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<br />H.OTLlNES
<br />Austin Takes Look at Future,.,
<br />'In last Column for R. E. NewS'>
<br />MY ,LAST COLUMN' - .~)
<br />Thta,I$ my Iast,column,AS Manager of the Colorado Rtiral Electric,Asso-
<br />elation. As ot Mareh 1; 1957, I assume my duties as Managing Director of the-
<br />CreQit 'Union, National AssocIation, Inc., with o:U1ces in Madi$on, Wlsc9nsln..
<br />'My new position affords a wonderful opportunity to. me, bt\t my 1tmillY and
<br />I leave Colorado. ~d', leave our work with rural '
<br />electrlc- p~ple.ln Colorado. with 'tteep -regret.
<br />DOrothy 4fId the kids and t-all 01 us-want to
<br />express to. all of you Wonderful Coloradans our sln.
<br />cerest appreciation lor the: opportunity af working
<br />with you far' the_past eight years. Working-with
<br />you and "for you has been a most enjoyable and en.
<br />rIching experience, We take thousands 0.1 pleasant
<br />rnern'orles With us, and we have a fervent hope that
<br />our paths will cross with your paths ~ny times In
<br />.1heluture.
<br />RURAL ELECl'RIO LEADERS GET TIBED
<br />The createst d~ faclng tbe rural. electdo._
<br />propam today stems trom the tact that many of Vance 4-ustln
<br />the rural eleckIo leaders have become -tired with the years. And, wblle 8. lot
<br />01 new people have been stepping Into the picture, some 01 tlle'rn have Dot re-
<br />called-nor even know &bour-past battles and past dang~,s.
<br />We've got to tulnd It to the men states 11ght there -to watch them,
<br />who run the big power companies; they are pretty apt to go along with
<br />they just don't ever sleep, nor do the 11ght. But, whetl- those hearings
<br />they ever get tired, nor do they ever drag out over a long pe110d of time,
<br />really gtve up In their eflorts to keep and when discussions go on in the
<br />the rural elec.trlcs small and power- halls of Congress :for days and may_
<br />less and to take over from the rural be even weeks, our 'folks begin to
<br />electrics the territory that now looks think 01 the fences that need repair-
<br />protitable to them, (the big power .Ing on the "south forty," the crops
<br />companies.) Of course" some ind1vI. that need planting or harvesting, and
<br />duals get tired and retlre from the the fact that their expense accounts
<br />seene, but new, strong men always are getting pretty high lor the size
<br />spring Into their places. 01 the organlzatlon they represent.
<br />I-have seen some battles 1000t In the So, aftel' having been arowid Wash.
<br />halls ot Congress simply booause - the lngton for perhaps a tew days or
<br />foJ'Cll8 of the rural eleotrlo groups several weeks om: people CO' home.
<br />wore out and went home. POWlll' And then thO$e who take an opposing
<br />company men ,w~ being deleated at stand to ours ,are the' only ones left
<br />eVllI')' tuni 80 long lIS our people Wlll'll on the field, and too ~ of our
<br />right there on the ftrlng Une to back Congressmen and Senators then vote
<br />up Clyde' EllII, the rest of the excel. wIth the opposjtlon--tind blandly tell
<br />lent staU of NBECA and theb' aUles us that they' didn't, realize-they
<br />on the 'WMhIngton front. They artl weren't doing. what -we wanted them
<br />very effeOUve.' but' they can't do the to do; they didn't he8J' anyth1Dg from
<br />Job without OOIIStant support from US at _that parllcular mOD1llll.t.
<br />the ':'gnlIJIIroota... We get too soon tlred_!
<br />As lone as Congressmen and 'United Some of our ~t.hy,~c_pr9.' .
<br />States Senators' luiow that there are jecta hl1ve nl?t been boUt for just that
<br />people from their own dtstr1cts an.d reason!
<br />''Tin: COST OF ORG~TION. IS NEVER SO GREAT
<br />AS THE COST OF'LA(JK OF IT'.
<br />Ii's an ,014 Sa,tng, no less true today than When It WlUI lint put bato
<br />words. . .
<br />Wlthont We statewide Ol'ganIzatlon, which was originally 'CRUe4 ~e
<br />Colorado State ~UOtl' ot, REA. ,Coo~tlves," there would 1!8 onIy_ a
<br />traoUon of the"rural eleotrlo 'development In Colorado' that ~ Is now.
<br />When this organization WIUI formed,
<br />the Colorado statute books bad a ~ working, through thls,.State ~a.
