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CAIRO, GEORGIA The Best City of Its Size In the Entire United States (1.50-S2 A YEAR. IN ADVANCE. VOLUME XLVII. Victory Near On Electric Rates Reduction Is Due, Ga. Commission Reveals Victory is assured and near in long fight to bring electric rates a South Georgia in 22 extreme counties down to a level with those of the remainedr of Geor gia, City of Cairo and Chamber of Commerce officials said this meek. Walter R .McDonald, of the Georgia Public Service Commis¬ sion, revealed Saturday in a pub¬ lished statement that the Feder¬ al Power Commission has effect¬ ed an agreement between Georgia Power & Light Co., serving Cairo and Whigham, and most of the other municipalities across the edge of the state, and its parent concern, Florida Power Corpor¬ ation, which will settle issues be¬ tween the two developed by a lengthy FPC investigation, and which will lay the foundation for further rate reductions to cus¬ tomers of the Georgia company. The FPC hearing, postponed sev¬ eral times while the settlement was in negotiation, and last set to begin this week, has now been called off. Mr. McDonald said the extent of the rate reduction to customers of Georgia Power & Light Co. had not yet been determined but that it would be announced shortly. It is understood that the basis for the reduction will be increased income of the Georgia company resulting from certain regular payments to its parent concern which the FPC investigation found proper. A notable adjustment last year which benefitted customers of the Georgia company, and a new hook-up between it and Georgia Power Company whereby addi¬ tional power resources became available to this area, also result¬ ed from this effort. The Chamber of Commerce here, which has been prominent in this rate fight for three years, hailed the FPC settlement and the assurance of an additional re¬ duction in rates as a major vic¬ tory for the entire 22 -county area "because it will remove another major barrier to industrial de¬ velopment of the area.” Hereto¬ fore, the greater part of Georgia served by Georgia Power Co. has enjoyed electric rates some lower than those in the area served by Georgia Power & Light Co., it pointed out, but now the entire state will be on a virtual equality, it was stated, and the vast power resources of Georgia Power Co. will now become available to this extreme South Georgia area, in addition. The Chamber of Commerce here spurred the rate reduction fight several times when continuation w as about to become a victim of discouragment, officials re counted. They not only worked actively with City of Cairo offici¬ al an< d those of other municipali¬ ses, but remained in close con tact with attaches of FPC on de¬ velopments. Mayor Ed Mathis, °‘ abiding Valdosta, also manifested an I interest and the munici¬ palities engaged J. B. Copeland, * Valdosta attorney, to handle atter Phases of the proceedings. ae latter this week expressed ' s appreciation to the Chamber 0 Commerce here for its splendid °' c * former City Manager Adron Rosser and former Councilman Albert Walker devoted much Ime to the effort in 1947 and 1948 . /S gt. Ronald Shores and Jack „ , p'j 1 a -- er spent > °f Elgin Sunday Air here Force guests Base, as ^ formers’ parents, Mr. and W. C. Shores. v. • • * * r - and Mrs. George Cannon, eorgene and Scotti, of Tallahas et . Fia., spent the weekend here Wlth homefolks. (fount The Official Organ of Grady County. “The man who wandereth out of the way of advertising shall remain in the congregation of the dead." TWELVE PAGES Rofanans Hear b. E. George Guests Include WGRA Officials County Agent S. E. George de¬ livered the guest address at the weekly Rotary luncheon Wed¬ nesday in the Citizens Cafe. He was introduced by President of the Club, Fred Roddenbery, who presided. W. C. Woodall, Jr., of Dawson, owner of the local radio station WGRA, and Jim Honey, station manager, made short talks about the opening of the station and its good reception in preliminary tests. ■Mr. George gave a report on his recent trip to the National Juni¬ or Vegetable Growers’ Associa¬ tion in Washington, D. C. He hiad interesting comments to make on the difference there in growing and grading produce, and found up there a variety of bunch beans being grown, which he will try to adapt here in Grady County this year. The rest of the trip, he said, was taken up with sight¬ seeing which proved of value in comparing the different wtays of farming. iFrankie Maxwell and Thomas Barley, seniors from the Cairo