BETTER ROADS — HOW? 



I have been interested in reading the 

 article Charles S. Mayfield (lAA director 

 of rural road improvement) wrote for the 

 February issue of the Illinois Agricultural 

 Association Record in regard to farm-to-mar- 

 ket roads in Illinois. 



We live along one of these proposed roads 

 and have been interested to see the improve- 

 ments made as it means a lot to the farmers 

 living out this way. We would like to 

 know all the particulars that are involved in 

 the proposed improvement, that is, the 

 system of state allotment of funds that shall 

 be made to the county engineers and town- 

 ship highway department. 



In order to better understand the set-up, I 

 would like to talk to Mr. Mayfield per- 

 sonally. Is he available to visit our county 

 to study our problems.' If not, would it be 

 possible for him and other interested tax- 

 payers to meet with him in Chicago in the 

 near future.' We want to get this road im- 

 provement going before it is too late. 



We truthfully believe that it is the biggest 

 step toward rural improvement that has been 

 taken in many years and should be the foun- 

 dation for future consolidation of rural 

 schools. The farmers of Illinois need the 

 support and backing of such fine measures 

 as this new venture. 



T. W. Reese 

 Henry County 



The lAA appreciates the interest of Mr. 

 Reese and men like him in seeking to improve 

 the roads in their communities. Afr. Mayfield 

 has met with a number of Farm Bureau 

 groups interested in road betterment. He 

 can meet with your county Farm Bureau with- 

 in the nexf several weeks at your request. 



THANK YOU 



I want to compliment you on the May, 

 1947 I.A.A. Record. It is very attractively 

 arranged. Headlines, color, and pictures 

 makes one want to read it. 



John R. Gilkey 

 Farm Adviser 

 Macon County 



RURAL YOUNG MARRIEDS 



I read in the I.A.A. Record that you 

 are recognizing counties organizing Rural 

 Young Married groups. Please do not forget to 

 mention Christian county as we have organ- 

 ized this spring, and at the April meeting 

 we had an attendance of 54 (second meet- 

 ing) and at that rate we should have an 

 attendance of 100 to 150 by August or 

 Sepember. 



Our programs consist of games, stunts, 

 picture slides, discussions, special music, 

 special speakers, group singing, picnics, 

 square dancing, and educational features. 



The last meeting consisted of a panel dis- 

 cussion on "Financing and Buying a Farm," 

 with recreation and refreshments. 



We have followed a plan similar to the 

 Montgomery county group by not having 

 a president and a complete set of officers. 

 We have a committee of four couples at- 

 tending to all the business of one month. 

 Then also, two couples drop out and two 

 more couples volunteer to carry on the busi- 

 ness of the next month so that the respon- 

 sibility doesn't rest upon one person. ' 



Would it be possible for you to list the 

 counties that have organized Rural Young 

 married groups in the next issue of the 

 I.A.A. Record? And would you be in- 



terested in a report from Christian county 

 every month? 



So far this county is very enthusiastic 

 about this kind of an organization and I 

 would say about 45 to 50 per cent of the 

 group had never been in Rural Youth. 



Mr. & Mrs. Donald Downs 

 Ex-Rural Youthers 

 Christian County 



Counties having young married groups are: 

 Stephenson, Boone, McHenry, Rock Island. 

 Henry. Bureau, Warren, Knox. Hancock. Mc- 

 Donough, Schuyler, Woodford, Tazewell. Ma- 

 coupin, Montgomery, Christian. Edwards, Ed- 

 gar, and McLean. 



RUNNING WATER IN THE HOME 



The reason why so few rural homes are 

 modernized? The general reason — lack 

 of education. 



The blame — who is responsible for 

 education? The greatest need today is for 

 adult education. We do not really realize 

 what carrying water into a house and out 

 of a house really means until we have had 

 it to do. Therefore, "what we do not realty 

 understand can have no personal meaning to 

 us." 



When Farm Bureau and Home Bureau com- 

 bine resources on such projects as modem- 



LETTERS TO THE EDITOR 



FORT CHARTRES PICTURE 



I am sending you a print of the old 

 powder magazine at Fort Chartres taken in 

 1916. This was the only structure which 

 remained standing at the time the state of 

 Illinois began restoring the old fort to the 

 present condition as shown on the lAA 

 Record cover of March. 



With the soil survey party composed of 

 H. A. DeWerff, C. T. Hufford, I visited the 

 site of the old fort in 1916 and took this 

 picture. At that time only the foundations 

 remained of the old barracks and other 

 buildings. The outer walls of the fort had 

 been entirely removed so that their former 

 location could not be determined by anyone 

 who did not know the original plan. Weeds 

 had taken over as indicated in the photo. 

 H. C. Wheeler 

 Farm Adviser 

 Lawrence Countv 



THANKS FOR REFUND 



We wish to acknowledge receipt of checks 

 representing a refund on the tour to Cali- 

 fornia. We thank you for this and wish to 

 express our appreciation of the action of the 

 board of directors of the I.A.A. in voting 

 to return this on a per capita basis. This is 

 just another example of the high type of 

 organization which that board represents. 



Pearl Spickler 



For Mr. & Mrs. V. S. Spickler 



and Mrs. Delia K. Wilson 



Boone County 



I have received my refund from tour to 

 Calif, Thank you. Never expected any 

 return for I could not figure out how it was 

 accomplished at the original cost. 



Joe. A. Park 

 Vermilion Count\' 



izing the rural homes, conservation of soil, 

 rural health, and rural schools, etc. there will 

 be such progress as to amaze everyone. Too 

 many people are concerned with "who gets 

 the credit" and not "who gets the running 

 water in the home". 



When leaders really cooperate on proj- 

 ects ; when the farm wife AND THE FARM 

 HUSBAND together realize that the end 

 product of farming is better farm life, not 

 more money or just more land, we will have 

 more modernized farms; and when the farm 

 husband AND THE FARM WIFE together 

 realize that soil conservation means more 

 dollars for better livine (or perhaps even the 

 future existence of this country agricultur- 

 ally), then we will have a program of con- 

 servation of soil that will really produce 

 results. 



The reason so few farms are modemiied 

 is really that adult education has fallen far 

 behind when it should have been way out in 

 front. 



Mrs. Merritt C. Ackland, 



President 



Morgan County Home Bureau 



THANKS FROM IOWA 



1 want to express to you my appreciation 

 for the fine trip that our county's delega- 

 tion had in Illinois. I am the county organi- 

 zation director in Kossuth county, Iowa, and 

 I can assure you that our group had their 

 eyes opened as a result of the trip. 



Owen L. Hurt 

 Algona, Iowa 



DAYUGHT SAVING TIME 



We do not like the idea of Paul Mathias 

 (lAA Secretary) suggesting a state law re- 

 quiring that all time pieces be set one hour 

 ahead in summer. He seems to think all 

 urban people favor it. Does he not know 

 that Decatur voted three to one against it? 

 Hugh Uttermadc, 

 Clay County 



Mr. Mathias did not express his opinion 

 on the matter. li, ihf May issue of iht 

 lAA Record, he merely reported the conclu- 

 sion of the lAA Public Relations committe* 

 which was as follows: "Farmers have con- 

 sistently opposed daylight saving time 



However, only about 20 per cent of the peo- 

 ple of Illinois live on farms. Daylight saving 

 time is favored by urban groups. It would be 

 impossible to secure legislation prohibiting 

 daylight saving time during the summer 

 months. If uniformity is to be had, it proh- 

 ably can be had only by placing the 

 state on daylight saving time " 



JUNE. 1947 



