Three of the principal tpaakert at the Association of Illinois Electric Cooperatives (REA) 

 convention In Springfield in September discuss rural electrification. Left to right: Charles 

 B. Shumon, Illinois Agricultural Association president; Claude R. Wickard, administrator, 

 rural electrifkatlon odministration; and Arnold P. Benson, director of the IllineU depart- 

 ment of agriculture. 



NEED NATIONAL FARM 

 PROGRAM 



SHUMAN TELLS REA LEADERS 



"E' 



I STABLISHMENT of a national 

 program for agriculture," President 

 Charles B. Shuman of the Illinois Agri- 

 cultural Association told a group of Illi- 

 nois REA officers, delegates and nun- 

 agers, "is the Number One factor in the 

 furtherance of the welfare of the pro- 

 gram of rural electrification. 



Speaking at the annual convention of 

 the Association of Illinois Electric Co- 

 operatives in Springfield, Sept. 5, Presi- 

 dent Shuman called for a fair price for 

 farm products in the years ahead because 

 of the importance of the farmer's stand- 

 ard of living to the national welfare. 



He cited the significance of rural health, 

 education, electrification and soil conser- 

 vation and their close tie with farm prices. 



Other speakers included Administrator 

 Claude R. Wickard of the Rural Elec- 

 trification Administration and Director 

 Arnold P. Benson of the Illinois State 

 Department of Agriculture. 



"Rural electric cooperatives," Wickard 

 said, "must plan to make more power 

 available to rural areas at lower rates. 



"They must first overcome any inade- 

 quacies of their existing systems," he 

 said, "and they must work incessantly 

 to see that plenty of power is always 

 available for REA consumers. 



"They must work incessantly," he con- 

 tinued, "for rates that will encourage 

 maximum benefits from the use of elec- 

 trical energy." 



President Shuman joined Wickard in 

 asking REA leaders to see that all possible 

 farmers get electricity at low rates but 

 Shuman cautioned them to watch the 



business end of their organizations. Co- 

 ops have gone on the rocks, he said, 

 because of poor management in not pre- 

 paring for less prosperous days. 



Shuman, a former president of the 

 Coles-Moultrie REA co-op, urged the 

 REA people to "defend, protect, and 

 improve" their electric co-ops. 



Pointing out the importance of a 

 strong organization among farmers and 

 citing the need for closer cooperation be- 

 tween farmers and other groups, he em- 

 phasized the need with the quote: 

 "Weakness cannot cooperate with any- 

 thing; only strength can cooperate." 



I- 



Concurring with the requests of Presi- 

 dent Shuman and Administrator Wickard 

 for better service ai)d cheaper electricity 

 for more farmers, State Director of Agri- 

 culture Benson said: "To do a good job 

 of farming today, Illinois farmers must 

 take advantage of the most efficient and 

 most modern methods; that requires elec- 

 tricity." 



The 300 representatives of 27 Illinois 

 REA co-ops meeting in the Abraham 

 Lincoln hotel for the three-day session 

 heard talks on finances and budgeting, 

 safety, job training, publicity, labor and 

 business relations, maintenance, insurance 

 and pensions, management and use of 

 power. 



lAA WILL HONOR ILLINOIS 

 4-H CLUBS WITH BANQUET 



A banquet honoring 300 Illinois dele- 

 gates to the National 4-H Club congress 

 and 4-H Club exhibitors at the Interna- 

 tional Livestock show will be given by 

 the Illinois Agricultural Association dur- 

 ing the week of the International. 



The dinner will be held Tuesday eve- 

 ning, Dec. 3, in the Bal Tabarin room 

 of the Sherman hotel in Chicago. 



Since the International and the na- 

 tional 4-H Club congress are to be held 

 during the same week, club members 

 from both the show and congress will 

 be able to attend. 



Those eligible to attend the banquet 

 will be: 



1. Illinois delegates to the National 

 4-H Club congress. 



2. Bona-fide 4-H club exhibitors at the 

 National Livestock show. 



3. Outstanding county members se- 

 lected by the State 4-H Club office. 



4. Farm and Home Advisers or other 

 persons in charge of 4-H Club delega- 

 tions. 



Presidents of Illinois REA Co-ops are shown at their state convention in SprlngfleM. I,eft 

 to right, front: Reuben Young, TrI-Ceunty, Mt. Vernon; W. H. Koence, Southwestern, 

 Oreenvllle; Lloyd A. Dickson, Western Illinois, Carthage; J. W. Borth, Wayne-White, Fab- 

 field; Walter Risser, Com Belt, Bloomlngton; second row: O. Wayne Welsh, McDonough 

 Power, Macomb; Jacob Gottsche, Farmers Mwtwal, Genesee; A.A. ShieMs, Coles-Mowltrie, 

 Mattoon; H. R. Owen, lllini. Champaign; third row: Roy L Shorrow, Admnt, Ccunp Point; 

 W. L. Bradley, Salem; V. N. Shute, Shelby, Sheibyville; Walter Graves, NorrU, Newton; 

 Herbert Fleming, Spoon River, Canton; bade row: IL L. Stanford, losteni iliinois, Paxten; 

 Everett R. Read, Je-Correll, Elisabeth; Henry B. Colby, Menard, Petersburg, and Fred W. 



Harris, San g amon, Olvernon. 



16 



L A. A. RECORD 



