Wired Help Earns Its Keep 



(Continued from pane 13) 



to consider their application. But that 

 fall, when the press for funds had 

 eased somewhat, the REA sent George 

 Lewis into the area to help with the 

 development of the project. He invited 

 the Illinois Rural Electrification Com- 

 mittee at Springfield to lend a hand. 

 Then things began to hum. Coopera- 

 ting with the local groups were the 

 Farm Bureaus, the lAA, the state com- 

 mittee and the REA. 



Careful surveys of the need and pos- 

 sible use of power were speedily made. 

 By December 1, it appeared that farm 

 families in Iroquois county were as- 

 sured of a project because most of them 

 declared they would use it if they could. 



Nearly a score of meetings were 

 held in the area during the first part 

 of December to acquaint the people 

 with the project. Each meeting was 

 attended by one or more representatives 

 of the cooperating groups. Soon town- 

 ship maps appeared showing possible 

 lines and the location of prospective 

 customers. From them county maps 

 grew. 



Activity of the Livingston County 

 Farm Bureau electrification committee 

 led up to the inclusion of part of that 

 county in the plan. A small area in 

 McLean county, too, was included. 



On April 14, 1937, the Eastern Illi- 

 nois Power Cooperative was born at a 

 meeting in Watseka. The incorpora- 

 ting officers were: Ernest W. Sass, 

 Iroquois county, president; Ronald L. 

 Stanford, Ford county, vice-president; 

 J. B. Hayes, Iroquois, secretary-treasur- 

 er. Directors were: John Thompson, 

 Herman W. Danforth, and H. C. Patz- 

 man, all of Iroquois county, P. J. Galla- 

 hue and William F. Ringler, Ford 

 county, R. S. Burwash, Vermilion and 

 A. B. Hirstein, Livingston. 



From then on the cooperative de- 

 veloped steadily with but few minor 

 delays. While the required member- 

 ship was being signed, various deals for 

 power were being considered. On Aug- 

 ust 20 a contract was made with the 

 Central Illinois Public Service Company 

 to supply current. 



Early in October the REA approved 

 680 miles of the proposed lines and 

 granted an allotment of $700,000 with 

 which to build them. On October 21 

 the A. S. Schulman Electric Company 

 of Chicago received the contract to 

 build the lines. About that time, too, 

 Floyd Ruble was employed as right-of- 

 way superintendent in full charge of 

 securing necessary easements from 

 property owners along the proposed 

 routes. 



At the November meeting of the 

 board of directors T. M. Brady was 



appointed EIPC engineer to super- 

 vise construction. Thus the founda- 

 tion was laid for a successful business. 



When the first 680 miles of line have 

 been energized some 2100 families will 

 be using power. But what of the 1232 

 families in the area who have applied 

 for service and have paid their $5 

 membership fees but who are not re- 

 ceiving it? 



"The EIPC has applied to the REA 

 for an additional allotment of $650,000. 

 When this project has been approved, 

 lines will be built to serve these mem- 

 bers, too," Manager Brady said. 



"The minimum rate of $3.50 per 

 month is sufficient to amortize the loan 

 and pay the interest in addition to pay- 

 ing operating expenses. Funds for 

 maintenance will be secured as the line 

 load is built up. When the income of 

 the cooperative becomes larger than the 

 amount needed to pay expenses, amor- 

 tize the loans and keep up the lines, 

 patrons will get dividends in the form 

 of lower rates. 



"Line loads are increasing at a grati- 

 fying rate. Many prospective customers 

 who failed to join the co-op dur- 

 ing the first membership drive are now 

 asking for service. Then, too, there are 

 some 200 uses for power on farms in 

 this vicinity and our members are 

 gradually taking advantage of them." 



Many landlords are asking their ten- 

 ants to use electricity. One man, in an 

 effort to hold his tenant, not only 

 wired his farmstead but applied $36 to 

 the first year's light bill. The tenant 

 pays but 50 cents a month plus charges 

 for additional power. Think the ten- 

 ant will stay.' You bet he will! 



Other landowners are using power 

 as a bait to attract and hold the better 

 farm operators. Here is a letter from 

 a Farm Bureau member proving the 

 value of this point: 



Dear Mr. Brady, 



In regard to the electric lights. As 

 my former landlord was not interested 

 in the lights and electric service, I did 

 not become a member. But I have talked 

 with the present owner and he is in favor 

 of wiring so I am ready to join the co- 

 operative. 



Considering the number of absentee 

 owners in the area their friendly atti- 

 tude is important to the success of the 

 enterprise. According to Floyd Ruble, 

 75 per cent of the easements on the 

 first 114 miles of line were secured 

 from absentee owners. 



But landowners or tenant, the pro- 

 ject is popular in the entire area as the 

 following letter attests: 



Melvin, Illinois 

 October 5, 1938 

 Eastern Illinois Power Cooperative 

 Paxton, Illinois 



Enclosed find check for $3.50 for our 



first payment on our electricity. We just 

 want to tell you how much we appre- 

 ciate this service and thank you and 

 everyone who made it possible. 



Yours truly, 



Mr. and Mrs. Louis Peters 



Melvin, Illinois 



Power Co-ops Gain 



A map showing the location of Rural 

 Electrification Cooperatives in Illinois 

 was published on page 20 of the No- 

 vember lAA RECORD. Although the 

 map was prepared with latest available 

 data just before that issue went to 

 press, it is now obsolete. A new map, 

 drawn November 18, appears below. 

 For a startling comparison, check it 

 with last month's map. 



A report of loans and allotments to 

 Illinois rural electric cooperatives pub- 

 lished last month shows 1938 allot- 

 ments at $1,881,000. Since then an 

 allotment of $1,146,000 has been 

 granted the Corn Belt Electric Cooper- 

 ative and $477,000 to the Illini Elec- 

 tric Cooperative bringing the present 

 total to $3,504,000. In addition, ap- 

 plications have been made for REA 

 loans totaling $4,150,000. 



4 



ILLINOIS POWER CO-OPS 



This map does not accurately cover 

 exact areas. It is intended merely to in- 

 dicate projects which, in some cases, ex- 

 tend into other counties. 



1. Adams Elearic Cooperative, Quincy. 

 534 Miles, 1518 Customers. 

 (Continued on page 32) 



20 



L A. A. RECORD 



