t 



tions require 16 separate sets of road 

 building and maintenance equipment, 

 could do better work with four sets of 

 equipment that are strategically located. 

 With an average cost of $30,000 the 16 

 sets of road equipment represent an out- 

 lay of $480,000. Almost half a million 

 dollars. With only four sets of equip- 

 ment to do a better job a saving of 

 $300,000 could be effected. Enough to 

 gravel 100 miles of road. And these 

 roads would be continuous for town- 

 ship lines would not have to be ob- 

 served. Also, as much road building 

 equipment as needed in an area, could 

 be had from the four sets owned by the 

 county unit. 



Under the present situation it is al- 

 most out of the question for each town- 

 ship or road district to own all of the 

 pieces of equipment needed to build a 

 road. In many counties even the coun- 

 ty highway department doesn't own the 

 needed equipment, and even if it did 

 they do not like to discriminate in rent- 

 ing the equipment to townships or road 

 district commissioners. Moreover, there 

 is a lack of unified planning for long- 

 range highway construction and main- 





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tenance. There is too much division of 

 thought and action as well as authority 

 in the present situation. 



Other economies that could be ob- 

 tained under county unit road districts 

 are these: 



1. Trained men, efficient in their 

 fields of operations, paid adequate 

 salaries would be given employment as 

 administrators and operators of this 

 adequate equipment that would be used 

 for both construction and maintenance 

 the year around instead of but a few 

 weeks each year. 



2. Contracts could be awarded for 

 much larger jobs and costs be reduced. 



3. All roads would be more equally 

 financed because of the wider tax base. 



4. Adequate buildings for housing 

 and repair of equipment could be built 

 instead of letting the equipment rest 

 in a fence corner to rust for long 

 periods of time. 



But even with all of the economies 

 effected under reorganization it is very 

 doubtful that the entire job of having 

 all of the highways all-weather roads 

 can be done. In a later issue of the 

 RECORD the need for additional funds 

 will be discussed. 



Lett: This It a stafe old road In Pike toun- 

 ty that Is impossob/e many days In the year 

 and forces frucks, scfioof buses, and grocery 

 trucks to travel a route of 37 fo 30 miles 

 fo get 10 miles. Tills is fiie main road be- 

 tween file county seat and a town of 500 

 population. Photo was made In July. 



Bottom left: This Is a township rood In 

 fayette county of unimproved earth that Is 

 Impassable several months of the year. It 

 probably looked Its best when this photo 

 vras taken In August. 



Bottom right: This bridge Is on a main 

 travelled township road In Menard county 

 used by school buses, mail carriers, live- 

 stock and grain trucks as well as passenger 

 autos. Photo vras made In August, 1949. 



Drop in Farm Prices 

 Not Expected With 

 Currency Devaluation 



CURRENCY devaluation by about 

 25 countries may not reduce prices 

 of Illinois farm products so much as 

 some persons had feared. Actually, 

 there seems to be much more worry 

 than is needed. 



This estimate came today from E. J. 

 Working. Illinois College of Agricul- 

 ture economist. 



By devaluating their currency Britain 

 and about 25 other devaluating coun- 

 tries hope to export more of their own 

 goods and import less from other coun- 

 tries. Wool is the only Illinois farm 

 product which is imported, and it is 

 likely to be much affected by devalua- 

 tion. We also sell fairly large amounts 

 of Illinois lard, soybean oil, and wheat 

 in foreign markets. Devaluation may 

 cut our foreign sales of these products. 



However, Working thinks our exports 

 of manufactured goods will suffer more. 

 The reason — devaluing countries have 

 already cut their imports of needed 

 farm products almost to the limit. 



Our own government price support 

 program and Economic Cooperation 

 Administration funds should also help 

 hold prices of farm exports up. 



W'orking says nothing in devaluation 

 is going to reduce the buying power of 

 ECA American dollars. ECA funds 

 stop in 1952. but until then they should 

 help to keep the volume of our farm 

 exports large. 



Here's a brief look at what may hap- 

 pen to prices of Illinois farm products 

 because of devaluation : 



Beef and pork: little if any price 

 change. We don't need an export mar- 

 ket for these meats because we eat all 

 we produce right here at home. 



Lard: foreign demand will probably 

 drop off slightly. We export about 10 

 percent of our lard, but that share varies 

 widely from year to year. 



Soybean oil: situation like lard. 

 Exports may drop, but industrial de- 

 mand for soybean oil is strong in this 

 country. 



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