n Poor Relief 



I. A. A. Continues Fight for Uniform 

 Responsibility Throughout State in 

 Handling an Acute Problem. Facts 

 Show that Cook County Levied Only 

 7 Cents Per Capita in 1933, while 

 Downstate Townships Levied up to 

 $5.86 for Relief Purposes. 



really pays the taxes — whether local, 

 state or federal. 



"Only casual study reveals that the 

 common every day man, so to speak, 

 carries in large part the burden of 

 taxation, even though much of the 

 total is paid indirectly. This being 

 true, I believe that, as an organization, 

 we should launch a widespread and 

 determined campaign for the discon- 

 tinuance of federal or state assistance 

 in relief matters, except where local 

 units of government have accepted 

 and discharged a required and uniform 

 responsibility. With such local re- 

 quirement fully discharged, the state 

 then could and should rightfully ac- 

 cept any additional responsibility, and 

 with maximum and uniform respon- 

 sibility of the state fully met, it would 

 appear then desirable and only then 

 for a state to ask for or be eligible for 

 federal loans or grants. It is my firm 

 belief that such a system would much 

 more completely confine relief and as- 

 sistance to deserving families ONLY 

 and would very largely remove the 

 extravagance and waste now being 

 experienced. No other law or policy 

 of our state government contributes so 

 much to misunderstanding and sec- 

 tional discord and prejudice as its re- 

 lief activities and attitude 



Bills Offered Again 



"In the call for the special session 

 now convened was included the sub- 

 ject matter of local responsibility for 

 relief. Bills were offered again- trans- 

 ferring responsibility back to all town- 

 ships in counties under township or- 

 ganization, but again carrying an ex- 

 ception for counties with a population 

 of 500,000 or more. This proposal has 

 been defeated, because of strong down- 

 state opposition. This is as it should 

 be. Bills are now pending supported 



MARCH, 1936 , ; 



by your organization largely in line 

 with the legislation it supported dur- 

 ing the sessions of 1933. 



"We can see no reason or justice for 

 exempting any unit government simply 

 because of a large population. We can 

 see no reason or justice in the prop- 

 erty of downstate caring for its dis- 

 titute families and allowing one county 

 of the state, merely because of its 

 large population, to derive its revenue 

 for a similar purpose from the treasury 

 of the state of Illinois. Much bitter- 

 ness has been displayed throughout 

 the debate and consideration of this 

 question. Many downstate representa- 

 tives and senators carry a tremendous 

 responsibility for the failure to solve 

 this problem on a basis of equity, be- 

 cause of their voting with a nearly 

 solid Cook County delegation. 



Beat "Misrepresentatives" 



"I most firmly believe the defeat 

 for reelection of such downstate mis- 

 representatives and senators would 

 soon result in a fair and permanent 

 solution of this problem. For this 

 purpose, all members of the Illinois 

 Agricultural Association will be fur- 

 nished the voting records of all mem- 

 bers of the General Assembly on this 

 question. Partisan prejudices are not 

 involved as the votes have disclosed. 

 Bi-partisan leadership and votes in 

 support of the position of the Illinois 

 Agricultural Association have been 

 disclosed in both debate and test votes." 



In the recent debate in the Senate, 

 downstate Senators of both major 

 parties vigorously championed the 

 bills. Senator Smith, Democrat, repre- 

 senting the University of Chicago dis- 

 trict, likewise championed the new 

 legislation, the only supporter from 

 the metropolitan area. Senator Hick- 

 man, Democrat of Edgar County, and 



Senator Williams, Democrat, of DeWitt 

 County, made stirring speeches in de- 

 fense of the measures. Senator Simon 

 E. Lantz, Republican, of Woodford 

 County, said: 



"Statistics show that Cook County 

 and Chicago have received for relief al- 

 most one-third of a billion dollars from 

 state and governipent funds without 

 providing anything by local taxes, while 

 the rest of the citizens of Illinois, liv- 

 ing outside of Cook County, have been 

 compelled to raise millions of dollars 

 through projjerty taxes before receiving 

 any state or Federal aid. 



"What influence or what persons dic- 

 tate to the members of the Senate and 

 House that part of the state shall raise 

 its own funds for relief and another 

 part, more able to pay, gets all of its 

 funds from the State and Federal treas- 

 uries. 



"Within the last few weeks I have 

 visited quite a few counties and find 

 that Democrats and Republicans alike 

 are beginning to wonder and ask what 

 forces in the city of Chicago are suf- 

 ficiently strong to influence members 

 of this body to oppose bills like these, 

 whose sole purpose is to equalize the 

 tax burden for relief, and require that 

 all parts of the state shall bear an equal 

 share of the load before state money 

 shall be used to finish the job. We use 

 this same principle in conducting our 

 schools. Schools are required to make 

 a certain assessment for their operation 

 in the districts before they can become 

 eligible to receive money from the dis- 

 tributive fund." 



"BEG YOUR P.-VRDOXr 



Jim Hilt, Hillsboro bu!:iness man who 

 coached and taupht Gerald Sammons, 

 winner of the s»ate Sk'lled Driv-rs" Con- 

 test from Moiitsromery county, is not 

 only a Farm Bureau but also a charter 

 member. "He has been a member in good 

 standing since the orcranization was 

 started in 191S." writes Farm Adviser 

 Alden Snyder. "He sends us more auto 

 insurance prospects than any other man 

 in Montgomery county." 



In the February RECORn. an error 

 was made in stating that Mr. Hilt is not 

 a Farm Bureau member. 



C. V. Gregory, ed'tor of Prairie Parm- 

 er, is scheduled to speak before the Chi- 

 cago Producers Commission Association 

 annual meetin^r in the Hotel Sherman. 

 Chicago, March 10. 



A 225-pound moderately fat hog will 

 yield hams and thr?e-rib shoulders that 

 weigh about sixte-n pounds ea-h. bacon 

 strips and loins that weigh from ten 

 to twelve pounds. 



