Long Rane Range Ran , : e Program . Experts say that this can be bestopped bestopped bestopped stopped by a long range program programof programot ot of permanent works In accordincev/ith accordincev ith accord'mce accordmce accordlnce accord'mceWIth accordlncewith ' WIth / their findings findmgs the government governmenthas governmenthas governmenthas has announced nnnounced a permanent permaD.nt permaDnt ( . anh anti anhdrought antidrought antidrought drought program divided under the thefollowing thefollowing ollowmg following heads ' . 1 . . Soil Sol1 Conservation This ic IS as cxc cxe exc pasture and resettling resettlmg families famlhes at atan atan atan an average cost of $4500 4500 $4 4 $ 500 eachDrought each eachDrought Drought Swings Swmgs East . In contrasting contrastmg the 1936 drought droughtwIth droughtwith droughtwith wIth that of 1934 , one of the con con- conSpICUOUS conspicuous conspicuous - spicuous differences is that the dry drycenter drycenter drycenter center has swung further east and andsoutheast andsoutheast andsoutheast southeast , \ while hlle the extreme South-west South west South- South Southcst Southwest - west , \ cst , , hard hit two years ; } ears cars ago , is 1S In InrelatIvely inrelatively inrelatively relatIvely good condition ThIS ThISsprmg Thisspring Thisspring sprmg spring , , as the drought area began beganto to take form , it 1t stretched in 10 a abroad abroad abroad broad band from a little httle west of ofthe ofthe ofthe the center of Montana to Kentucky KentuckyTennessee , Tennessee and South Carolina Carolma As Asthe Asthe Asthe the season advanced the and arId belt beltspread beltspread beltspread spread northward and northeast northeast- northeastward northeastward . - ward , even reaching reachmg into mto the New NewEngland NewEngland NewEngland England states Heavy rams rains dur dur- durmg dur- dur durmg during - - ing mg the first part of July brought broughtsome broughtsome broughtsome some relief to Tennessee , KentucIy Kentucky KentucIyand Kentuckyand Kentuckyand , ; : and some parts of Virginia Vlrgm13 , al- al although although al although - - though not enough to permanently permanentlyrelIeve permanentlyrelieve permanentlyrelieve relIeve the sItuatIOnBy situationBy situation situationBy By the beginning begmning of July two twogreat twogreat twogreat great islands 1s1ands of extreme drought droughthad droughthad droughthad had developed One lay like bke a agreat agreat agreat great blot through the mIddle mIddleSouth middleSouth middleSouth South from the Mississippi to and andbeyond andbeyond andbeyond beyond the Appalachians Appalacluans , , while the theother theother theother other crossing crossmg the Canadian bound bound- boundary boundary boundary - ary , ranged from Minnesota Mmnesota to tovi tow vi \ \ estern Montana and south through throughWyommg throughWyoming throughWyoming Wyommg Wyoming and Nebraska In tl1ese these tl1eseareas theseareas theseareas areas crops this year are less than than35 35 per cent of normal Between Betweenthese Betweenthese Betweenthese these two sections crops ranged rangedfrom rangedfrom rangedfrom from 35 to 65 per cent of normalJust normalJust normal normalJust Just how this crop damage wIll wIllcompare willcompare willcompare compare with w1th 1934 cannot fully be bedetermmed bedetermined bedetermined determmed determined as yet , but the follow follow- followmg following - . ing mg table shows that m In at least leasteleven leasteleven leasteleven eleven of the affected states the thedrought thedrought thedrought drought is more severe SE'vere . ' * . P Pcrcentaee Percentage < , rcentage of ofNormal ofNormal ofNormal RainfallState Normal Ralnrall nalnlali Ralnrall5tll.te nalnlaliState 5tll.te 5tllte State . 1936 U3i 1934 U3iNorth 1934North 1931North North Dakota Dakotll . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Cl fi9 69 South Soulh ClSouth fi9Soulh 69South Dakota . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0 49 9 (2 2 82 62 ( (2Montana 62Montana Montana Iontanl : . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . S2 62 7 7t & Ulnnciota Ulnnesota illnnesota 7tUlnnciota 7tillnnesota . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CO GO 60 61 BY ! 61Uissourt BYiflssourt lllMOUri Uissourt iflssourt . . . " . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 4ft 41\ 41 4A \ 4ftArkan 41Arknn 4AArkansas Arkansas Arkan Arknn n.s ns < . < a . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40 40 . 40 if Cr { ; ifKentucky CrKentucky Kentucky . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 2 . :6 6 28 : ( T6 16 7G renneB rennee rennecc T6rennecc 16renneB 7Grennee co c * . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 23 86 t6 1 ( 86Ohio t6Ohio Ohio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 ; 67 c7 Indiana Indlan 67Indiana c7Indlan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 6 ( ; : Illinois Ullnols liilnols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 4 45These 4) 4 45 4)These ) ' These figures by themselves themselveshowever , however , , give only a partial parbal pic pic- pIC- pIC - ture picture of conditions Much depends dependsupon dependsupon dependsupon upon when whcn the rain ram falls and how howmuch howmuch howmuch much of it 1t is retained retamed in the tlle ground groundpools , pools , ponds and other othcr reservoirsEv reservoirs reservoirsEvaporation Evaporation E\aporahon E aporahon Ev \ aporation Heavy Hcavy . Agricultural Agncultural experts point pomt out outthat outthat outthat that |