Evening star., 1934-11-19
BY the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
TUPELO, Miss, November ia
stenographic report of President
Roosevelt's extemporaneous talk here
yesterday follows:
Senator Harrison, Gov. Connor, Mr..
Mayor, my friends:
would not make a speech to you
today because we are assembled on
this glorious Sunday morning more as
neighbors than as anything else.
have had very wonderful three
days and everywhere that I have gone
the good people have come as neigh
bors to talk with me, and they have
not come by the thousands-they
have come literally by the acres.
This is the first time in my life
that I have had the privilege Of see
ing this section of the State of Miss
issippi. Many, many years ago. when
Pat Harrison and 1 were almost boys,
got acquainted with his stamping
ground down on the gulf. Today I
am especially glad to come into the
northern part of the State.
Great Change Seen.
Two years ago. in 1882, during the
campaign. and again in January, 1888,
l came through Kentucky-through
the Tennessee Valley-and what I
saw on those tripS-what I saw of
human beings, made the tears come
to my eyes. The great outstanding
thing TO me for these past three days
has been the change in the looks Of
peoples faces.
1t has not been only q physical
thing. 1t has not been the contrast
between what was actually a scarcity
Of raiment two years ago or lack
Of food two years ago-the contrast
between that and better clothing and
more food today. There wasn't much
hope in those days People were
wondering what was going to come to
this country. And yet today I see
not only hope but I see determina-
tion-knowledge that all is well with
the country and that We are coming
back
suppose that you good people know
great deal more Of the efforts that
We have been making in regard to the
work of the Tennessee Valley Author
ity than I do because you have seen
its application in your own counties
and your own towns and your own
homes and, therefore. it will be like
carrying Goals to Newcastle for me to
tell you about what has been done.
Plan to Be Copied.
But perhaps in referring to it can
use you as a text-a text that may
be useful to many other parts Of the
Nation, because peoples eyes are upon
you and because what you are doing
here is going to be copied in every
State of the Union before We get
through.
We recognize that there will be a
certain amount of-what shall I say?
rugged opposition to this develop
ment, but I think We recognize also
that the opposition is fading as the
weeks and the months go by. fading
in the light of practical experience.
I cite certain figures for the benefit
Of the gentlemen Of the press, who
have come hither from many climes.
I am told that from March Of this
year, when you started using T. v. A.
power, the consumption of power for
residential purposes has risen from
Al 900 kilowatts to $4,000 kilowatts,
an increase Of 1875 per cent. I under
stand that from the financial point of
view, in spite of various fairy tales
that have been spread in other parts
of the country, your power system is
still paying taxes to the municipality.
That is worth remembering. Further
more, that as whole 1t is q remark
able business success.
talk about those figures first be-
cause it has been so often wrongly
alleged that this yardstick which we
are using could not be applied to
private business and because a Gov
ernment yardstick receives so many
favors, that 1t is let off from paying
this and paying that and paying the
other thing. Well, We are proving it
in this Tennessee Valley that by using
good business methods we can in
struct a good many business men In
the country.
ProgresssIs Made.
And there is another side Of it.
have forgotten the exact figures and