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Number 5 



MAY, 1929 



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^ ; A An Open Letter To 

 FARM AND HOME OWNERS OF ILLINOIS: 



C EN ATE Bill No. jg, better-known as the State In- 

 come Tax Bill, is now pending before the Illinois 

 State Legislature. The Illinois Agricultural Associa- 

 tion believes it to be the most constructive tax bill 

 under consideration by that body. It was introduced 

 at the request of the I. A. A. and has the support of 

 the Illinois Bankers Association, the Illinois State Fed- 

 eration of Labor, Prairie Farmer and most of the down- 

 state newspapers. It is deserving of the active support 

 of all thinking citizens who are interested in securing a 

 more equitable distribution of the tax burden. 



j HIS bill is being actively opposed by the Chicago 

 press, by certain wealthy industrial interests of 

 the State, and by those who receive large incomes but 

 pay little or no taxes. These people know that the 

 real property owners are paying ninety per cent of 

 the tax burden of Illinois. They also realize that so 

 long as they can keep this heavy load, which in 1927 

 amounted to $370,000,000, saddled on you, they will 

 ride free. They want to enjoy the privileges of citizen- 

 ship and protection of government and let you pay for 

 it. They have a selfish interest in putting off the day 

 when taxes will be based on ability to pay, which 

 means on net income. - . , .. . ..^ ■ . . , . 



\ ^UCH unfair and insidious propaganda is begin, 

 ^^^ ning to flood your representatives at Springfield 

 and states this is just another tax. They apparently 

 realize the impossibility of constructively criticizing the 

 merits of this bill and are resorting, in many cases, to 

 misrepresentation. They do not mention the fact that 

 this is a replacement tax; in other words, that the esti- 

 mated eight million dollars which it will raise will replace 

 a like amount now derived from the property tax. 



THE bill is designed to help lower the taxes on your 

 farm, on your homes, and on your personal prop- 

 erty. The bill carries a provision to the effect that 



anyone who already pays a propfetty tax can deduct 

 the full amount of that tax fromTiis computed state 

 income tax. This provision, of course, will not help 

 that large per cent of the personal property owners 

 who now successfully dodge taxation. (The operation 

 of this bill is explained fully on Page Three.) 



C ENATE Bill No. 39 has already passed the Senate. 

 ^ Coming over to the House it was referred to the 

 Revenue Committee unfairly made up of nineteen 

 Chicago legislators and eleven representatives from 

 down state. When this bill came before the Commit- 

 tee the Chicago representatives refused to give a hear- 

 ing to those who were present and insisted upon an 

 immediate vote. No discussion was allowed, because 

 the opponents of this bill knew they cduld not sustain 

 their position. The vote showed Chicago representa- 

 tives standing solidly against the bill and representatives 

 from downstate for the bill with the exception of Mr. 

 Crowley of Peoria who voted with the opposition. 

 The opponents, being in strong majority, sent the bill 

 out to the House with recommendations that it do not 

 pass. They apparently felt they had killed the bill. 

 Your representatives, however, kept right on fighting, 

 and the second morning thereafter when the Committee 

 report was considered, a motion to non-concur in the re- 

 port of the Committee and place the bill on the calendar 

 prevailed by a vote of seventy-two to fifty-nine. 1 



T T WILL be under further consideration in the near 

 future, and if you are interested in securing a more 

 fair distribution of the tax burden, if you want some 

 relief from present unjust taxes you are paying, you 

 should immediately wire, write or see your representa- 

 tives in the State Legislature and tell them of your inter- 

 est in this legislation. You can address them in care of 

 the House of Representatives, Springfield, Illinois. , j 

 Sincerely yours, ! 



ILLINOIS AGRICULTURAL ASSOCIATION 



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