<br />tion of the Public UtIlltlea Law that tlon. So' long as indiVlduah~oopel'a.
<br />W'as,called 86' (k). That Isw said that Uvea tell their story they will get
<br />no t'utal electrlc cooperatlve could some audience, but only when they
<br />serve any area then being served by work collectively through' some co-
<br />any private utility, (there was, no ordlnating agency 01 their own do
<br />que s t Ion about that In anybody's they begin to reach any sizeable num.'
<br />mlndl, nor could any rural ele'ctrlc ber 01 people-and It is never .size.
<br />cooperative serve any, territory which able enough, even at that.
<br />any private Utlllty or municipal utll. It Is very doubtful it -there would
<br />Ity said It could serve and wished to have been transmission lines from. the
<br />serve within a l'6MOIlable fbne. Colorado BIg-Thompson ._ to take
<br />Can you Imagine the private utili. power to l'tll'al elecltrlo _ooIatiolls
<br />ties giving up a strangle hold like In eastern' Colorado; lilt had not been
<br />that? Well, they didn't give It up; ror the concert,ed eft'~ 01 all
<br />the rural electrl.cs by organization through the State AsSoolatlon.
<br />and.concentra~on and eflorts had the Unquestionably, without the State
<br />legtillature simply knock that section AsSQclatlon's eUorts" Bureau o!.Rec-
<br />out. But It took the rural elect11cs lamatlon power wOuld. not now be
<br />really working together to get that available to the systems ot the rural
<br />job done. electrlcs In the southern part ot the
<br />Several Urn.. there have been ta:r: state and in the western part of the
<br />laWII PJ::'Oposed in the State ot Col/). state. Savings e:Uected by the pur-
<br />ratio that would bave put terrlftcaUy chase of Bureau of Reclamation,pow.
<br />punttve tax laWS on the booItIt--ahnOO ~ have been many, many tIme.s the
<br />directly at us. By our worklng to- total expenditures 01 the Colorado
<br />gether, those ~ve been deleated. Rural Electrlc AssoCIation sInoo_ Its
<br />Thousands o! people in the state b 1 r t h. Incidentally; the Colorado
<br />01 Colorado who never would have rural electric CCHlp which has bene-
<br />heard of rural el~c cooperatives flted the most dollai.w1.se trom the
<br />have a pretty good Idea ot what these eflorts of the State Association In
<br />rural electr1cs are and what they do making bureau power avallabIe. to It
<br />and the benefits that are derived from has not belonged to the Colorado
<br />them, tbrough the concerted eflorts Rural Electric Association since Its
<br />of the rural electric cooperatives, rebirth. In 1948.
<br />OUR-'RESPONSIBlLITIES GROW, TOO
<br />ApproXImately ZGO,OOO men, women and cbI1dren In Colorado 'receive
<br />their elcdl'lc power tbroul'h their own e1ootrlo COOplll'attve. That's a pretty
<br />f~~Z::U:U:: : Colorado's toW eleotdo service. th~ ~t,at _aU the
<br />Our rural eleetrlc cooperatives have The power "riee'ih{ ,~t ColoradO's_
<br />grown blg- and they graw bl&" be- rural electric o.ooMl:8t1v:e -membeD-
<br />cause rou had bl&' dl'ea.qu! when you consumers are doubling. aboUt everY
<br />farmers ~ your rural electric 5 'Th .', .'that" ' .
<br />C09peratlves - and as you have bullt . years. at me~ _,' .In 5 years
<br />the.mthrough the yeara. It.will take tY?ll!e,.~ ,many POwe,r
<br />However, It Jna7 be that the dreams plants as are b~~g. ,1,1800 now to
<br />are now &!OWing smaller, ani! tJuit Is 1urnish the pow-er, we are nOw con-
<br />a terrible inlstakel BUrning. It take-\l.' l3e-Ver,aI years to
<br />2 (010. hn" (Itctrd HtWI Mcir" i' 957
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<br />Vance Austin Leaves Colorado's R.E.s
<br />To Head CreditUni~nAssocialion
<br />R',Vanoo AU8t1n;,.Mana~'-'~f.the Coio~o Rtu'aI Electrle.AssO:';.';,,.
<br />',elation $ln(le'I949, resIgned-,lQ. February'to accept the Position of ,~i
<br />'Managllig .D1rootor of'the CredIt UnlOQ National AssocIatIon -with
<br />~eadq"""'" In MadIsoU,. __.
<br />_ 'Atlatln, who 9J.&o has been a regent
<br />ot the. ,qnlverslty, of, Colorado-:tor the.
