Portrait of America. No. 36. Rural electrification in the U.S. This collection of electric meters, receiving a final adjustment, is ready to be installed in U.S. farms where electric light and power have been secured through farmers' cooperative groups. These meters tell how much electricity is consumed each month. Each farmer's cooperative group, operating on a non-profit basis, tries to provide low cost electric service to its members. Such is the trust that the cooperatives have in their members that the members usually read their own meters and sometimes compute their own bills. Sourced from the Library of Congress.