High School were guests of the club. Other guests included W. C. Woodall, Jr., of Dawson, Rev. Shannon Hallaway, Rotarian of Pelham, Kenneth Flynt, Station Director WGRA of Cairo, O. L. Gee of Dawson, Rotarian G. N. Guest and R. W. Wheeler of Bain bridge. Rotary Sponsors Glee Club Here Emory-Valdosta Singers In Cairo February 14th - It was announced this week by the Cairo Rotary Club that they would sponsor the appearance in Cairo of the Emory-Valdosta Glee Club on Tuesday evening, Feb¬ ruary 14th, at 8:00 p. m. This Glee Club, composed of 40 young men plus a guest so prano, has made an enviable reputation as being the “South’s Most Entertaining” Club. Last season the young men gave twenty performanes in Georgia, Florida, Alabama and Mississippi, climaxing their tour with a visit to New Orleans. During the sea son before that, the Glee Club toured south Florida and gave two concerts in Havana, Cuba. At the end of the present season, in June, the Club expects to repeat the tour to Cuba. The group is directed by James Dasher, outstanding Georgia mu¬ sician and composer. Mr. Dasher, who is also organist and choir de¬ rector of a large Valdosta church, has a dozen published composi¬ tions listed in the catalogue of six publishing houses. As guest artist, the Cairo pub¬ lic will hear Mary Burnett, pos sessor of a beautiful lyric soprano voice. Other features of the pro¬ gram will include the Quartet, composed of Bobby Morgan of Graymount, Hamp Watson, of Baxley, Jack May, of Columbus, and Jack Kelly, of Thomasvile, in popular and novelty numbers. Another guest artist will be Mad ame Letta Phawlova, who appears in a novelty dance. The performance in Cairo will be of unusual interest because of three local boys who are mem bers of the Glee Club. They are John LeGette, Billy Oliver and Lloyd Herring. An advance ticket sale will be conducted one week before the concert, and the Rotary commit¬ tee will announce prices in a few days. The Rotary Club asks that you reserve the 14th and attend this performance of two hours of music and fun. CAIRO, GRADY COUNTY. GA. FRIDAY, JANUARY 27. 1950. p 0 tafo Bad Not Lifted Here Quarantine For Weevils Still In Force Local agencies this week re¬ ceived from state and Federal entomologists Grady county maps showing the 1950 sweet potato weevil quarantine areas designat¬ ed thus far with emphatic word that the extensive ban caused by this menacing pest continues in effect here and in 13 other South Georgia counties. Encouraging progress has been made in freeing some previously infested areas of the weevils— but new infestations brought in from Florida and Louisiana, and a second successive very mild winter, provide ominous signs for the future of this potentially great sweet potato industry in South Georgia. Officials said the under-manned staff engaged in the effort to stamp out the infestations have been unable, somewhat because of the warm weather, to determine the location of all infestations and urged farmers to bear with them in the continuing effort with the assurance that the staff is doing everything in its power to stamp out the menace in the shortest possible time. They stated that quarantine regulations have minimized the development of new infestations in quarantine areas but that in¬ fested potatoes and plants from Florida, particularly South Flori¬ da, and infested potatoes from Louisiana, continue to come into Georgia to spread the infestations to new areas, which almost en¬ tirely accounts for the addition of several counties to the list for this year. In addition to Grady, most of the infestations now are in Dougherty, Coffee, Ben Hill, Mitchell, Seminole and Thomas ’ counties, it is said. In Grady county, the maps, on display at the office of County Agent S. E. George in the Court¬ house and at the Chamber of Commerce office in the City Hall, show 28 officially-listed infested farms as of Jan. 20th against only 19 last year. However, all the new farms listed except three are in the heavily-infested northeas ern quarter of the county, which adjoins heavily-infesetd areas in Mitchell and Thomas counties. The three new infested farms out¬ side this area in the county are between Calvary and the Geor gia-Florida line, where infesta¬ tions were traced to Florida. The 28 designated farms and others that may be added as checks con¬ tinue, and an area of one mile around each, are under strict quarantine and attempted pro¬ duction of sweet potatoes in the areas will be in violation of state and Federal laws. Cairo proper, and one mile around, also