Elecfrifying Illinois Farms 



(Continued from page 15) 

 meier estimates at fSO. This does not 

 include fixtures nor wiring barns and 

 other buildings. 



The Public Service Company of North- 

 ern Illinois has perhaps the best rural 

 territory in the state. It serves north- 

 eastern Illinois where towns and cities 

 are close to.:»ether, where farms are 

 smaller and where dairying predomi- 

 nates. It has already extended elec- 

 tricity to nearly half of the 26,000 farm- 

 ers in its 17 counties. Approximately 

 250 miles of lines have been built or 

 are under construction in 1935. By the 

 end of the year it is estimated that there 

 will be around 900 more customers than 

 there were last Jan. 1. 



Public Service of Northern Illinois is 

 going faster in extending rural lines 

 largely because it offers flwmers more 

 favorable terms and a lower monthly 

 minimum rate. The company charges a 

 minimum per month of one-eightieth of 

 the cost of the line per customer but not 

 less than $3.50. The rate is the same 

 as city rates. It depends on number of 

 rooms in house and amount of current 

 used. In October the average bill for 

 9,700 rural customers was $4.23 — the 

 average current used 78 kilowatt hours. 



Illinois Northern Utilities Company 

 operating from McHenry county on the 

 east, to Whiteside and Henry on the 

 west and south is speeding ahead in elec- 

 trifying farms. Stimulated by the White- 

 side County Farm Bureau's farm im- 

 provement, and clean-up-paint-up fanj- 

 paign, from eight to, ten groups of farm- 

 ers varying from eight to 20 in each 

 group either have signed up or are or- 

 ganizing to get electricity. Several 

 groups are already connected. , By the end 

 of the year it Js estimated that nearly 

 one-fourth of. Whiteside ijounty farms 

 will be electrified. 



INU is investing up to $300 per cus- 

 tomer in rural lines. Thus, if there are 

 three signers to the mile, lines are built 

 without charge to customers who agree 

 to pay $6 per month minimum for 100 

 kwh. All current over 100 Icwh is billed 

 at 3c per kilowatt hour. 



R. W-. Olmstead, manager of the 

 Prophetstown INU office reported that 

 the right-of-way was just secured for 24 

 signers in northern Henry county around 

 Hopppole.- -To ■ show, what higher farm 

 prices- have done to farm buying power, 

 he cited sales . of 280 major electrical 

 appliances -^ mostly refrigerators and 

 electric ranges — .in- ai one-day campaign 

 several weeks ago in INU territory: 

 These went both to farmers and . city 

 customers in the predominantly agricul- 

 tural region of northern Illinois. - 



F. C. Kingsley, farm engineer for the 

 company at Dixon, reported 425 new 



WM. C. TEGTMEIER 



"I'd like to get the first REA loan in 



Illinois" 



farm customers and signers since the 

 first of the year, with 325 actually con- 

 nected throughout their territory in 19 

 counties. They are building about one 

 mile a day of farm lines. Transformer 

 and line losses in this territory are run- 

 ning about 50 per cent. Kingsley also 

 reported a poor load factor on rural busi- 

 ness. All new farm installations are 

 being made with heavy service wires 

 suitable for connecting up electric 

 ranges, water heaters, and other heavy 

 appliances. The cost of wiring farm 

 homes in this territory is running from 

 $125 to $150 with more complete jobs, 

 including farm buildings, running up to 

 $200. 



Heavy tenancy is a major obstacle to 

 extension . of rural lines. Some land 

 owners feel that they cannot afford the 

 expense of wiring. But others are re- 

 sponding because they realize the farm 

 is more valuable when electrified and 

 attracts and holds capable tenants. 



Most companies figure 5 per cent de- 

 preciation on rural lines a year, and six 

 per cent on borrowed money. They point 

 out that poles wear out and equipment 

 becomes obsolete in these fast changing 

 times. Incidentally, the companies are 

 using lighter and less expensive poles 

 and equipment today than they thought 

 was necessary a few years ago. 



You can even put on Soyoil Paint by elec- 

 tricity. Motor driven paint sprayer at work. 



Encouraged by the Illinois Commerce 

 Commission, utility companies have 

 dropped their rates during the past two 

 years. INU formerly had a $10 per 

 month minimum for rural customers and 

 would finance farm extensions up to $450 

 per customer, allowing 150 kwh at the 

 minimum rate with 3c per kw over that 

 amount. This was dropped to $9 in 1931, 

 later to $6 for 100 kw, 6c per kw for the 

 next 50 and 3c per kw for all over 150. 

 Later this rate was dropped to the pres- 

 ent $6 minimum for 100 kw and 3c for. 

 all over 100 kwh. 



Electrical equipment also has conie^ 

 down somewhat although there is plenty 

 of room for further reductions. In Ohio," 

 the Farm Bureau Federation has set up 

 a state co-operative which in addition to 

 promoting farmer-owned lines may pur- 

 chase electric appliances and equipment 

 wholesale direct from factories to reduce 

 the spread between factory and retail 

 costs. 



You should know something about the 

 amount of energy required per month to 

 operate major electrical appliances. Fol- 

 lowing are estimates compiled by Subur- 

 ban Electric Utilities Co. based on their 

 experience: electric range 100 kwh, milk 

 cooler 50 kwh, milking machine 50 kwh, 

 electric refrigerator 45 kwh, lighting, 

 electric washing machine, iron, radio, 

 pumps, toaster, and other small appli- 

 ances, all together, about 62 kwh per 

 month. If a customer used all of the 

 equipment specified above in the Subur- 

 ban's territory under their* new farm 

 rate the cost would run about $11 per 

 month for 325 kwh of energy. 



To build up their load factor, which 

 in practice means to promote use of 

 electricity in the so-ca'.led "off hours," 

 INU has come out with a rate of Ic per 

 kwh on electric water heaters. Other 

 companies are doing the same. These 

 heaters, which cost about $100 ,(50 gal- 

 lons), without installation, come on at 

 night and operate until morning, also 

 about three hours in early afternoon; 

 They supply plenty of hot water 24 

 hours a day for an average size family. 

 The first two to be installed with sepa- 

 rate meters in the Prophetstown terri- 

 tory cost for October $1.71 and $1.40 

 respectively. They cannot be turned on 

 except at specified times. The contract 

 price to install is $30. 



In the Prophetstown area where 41 

 farms have recently contracted for serv- 

 ice and where a score or more of others 

 are getting ready to sign up, Mr. Olm- 

 stead reported a shortage of electricians 

 to wire farm houses and buildings. Wa- 

 ter systems lead the list of improve- 

 ments being installed. Cost of complete 

 bathroom and toilet facilities including 

 septic tank, water pump and motor, pres- 

 sure tank and fixtures is about $300. 

 (Continued on page 20) 



16 



I. A. A. RECORD 



