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This newspaper page contains 16 articles. Subscribers can read the full text of each article.
Newspaper
Decatur Daily
Location
Decatur, Alabama, United States of America
Date
Jan 19, 1949
Page
4
A column discusses Decatur water rate plans a million dollar capacity expansion and higher costs. It notes varying county valuations signals recovery and urges regional development while advocating wholesome recreation like a first class baseball field to benefit the community.
The Decatur Chamber of Commerce reports shifts since 1881 and 15 years earlier, noting payrolls in Decatur industries at 12 million plus and farm processing payments around 16.8 million. The piece reflects on economic reconstruction, hoping ongoing citizen alert will sustain progress locally.
Flames damaged the press rooms of the Limestone Democrat and the Journal-Advertiser in Alabama. An exploding light globe or an oil heater may have started the blazes, with two plants sustaining extensive damage yet minimal casualties. The Daily extends deepest sympathy to the affected publishers and staff.
Speaker Beck signals no bid for lieutenant governor. He remains silent on a gubernatorial run, with a whole hog stance for or against the governorship. Allen and Roberts of Etowah county will not run, clearing the field for Inter for governor and keeping the campaign tempo warming into next summer.
The article praises local recreation efforts for all residents but calls out the lack of a swimming pool for Black residents. It notes white facilities exist at two public pools and the Country Club, urges civic clubs to support building a pool, and suggests revenue could offset costs.
Drew Pearson notes January as a time to honor presidents and raise funds for disabled children. He recalls how past administrations adapted to presidents who could not walk and how public awareness of Franklin D. Roosevelt's infirmity evolved, even as newspapers remained reticent.
A columnist suggests President Truman could boost the Roosevelt infantile paralysis fund by making phonograph records of his favorite tunes and having his daughter Margaret sing backup. The plan would capitalize on his past performances at events and White House sessions to raise additional millions.
Out of town detectives are imported to augment the Secret Service for the four day inaugural at $30 a day. Five hundred men from neighboring cities wear a secret insignia to identify themselves. Ex Senator Curley Brooks of Illinois organized the funds but lost influence as Democrats take over. Ten thousand Dewey buttons surface in Washington via the Freedom Train and Heritage Foundation. Oklahoma’s Flying U quartet plans a pianist for inaugural night.
The text cites Fred Albert, head of ASCAP, noting his own songwriting success with titles such as I'll Get By and Where The Blue Of The Night Meets The Gold Of The Day. It suggests his influence on potential cooperation efforts.
A short reflective meditation urges patience as time heals heartache and guides parental effort. It counsels perseverance, noting early success may fail and sorrow can yield loneliness, ending with a call to do one’s best and leave outcomes to time.
Westbrook Pegler argues the U S has replaced Britain as world cop. He claims unpreparedness and looming economic collapse, cites war debts, lend lease frauds, and criticizes Roosevelt and Truman budgets. He portrays Europe’s decline and America’s perceived overreach in global affairs.
An ASCAP leader, Fred Albert, proposed waiving royalties from Truman favorites and paying part of recording costs to aid sales. He feared full funding could bankrupt ASCAP, while suggesting records be dedicated to a crippled President who aided a crippled nation.
Seven year old Eleanor Kefauver invites all girls in her class to ride on the Tennessee float in the inaugural parade. Her parents learn of the plan after a mother asks what she should wear, and Eleanor explains the garden scene calls for many girls connected with Tennessee.
Marion Farnell, a petroleum route salesman, paid 1700 silver dollars weighing about 100 pounds on a new auto at a Mobile agency. He said he had collected the coins for seven years. The rest of the text shifts to harsh political commentary on Russia, Britain, and U.S. leadership.
New York hosts the dedication of Mark Hellinger’s theatre with Broadway figures and Louise Baer leading a philanthropy for heart disease research. INS reporter notes mixed views of Broadway and highlights a humane motive behind the tribute, including funds for medical training and patient care.
A proposed special tax for a school building program was defeated in Tuscaloosa city and trailed in incomplete county returns. Early unofficial tallies show District 1 with 328 for and 646 against, District 2 with 304 for and 385 against, District 3 with 1,420 for and 1,680 against. The levy would have funded bonds for school construction across districts.
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