Senators Hill And Sparkman Hail Farm Electrification Program, Dale, Alabama =============================================================================== USGENWEB NOTICE: All documents placed in the USGenWeb Archives remain the property of the contributors, who retain publication rights in accordance with US Copyright Laws and Regulations. In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, these documents may be used by anyone for their personal research. They may be used by non-commercial entities so long as all notices and submitter information is included. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit. Any other use, including copying files to other sites, requires permission from the contributors PRIOR to uploading to the other sites. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. This file was contributed and copyrighted by: Christine Thacker ================================================================================ May 2004 The Southern Star reprint of April 28, 1949, April 28, 1999,pg 11-B. Senators Hill And Sparkman Hail Farm Electrification Program 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.