Regina Leader-Post
October 8, 1938. p.3
Fall work for more than 2,000 men in southeastern Saskatchewan, described as the hardest-hit section of western Canada this year, is being provided by the Prairie Farm Rehabilitation administration as it speeds a-semi-emergency construction prgram of m
ore than 100 community dugouts at a cost of some $60,000.
105 Now Under Way
Announcement of the widespread construction program came Saturday from W.L. Jacobson, P.F.R.A. secretary, who returned Friday after a week's tour of the affected area. At present, 105 projects are under way with several more planned, and the program i
s being extended in lesser degree to both Manitoba and Alberta. Some 200 dugouts will be built altogether.
Except for some Thatcher wheat, no commercial crop was harvested this year in southeast Saskatchewan in an area extending in all directions from Weyburn.
P.F.R.A. is bearing the entire cost of the project, making specific allotments of money to municipal units which then assume all responsibility for assigning the work to resident farmers and supervising the construction.
Municipality Responsible
In municipalities where construction costs run above the P.F.R.A. allotment, the municipality will be responsible for the extra expense. In all cases, the municipalities set the wage scale based on going rates.
In addition to being a direct financial aid to farmers in western Canada's hardest-hit area, the program has definite permanent value, Mr. Jacobson said, because the area involved also has a serious water problem both for stock watering purposes and do
mestic use. Some farmers are now hauling water distances up to five miles.
Dugouts being constructed average about 200 feet in length, are 60 or 70 feet wide and more than 12 feet deep. All money allotted, except for repairs, will go directly in payment for labor.
Work in many cases will continue until freeze-up, although some projects are already nearing completion. The present community program will in no way affect P.F.R.A.'s plans for individual projects in the same area, Mr. Jacobson said, adding that all
survey work and preliminary preparation in the present extra program had been done in two months by two field men.