<br />past seven _YM will be In charge ot
<br />a national aSOOClatlon that b8.s 2Z,OOO
<br />~1t union members; _ lie _toOk over
<br />his new 'duues. ~ Madls9n -cin Mar. L
<br />HIs tlnal colwnn of COnnnerlts on
<br />Rural Electrlc subjeets,,'whlch has
<br />been 'runnlng.1n this publl~t;1on for
<br />:five years, Is printed in this Issue;
<br />Auain, 48,; ~d. h1s-,wlte, DoOOthy,
<br />and clJ.Udreb; rameJa, lG, and Sha)VD,
<br />14,- have been living at 770 Fllbnore
<br />St., In, Denv~l'_ tor tile past three,
<br />. years- Jdter moving- here troril S~J.
<br />lng, Colorado, where Austin_had law
<br />oftloos. The ' family - will remain-in
<br />Denver until 'the chUdren are out 01
<br />school In June.
<br />AUlItIn's appointment to the posl.
<br />tion as manager ot the Credit Union
<br />National Assoolation was made In
<br />Washington, D. C" in mid.February
<br />by Melvin lL_Wldennan, CUNA pres-
<br />ident, at a directors' meeting. Aus.tin
<br />and his wJfe, Dorothy, were- present
<br />at the meeting to accept the post.
<br />AusUn helped found the SterUng
<br />communlty (Jredjt Union In 1938 and
<br />was the first treasurer 01 that grouP.
<br />He later was named illrect.or of the
<br />Colorado Credit UnIon League and
<br />helped' form other ored1t unions In
<br />Colomdo.
<br />During his- service with the Colo-
<br />rado Rural Electric Association,
<br />Austin maintained his ot:flce.s at
<br />Sterling for three years and then
<br />moved to Denver, where the assocla.
<br />tion offices have been located. at 802
<br />Farmers Unlo.n Bundlng, 1575 Sher-
<br />rnan-St.
<br />
<br />'.:'~>,:., y<'i;'::'
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<br />Delta P~one Co.op
<br />To ,Use Microwave
<br />seven 'REA, teleph6ne:.:_borrowers
<br />now are using or: installing micro-
<br />wave radio 'equipment to serve ex.
<br />chan.ges lmd' groups 01 sultscrlbers
<br />In remove rural area$.
<br />T\llephone 8)'8tems ~ rural
<br />areas fInd- mIcrowave t~tles otter
<br />advan~ oyw - convention. WIre
<br />plant In llOII1elooatlons, pa.rlfcQtarly
<br />where eigh1 or more cJrouIts are re-
<br />quired over iIlstanoes greater tiIan 13
<br />to 20 mBes.
<br />Among the seven using or planning
<br />to use microwave radlo_ to intercon.
<br />nect exchanges Is the Delta County
<br />COOperative Telephone Company ot
<br />Paonla, Colorado. '
<br />
<br />Each year AmerIcana read approx-
<br />bnately ,18,500,000,000 newspapers;
<br />4,500,000,000, magazines; and 450,000"
<br />000 books. We pay 5,000,000,000 visits
<br />to the niovles_ each year.
<br />build a pOwer, plant are we plan.
<br />nlng big enough now to have power
<br />plants to take care ot the rural elec-
<br />tric needs In ,another 5 years?
<br />
<br />Candidates
<br />To Be Screened ,
<br />Sta_ SlIlWor Goorce, WIlsOn Of
<br />Nnola,:- who fa'l'resldfint 01, the
<br />Colorado. Bural . Etectrlo ~
<br />Wm. was to be In chlJrP Of,.e
<br />'RuralElectrlostateOffiOOs,"~'
<br />~ union JiuUiUng In Denver
<br />untt1 .. SlICCleSSOr t!l State Ma!i.
<br />ager B. Vance Austin; who' r&
<br />sJgneil in Febmary,'ls named.,
<br />CoIomdo: RUral EI~lo'~.
<br />atlon-exooutlve boa.rd; otrioors and
<br />PresIdent WlJson-platinO!lb;I-sOreen.
<br />candidates for the State Manager's
<br />PosItIon possibly to have, soma
<br />definite oandldates before tho State
<br />AssocIation'll quarterly meeting In
<br />Denver, Ilardi 18-20.
<br />
<br />Dave Millar Moves
<br />To South Carolina
<br />
<br />David MIllar, REA Operations Field
<br />RePl'l*leJltatlve__ for the, Western
<br />. Area -states O! Colorado, Wycimlng, , .,
<br />Nebraska and Kansas, has been re.
