Dale County AlArchives News.....Farm Electrification Prog. April 28 1949
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Christine Thacker http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00033.html#0008100 May 29, 2004, 8:12 pm

The Southern Star
The Southern Star reprint of April 28, 1949, April 28, 1999,pg 11-B.


Senators Hill And Sparkman Hail Farm  Electrification Prog.

   Sixty-eight percent of Alabama farms—more than 150,000—now have electricity, 
compared with about 50 percent a year ago, according to information  from 
Alabama Senators Lister Hill and John Sparkman. Only four percent of Alabama 
farms had electricity when the REA program began In 1933.

  The Alabama Senators said a report from REA Administrator Claude Wickard on 
rural electrification in Alabama during 1948 also showed:

  More than 93,000 rural Alabama consumers are receiving electricity over some 
20,000 miles of rural lines owned and operated by 25 REA- financed systems. 
This represents an increase of 25,890  consumers over the preceding year and 
includes approximately   19,500   additional farms and 6,500 rural nonfarm 
users of electricity.

  Rural consumption of electricity in Alabama still is rising steadily. The use 
of electricity by REA during 1948 rose 37 per cent over 1947.

  A rising standard of living among Alabama farm families can be directly 
attributed to the increased
availability and use of electricity. Since 1940 the standard of farm living has 
increased 50 percent in Alabama and more than half of this improvement was 
attributed to electrification of farms.

  Hill and Sparkman foresaw added impetus to rural electrification in Alabama 
with approval by Congress of $4,000.000 to begin construction of TVA's New 
Johnsonville steam plant. The plant will help to meet steadily rising demands 
for power in the Tennessee Valley.

  The Alabama Senators  were key figures in the Senate fight to approve the 
funds, which the 80th Congress had refused to provide.




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