Vetoes I. A. A. Bills 



(Continued from page 11) 



self when learning of your veto of the sec- 

 ondary road legislation, which was prepared 

 and sponsored by the Illinois Agricultural 

 Association and which was passed by a very 

 large vote of both houses of ths recent 

 General Assembly. The need for and justi- 

 fication of an extensive secondary road 

 building program in Illinois has been rec- 

 ognized by the chief executives of the 

 state since 1927, when the first statute pro- 

 viding for a gasoline tax was passed by the 

 Illinois General Assembly. 



In supporting that legislation Governor 

 Small stated one of the chief purposes of 

 its use was to inaugurate and build s-;c- 

 ondary roads throughout the state. Two 

 years later. Governor Ejnmerson in recom- 

 mending and later supporting a three cent 

 (3c) gasoline tax emphatif-allv S3t forth the 

 need for a secondary road building program 

 and stated that a substantial portion of the 

 revenue derived from such a tax would be 

 used to construct secondary roads. 



It is also our understanding that, previous 

 to your election, and later as Governor, you 

 have both publicly and privately, expressed 

 your interest in and the great need for an 

 extensive secondary road program. 



Throughout all of these years, the farm- 

 ers of the state have patiently waited for 

 putting into action these public pronounce- 

 ments of the respective chief executives of 

 the state. Also, throughout all of this pe- 

 riod, farmers have paid the same automobile 

 license fees and the same gasoline taxes as 

 other citizens of the state who have been 

 ■ enjoying 365 days service annually on the 

 primary highways of Illinois. 



When one reviews the secondary road 

 building of the state and the very limited 

 results that have thus far been obtained, 

 the need for statutory requirement becomes 

 • obvious, indeed. This is particularly true 

 when attention is given to the almost negli- 

 gible mileage of secondary highways that 

 have been constructed by the State Highway 

 Department with state revenue. 



After all of these years of promises and 

 public pronouncements by those in au- 

 thority, the fact remains that about 70 per 

 cent of the farms of Illinois have no other 

 outlets to our primary system of highways 

 than dirt roads. It was largely because of 

 this neglect by public authorities of rightful 

 road service and communication for rural 

 citizens, that farmers through their organ- 

 ization, succeeded in earmarking a substan- 

 tial portion of. work relief revenue recently 

 provided by Congress for the purpose of 

 building farm-to-market roads. 



It was under the direction of the dele- 

 gates assembled at the last annual meeting 

 of the Illinois Agricultural Association in 

 Quincy that the above mentioned secondary 

 road legislation was written and sponsored 

 by the Illinois Agricultural Association. It 

 was also the interest of farmers in secondary 

 road building that caused the delegates as- 

 sembled in Quincy to direct the officials of 

 the I. A. A. to oppose a reduction in auto- 

 mobile license fees and gasoline taxes, as 

 they realized a reduction in this revenue 

 would delay, if not remove, the opportunity 

 for secondary road improvement. 



The position of farmers on these matters 

 was presented to you at a conference in 

 the executive mansion by representatives of 

 the I. A. A. soon after the close of the 

 annual meeting referred to. It was the 

 understanding of those attending this con- 

 ference that you were in accord with theii 



M 



SOIL EROSION PROJECT SIGNS LIKE 

 fhis one marl farms In McLean and other 

 counties where federal soil erosion control 

 work is under way. The photographer snapped 

 this one on route 9 near Arrowsmith. Forrest 

 Fisher, former farm adviser in Wabash and 

 Morgan counties, is in charge. 



position both on the subject of secondary 

 road building and a reduction in road build- 

 ing revenue. 



Following this conference, the I. A. A. 

 prepared the so-called secondary road legis- 

 lation and sponsored its consideration on 

 the floor of the House of the General As- 

 sembly. These bills passed the Senate by 

 a vote of 39 to nothing, largely because of 

 the weight of argument in support of the 

 legislation. When referred to the proper 

 committee in the House, consideration of 

 these bills was delayed at the request of the 

 Director of the Department of Works and 

 Buildings, it being stated that he desired 

 to first check with authorities in Washing- 

 ton as to what conflict, if any. the legisla- 

 tion would have with federal law or reg- 

 ulation. The 1. A. A. consented to this de- 

 lay even though these bills already pro- 

 vided that no provision of this legislation 

 was to be effective if found to be in conflict 

 with federal law or regulation. 



