Message to Congress Requesting Additional Funds for Drought Relief.

To the Congress:

Unforeseen drought has visited disaster upon a large part of our country. Prompt and vigorous action to meet the emergency has been taken by the Federal Government through its various agencies. But the situation has become more grave as rainfall shortage has continued. Future rainfall cannot restore more than a small part of the damage to crops and livestock. An especially serious problem has developed because, while there is no prospect of shortage of human food, a shortage of animal food threatens over a wide area. This is causing losses to farmers and regions dependent upon the livestock industries. Large-scale assistance by the Federal Government is necessary to protect people in the stricken regions from suffering, to move feed to livestock, and livestock to feed, and to acquire and process surplus cattle to provide meat for relief distribution.

Organizations already exist in the Department of Agriculture, the Federal Emergency Relief Administration and the Farm Credit Administration to carry on the emergency program.

To finance operations of the magnitude planned, further funds are needed. After a conference with Members of Congress from the affected regions, a program along seven lines has been devised to meet the situation. These proposals and the funds required as estimated at this time are:

1. $125,000,000 for special work program and human relief.

2. $75,000,000 for livestock purchase in addition to the funds already available under the Jones-Connally Act.

3. $100,000,000 for shipping, processing and relief distribution of purchased cattle.

4. $100,000,000 for loans to farmers to finance emergency feed purchases and shipments.

5. $50,000,000 for emergency acquisition of submarginal farms and assistance in re-locating destitute farm families.

6. $50,000,000 for work camps to afford employment in the drought area for young men principally from cities and towns.

7. $25,000,000 for purchase of seed for 1935 plantings, and for loans to get seeds into farmers' hands.

These wholly tentative estimates have been made upon the basis of present and probable conditions. I believe the present emergency can be effectively met by the appropriation of $525,000,000. Only such portion, of course, will be used as becomes absolutely necessary. We are dealing with a rapidly changing problem, and it is important that the authorization should be flexible so that funds can be allotted to the several Federal agencies as required.