ONLY 12 to 13 per cent of Illinois farms 

 have the advantages of electricity. 

 Nineteen other states have from 20 

 to 63 per cent (New Hampshire) of their 

 farms electrified. 



What can be done in Illinois to speed up 

 farm electrification? This question was the 

 subject of a conference called by Walter 

 McLaughlin, state director of agriculture 

 at the request of Governor Homer, in Chi- 

 cago Mar. 12. 



Utility company representatives told what 

 they had done and what they hoped to do 

 in 1936 toward rural extension. A host of 

 other organization representatives, farm 

 groups and otherwise, had their say. The 

 meeting, largely a speech-making affair, 

 brought out the status of rural electrifica- 

 tion in Illinois and clarified the position of 

 each group interested in the development. 



v' ; ^ What Was Said 



Briefly, here are some of the things that 

 were said: Dr. Paul Raver. Northwestern 

 University and attache of the Illinois Com- 

 merce Commission: "The cost of building 

 rural lines is lowest in history — as low as 

 J600 a mile exclusive of transformers. Con- 

 ditions are right for a rapid expansion. The 

 preference • of rural customers in ths order 

 named is for lighting, electric radio, wash- 

 ing machine, refrigerator." 



Herbert Sedwick, Public Service Co. No. 

 111.: "There are 29.500 farms, filling stations, 

 stores, and other rural units in our terri- 

 tory. About 14,000 are now being served. 

 Our minimum charge is $3.50 per month 

 where there are 3 to 4 customers to the mile. 

 The monthly charge is 1, 80th of the line cost 

 per mile. We built 220 miles of new lines 

 last year. Expect to do about same in 1936. 



(( 



We're All for Electrifying 

 Illinois Farms" i 



That's What Everyone Said. 



UtiHty Companies Tell Plans 



For Rural Extensions In 



1936 



DeKalb territory. Our minimum for new 

 extensions is $12,50 per mile per month, let 

 the customers divide the cost among them 

 any way they see fit. At present we are 

 considering 330 miles of new lines to serve 

 about 1000 new customers." 



Wm. Willett, Aurora, Western United Gas 

 and Electric; "We have 70"^ of our rural 

 territory (Kane, Dupage counties) serviced. 

 This year we hope to make it 80 per cent. 

 Our minimum is $3 per month under the 

 60 month plan." 



A Rural Company 



Vice-pres. Kelly, Springfield, Cent. 111. 

 Pub. Service; "Ours is strictly a rural com- 

 pany. We have only one town above 15,- 

 000 population, 369 towns below 1000, 146 

 less than 250 population. Three thousand 



High Water 



Anne MichalOT 



New lines are costing about SIOOO per mile 

 including transformers, overhead, etc." 



George Fleuhr, Dixon, 111. Northern Util- 

 ities; '"In '35 we served 429 new farm cus- 

 tomers and built 145 miles of new lines. We 

 ■hope to add 200 miles of lines in "36 for 

 600 to 700 new farm users. We have seven 

 full time men on rural work. Three hun- 

 dred new customers are signed for 1936." 



L. E. Brown, Peoria, Central Illinois Light; 

 "Our rural load is small. On Dec. 1, 1935 

 we had 1944 rural customers served by 528 

 miles of lines in the Springfield. Peoria, and 



miles of lines are available for farm use. 

 Many farmers along our lines are not being 

 served." This company requires that rural 

 users finance new lines, has a $3 minimum, 

 gets $5.88 per month for 100 kw. ordinary 

 usage, has no aggressive farm expansion 

 program. Its territory is not as rich as that 

 of others mentioned above. 



Illinois Power and Light Co.; Has com- 

 paratively a high rate, $6 for 100 kwh, $4.75 

 where there is a 1500 kwh guarantee. 



Mr. Pearson. Central 111, Elec. and Gas. 

 (Rockford>: "Now serve 42% of farms and 



individual locations in territory. If we take 

 in all farms on basis of two customers per 

 mile net return would be less than Vt of l^o 

 on investment. Only 76 customers (prospec- 

 tive) would be involved in projects that 

 would yield 3% or better." 



Wm. C. Tegtmeier, Suburban Electric 

 Utilities Co. (Peoria county) who has a 98 

 mi. rural line project underway involving 

 the first REA loan in Illinois. "We still 

 have a few little details to work out yet be- 

 fore we get our loan but everything is com- 

 ing along nicely." ■ 



Paul Mathias, Illinois Agricultural Asso- 

 ciation; "Illinois farmers would rather get 

 electric service from existing companies 

 where possible, and the terms and rates are 

 fair. But we have several groups of farm- 

 ers in Illinois who are considering organ- 

 izing rural electrification co-operatives be- 

 cause they can't get service on a favorable 

 basis from existing companies. Our organiza- 

 tion will help groups of farmers organize 

 co-operatives and secure REA loans if nec- 

 essary, where there is demand and that 

 seems to be a wis? course of action." 



G. W. Baxter of the I. A. A. illustrated by 

 map the centers of interest in Illinois where 

 groups of farmers are considering building 

 their own lines, described the requests for 

 aid being received by the Association and 

 what is being done to serve its members. 



Future Ui To Farmer 



John Learned, vice-president of Public 

 Service Co. No. 111. and official of the State 

 Utilities Association said, "the future of 

 rural electrification rests with the farmer. 

 He must be sold on the uses of electricity 

 and be able and willing to pay for the added 

 comforts and convenience. The tenant prob- 

 lem IS a stumbling block because so many 

 landlords will not spend money to wire 

 their buildings." 



C. A. Hughes, president of the Illinois 

 Farm Advisers Association said that farm- 

 ers are showing new interest in getting the 

 comforts of the town out on their farms 

 and staving there instead of moving to town 

 when they retire. 



Chairman Walter McLaughlin pointed out 

 that farms with electricity attract good ten- 

 ants, that wiring the farm buildings is a 

 paying investment for the owner. 



A frank appeal for greater public owner- 

 ship of utilities was made by a representa- 

 tive of the Illinois Municipal League. He 

 asserted that a plan for extending rural elec- 

 trification in Illinois should not leave out of 

 the picture the remarkable success of many 

 municipally-owned plants in Illinois, the 

 REA. and the results obtained by the TVA 

 in lowering costs. Of 59 cities in Illinois 

 with their own electric distribution sys- 

 tems. 37 operate their own plants he said. 

 The rest buy wholesale and sell to users. 

 He asserted that the Springfield municipal 

 plant had brought down the rates of the 

 competing private company there. He 

 charged that this comnany. Central Illinois 

 Light was charging a higher rate in Peoria 

 where it has no competition than in Spring- 

 field. Mr. Brown of Central 111. Light later 

 denied this claiming that the rate above 

 (Continued on page 27) 



26 



I. A. A. RECORD 