con¬ tinues under strict quarantine, with production of sweet optatoes this year prohibited. The live infestations north of Whigham last year have been stamped out, apparently, and Whigham is not under the ban. However, the movement of sweet potatoes and plants in and out of the county, otherwise, is restricted. Sweet potatoes found in the quarantine areas are subject to confiscation to be burned and large quantities of infested pota¬ toes have been found and destroy¬ ed recently in wholesale houses and elsewhere in Valdosta, Al¬ bany and other cities. The in¬ festations were traced to Florida and Louisiana, it was stated. * Entolomogists also reminded the morning glories are domestic host plants for the dread weevils and that live infestatilons can be maintained among these vines un¬ less they are destroyed. The officials said efforts are be¬ ing made to personaly advise every farmer in the prohibited (Continued on last page) Ranger Chosen For County Jesse Maxwell Starts Feb. 1 Jesse Walter Maxwell, a resi¬ dent of the Pine Level communi¬ ty of Grady county, north of Cairo, was this week appointed Wildlife Ranger for Grady coun¬ ty, his service to begin next Wed¬ nesday, Feb. 1st. Appointment was made by J. C. Calhoun, director of the Georgia Game and Wildlife Commission. ■His duties will be to promote the development and conservation of the county’s wildlife resources, it was stated. Grady county has now been without a Wildlife Ranger for some time. City Council Met Monday Fire Protection Is Proposed For Areas Outside City The Mayor and City Council met in regular session Monday night with all members present, and for the most part dealt with routine matters pertaining to the City’s business. Under discussion at this meet¬ ing was the problem of the City Fire Department furnishing pro¬ tection and answering calls to fires outside the city limits. Dur¬ ing the last year, the City fire trucks made 13 calls outside the city. It has been the policy to merely ask the person who called the trucks out to pay whatever he thought the protection was worth. But these 13 calls outside the city last year, some of which were not general alarms, result¬ ed in only one $25 contribution being paid to the Treasury. The policy followed in nearby towns is to charge a flat »registra¬ tion fee of all those outside city limits who wanted the protection of the city fire department. Al¬ though the Council took no ac¬ tion on it, this plan is the one most likely to be adopted at the next meeting of the Council. The registration fee would be some¬ thing like $10 per year for resi¬ dences, including barns and out¬ houses, and possiibly a little high¬ er fee for businesses or industrial concerns. This additional revenue would go into the Fire Depart¬ ment to improve services, and perhaps, if warranted, to employ an additional fireman. It was pointed out that this ad¬ ditional fire protection for ad¬ joining areas would reduce the fire insurance rates for those within five miles of the city limits. For those farther than five miles, the fire insurance companies do not consider the protectiin adequate or of much value. Plans were projected at this meeting for about two miles of additional paving to be done this summer. It was also revealed that the new city water tank had now been in use since Tuesday Jan. 17th. In order to bring the city’s voting list up to date, the pos¬ sibility of a city-wide re-regis¬ tration of its voters has been un¬ der consderation for some time. This move is likely to be made at the next regular meeting of the Council, it was agreed. Contrary to the State Re-reg¬ istration law, however, city offi¬ cials pointed out that the city re-registration would <be a re¬ latively simple matter, seeking not to bar anyone from voting but merely to revise the list up to date, and eliminate the deceased and those who had moved away. The requirements would be that voters be 18 years old, that they have resided in the city for six months and in the state for one year. To re-register, one would merely sign his name. TWELVE PAGES J ax Equilizdtion Chamber Goal Group Authorized To "Adjust' 1 Co. Tax Digest The first regular meeting of the board of directors of the Cham¬ ber of Commerec as reconstituted for the new year, held last Tues¬ day night, with President John H. Faulk, Jr. presiding, unanim¬ ously supported authorization of a “special county tax equalization committee” the duty of which it will be to actively seek, begin¬ ning immediately, “revamping of the Grady county property tax digest this