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Kut&L Sanetu loplc5 



By C. M. SEAGRAVES, Safety Director 



/^N THE November 1938 issue 

 Ol of AGRICULTURAL ENGI- 

 Vj/ NEERING, journal of the 

 American Society of Agricultural En- 

 gineers, appears the following edito- 

 rial: 



"Safe Farm Equipment. Hands, arms, 

 legs, and lives have always been, and 

 probably always will be, a part of the 

 human cost of farm operation. The 

 National Safety Council and farm 

 equipment manufacturers are, however, 

 tAing active steps to reduce that cost 

 to a mi.iimum, so far as accidents with 

 farm equipment are concerned. 

 The total physical hazards of farming 

 have probably decreased, but new 

 equipment has brought new dangers. 

 Investigation has strongly indicated that 



is, farm safety, is something less than 

 convincing. 



Since 1923, railroad employee acci- 

 dent rates have reduced 74%. 



Since 1913 a group of leading steel 

 industries has reduced its accidents 

 90%. 



Illinois farm accidents in the past 

 three years have shown nearly a 60% 

 increase! This record would seem to 

 indicate that something more substan- 

 tial than "warnings plainly stenciled" 

 needed to correct the conspicuous place 

 farm machinery is taking in any listing 

 of present-day farm hazards. 



As far as "safety can be made the 



RING OUT THE OLD — RING IN THE NEW 

 Simple, inexpensive safeguards such as backs for tractor seats and lenders over 

 tractor wheels, lugs and spokes illustrate the ease with which some of the rising tide 

 ol iaim machinery hazards ccm be met. 



most accidents with equipment are pre- 

 ventable. We have a private theory 

 that the fellow who risks his hand to 

 save a few minutes in operating a corn 

 shredder is the reincarnation of some 

 ancestor who had a tame bull, or who 

 hurried back to see why his last shot 

 of dynamite failed to explode. 

 Farm equipment can no more be made 

 foolproof than a farmer can be made 

 to keep his hands in his pockets. But 

 safety can be made the farmer's own 

 responsibility with warnings plainly 

 stenciled near the dangerous parts of 

 every farm machine, and by otherwise 

 frequently advising him of the specific 

 known hazards of his occupation. It 

 is gratifying to see that this is being 

 done, and that agricultural engineers 

 are cooperating in this activity. " 



farmer's own respon-'bility" is con- 

 cerned, we are not aware of any time 

 in the past when it was otherwise. 

 We have, of course, sometimes won- 

 dered why this is so, inasmuch as the 

 industrial and railroad worker is pro- 

 tected by state and federal safety reg- 

 ulation and even the motorist's wel- 

 fare is legislatively cared for by laws 

 requiring safety glass all around and 

 4-wheel brakes on every vehicle offered 

 for sale in the state. 



The ease with which the writer of 

 the above editorial solves the most 

 "complex problem in contemporary ac- 

 cident-prevention fields of activity, that 



On every hand, we see accidents de- 

 creasing when their causes are exposed 

 to intelligent, honest and continuous 

 accident-prevention treatment. We may 

 be certain farm accidents will diminish 

 only when farmers and those charged 

 with the responsibility of farm leader- 

 ship finally understand that accidents 



are twt the normal toll for rural life, 

 but are the direct and largely avoidable 

 result of unsafe equipment, inadequate 

 safety education and fatalistic attitude. 

 It is to be hoped that the unsym- 

 pathetic tone of this editorial, as well 

 as accident-prevention methods sug- 

 gested, does not represent the best 

 thought of the agricultural engineering 

 profession. 



\\\ Gets $100 For 



Burned Alfalfa Field 



A story of successful claim adjustment, 

 of interest to all farmers whose property 

 joins that of a railroad, was recently 

 brought to light. 



Arthur Fisher, president of the Kane 

 County Farm Bureau, lost 7I/2 acres of 

 alfalfa seeding in a fire set by a railroad 

 section foreman on the railroad right-of- 

 way adjoining the field. He submitted \ 

 claim immediately. Not having had a 

 report from the railroad company, two 

 months later he reported the loss through 

 the Kane County Farm Bureau to the 

 lAA transportation-utilities division. 



G. W. Baxter, director, brought the 

 matter to the attention of the district 

 claim agent who investigated. In due 

 time Fisher got a check for $100 from 

 the railroad which he credits to prompt 

 action by the lAA. 



Claim adjustment service is free to 

 Farm Bureau members. Complaints 

 should be handled through your county 

 farm adviser who can assist in preparing 

 the claim for adjustment and submit it 

 to the lAA. 



Arthur H. Lauterbach, general man- 

 ager of Chicago Pure Milk Association, 

 spoke to several thousand central Illi- 

 nois cream and milk producers from 

 seven counties at Farmers Creamery Co.'s 

 annual meeting in Bloomington, Decem- 

 ber 17. A joint banquet was held at 

 noon with the McLean County Milk 

 Producers. Dividend checks totalling 

 more than $9,900.00 were available for 

 distribution. 1 



I have an expensive Singer sewing machine 



that has given excellent service over a long period 



of years and is in good condition. Will sell at 



a fair price. All it needs is cleaning and oiling. 



Miss M. A. Graham 



413 So. 7th Street 



Springfield, III. 



WANTED — A JOB 



I was born on a farm in Tennessee and lived 

 there all my life until three years ago. I lost 

 my job in a factory and am now working in 

 Chicago on WPA. I have a wife and three chil- 

 dren, am 30 years old, am a hard-working man, 

 and can do any kind of farm work, including 

 milking. Give me a chance. 



I want to get out of the city onto a farm for 

 you can't support a family of five on $33.00 a 

 month. I can't afford to quit and look for a job 

 because I have to keep 155.00 a month coming in. 

 Can give references, am an honest man and 

 come from a good family. 



Paul Medling 



516 So. Leavitt St. 



Chicago, Illinois 



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I. A. A. RECORD 



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