Representatives of the I. A. A. called 

 upon you at the request of and in company 

 with a representative of the Highway De- 

 partment, and it was understood by those 

 representing the I. A. A. in this conference 

 that you requested them to confer with Di- 

 rector Kingery and Chief Highway Engineer 

 Lieberman. who were your representatives 

 on matters of this kind. While waiting for 

 Mr. Kingery to return, we also interviewed 

 the pnroper and highest authority in the 

 Federal Government as to what conflict, if 

 any, this legislation would have with fed- 

 eral law and regulation. We were assured 

 that the legislation would not be in conflict 

 and at least, in a substantial degree, would 

 be quite helpful in carrying out the intent 

 and purpose of the highest authority in 

 Washington having to do with farm-to- 

 market road building throughout the nation. 



Following these conferences, four repre- 

 sentatives of the Illinois Agricultural Asso- 

 ciation conferred with Director Kingery. 

 Chief Highway Engineer Lieberman and 



Assistant Engineer DeLeuw on the provi- 

 sions of this legislation. Each bill was gone 

 over in detail, and several amendments were 

 agreed upon. At the close of this confer- 

 ence, it was understood by all parties in the 

 conference that Mr. Mathias, representing 

 the I. A. A., and Mr. DeLeuw, representing 

 the Highway Department were to draft 

 amendments to put into effect the principles 

 agreed upon in the conference. 



It was also expressly agreed that, if and 

 when these amendments were drafted and 

 agreed to by both Mr. DeLeuw and Mr. 

 Mathias, thev were authorized to in person 

 present to those sponsoring the legislation 

 on the floor of the House, namely, Messrs. 

 Sinnett and Hunter, the proposed amend- 

 ments and to make the statement that the 

 legislation was agreeable to both the High- 

 way Department and to the Illinois Agri- 

 cultural Association. 



Every detail of this agreement was car- 

 ried out and the legislation passed the 

 House by a vote of 125 to nothing. These 

 amendments were then approved in the 

 Senate and it was in this condition the bills 

 reached your office. 



In view of all of these circumstances, con- 

 ferences and agreements, the I. A. A. had 

 full reason to believe this series of bills not 

 onlv merited, but would receive your hearty 

 endorsement and approval. However, we 

 are forced to face the fact that mt only 

 have you vetoed all important bills con- 

 nected with this legislation; but you have 

 signed bills sponsored by the Mayor of 

 Chicago and the Secretary of State reduc- 

 ing automobile license fees, which can have 

 no other result than to reduce total state 

 revenue that should rightfully be used for 

 the building of much delayed secondary 

 roads throughout the State. 



Bills providin'j for n r»duction in motor 

 license fees were opposed by the I. A. A. 

 throughout the session. Such legislation 

 never merited or received any substantial 

 support of the members of the General As- 

 sembly until in the closing days of the 

 session, an amendment providing for these 

 reductions was offered to legislation then 

 pending on the calendar of a character en- 

 tirely foreign to motor license fees and 

 pressed for passage under the tremendous 

 political influence of the gentlemen above 

 referred to and some leaders of the re- 

 spective Houses. 



Certainly you, as chief executive, must 

 know that to reduce motor license fees is 

 to reduce Highway revenue, which can have 

 no other result than either reducing funds 

 for the maintenance of our present high- 

 way system, the need for which is becoming 

 increasingly apparent; reducing revenue for 

 secondary road building; or endangering 

 property of the state with responsibility for 

 at least, in part, retiring bonds and interest 

 thereon authorized by the people years ago 

 when assured that motor license fees would 

 be adequate to retire bonds and interest 

 without in any way endangering property 

 with added taxation. 



The Board of Directors of the Illinois Ag- 

 ricultural Association convening in its reg- 

 ular monthly meeting last Friday again re- 

 viewed the bills comprising secondary road 

 legislation, and your veto message of these 

 bills. They instructed me to convey to you 

 their keen disappointment at the action ypu 

 have taken. However, they hope for action 

 as in your veto message you accepted, ks 

 chief executive of Illinois, full responsibility 

 for an immediate and extensive secondary 

 road building program in Illinois. 



They also directed me to express their 

 (Continued on page 13) 



I. A. A. RECORD 



Peo 



Firmly 



i 





