Today we continued our presentations.
Rural Electification Administration:
(Under Farming/Agriculture). Brings electicity into rural areas. In 1930s urban people had power and not many rural people did. Utility companies claimed it costs too much to bring power to isolated farms. This is when the government stepped in and decided it was now thier job to help. Companies saw this as unfair they could afford it. Many people thought the farmers couldnt manage their own electric companies. TVA reached out and helped. At first the president wanted to rely on the state government but when depression set in they lost a lot of power in state authorities. In the 1950s almost all the farmers were supllied by the REA or others. It helped the growth of suburbs. After 1949 they stated trying to get telephone service to people.
Critics and Failings of the New Deal:
Huey Long was one of the critics of Roosevelt but turned against him caliming the New Deal was to obligated to business. It was more for business not for the workers. He worked in Louisiana office and survived an impeachment. He became a senator in 1930. He supported Roosevelt. Long then spoke of a SHare our Wealth Plan. This plan was going to take all the money from the wealthiest and go to the poor. Long and his ideas were very popular in his home state but people dont know if he would have went far on the national level. He was assasinated a month after he announced he was going to run against roosevelt in the 1936 election.
Charles Coughlin was an early supporter of Roosevelt also. He liked Roosevelts realy money programs. He also thought that Roosevelt wasnt doing enough to help people. He spoke against Roosevelt as a liar and a double crosser who drove citizens out of their homes. He actively spoke on the radieo caliming that Roosevelt was a dictator and the New Deal was a communist conspiricy.
Fancis Townsend proposed that the governemnt give 150 to people over 60 months. Th people who would recieve this money would spend it. This would help the economy. He made a petition also about old age revolving pensin. The social Security act attemped to decrease old age pover and unemployment issues. it gave money to the retaited and unemployed. This act didnt yet satisify him though. In 1936 he joined with Couglin and long and others to form the National Union of Social Justice.
A Few new deal failings. unemployment didnt drop as fast as people thought it would. State powers because weaker. Some of the Alphabet agencies were not passed, unconstitucional. People didnt get paide more immediately.
Civilian Conservation Corps:
(Under employed and Young People) CCC. It was the most popular new deal program because it got a lot of people involved. Part of the 100 days. He promised that it would provide meals and houses and jobs. There were over 300 possible lines of work in the CCC. The CCC had a sperate division for Indians called the Indian Emergency Conservation Group. Although it was the most popular it was not pernmanent and was disbaned in 1942. One Year earlier than planned. It was for young men (18-25). THey were paid 30 dollars a month. Some of it was sent back to their homes and families. It was all about helping your family. You only got a small portion of the money to yourself.
Farm Security Administration:
(Under Farming) FSA. originated as an assortment of projects combinded together. Its goal was to encourage farmers to farm less to raise crop prices. Congress made the FSA help tennent farmers purchase farms by providing loans. THey wanted to make farmers more efficent. The FSA helped teach women to cook and raise children. Established a health insurance organization. The FSA believed that to modernize the rural areas teneant farmes must be relocated to better opportunities in the cities. The FSA thought that tenant farmers were the cause of rural poverty. A tenant farmers ia farmer who farms on land he rents from a landlord.
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