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Document identity
localId
284841214
label
White House Press Release
core
doc
dtoType
document
citationUrl
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
284841214
contentType
document
title
White House Press Release
citationUrl
collections
White House Press Release Files (Truman Administration)
White House Press Releases
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1
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284841214
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item
productionDates
day
2
logicalDate
1948-06-02
month
6
year
1948
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description
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nara-archive
Single page context
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1
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0
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photo
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bb0e6ce4d809f503
ocrText
195
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
JUNE 2, 1948.
The President today transmitted to Congress a supplemental
appropriation estimate for $600,000 to be used for disaster relief.
The sum would provide Federal funds to supplement the
efforts and available resources of State and local governments and
other agencies in meeting the damage, hardship and suffering caused
by disasters.
In a letter to the President recommending the appropria-
tion request, Frank Pace, Jr., Assistant Director of the Bureau of
the Budget, pointed out :
"The devastating flood of the Columbia River and its trib-
utaries has brought fresh emphasis to the necessity for the Federal
Government to assume a share of the financial burdens in meeting
catastrophes arising out of fire, flood or storm. This flood, the
worst on the Columbia River in the last fifty years, has practically
destroyed the war-born town of Vanport, Oregon, built at Government
expense to provide homes and related facilities for workers in the
shipbuilding and other industries, and has already left thousands
homeless in addition to causing other damages running into many mil-
lions of dollars. Federal agencies have done and are doing every-
thing within their power to relieve the distress caused by the flood."
The appropriation would become available immediately and
would remain available until June 30, 1949. Funds will be spent by
agencies designated by the President whenever the Governor of a
disaster-stricken state certifies that assistance is required.
During the past year, the Federal Government has been able
to render some assistance to State and local governments through a
temporary law which permits the Federal Works Agency to channel sur-
plus property available from the War Assets Administration into
localities designated by the President as distress areas. In addi-
tion some Federal agencies have been able to loan equipment and
render minor aid in relieving distress conditions. Such aid, how-
ever, has been exceedingly small in comparison with the burden
thrown upon the local community.