distribution industry and by industrial 

 labor. We insist that the full power of 

 the government be directed towards the 

 destruction of these monopolies and the 

 curbing of monopolistic practices. 



Unless effective action can be had 

 soon, farmers will be forced to provide 

 the needed competition in the distribu- 

 tion industry by greatly increasing the 

 scope of their farmer cooperatives. 



VIII. FLOOD CONTROL 



The President of the United States has 

 recommended to Congress that the Na- 

 tion embark on a gigantic program for 

 the control of floods in the entire Missis- 

 sippi basin, extending from the Appala- 

 chian to the Rocky Mountains. The As- 

 sociation has heretofore expressed its op- 

 position to proposals for huge expendi- 

 tures for flood control until it is clear that 

 the monetary benefits resulting are greatly 

 in excess of the cost and it is unques- 

 tionably clear that the project is justified 

 and necessary to serve the general wel- 

 fare. We have opposed the undertaking 

 by the Federal government of projects 

 involving such huge expenditures at a 

 time when the government has such a 

 great indebtedness unless such projects 

 are shown to be essential and necessary 

 for the general welfare and the protec- 

 tion of life and property. We reaffirm 

 our position on these matters. 



We regaxd as unsound the present 

 procedure whereby the Corps of^ Engi- 

 neers of the United States Army, the 

 agency which carries out and directs ex- 

 penditures upon these projects, makes 

 both the preliminary studies as to the 

 nature of the projects to be undertaken 

 and recommendations to Congress as to 



whether the project should be undertak- 

 en. We believe that the studies made by 

 the Corps of Engineers should be re- 

 viewed by a representative civilian com- 

 mission before recommendations are 

 made to Congress and the projects un- 

 dertaken. We urge the Association and 

 the American Farm Bureau Federation 

 to support the necessary legislation to 

 provide for the creation of a Federal 

 Flood Control Commission (or Water 

 and Land Conservation Commission) to 

 receive and review the reports of the 

 army engineers, consider the effect of 

 flood control proposals and plans upon 

 agriculture, water and land conservation, 

 wild life conservation, the general econ- 

 omy and welfare of the communities and 

 states affected as well as the general wel- 

 fare of the nation as a whole and based 

 upon these considerations to make recom- 

 mendations to Congress. 



IX. FARM-TO-HIGHWAY ROADS 



There are over 1,600 separate local 

 road districts in Illinois. Their mileage 

 of roads and their financial ability varies 

 greatly. For years, the cost of adminis- 

 tration, labor and machinery has made it 

 financially impossible for a large num- 

 ber of these districts to improve and 

 maintain their roads or to repair culverts 

 and bridges. Over half of our local 

 farm roads are still primitive dirt. Hun- 

 dreds of bridges on these roads are in 

 critical need of attention. 



It appears that rural people in many 

 areas could have better roads for their 

 road tax money if a number of townships 

 or road districts were combined for op 

 erating and road maintenance purposes. 

 It is now possible to combine and create 



Farm Bureau people appearing on WLS Dinnerbell Hour during 1AA convention In St. 

 LouU are, left to right: Martin Meyer, who signed up Cook county's 4,000th member; 

 Carl Cox, Franklin, top county organization director in 1947; C. H. Mills, Cook C.O.D.; 

 Ed Cumm, Knox, lAA director; Norman Runge, Cook's 4,000th member; O. D. Brissenden, 

 lAA organixatlon director; former lAA President Earl C. Smith, Pike; AFBF President Ed- 

 ward A. O'Neal; lAA President Charles B. Shuman, Moultrie; C. J. Elliott, la Salle, lAA 

 director; and Homer Curtiss, Jo Daviess, lAA director. 



18 



larger districts for road and bridge im- 

 provement and maintenance purposes. 

 We strongly urge farmers to examine and 

 analyze their local road problem and to 

 consider the possibility of larger road 

 districts. 



We recognize that state funds are nec- 

 essary for these roads. We have sup- 

 ported legislation in the last two sessions 

 of the General Assembly which provided 

 two state grants for farm-to-highway 

 roads from the general fund of the State. 

 We reaffirm our policy of support of 

 legislation necessary to continue State 

 funds for the improvement of these 

 roads. We urge County Farm Bureaus 

 to carefully watch the administration of 

 these funds. 



A permanent source of State funds 

 insuring a long-range, continuous pro- 

 gram of improvement for farm-to-high- 

 way roads is necessary. We pledge the 

 support of the Association in securing 

 these funds. 



X. HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY 



The rising traffic accident toll with its 

 resulting loss of life, personal injuries, 

 and property damage forcibly indicates 

 the need for increased safety measures 

 and better enforcement of our traffic 

 laws. We should strive to reduce the 

 number of traffic accidents attributable 

 to driver failure and defective automo- 

 biles. 



The drivers' license law should be 

 strictly enforced. We should make cer- 

 tain that all persons to whom licenses 

 are granted are mentally and physically 

 qualified to drive. Greater vigilance 

 should be used to make certain that all 

 drivers are licensed. We should iiuist 

 upon better reporting and recording of 

 convictions for traffic law violations, and 

 especially upon the revocation of driver 

 licenses wherever warranted. 



We should give consideration to the 

 possible requirement of at least an an- 

 nual inspection of those mechanical fea- 

 tures of automobiles primarily affecting 

 safety. 



We should support such changes in 

 our state highway police system as may 

 be necessary to secure the establishment 

 of a true merit system under which well- 

 qualified men will be advanced and re- 

 tained. In addition, a more adequate 

 number of competent state police should 

 be provided. We will support state 

 police and local law enforcement of- 

 ficials in the strict enforcement of our 

 traffic laws. , - 



XI. SALES TAX DIVERSION 



Municipalities urge that a portion of 

 the State receipts from the Retailers' Oc- 



{Continued on page 46) 



L A. A. RECOBD 



