f 



officials of the American Farm Bureau Federation present the organization's 1947 

 legislative program to the senate agricultural committee In Washington in February, 

 Left to right, seated: Sen. Thye (R-MInn); AFBF President Edward A. O'Neal; Sen. 

 Thomas (0-Okla); Sen. Capper (R-Kan); Sen. Aiken (R-Vt); Sen. BushfleM (R-S.O.); 

 and Sen. Young (R-N.D.). Standing: W. R. Ogg, AFBF; R. E. Short, Arkansas; R. E. 

 Corbett, AFBF; J. M. Bailey, West Virginia; George Wilson, California; Charles B. 

 Shuman, Illinois (lAA); Alfred Lunn, Massachusetts; George Putnam, New Hamp- 

 shire; H. L Wingote, Georgia; W. W. Hawley, New York; H. E. Schenck, Indiana; 

 J. ' W. Hammond, Texas; H. E. Slusher, Missouri; and R. F. Show, North Carollno. 



Officers of the Illinois Farm Advisers Association elected during Farm and Home Week 

 ore, left to right, front row: O. O. Mowery, Macoupin, secretary-treasurer; I. E. 

 Parett, Virmllion, vice president; W. E. Coolidge, Livingston, president; W. B. Bunn, 

 Champaign, retiring president; standing, all directors, O. W. Hertz, Washington; 6. C. 

 Smith, Pope-Hardin; A. J. Rehiing, Henderson; R. V. Watson, Mason; A. C. Johnson, 

 Kane; C. S. Love, Christian, and A. B. Rowand, Ford. 



Knox county's annual Rural Youth banquet held recently in Galesburg is shown in 



full swing. 



CRITICAL NEED 

 FOR 



RECOGNIZING a shocking inade- 

 quacy in the health of rural people 

 and a critical need for medical and 

 hospital services for rural areas, the 

 powerful American Medical Association 

 held its second annual National Con- 

 ference on Rural Health. 



The two day conference, held in 

 Chicago in February, drew together the 

 Farm Bureau 'and other farm groups, 

 as well as count)-, state, and federal 

 health agencies, and state and national 

 medical groups. 



Stressing the need for rural health 

 facilities Albert S. Goss, master of the 

 National Grange, said that throughout 

 the nation rural areas have but one doc- 

 tor for 1700 persons, 15 million persons 

 have no hospital service, and infant 

 mortality is 25 to 30 per cent higher in 

 rural areas. 



Favor Health Centers 



Outlining some of the medical pro- 

 gram of the Missouri Farm Bureau, H. E. 

 Slusher, president, said his group is 

 backing rural health centers, pre-paid 

 medical plans, more aggressive county 

 medical associations, and last year aided 

 in voting about $3,000,000 for rural 

 hospitals. 



The speakers agreed generally that the 

 health needs of farm and rural {seople 

 can best be ser\ed through some type of 

 county or community health center, coun- 

 cil, or unit. 



The federal Hill-Burton bill provides 

 federal assistance for such health centers 

 and hospitals that might be built around 

 a community unit. 



For smaller units. Dr. Fred A. Hum- 

 phrey, chairman of the Colorado Com- 

 mittee on Rural Medical Service, said 

 rural communities could well use the 

 army or navy plan of hiring hospital 

 aids, similar to the pharmacist mate or 

 medical corpsrrun, and setting up a 

 dispensary, like sick-bays on navy ships, 

 with the doctor as the final authorit)- and 

 clearing agent in cases needing a doctor's 

 care. 



A stable income for farmers and the 

 urgent need for good country roads were 

 listed as being among the most important 

 needs for encouraging young doctors to 

 come to rural communities. 



MARCH, 1947 



