I. A. A. RECORD— July, 193;i 



istration of such funds can best be 

 achieved." 



This position follows the policy laid 

 down in resolutions passed by the 

 board of delegates at the last annual 

 meeting of the I. A. A. in Peoria. 



Experienced legislators say that it 

 is not certain, by any means, that the 

 sales tax bills will be passed in the 

 house where downstate opposition is 

 said to be better organized. 



The Road Bills 



Of great interest and importance to 

 farmers is the series of road bills 

 sponsored by the Hunter Highway 

 Commission outlining road-building 

 in Illinois for the immediate future. 



These bills, as explained in the June 

 issue of the RECORD, were amended 

 by the Illinois Agricultural Associa- 

 tion in the House Road and Bridge 

 Committee so as to provide that when 

 the 10,000 mile state paved road sys- 

 tem is completed, the state's one-third 

 of the 3 cent gas tax shall be ex- 

 pended on road building and improve- 

 ment only outside of municipalities 

 which means in rural areas; further 

 that the one-third of the gas tax going 

 to cities and villages shall first be used 

 to build, improve, and maintain the 

 state highways within municipalities 

 which formerly were improved and 

 maintained by the state. 



As these bills were originally drawn, 

 it was indicated that the state would 

 spend its portion of gas tax revenue 

 largely in metropolitan areas and was 

 authorized to build and maintain ar- 

 terial highways within municipalities. 

 ^ ^ *: :'i Important Amendments /'• 



As amended, no part of the state's 

 portion of the gas tax fund may be 

 spent within municipalities over 2,500 

 population after January 1, 1934. 



The amendments to House Bill 557 

 inserted at the request of the I. A. A. 

 are of greater importance, however, 

 to the farmers of Illinois. They de- 

 clare that each year current expendi- 

 tures for road purposes shall be 

 equitably distributed among all of 

 the counties of the state. This bill 

 now provides that as the state takes 

 over additional mileage from the coun- 

 ties into the state road system, esti- 

 mated at 1,000 miles yearly, such mile- 

 age shall be equitably distributed 

 among the different sections of the 

 state. This provision will prevent the 

 concentration of additional state roads 

 in any one section. 



The federal government now dis- 

 tributes approximately $3,500,000 an- 

 nually for federal aid roads in Illi- 

 nois which the state must match. Un- 

 der the I. A. A. amendments this 

 $7,000,000 will be distributed among 

 the rural areas. 



Another I. A. A. provision also of 



extreme importance is embodied in 

 House bill 1012. This bill prevents 

 further diversion of the state motor 

 fuel tax fund to other than road build- 

 ing purposes. During the past year, 

 state road building in Illinois has been 

 halted because nearly $14,000,000 was 

 removed from the road fund and used 

 for state expenses. This diversion of 

 funds was occasioned by the failure of 

 Chicago to pay its share of state 

 taxes. At this writing it is estimated 

 that Chicago owes the state approxi- 

 mately $50,000,000 including 1932 

 taxes. This bill passed the senate on 

 June 16 along with the other road 

 measures. 



Oleo Bill Vetoed "5; 



The Governor vetoed Senator Kribs' 

 bill levying a 10 cent tax on oleomar- 

 garine containing imported oils and 

 fats such as cocoanut oil, following an 

 opinion from the Attorney General 

 that the bill was unconstitutional. 



Another bill sponsored by the State 

 Department of Health would make it 

 impossible to bring raw milk for hu- 

 man consumption into any municipali- 

 ty having a pasteurization ordinance, 

 from within a five mile zone around 

 city limits'. This bill also paves the way 

 for cleaning up pasteurization plants 

 and preventing the spread of undulant 

 fever and other diseases. The measure 

 passed the senate and at this writing 

 rests in the House Committee on Agri- 

 culture. 



A large number of other bills in 

 which the Association is interested are 

 in various stages of passage. A more 

 detailed report on these will be made 

 by the I. A. A. legislative committee 

 after the General Assembly adjourns. 



Horses and Mules Are 



Coming Back — Robbins 



Signs of a horse raising revival in 

 Illinois recall the fact that in 1910 

 farmers of the state were taking in 

 more than $5,000,000 annually from 

 the sale of surplus horses and mules, 

 according to Prof. E. T. Robbins of 

 the State College of Agriculture.. 



"In 1910 when Illinois farmers took 

 in more than $5,000,000 from the sale 

 of about 50,000 surplus horses and 

 mules they were doing a good job of 

 farming with about $73,000,000 in- 

 vested in farm machinery. Farm mort- 

 gage debt was only $115,000,000. By 

 1930 they were pa3nlng out money for 

 horses and mules, had more than 

 $160,000,000 invested in farm imple- 

 ments and machinery, and had a mort- 

 gage debt of $199,000,000 on owner- 

 operated farms. Many students of the 

 industry believe that part of this in- 

 crease in debt is a result of farmers 

 failing to maintain their horse stocks." 



Heavy Attendance at 



Farm Bureau Meetings 



President Smith and L. A. Wil- 

 liams Address Large Audiences 



AMASS meeting attended by an 

 enthusiastic crowd estimated 

 at 1,600 to 1,800 people was 

 held in the Galesburg armory the 

 night of June 2 where President Earl 

 C. Smith discussed state and national 

 legislation of interest to farm people. 

 He outlined economic trends, traced the 

 rise of taxes and the decline of farm 

 income and told what organized agri- 

 culture had done and was doing to 

 bring about higher farm price levels 

 and reduce the unfair burden of taxes '■■. 

 now resting on real property. 



He discussed the Association's policy ' 

 on the state sales tax elsewhere re- " 

 ported in this issue and talked briefly • 

 about other measures of direct inter- 

 est to farmers before the General As- ■ 

 sembly. 



The meeting was arranged by the 

 Knox County Farm Bureau. President : 

 Harry Gehring presided. Many busi- 

 ness men attended. L. A. Williams, 

 manager of Country Life Insurance 

 Co., was the principal speaker at a 

 series of meetings during June in Jo- 

 Daviess, Stephenson, Lee, Ogle, Du- : 

 Page and Kane counties. 



400 at Stockton 



'We had a crowd of around 400 at 



our meeting in Stockton," reported H. ;■ . 

 R. Brunnemeyer, JoDaviess county 

 farm adviser. "Larry Williams gave ! " 

 a mighty good account of the organi- 

 zation. His talk was straight from 

 the shoulder and was very well re- 

 ceived. The dance after the program, 

 in spite of the heat, was popular and 

 most of the crowd much to our sur- 

 prise stayed until the end." 



Lee County Farm Bureau sponsored 

 a meeting celebrating the victory of 

 farm organizations in passing effective 

 legislation that already has resulted 

 in raising farm prices. More than 500 

 attended the gathering held in the 

 grandstand on the fair grounds at 

 Amboy. Mr. Williams took full credit 

 on behalf of organized farmers for 

 the legislative victory. 



Nearly 600 people turned out for the 

 mid-summer meeting arranged by the 

 Kane County Farm Bureau at Sugar 

 Grove the night of June 16. Mr. Wil- 

 liams addressed the audience on the 

 subject, "The Future of Co-operative 

 Action." He also addressed the annual 

 meeting of Country Life policy hold- 

 ers at Freeport in Stephenson county, ; 

 the annual meeting of Ogle County 

 Farm Bureau at Oregon, and the an- 

 nual session of the DuPage County 

 Home Bureau at Wheaton. . ■■■■'"^. 



