The President's News Conference

THE PRESIDENT. I have nothing for public statement. I thought I might give you some little background about the various relief projects.

DROUGHT RELIEF

First--on the drought States. There are seven different methods of relief of the drought States in progress. The first is loans under the drought bill to farmers, and the second is the large participation in increased highways under the emergency construction bill, and the provision of more labor--more work rather. Third, there is a large participation in the accelerated "rivers and harbors" work which falls in the drought States. And fourth, there is accelerated public buildings bill--accelerated public buildings which will appear in the normal budget bill. And fifth, there is the extension of the intermediate credit activities through the creation of a considerable number of agricultural credit corporations which were started some 4 months ago. And sixth, there is the reduction of railway rates by which some 60,000 carloads of feedstuffs were poured in at half rates. And seventh and final, the very effective method set up by the Red Cross in there to look after personal distress, so that it accumulates to a very large and, I think, a very effective program which ought to relieve any anxiety or difficulties in those States.

Q. Is there any calculation, Mr. President, or are you able to make a calculation as to the amount of money involved in this ?

THE PRESIDENT. We haven't gone into what the drought States participation will be in the various construction programs. I can get it out and you can have it next Tuesday.

CONSTRUCTION PROGRAMS FOR UNEMPLOYMENT RELIEF

On the general relief through construction, taking the country as a whole, some days ago I gave you a figure of $525 million as the total construction activities of the Government in the fiscal year 1931. That is the year ending the first of next July. That included all the public works and buildings and naval and aircraft work--everything of that character. The 1932 budget will show a very considerable increase over the normal budget--will show a very considerable increase in those items-and then there is the emergency bill of about $115 million or thereabouts to be added. So that the total construction activities of the Government of all kinds in the next calendar year will be somewhere around $700 mil-

lion. That compares with $253 million for the same items in 1928.

Q. Mr. President, did you say calendar year ?

THE PRESIDENT. 1928 fiscal year--1929 fiscal year embraces a part of the depression, so that the first year all clear of depression is 1928 fiscal year. So that the Federal Government will in the next calendar year be expanding from the rate of about $250 million in nondepression period to about $700 million in depression period.

I can give you those figures next week if you want them. They are not entirely complete from the budget, but that is the approximate result.

Q. Mr. President, will there be any way of giving them by States?

THE PRESIDENT. It is very difficult to divide, but I think it might probably be split up. We might get that out.

Q. Would there be any way of splitting it up into categories--how much on buildings and how much on roads?

THE PRESIDENT. I will try to get you out a table dividing it in all directions so that everybody can see what he gets.

That is all.