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The Potters Herald
East Liverpool, Columbiana County, Ohio
What is this article about?
Representative John E. Rankin of Mississippi states that 5,719,637 U.S. farms lack electricity despite Rural Electrification Administration efforts. He supports a $200 million amendment to a spending bill for rural electrification, noting U.S. lags behind European countries and Japan, and argues it will aid farmers and employment.
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ELECTRICITY
DESPITE the commendable efforts of the Rural Electrification Administration, established by the Government to provide electric light and power at reasonable rates for farmers outside the areas served by private utility companies, 5,719,637 farms in the United States are still deprived of this fundamental element in agricultural activity, according to a statement by Representative John E. Rankin of Mississippi in support of his proposed amendment to the three billion dollar spending-lending bill providing for the allocation of $200,000,000 for rural electrification apportioned among the various States.
In an instructive summary of the equitable reasons for the allocation, Mr. Rankin brought out the fact that rural electrification in the United States is far more limited than in many European countries where a large portion of the farmers have the benefits of electric light and power.
"We are asking for nothing but common justice for the people in the agricultural States." Mr. Rankin said. "Even if we spent $200,000,000 every year on rural electrification, it would take something like ten years to bring this country up to the standard. Only about 10 per cent of our farmers have electricity in their homes. Look at other countries and note the difference. Practically every country in Europe has at least 90 per cent of its farms electrified. That is true in France, Germany, Norway, Sweden and Denmark. In Holland and Switzerland they have practically 100 per cent of their farms electrified, and France and Germany are making strenuous efforts now to bring theirs up to that point. Even Japan has 90 per cent of her farms electrified.
"This is an agricultural country, the greatest agricultural country in the world, and yet we are lagging behind the other leading nations of the world in rural electrification."
Turning to the justice of his $200,000,000 proposal and its effect on the unemployment situation, Mr. Rankin continued:
"We want these funds allocated through the Rural Electrification Administration and advanced to the farmers of the Nation or their cooperative and non-profit associations on the same loan and grant basis as that employed by the Public Works Administration in allocating funds for municipal improvements. This will enable us to reach hundreds of thousands of farmers that never can be reached under the present program. We want to electrify every farm home in America at the lowest possible rates.
"This will not only benefit the farmers in every State, but it will also aid employment in every State."
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Domestic News Details
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United States
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Outcome
proposal for $200,000,000 allocation to rural electrification administration for advancing funds to farmers or cooperatives on loan and grant basis, aiming to electrify all farm homes and aid employment.
Event Details
Representative John E. Rankin of Mississippi, in support of his proposed amendment to the three billion dollar spending-lending bill, highlights that 5,719,637 farms in the United States lack electricity. He compares U.S. rural electrification (10% of farms) unfavorably to European countries (90-100%) and Japan (90%), calling for $200,000,000 allocated among states through the Rural Electrification Administration to provide electric light and power at reasonable rates to farmers.