POSTWAR 



ROAD 

 BILL 



INTRODUCED BY lAA 



By PAUL MATHIAS 

 lAA Corporate Secretary 



THE Illinois Agricultural Association 

 is sponsoring legislation introduced in 

 both houses of the state legislature 

 which appropriates $20,000,000 from 

 state surplus funds for surfacing local 

 township and road district roads. 



It is proposed that the county superin- 

 tendent of high-ways in cooperation with 

 the local high-way commissioner select 

 the roads to be improved and prepare 

 plans for their improvement. School bus 

 and mail routes would be given prefer- 

 ence. The townships and road districts 

 would do the grading and would install 

 culverts. 



The state funds would be used to pur- 

 chase culverts and to provide for sur- 

 facing of these roads. Existing right of 

 way would be used wherever adequate 

 and only the minimum amount of grad- 

 ing would be required in order that the 

 maximum mileage of roads may be sur- 

 faced with the funds available. 



The state and counties would be au- 

 thorized to acquire government surplus 

 road building machinery and equipment 

 for use on these roads. 



Ten million dollars per year is ap- 

 propriated from state funds. However, 

 the federal government has appropriated 

 funds for use on these roads and approx- 

 imately $4,700,000 every year for three 

 years will be available from federal funds. 

 If these federal monies are used on the 

 local roads, then the state appropriation 

 would be reduced by the amount of the 

 federal monies so used. 



The money appropriated is to be ap- 

 portioned between the several townships 

 and road districts in the state in the pro- 

 portion which the total mileage of sec- 

 ondary and feeder roads in the respective 

 townships or road districts bears to the 

 total mileage of all secondary and feeder 

 roads in the state. The funds would not 

 be available until the end of the war or 

 until the governor determined that the 

 state might proceed with this road build- 

 ing program. 



The bills have been favorably reported 

 by the road and bridge committees in 

 each house. However, it appears that a 

 determined effort will be necessary if 

 the appropriation of state funds for these 

 roads is secured. The postwar planning 

 commission recommended that state funds 

 be used for improving these local roads. 

 However, the appropriations for postwar 

 construction sponsored by the state ad- 

 ministration, as introduced, do not make 

 any provision for state assistance on 

 local township and road district roads. 

 Approximately $127,000,000 is appropri- 

 ated for all types of projects, but there 

 is no provision whatever for improving 

 these local roads. 



Road Commission 



Other legislation which the Illinois Ag- 

 riculture Association is supporting pro- 

 vides for the appointment of a com- 

 mission to study the high-way system of 

 the state, and particularly the problems 

 in connection with the local township 

 and road district roads, and to make 

 recommendations for their improvement 

 and financing. The sponsors of this 

 legislation hope that the commission will 

 be able to recommend a program for 

 permanent state assistance for the im- 

 provement and maintenance of local 

 township and road district roads — thus 

 supplementing the temfXDrary program 

 for the next two years. 



Bang's Disease Control 



The legislative committee on livestock 

 legislation, authorized in the 1943 ses- 

 sion of the General Assembly, has pre- 

 pared its report. Legislation covering its 

 recommendations has been introduced. 



In general, this legislation provides 

 that: 



(1) calves between ages of four and 

 eight months may be vaccinated without 

 first testing either the calf or the entire 

 herd. The matter of testing for Bang's 

 disease before vaccinating the calf would 

 be left optional with the herd owner. 

 Vaccinated calves may be sold and trans- 

 ferred freely without test until they reach 

 the age of 20 months. 



(2) Animals over eight months of age 

 may be vaccinated, but a test for Bang's 

 is required before vaccination. Such ani- 

 mals so tested and found negative and 

 then vaccinated may be sold and trans- 

 ferred freely. 



(3) After July 1, 1946, no female ani- 

 mals or breeding bulls over eight months 

 of age may be sold, either at private sale 

 or at farm or community auction, unless 

 such animals either (a) come from an 

 accredited herd, (b) are calves under 20 



months of age which were vaccinated be- 

 tween 4 and 8 months of age, (c) are 

 animals which were tested, found nega- 

 tive and then vaccinated when more than 

 8 months of age and are accompanied by 

 a vaccination certificate, or (d) were 

 tested for Bang's within 30 days prior to 

 the date of sale. Animals tested within 

 the 30-day period and found negative 

 may move freely. Animals which react 

 may be sold only for slaughter or into 

 herds where infection is known to exist. 



(4) An advisory commission of 13 

 members is created, and all rules and 

 regulations relating to disease control 

 must be approved by this commission be- 

 fore they become effective. 



The Illinois Agricultural Association is 

 supporting the legislation recommended 

 by the commission with the exceptions 

 that the Association believes the effective 

 date for the provisions requiring com- 

 pulsory testing of animals sold at private 

 or public sales should be postponed to 

 July 1, 1947, and the Association be- 

 lieves that further safeguards should be 

 thrown about the sale and transfer of 

 adult animals which have been tested, 

 found negative and then vaccinated. 



Official County School Surveys 



The Illinois Agricultural Association 

 with other groups is sponsoring the legis- 

 lation for official county school surveys. 

 The bill provides that the county superin- 

 tendent of schools shall call a meeting 

 of all school board members in the coun- 

 ty and these board members will vote 

 upon the question of making a school 

 survey. If a majority are in favor of 

 the survey, then a survey committee of 

 9 members will be selected. 



Five members will be selected by the 

 school directors from the rural districts 

 . and four members will be selected bv 

 the school board members from the ur- 

 ban districts. This committee would make 

 the survey and file a tentative report. 

 Public hearings would be held on the 

 tentative report and the committee would 

 then prepare a final report. 



The bill also provides for a state ad- 

 visory committee to advise with the coun- 

 ty committees upon their problems. If 

 the report of any county committee pro- 

 poses a reorganization or change in any 

 territory, a vote would be held in that 

 territory upon the question of reorganiz- 

 ing or changing the school district or- 

 ganization as proposed by the survey com- 

 mittee. 



This election would be called by the 

 county superintendent and the people in 

 the territory affected would determine 

 whether or not they wished to follow 

 the recommendations of the committee. 

 This bill has been favorably reported by 

 the committee on education in the house. 



I. A. A. RECORD 



