m you, the citizens of
Mayfield, as an assurance that you will co-operate with our efforts to
the best of your ability."

Instantly, nearly everyone in the auditorium was on his feet shouting
his approval of the Mayor's program.

Mayor Hilliard had known he was taking a long chance in presenting so
bluntly such a severe program, but long experience had taught him the
best way into a tough situation was a headlong plunge that ignored
consequences. The ovation surprised him. He had expected substantial
opposition. Visibly moved, he held up his hand for quiet once more.

"Our farms and our livestock will be our only means of salvation after
present food stocks are gone," he said. "A separate subcommittee will
inventory all farmland and cattle and dairy herds and plan for their
most efficient use in the coming season. Crops will be assigned as the
committee sees fit. Farm labor will be taken care of by all of us, on a
community basis.

"A third program that must begin immediately is the stockpiling of fuel
for the coming winter. Wood will be our only means of heating and
cooking because the nearest mines are too far away for us to haul coal
from them by teams. The same is true of fuel oil stocks.

"Heating will be at a minimum. Most of you do not have wood stoves. What
you have must be converted to use of wood. An additional committee will
be appointed to supervise this conversion and the construction, where
necessary, of makeshift stoves out of sheet metal, old oil barrels, and
anything else of which we can make use."

Item by item, he continued down the list of problems the Council had
considered that day. He mentioned Ken's suggestion for conservation of
batteries. He spoke of the problems of medical care without adequate
hospital facilities, of police activities that might be required in a
period of stress such as they could expect that winter.

When he had finished, members of the Council detailed plans of the
separate programs over which they had charge. President Lewis spoke to
pledge support of the college staff. He pointed out the fortunate fact
that they had some of the best minds in the entire country in their
scientific departments, and also had Professor Larsen visiting with
them.

The floor was turned over then to members of the audience for comment
and questions. Most of them were favorable, but Sam Cluff, who owned a
hundred and sixty of the best acres in the valley, stood up red-faced
and belliger