Drought Relief

First defiance of President Hoover in the Senate last week came on drought relief legislation.* Though the President's drought agents had recommended a $60,000,000 measure last October, the Department of Agriculture later whittled this estimate down to $25,000,000. Over Presidential protest the Senate Committee on Agriculture unanimously approved a bill to loan farmers the full $60,000,000 not only for feed and seed but also for food. Nor could President Hoover count on support from Senate Democrats on this issue because their leader, Arkansas Senator Robinson, dropping harmony, loudly announced for the larger figure. Declared he: "Who said $25,000,000 was enough? Some one down at the budget bureau who is only interested in economy and doesn't know anything about it. I realize I'm precipitating an issue but it's going to be raised." Always more docile than the Senate, the House Agricultural Committee voted (12-to-6) in favor of $30,000,000 drought loans for feed & seed after squashing a $60,000,000 proposal of Louisiana's Democratic Representative Aswell. His comment: "The crookedest, cheapest political action I've ever had thrust in my face. ... I thought I was dealing with honorable gentlemen." Meanwhile the G.O.P. moved to set up at Des Moines an "agricultural division" of its National Committee to try to win and hold the farm vote.

* The Weather Bureau last week reported that the 1930 drought in the East and Midwest was "the most severe in the climatological history of the U. S.," was able to give no "conclusive or comprehensive" explanation of its causes.

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