The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1939-03-30

Above: REA and Coop Off
ciaIs rode beside modern poi0er
lines in an OS cart synlbOIizing
the inconvenience of rural life
in a bygone day, as Center, Ala.,
pGraded to celebrate its netU cleo
trio serUice.
cry. "My boys who are just enter
ing or about ready for high school
are making their plans about what
they are going to do, on the farm,
when they grow up. 1t used to be
they talked about what they were
going to do when they grew up,
seeming to have in mind everything
else except farming"
Nor will the cities be without COM
pensation for the benefits extended
to the farms. Manufacturers will
be materially helped.
New figures from the REA statis-
ticians reveal that the total lent or
made available by REA in the four
years which will end June 80 will
be 1921, 100000 Of this amount,
$3.50, 000,0 600 is for material orders,
from which all industry draws ex-
tensive benefits. Twenty-nine mil
lion dollars will have gone into
poles and $500, 900 into line hard
ware and cross-arms.
Aluminium: A Sample.
The effect upon industry is easily
seen by making a brief analysis of
any one of these items. Take the
argest-conducto instance:
The United States has consumed
some 100000 miles of aluminium
cable, steel reinforced-and 5000
miles of this have been required by
REA in four years! New 1899 or
ders will help to stabilize employ
ment for Arkansas vast bauxite
mines, from which the ore used in
REA aluminium cable comes; for
aluminium plant workers, for the
railroads, for aluminium reduction
and fabricating plants and even for
the steel industry, which provides
cores for the cables.
Still further good news for indus
try, as well as an indication of the
fuller life in store for the half mil
lion farms to be added to REA lines
in the remainder of the fiscal year,
is an immediate demand for $780,
100000 worth of appliances which
the program is expected to create.
Even with the vast nature of this
years program there will be much
left to be done. When REA first
began to function, only one farm in
nine had electricity; when this
years program is carried out to it's
fullest extent three farms in five will
still be without it.
It must not be imagined, either,
that REA's path has been entirely
rosy. REA makes no grants; it
lends money only, and theoretically
cannot be counted as one of the
"Santa Claus" agencies. It's loans
must be self-liquidating.
But of all the millions loaned up
to March 1, 1899, less than 100000
in principal and interest had been
repaid. Officials were plainly wor-
ried that revenues and repayments
were not up to expectations.
Now John M. Carmody, REA adj
ministrator, hopes a remedy will
be found in legislation by the states
which will be favorable to REA CO.
operatives experiencing financial
difficulties. REA's legislative plan,
now in effect in six states, will seek
to have ightened the state tax bur-
den on co-ops, relieve them of con-
troll by state power commissions and
exempt their securities from "blue
sky" laws.
How successful Carmody will be
remains to be seen. 1t seems plaus-
IDLE to expect circumstances from
utility companies whose rural lines
are benefactors from no such
leniency.
g Western Newspaper Union.