year to more truly equalize returns on a sound and uniform basis in line with the general level of other counties.” President Faulk said the com¬ mittee will be named shortly. In the discussion, it developed that there has been a marked lack of uniformity in the basis of mak¬ ing returns here and in other counties of the area for the past several years, or since the effort was made to increase the digest to channel more money into the schools funds. Speakers said present practices and trends are proving most hurtful to the coun¬ ty and that they will prove ruin¬ ous unless checked. Some said the incentive to own and improve property in the county is being destroyed. President Faulk, as the meeting opened, welcomed the new di¬ rectors. He said the monthly meetings of directors will be held, insofar as possible, on the fourth Tuesday night in each month, the regular time for 25 years, unless noon luncheon meetings should be decided on; and that they would begin on time and he adjourned promptly in an hour and one half, for anyone to leave, but that longer discussions would continue as desired. He asked Chamber Mgr. Louis A. Powell for a statement on goals for 1950 and Mgr. Powell remind¬ ed the directors of the great im¬ portance of their responsibilities and opportunities in shaping Chamber policies and leading the county in developemnt activities during the year. He emphasized that the interest of Chamber members, generally, should be continuing and that progress dur¬ ing the year will be determined more largely by the extent of this interest and activity than by any other factor. The Chamber is not a one or two man organization but one in which the entire mem¬ bership has basic responsibilities for progress, with the organiza¬ tion as a frame-work through which all may affiliate themselves for collective and concerted ac¬ tion, he said. The Chamber’s 1949-50 Pro¬ gram of Work was then taken up and reviewed. It was found that of a total of 62 specific objectives set up and revealed in The Mes¬ senger a year ago nearly 30 have been definitely achieved during the past year, with substantial progress on a number of other goals, and no progress at all on only 12. County tax equalization (Continue on page seven) Lemons Down The price of lemons look a nose-dive this week, dropping to half of the advertised price a week ago. Last week Curtis Super Mar¬ ket advertised lemons for 95 cents a dozen. They were no American-grown lemons to be had; those available came from Italy. You could buy them at that price, if you could find them at alL This week the California crop started coming in, and ac¬ cording to Curtis' ad in this issue, you can now buy them for 40 cents a dozen. Hog Market Is Higher No. Is Increase To 15.95c Lb. * Hog prices advanced again at Tuesday’s local livestock auction sale, E. B. Hambrick, the manag¬ er, reported. No. 1 hogs advanc¬ ed to 15.95c a pound, up 45 points from last week. No. 2s sold for 15.10c a pound. Feeder pigs were offered in volume at good demand and sold up to 16c a pound. Hogs were also in volume, again. Cattle prices continued steady and unchanged. Colquitt Plays Locals Tonight Pensacola Triumphs 94-27; Cairo Beats Whigham Tuesday In two hard-fought games here last Friday night with Quincy, the Cairo basketball teams took one game and lost the other one. Coach J. P. Miller’s Varsity squad trampled over the Quincy Five with a final score of 47-38. Quincy’s B team beat Cairo 42-7. In the varsity game, Cairo’s high point man was Dozer with 17 points, Perkins took 10, Mil¬ ler 8 , Frazier 6 , Harold 4 and Courtney and Whidden 2 points each. The whole squad had an opportunity to play a part of the game, and each gave a good ac-' count of himself on the court. Quincy’s high man was Butler with 12 points; Moore nested 9, Glisson 6 , Oliva and Willis 5 points each. From the starting whistle Cairo kept the lead on Quincy, and the half-time signal saw a 24-,14 lead. The Quincy Five played a good game, but never seriously threatened the local boys. Cairo vs. Peasacola Last Saturday night Cairo’s va risity team traveled all the way to Pensacola, Fla., to meet their Waterloo. Pensacola High, prov¬ ing too much for the local team, handed them a 94-27 setback. Dozier was top scorer for Cairo, netting 10 points, while Rich for Pensacola put 21 points through the hoop. The less said about this | game the better for all concern ed. Cairo _ . Defeats _ , . Whigham , Cairo’s . , luck , , changed , , last , , m Tues day night ® when both boys and .. . ., .. , f n s ea e a ^ 