Why did key basic industries lose business

Key basic industries, such as railroads, textiles, and steel had barely made a profit. Railroads lost business to new forms of transportation (trucks, buses, and private automobiles, for instance). Coal mining was especially hard-hit, in part due to stiff competition from new forms of energy, including hydroelectric power, fuel oil, and natural gas.

the causes of the dust bowls were severe droughts,   lands became dry and hard, temperature was higher than usual, hot and dry conditions killed crops, high winds. because of those factors, the winds kicked up dry soil and created clouds of dust.

b) new machinery hope i