How did Hoover attempt to balance his belief in rugged individualism with economic needs?

Although Pres. Hoover is often caricatured as someone who
did nothing to try to end the Depression, this is not accurate. While he did believe in
"rugged individualism, " he also tried to do various things to fix the economic problems
of the Depression.  As time went by, his attempts involved more and more government
intervention.

At first, Hoover tried solutions that were
more in keeping with rugged individualism.  He tried, for example, to persuade local
charities to do more to help the poor.  This is in keeping with conserative principles
that say society (not the government) should help those in
need.

However, as it became clearer that the Depression was
too deep for that sort of fix, Hoover increased the role of government.  For example, he
created the Reconstruction Finance Corporation to lend money to banks.  He spent more on
public works (the Hoover Dam, for example) than previous presidents.  Many of his ideas
were used by FDR in the New Deal -- it is just that Hoover did not take them as far as
FDR did because he did not want to expand the government too
much.

So Hoover was not a do-nothing president.  He did
balance his belief in individualism with the recognition that the government had to do
something to help end the Depression.