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Show ELECTRIFICATION IS BIG RURAL PROBLEM Service on Farm Would Greatly Improve Conditions. "Why Is it that so many of our farm women become broken in health around the age of forty, while their city cousins are as young and active at sixty as the average farm woman Is at thirty." This was a question J. W. Covprdale, secretary of the American Farm Bureau federation, asked the officials of the Great Iikes division of the National Electric Light association at their recent meeting in French Lick, Indiana. "The answer," said Mr. Covenlah', "Is that economic , conditions on the farm have been such that modern conveniences con-veniences could not be Installed. First, because of excessive pates; second, because be-cause of lack of Interest of the elec- r ') i .? t H v -r ,i trlclty to agriculture a medium will be afforded whereby the manufacturers manufactur-ers of equipment and operators of central cen-tral station companies will be given first hand Information on rural problems prob-lems and the needs of agriculture in this particular field presented by men who have an intimate acquaintance with these problems. On the other hand, the farmer through his representatives repre-sentatives will be brought in contact with the problems of the electrical industry ami Its adaptation to agriculture agricul-ture without exploitation. It is a new form of co-operative movement and illustrates the possibilities when industries in-dustries are properly organized. Without With-out organizations such as the American Ameri-can Farm Bureau federation representing represent-ing agriculture, the National Electric Light, association representing the central cen-tral station companies, such a movement move-ment as this would not he possible. "This committee recognizes that electrical service on the farm offers great possibilities for Improving living liv-ing conditions, lightening the work of the household and reducing the cost of production, but before these can be realized there are many economic and engineering problems to be solved. These can best be met by securing the co-operation of men trained In these special fields who have a complete understanding un-derstanding of the situation. This 13 the line along which the committee proposes to work. The farm power problem will be analyzed and the best talent available put to work on the application ap-plication of electrical service to this great Industry. "The development of the low-vol t-oge t-oge or Isolated electric plant has been steady, and after the use of these the individual user wants more power. In fact, a great many high-voltage lines have now been built Into the country, but In many cases the farmer feels h Is discriminated against. "With the principles as above stated It Is the purpose ot the committee to encourage some careful research work on how to obtain electric enrrent economically eco-nomically on the farm by co-ordinating the different experimental agendas we have thoughout the land and, together with other agencies, attempt to determine deter-mine Rome of the fundamentals of electricity elec-tricity and Its relation to agriculture. "When we stop to consider thot approximately ap-proximately three-fourths of all the food products of the nation are produced pro-duced In the Mississippi Valley states, and that the center of population of (lie country Is In Indiana and eastward, east-ward, the problem of transportation looms up. With the high cost of transportation trans-portation as it now exists It becomes apparent that more economical forms of power will need to be developed. The hydro-elect rle power from our streams and the development of electrical elec-trical power at the coal mines wl'h (lie two systems properly connected would no doubt Increase the efficiency of I he rallro.ids and assist greatly In solving the trnnsportnl Ion problem. "Not only will elect rlcil.y help transportation, trans-portation, but fertilizer Is now being successfully made from the air by the use of electrical power, thus opening up the possibility of Increasing the elll-clency elll-clency of the American farmer. Statistics Sta-tistics show that modernized machinery machin-ery in the past decade 1ms Increased production per man 20 per cent, and then' Is no reason to doulit that the elect rlcil age will show equally as well during the next decade. "We are living In a co-operative age. The country Is getting so thickly populated popu-lated that thciv must be massed action and thus our rural problem Is one of working In community groups. The natural resources should ho developed for the benefit of the conmunilly. Private Pri-vate or group Initiative sh.'udd he encouraged, en-couraged, hut the public fihould not. be compelled to forever pay a financial finan-cial tribute to the harnesiifiig of our natural resources." Secretary J. W. Coverdale. trie organizations In trying to serve the public as a whole." iMr. Coverdale continued: "We are now fast passing Into an electrical age. The time has come when the national solution of the power problem of the country must provide limit hydro-eiec-trlc power must be served to the farm homes as well as to the city homes. A committee on electricity In Its relation to agriculture was formed at a late meeting In Chicago, and at this meeting meet-ing the representatives of the rural lines committee of the National lOlec-trlc lOlec-trlc Light association, I he manufacturers manufac-turers of farm electric plants, the American Kami Bureau federation, the American Society of Agricultural Kn-glneers, Kn-glneers, and the ITnlted Slates Department Depart-ment of Agriculture were present'. This Is an example of co-opcral Ive effort ef-fort anil an outline; of the Investigations Investiga-tions being carried on under the su pervlslon of the committee; "A. Kami power survey. "It. Survey of central station and Isolated plant aervlce to the farmer. "( Survey of agricultural uses of electricity In foreign countries. "D. Kxperlincntal and research work on the uses of electricity In agriculture. ag-riculture. "The formation of this committee brings together various groups, all vitally vi-tally Interested In the problem of rural el ctrllli-nl Ion, and marks one of the first, If not tlio lliHt, times In American history when the farmer through his own representatives Is actively participating par-ticipating In solving the problems to be met In taking a new form of power onto tln farm. Through the work of the committee 011 the relation of (dec- |