Your Money Takes a Ride 



(Continued from page 12) 



mand upon legislators for bigger relief 

 funds. 



Appropriations for highways in 1945- 

 47 totalled l46 million dollars, an in- 

 crease of 50 per cent over the preceding 

 two years. Most of the state road 

 money is used for the construction and 

 maintenance of the paved and num- 

 bered routes between principal cities. 

 In recent years many of these costly 

 concrete highways have been hammered 

 to pieces by excessively heavy and over- 

 loaded trucks. The largest share of the 

 repair bills and replacement costs are 

 falling upon the owners of automobiles 

 and small trucks. 



A limited amount of state funds is 

 used for state aid roads in the counties. 

 A small amount, 15 million dollars, was 

 allocated for use on township roads by 

 the 1945 General Assembly. 



For education, appropriations for 

 1945-47 totalled 92 million dollars. Of 

 this amount, 47 million dollars was ear- 



marked for aid to elementary and high 

 schools. The state university and col- 

 leges are receiving most of the re- 

 mainder. 



General government activities absorb 

 most of the other state funds. Such 

 activities include numerous essential 

 services. They also include many ac- 

 tivities which few, if any, citizens 

 would ever miss if they were discon- 

 tinued. 



Expenditures of state funds are au- 

 thorized by and controlled through ap- 

 propriations by the state legislature. 

 Such appropriations have increased at 

 a great rate in the last 20 years. Each 

 succeeding General Assembly has es- 

 tablished a new high record for spend- 

 ing the citizens" money. 



In 1927-28 state appropriations to- 

 talled 270 million dollars. In the de- 

 pression of the 1930's appropriations 

 were pushed to over 400 million dol- 

 lars. In the prosperity of the 1940' s, 



state appropriations far exceeded all 

 previous records, reaching 567 million 

 dollars in 1941-42, and over 760 mil- 

 lion dollars in 1945-46. (The latter 

 figure does not include the veterans' 

 bonus.) 



Recipients of state funds will be 

 after further large increases in appro- 

 priations in 1947. Increases for some 

 purposes are necessary. In many cases, 

 however, increased appropriations can- 

 not be justified on the basis of service 

 needed. Illinois citizens hope the new 

 General Assembly will approve in- 

 creases only when they are necessary to 

 maintain adequate services. 



As a taxpaying citizen, you have a 

 primary responsibility in preventing un- 

 reasonable increases in state spending 

 and taxes. If you want to save your- 

 self some money, tell your state senator 

 and your three representatives to "set 

 the brakes" on unnecessary state spend- 

 ing while they are in Springfield. 



Products which caa now be made from 

 wood include gunpowder, sugars, alcohol, 

 paper, food for livestock, rayon, cellophane, 

 imitation leather, molasses, lacquers, vanillin 

 flavoring for ice cream, and rubber tires. 



HEAVY RESPONSIBILITIES IN '47 

 FOR KING OF THE BARNYARDS? 



THE WORLD IS RELYING ON 

 THE AMERICAN HOG TO 

 SUPPLY IT WITH INNUMERABLE 

 NECESSITIES THIS YEAR. FARMERS 

 CAN HELP GUARANTEE RECORD PRODUC- 

 TION BY GIVING TM A SHOT WHILE 

 YOUNG, OF FARM BUREAU SERUM 

 AND VIRUS 



See Your FARM BURMAU 



i' 



-■«> 



22 



L A. A. RECORD 



