How Candidates for Governor Stand on 

 Important Issues Affecting Farmers 



The following communication, together with the list of questions hereinafter 

 set forth, was sent to each candidate for Governor of Illinois: 



"March 19. 1936. 



Dear Mr. 



In line with the policies adopted by the delegates of the Illinois 

 Agricultural Association assembled in annual meeting, the 

 Board of Directors instructed me to forward you the enclosed 

 list of questions covering matters of major interest and im- 

 ' portyice to the farmers of the State. 



These questions are being sent to the respective candidates for 

 Governor of Illinois and the questions and answers, as received 

 by the morning of March 26th, will be furnished the 63,000 mem- 

 bers of the organization. 



I hope you will fully appreciate the spirit in which this informa- 

 tion is solicited and to receive your reply by the morning of • ' 

 March 26th. 



ILLINOIS AGRICULTURAL ASSOCIATION 

 Earl C. Smith, President." 



We are printing herewith the replies as received, for the information of 

 members of the Association. John G. Ogle.sby replied stating, "If I were still 

 a candidate I would accept your list of questions as a fundamental guide except 

 Number 10, which I would leave for the territories to decide by referendum. I 

 enclose my statement of withdrawal as a candidate." No replies were received 

 from H. Wallace Caldwell, George W. Dowell or James Fred Robertson. 



The questions are printed in the next column on this page and again in the 

 first column on page 8. The replies received from the several candidates are 

 printed under their names, opposite the respective questions. 



How Illinois Members in Congress Voted on 

 New Soil Conservation Act 



THE Illinois delegation in Congress 

 continued to set the pace in sup- 

 porting major agricultural legis- 

 lation, during the current session. 



Illinois delivered 21 out of a possible 

 25 votes for the amendments to the Soil 

 Conservation and Domestic Allotment 

 Act in the House of Representatives. 

 Only one other state delivered as many 

 votes for the amendments as Illinois. 

 This state was New York. It delivered 

 21 votes out of a possible 45. 



In Illinois, the downstate delegation 

 voted solidly for the bill on roll call 

 on Feb. 21 with the exception of Rep. 

 John Buckbee, of Rockford, who was 

 seriously ill and unable to be present. 

 Mr. Buckbee has supported all farm 

 legislation endorsed by the Illinois 

 Agricultural Association consistently 

 since he has been in Congress. 



The other two congressmen not vot- 

 ing were Martin Brennan, of Blooming- 

 ton, cbngressman-at-large, and Adolph 

 Sabath, of Cook county. The only vote 



against the bill was that of Rep. Ralph 

 Church, of Evanston. 



Illinois Congressmen voting for the 

 bill are as follows: Mitchell, Mc- 

 Keough, Kelly, Beam, O'Brien, 

 Schuetz, Kocialkowski, and McAn- 

 drews — all of Chicago; Reed. 11th dis- 

 trict; Allen, 13th- district; Thompson, 

 14th district; Adair, 15th district; Dirk- 

 sen, 16th district; Arends, 17th district; 

 Meeks, 18th district; Dobbins, 19th dis- 

 trict; Lucas, 20th district; Mason, 21st 

 district; Schacfer, 22nd district; Par- 

 sons, 24th district; Keller, 25th district. 



On the basis of their records, all 

 downstate Congressmen representing 

 districts from numBer 11 to number 

 25 inclusive, if seeking reelection, are 

 entitled to your support. 



Both Senators from Illinois, J. Ham- 

 ilton Lewis and W. H. Dietrich, voted 

 "For" the bill. 



As in Illinois, the bill was supported 

 largely on a non-partisan basis 

 throughout the agricultural states. 



Questions 



If nominated and elected Governor of 

 Illinois: 



1. Will you use the rightful influence 

 of your office to assist recognized 

 spokesmen for the farmers of Illi- 

 nois to secure appropriate action by 

 the General Assembly designed to 

 assure the full and effective admin- 

 istration of the Federal Soil Conser- 

 vation Act in Illinois in cooperation 

 with the Federal Government? 



2. Will you assume aggressive leader- 

 ship to secure the submission by the 

 General Assembly and adoption by 

 the voter.s of an amendment to the 

 Revenue Article of the State Con- 

 stitution which will make it possible 

 to revise our revenue system and 

 equitably apportion the tax burden 

 in accordance with ability to pay? 



3. Will you support and insist upon 

 the impartial administration of the 

 tax laws in order to assure a fair 

 and honest equalization of assessed 

 valuations of property for purposes 

 of taxation ? 



4. Will you favor such laws as will 

 provide, from sources other than 

 propert.v, the necessary revenue to 

 carry on the proper functions of the 

 State Government on an economical 

 basis ? 



I). Will you oppose and use the influ- 

 ence of your office to prevent any 

 further reduction in motor fuel tax 

 and motor license fee revenues and 

 any further diversion of such reve- 

 nues to purposes other than the 

 construction, improvement and 

 maintenance of roads and streets, at 

 least until such time as a large 

 majority of the farms of Illinois 

 now on dirt roads are provided an 

 all-weather highway outlet? 



G. Will you support a program for the 

 use of motor fuel tax and motor 

 license fee revenues not currently 

 obligated for the payment of prin- 

 cipal and interest on bonds, the 

 matching of Federal funds and the 



. maintenance and policing of State 

 highways, in the construction of 

 low-cost, all-weather farm-to-mar- 

 ket roads ? 



7. Will vou favor the administration 

 of relief by local officials and sup- 

 port legislation to require the prop- 

 er local governmental units to uni- 

 formly prov'de a reasonable portion 

 of relief funds before they become 

 eligible to participate in and re- 

 reive State relief funds? 



8. Will you oppose the enactment of 

 laws designed to force or coerce the 

 consolidation of rural schools, at 

 least until such time as rural higb| 

 ways are so improved as to assure 

 regular and reasonably safe trans- 

 'portation of children to and from 

 consolidated schools and our State 

 revenue system is so revised as to 

 protect rural taxpavers from the 

 imposition of an unfair and dispro- 

 portionate share of the cost of 

 building and maintaining consoli- 

 dated schools? 



'.I. Will vou support legislation to safe- 

 guard elections and Insure that 

 only qualified citizens are permitted 

 to vote and that their ballots are 

 honestly counted ? 

 10. Will you aggressively oppose at- 

 tempts to change or detach the 

 State or any portion thereof from 

 the Central" Standard Time Zone? 



v^:. 



I. A. A. RECORD 



