Conference on relief, flood control, 3-23-1936

CONFERENCE ON RELIEF, FLOOD CONTROL TODAY

Forty-six million already raised through WPA Funds and American Red Cross

WANT DRY PERIOD

Representatives and senators from 12 stricken states to be in attendance.

Washington, March 23

As slowly ebbing river waters revealed scenes of desolation, legislators from 12 stricken states gathered today in conference extraordinary to discuss a mammoth plan of relief and flood control. President Roosevelt had already set aside $43,000,000 of WPA money for the task and the Red Cross pushed its nation-wide drive to raise $3,000,000. Latest reports said that $404,000 of this sum already had been donated by citizens from Maine to California.

All officials hoped for a period of dry weather. Red Cross officials said that if much more rain should fall, the resulting distress would compel them to raise the goal of their finding raising above $3,000,000. However the weather bureau after studying latest data from the field indicated the worst was past.

The public health service, most of its experts laboring in the field, was on the alert of combat disease.

Conference today

Senators and representatives of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, Maryland, West Virginia, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and others were summoned to a conference at 2:30 pm eastern standard time to chart legislative action.
The call was sent out by Representative Goldsborough (D. Md) in a letter signed by the Maryland, Ohio and West Virginia Congressional delegations.

Goldsborough the suggested that widening, deepening and straightening rivers, particularly below large centers of populations would permit increased flow of water and to a large extent eliminate floods.

Foodstuffs available,

In announcing the WPA funds for flood repair work, the President asserted that with the exception of food and clothing supplied by the federal surplus relief corporation and from the WPA women’s project, direct relief needs were being met by the American Red Cross and by local welfare agencies.

A total of 37,100,000 pounds of foodstuffs including canned meats, flour, cereal, vegetables and fruits, - surplus farm productions – have been made available for distribution.