1 e ^ am teams with sate margins. . Boys , fmal score showed a 51-27 vie tory, while the Girls defeated higham - . j In the boys game Perkins was high scorer high with 12 pointsi Ulmer andj Whigham s man was also with 12 points. At the first quarter, Whi,gham was holding the Cairo boys to an 8-8 tie. The half-time score showed Cairo had edged ahead by only one point 16-15. At the third period, the local boys had increased this to a 31-23 lead, going on to finish the game with the 51-27 triumph. Play Colquitt Tonight The local teams will meet Col quitt here at 7:30 Friday (to¬ night). When Cairo played the Colquitt team on their home grounds, it was a close and hard fought game all the way, finally ending in a close 32-29 victory for the Syrupmakers. The games tonight promises local fans two good contests, and is extected to j be well-attended. There will be a preliminary game starting at 6:30 between the; ( Northside and Southside boys, | which may prove as interesting’ as the main feature. Mrs. George P. Hofmann ex¬ pects to leave today, Friday, for her home in Cincinnati, O., after spending several weeks here with her parents, Dr. and Mrs. T. J. Butt. GRADY COUNTY Greatest Diversified Farming I Section In America SINGLE COPIES, 5 CENTi NUMBER 3. Radio Station's Opening Feb. 1 Test Broadcasting Brings Flood Of Good Reports Cairo’s new Radio Station WGRA is scheduled to begin reg¬ ular daily broadcasting service next Wednesday, Feb. 1st, bar¬ ring some unforeseen difficulty, Jim Honey, the station manager, said this week. He stated that equipment test* broadcasts for several nights, from 1 to 6 a. m., had been completed, with gratifying reports on good reception at long distances; that the Federal Communications Commission inspector and the engineers had made their final inspections and found everything ready; and that only a few small pieces of equipment are lacking, insofar as the facilities are con¬ cerned. In addition to Mr. Honey as manager, Royce Jones, an exper¬ ienced and widely-known ac nouncer, will be chief announcer; and W. C. Woodall, Jr. will be bus¬ iness manager. The complete staff will be announced next week. 1300 Kilocycles, 1000 Watts The station is on 1300 kilo¬ cycles, 1,000 watts power, daytime only. Stations of this power are restricted to daytime operations for the present. Officials of Grady-Mitchell Boradcasting Co., Inc., the owners of the station, said expansion of services will be made as conditions warrant; and that a network affiliation can be established later if it is found mofe desirable, everything con¬ sidered, than independent opera¬ tions. The station will have a number of network features from time to time, along with live broadcasts of outstanding news and entertainment programs, lo¬ cal, state and national. All of the station equipment is new and of the most modern de¬ sign. The studio building is not only very attractive but complete in every detail to fully meet the needs. Two telephones, both with extensions, and a United Press news teletype circuit serve the station, the phone number being 439. The studio and transmitter are situated just outside the northwestern city limits on the Whigham highway. Test Broadcasts. WGRA actually went on the air first about 1 a. m. last Friday when , the ,, equipment , test , , , broad .. tarted f g „ Immediately, from . over a wide area, long distance telephone calls and mail b in evidenci the splendid receplion whicb , he slation brought about . Some adjustments were made in the equipment but almost with _ out exception excellent reception was reported from far and near First reports were from Miami> Chattanoogaj Maryville, Tenn. and Baton Roug6j La and nearer points As the night broadcasts continued> howeveri the range of the station widenedi finally to th Pa ifi „ oast A Miami man called to state that the reC e P tion was so good he thought WG RA must be a new 50>0 00-watt station. To prove it, he got his phone and receiving set together close enough for Mr. Honey here to hear the broadcast relayed clearly over the 1,000 mile round-trip. Chamber Has Gifts. Announcers on the test broad ,, 35 ^ through the co-operation of tbe j oca i Chamber of Commerce, gave listeners all over the nation the complete story about Cairo and Grady county—historical and otherwise, In some of the broadcasts, it was announced that the Chamber of Commerce would send a case of Cairo pickles to the first per¬ son calling from the farest point. Another time some pure Georgia cane syrup was offered. Later (Continued on last page)