i 



However, the legislature cannot meet 

 the demands from present revenues 

 even with the substantial surplus which 

 the state has accumulated. Unless 

 state taxes are increased, it will be 

 necessary for the legislature to choose 

 as between these increased demands 

 and to allocate the funds available. 



The 100 per cent assessment pro- 

 gram, passed by a bi-partisan combina- 

 tion in the 1945 session over strenuous 

 opposition of the Illinois Agricultural 

 Association, will permit greatly in- 

 creased taxes in most downstate areas. 



There are many suggestions for 

 amendments to the 100 per cent assess- 

 ment legislation but as the lAA Record 

 goes to press, no definite program 

 seems to have been agreed upon or to 

 be generally accepted. 



Weed Law 



The Illinois Agricultural Association 

 and the State Department of Agricul- 

 ture are sponsoring amendments to the 

 weed and seed laws to further strength- 

 en these laws. 



Another bill supported by the As- 

 sociation and the Department would 

 permit the county board in a county 

 which desires to do so, to create a 

 county weed control department. This 

 department would be in charge of a 

 county weed control commissioner who 

 would supersede the township or road 

 district weed commissioner. It is 

 thought that the county weed control 

 department could have spraying and 



other equipment for the control of 

 weeds and that this equipment might 

 be rrfade available to landowners for a 

 fee sufficient to cover operation costs. 

 In a number of counties, the present 

 arrangement is ineffective and it is 

 thought that better results could be 

 achieved under a county department. 

 Calfhood Vaccination 



At present calves vaccinated between 

 four and eight months of age are al- 

 lowed to move freely until they reach 

 the age of 20 months, even though they 

 react to Bang's tests. Legislation to 

 increase this age limit to 30 months, 

 approved by federal authorities and 

 practising veterinarians, was not op- 

 posed by the lAA. It has passed and 

 is now effective. 



Fertilizer Tags 



The lAA approves the proposal of 

 the division of foods and dairies of the 

 State Department of Agriculture to do 

 away with tags on fertilizer bags which 

 are used only to collect department 

 fees. The quality analysis would still 

 be carried on the bag. 



Daylight Saving Time 



Farmers have consistently opposed 

 daylight saving time. It results in 

 many disadvantages to them and is 

 confusing. However, only about 20 

 per cent of the people of the state live 

 on farms. Daylight saving time is 

 favored by urban groups. It would be 

 impossible, the lAA believes, to secure 



legislation prohibiting daylight saving 

 time during the summer months. If 

 uniformity is to be had, it probably can 

 be secured only by placing the entire 

 state on daylight saving time. 

 Minimum Age for Drivers' Licenses 



Legislation has been introduced to 

 raise the minimum age for a driver's 

 license from 15 to 17 years. The lAA 

 would amend this proposal to permit 

 children of 15 years attending high 

 school, where there is no public trans- 

 portation, to drive to and from school, 

 and in other cases to provide that the 

 minimum be placed at 16 years. 

 Butterfat in Ice Cream 



The lAA is supporting legislation to 

 increase the content of butterfat in ice 

 cream to 1 2 per cent by weight of milk- 

 fat. During the war it was reduced to 

 10 per cent. 



Farm Storage of Gasoline 

 The lAA safety department and the 

 personnel of the Illinois Farm Supply 

 Company have made suggestions to the 

 lAA board of directors to govern the 

 storage of inflammable liquids above 

 ground. The lAA legal department is 

 preparing a bill incorporating standards 

 to govern such storage. 



Free Gate at State Fair 

 The proposal of a free gate at the 

 state fair was not opposed on the 

 grounds that the lAA has long insisted 

 on a policy that all pay or all be ad- 

 mitted free. 



« )> 



Albert W*bb, lAA director from the 3St«i 

 district, conducts a district meeting of Form 

 Bureau leoders at Carbondale. This Is en* 

 of the regular meetings held by lAA dir«c- 

 tors in their district. At this session. Farm 

 Bureau leaders asiced for an open season 

 on fox hunting for Southern Illinois, and 

 voiced opposition to further establishment 

 of wildlife preserves in the Crab Orchard 

 area. 



^ 



This Is the Illinois Fruit Growers Exchange's 

 new cold storage building which is ex- 

 pected to be completed this summer. It 

 will have a capacity of 60,000 bushels of 

 frvit stored In baskets and somewhat more 

 when stored in boxes. 



MAY, 1947 



11 



