RESOLVTm 



(Continued from page 6) 



corresponding increases in the produc- 

 tivity of our entire economy. We 

 recognize the right of labor to organize 

 and bargain collectively with manage- 

 ment. 



We believe that serious consideration 

 should be given to providing necessary 

 machinery for elimination of strikes 

 and handling disputes in industries 

 such as public utilities and other indus- 

 tries which are vital to the well-being 

 of all citizens of this nation. 



In developing appropriate legislation 

 we believe that Congress should give 

 consideration to laws which would make 

 both labor and management responsible 

 for the violation of contracts, which 

 would hold unions responsible for wild- 

 cat strikes, which would compel the ami- 

 cable settlement of jurisdictional dis- 

 putes between unions and which would 

 compel unions to state their complete 

 demands at the opening of negotiations. 

 We also believe that this legislation 

 should outlaw secondary boycotts, the 

 closed shop, forced membership, com- 

 pulsory check-off dues, and the organi- 

 zation of foremen's unions since fore- 

 men are a part of management. We 

 believe this legislation should provide 

 for the right of management to appeal 

 directly to workers in matters pertain- 

 ing to unionization, give management 

 the right to discharge workers who 

 voluntarily violate contracts and par- 

 ticipate in wild cat strikes, provide that 

 either management or labor can call 

 for a supervised election regarding 

 union representation, and provide for 

 appeal of Labor Board decisions to the 

 courts. Existing laws with respect to 

 contributions to political campaigns and 

 candidates by labor unions should be 

 strengthened and the same restrictions 

 should apply to them and to organiza- 

 tions controlled through them as are 

 applied to contributions by corpora- 

 tions. 



We appeal to the Congress to devel- 

 op legislation which will permit this 

 country to proceed to produce abund- 

 antly without being continually inter- 

 rupted by work stoppages. We consider 

 it essential that no punitive action be 

 taken against labor or against manage- 

 ment, but that the primary considera- 

 tions in developing a labor-industry 

 program be the best longtime interest 

 of the citizens of the nation, the pro- 

 motion of free enterprise and maintain- 

 ing the rights and dignity of the labor- 

 ing man and all the citizens of our 

 economy. 



XII. UNEMPLOYMENT COMPEN- 

 SATION 



The present unemployment compen- 

 sation system was designed for the 

 worthy purpose of aiding involuntarily 

 unemployed persons while they seek 

 employment. 



Under this program, as administered, 

 benefit payments, are easily obtained, 

 and such payments are almost as high 

 as prevailing wage rates in many areas. 

 Consequently, many persons quit work 

 or refuse to take available jobs. They 

 enjoy an extended paid vacation at the 

 expense of employers who are taxed 

 on payrolls to raise unemployment com- 

 pensation funds. At the same time, 

 farmers and other employers are unable 

 to obtain help to produce food and 

 other essential commodities. 



Any program that encourages able- 

 bodied persons to remain idle and ask 

 for governmental assistance instead of 

 seeking and accepting available employ- 

 ment at prevailing wage rates is un- 

 sound, not in the public interest, and 

 should not be extended. 



We urge much more care and dis- 

 crimination in the administration of 

 unemployment compensation so that 

 benefits will be paid only to those who 

 are actively seeking and actually unable 

 to obtain employment. We strongly 

 oppose the extension of the unemploy- 

 ment compensation system or any in- 

 crease in amount and duration of unem- 

 ployment payments. 



XIII. ROAD IMPROVEMENT 



Participation in church and communi- 

 ty activities, the delivery of farm pro- 

 ducts to market, reorganization of 

 schools, the purchasing of food and 

 supplies, and other activities of rural 

 people are dependent upon serviceable 

 all-weather roads. Local funds are not 

 adequate to improve and maintain the 

 approximately 75,000 miles of town- 

 ship road and district roads, which con- 

 stitute almost 75% of the entire road 

 mileage in the State. State support 

 must be had. We urge and will spon- 

 sor and support such legislation as may 

 be necessary to continue to secure state 

 funds for the improvement of these 

 farm-to-highway roads. 



Rural people in many areas believe 

 that expenditures for administration 

 and for machinery, and equipment 

 could be substantially reduced and more 

 money made available for actual road 

 construction and maintenance if town- 

 ships and road districts were combined 

 into larger units for road and bridge 

 improvement and maintenance. Every 

 possible economy should be effected. 

 We urge and will sponsor legislation 



which will permit townships and road 

 districts to combine into larger units 

 for road and bridge improvement and 

 maintenance. 



XIV. PROPERTY TAX LEGIS- 

 . LATION 



Far-reaching new property tax laws 

 went into effect January 1, 1946. These 

 laws provide for increasing property 

 assesments to an average of 100 per- 

 cent of actual value in each county for 

 reduction of one-half in maximum tax 

 rates, and for special taxing powers and 

 restrictions during a five year transi- 

 tional period. 



The law governing taxing powers 

 during the five years beginning January 

 1, 1946 is extremely complicated and 

 confusing. It also apparently provides 

 unreasonable large increases in effective 

 tax rate limitations in most taxing dis- 

 tricts. Consequently many unnecessari- 

 ly large increases in tax levies were 

 made in 1946 and many more will be 

 made in succeeding years unless the 

 law is clarified and amended. We urge 

 and will support legislation to clarify 

 and simplify this law and to make the 

 tax rate limitations more effective. 



Even though existing maximum tax 

 rate limitations are reduced from pres- 

 ent levels by state law it is probable 

 that any new laws will allow unnec- 

 essarily large tax increases in many 

 taxing districts, especially after the end 

 of the five year transitional period. 

 This will place much greater responsi- 

 bility for control of property taxes up- 

 on local people. Citizens must become 

 much better informed about and take 

 a much more active part in local gov- 

 ernmental affairs if they wish to prevent 

 unnecessary increases in taxes. In order 

 to make essential facts concerning local 

 taxes more readily available to citizens, 

 uniform and simple budgeting, ac- 

 counting and auditing procedures are 

 required. Therefore, we urge and will 

 support legislation requiring all local 

 units of government to use uniform 

 budget forms and uniform accounting 

 and auditing procedures adapted to the 

 specific needs of each taxing unit. 



XV. RURAL SCHOOL IMPROVE- 

 MENT 



We reaffirm our policy of eliminat- 

 ing small, unnecessary school adminis- 

 trative units. We recommend legisla- 

 tion providing that State financial aid 

 be withdrawn from administrative 

 grade school districts with fewer than 

 ten pupils and from high schools with 

 fewer than ten pupils per grade. The 



aualifying figure for elementary school 

 istricts gradually should be raised to 

 fifteen pupils and that for high schools 

 to twenty pupils per grade. 



44 



L A. A. RECORD 