<br />_assigned to till a _field position va.
<br />cant In the Southeast Axea.
<br />1WOar served as a field represen-
<br />tative In REA's Section 7' since 1961,
<br />at first from headquarters In VenVlll'
<br />and more recently from headquar-
<br />ters in IJttJeton, Colorado. HIs new
<br />headquarters WUl be Columbia. South '
<br />CaroIJmo.
<br />A native ot Wisconsin, Millar has
<br />j:>een _ with 'REA sinCe 1941. Betore
<br />coming to the Western Area, he.'
<br />serVed' as a field ,representative In
<br />the- Northeas~.Md :ill' North Central
<br />states. He has alsO' ~_ varted expe-
<br />rience 10 a nUmber, Of other ~em..
<br />men* agencles and in industry. Dur-
<br />lng_ World War'l, he served in the
<br />Anny, '.
<br />A new field representative to the
<br />Western 4rea post vacated by-Millar
<br />is expected to be announced soon.
<br />
<br />SOIL BANK, 19l51 . .'. Ot:flciaIs in
<br />file Department of Agriculture agree
<br />that, the soll-bank has not done much
<br />to reduce 1956 productions. But ad-
<br />minIstrators of the plsn are very opti-
<br />mistic a1.l0ut itS eUectivenes.s in 1957:
<br />On the wheat acreage, tor example,
<br />It Is believed the winter planting has
<br />been cut 10 million acres aM. _that' 5
<br />mnnon from the spring crop will go
<br />in the bank. That's a 15 mlllIon acre
<br />red~ctIori for next year.
<br />
<br />And, are we planning the power
<br />plants big enough that they can be
<br />efilclent enough to give us low.cost
<br />power? .
<br />
<br />PARTNERSHIP IS FINE, !F_
<br />In somo parts ot Colorado there aro tItree sets o! power supply right
<br />now: the power supply of the rural electrlo (lOOplIl'atlves, the power snppJy
<br />of the munIcIpal eIeotrIeB. and the power supply of the profit pOWlll' com-
<br />panies. When each one 01 those three pms In Ita own power plant, the
<br />power pJanbJ will be small and Inetllclent - and the pow&' WUl be eJqMlD/l1ve.
<br />When those 3 groups get together
<br />and combIne thelr power needs tor a respollSlbWUes and sbares ownership
<br />sizeable area the POwer plants can be and takes no more than Its slfAre of
<br />big - and the power can be low~ost. COD t r ol and profit. "Partnlll'8hlp"
<br />We can now enter into partnerships does not mean 8urrender ,by One or
<br />ot that kind" and the munlc1pals and two of the parties to the remainder
<br />the investor-own~ power companies ot the groupJ
<br />should be Interested. In entering into Here's where we need some ot the
<br />arrangements with us tor joint owner. pioneer vision that may have been
<br />ship ot pOWer plants. more evident In rural electrlo leaders
<br />But, we need a real J;lRriner8hIp In of a generatlon ago than Is now in
<br />which each _ot,the pa.rtles takes ~e !lIght.
<br />''LOWER COSTS" STILL A _ GOAL
<br />Colorado rural'electrlcs 'a.ssocla. Jusi gett1ng power to most Of tbe
<br />tiODS l19-Y~' '?~f'~~-eUIcientIy ~n the. hrms and ri&ndles that nood It Is
<br />whole.",~ ilP1\~~ that u the ef. 0& the- hoJ' .
<br />ficlen4Y,of:tlJi:l"J'U'ral e1ectrlcs Is ~rn' n .- "w , e 'lWJW~' mra1 ~ ,
<br />pared.,mtA ~fettlclency ot other leaders SWlluJ-ve a graye I'e8ponat.-,
<br />pow~l) fP'Oll.ll8. .'. .:ti1'. l;o'.orado, the rural bWti to brlnC' OOlIts down and down .
<br />electr1,cs, w'Quld,; look mighty good. - at the same tline building sel'Vfoe .
<br />But, -w:il'l:1--:UW..mnes of,dlstrlbutlon uplUldop. - .
<br />line and thE! high cost ot wholesale
<br />power, ~ ~!J. long way. from the And It takes .lust as much thought
<br />goal ~ot ,1l,QWllr th,tit Is low enougli In and planning and dreaming and COo.
<br />cost t9 l~ ev~ry' farmer and rancher operating to achieve that goal, as It
<br />and ruk'~ _ ~slde"nt use all oJ: It that did to get the lines built in the .lIrat:
<br />be can l>OSSIb1y use. placel
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