lAA Asks For 

 Increase In 

 Motor Fuel Tax 



A SUBSTANTIAL increase in the 

 Illinois motor fuel tax has been 

 recommended by the lAA road 

 committee. 

 This was reported during the 

 road improvement and property taxa- 

 tion conkrcnce held durm^' the annual 

 meeting of the Illinois Agricultural As- 

 sociation. 



The committee making the report 

 discussed at the conference consists of 

 20 Farm Bureau leaders who have been 

 Studying the problems of rural roads 

 and rural road- financing for more than 

 six months. 



It also was reported at the roads con- 

 ference that the lAA road committee 

 has recommended the reorganization of 

 road districts in the state. 



They have suggested that one road 

 district be set up to serve an entire 

 county. They recommended unani- 

 mously that the state road laws be 

 amended to permit such a county unit 

 system. 



The committee, in asking for an in- 

 crease in the motor fuel tax, pointed 

 out that the motor fuel tax in Illinois 

 is lower than in neighboring states, anil 

 that these neighboring states are con- 

 templating increases. 



The present fuel tax in Illinois is 

 three cents. The present distribution 

 of the tax is one cent for bond issues 

 for hard roads, one cent for cities, and 

 one cent for counties. 



The lAA rural roads committee rec- 

 ommended that if the tax were to he 

 increased three cents a gallon that this 

 increase be distributed as follows: 



VERNON C. VANIMAN 



One-half cent for state highways, 

 one-half cent for cities, one-half cent 

 for counties, one cent for townships, 

 and one-half cent for bridge purposes. 



In a discussion of state and local 

 taxes. Bert X'andcrvliet. lAA director 

 of property taxation, urged Farm Bu- 

 reau members to take a greater interest 

 in township and county tax problems. 



He said these local taxes have in- 

 creased by at least 25 per cent, and in 

 many cases more, in most Illinois coun- 

 ties since 191(1. 



Vandervliet said more tax money is 

 needed for bridges. Bridges ha\e been 

 built for horse and buggy days, he said. 

 and are in poor shape to withst.ind 

 present heavy traffic. 



He also pointed out the difficulties 

 county Farm Bureau tax committees ex- 

 perience in digging out tax intorma- 

 tion. 



DeKalb Count)' Farm Bureau jias 

 found it advisable to employ a full-time 

 tax assistant to assist the Farm Bureau 

 in tax matters, he said. 



Addressing the road Improvement and property taxation conference during lAA annual 

 meeting Is Charles Mayfield, director of road improvement. Others at speaker's table 

 are (left to right) C. J. tlllott, La Salle county, lAA board member and chairman of 

 tho conference; Serf Vanderv/ief/ director of property taxation; and f. C. llsbury, Lake 



county. 



V. C. Vaniman 

 Dies Suddenly 

 In Nebraska 



■ JLRNON C. VANTMAN. 65, mid- 

 W west regional director of organiza- 

 I tion for the American Farm Bureau 

 Federation for the past 13 years, died 

 suddenly Nov. 30. He was stricken 

 with a heart attack in Lincoln. Neb., 

 where he was attending the annual 

 meeting of the Nebraska Farm Bureau. 



"Van" as he was known to thousands 

 of Farm Bureau friends throughout the 

 Midwest was employed by the Illinois 

 Agricultural Association for 11 years 

 before leaving in 1935 to join the staff 

 of the AFBf'. 



On learning of his death, lAA Presi- 

 dent Shuman said: "Van's life was de- 

 voted to improving the opportunities 

 and welfare of farm people throughout 

 Amend. His was a life of service and 

 of devotion to Christian ideals. His 

 vitality, enthusiasm and wonderful per- 

 sonality contributed materially to the 

 success ot various programs of the lAA 

 and AFBF. He rightfully earned a 

 place in the hearts of farm people 

 everywhere." 



He helped organize l"? county Farm 

 Bureaus in Illinois. He helped organ- 

 ize (he Illinois Agricultural Auditing 

 Association and later the lAA insur- 

 ance companies now known as Country 

 Mutual Fire (Company, Country Mutual 

 Casualty Company, and Country Life 

 Insurance Company. He served as lAA 

 director of insurance until 193I when 

 he became director of organization. 



During the early days of Farm Bu- 

 reau when organization work was no 

 easy task. Van brought in results that 

 amazed his colleagues. His boundless 

 energy and enthusiasm and his perpet- 

 ual smile always worked wonders on 

 the people he dealt with. 



Mr. Vaniman's youth was spent on a 

 tarm near Virden in Macoupin county 

 where he farmed after his graduation 

 from the College of Agriculture at the 

 University of Illinois. Before going to 

 the lAA he was assistant state leader of 

 farm advisers with the U. of I. 



He is survived by his widow, the 

 former Norma Show-alter: a son. Jack, 

 a student at the University of Illinois; 

 and a daughter, Mrs. Fred Bauer, Chi- 

 cago. 



Among those attending from the 

 American Farm Bureau Federation were 

 Allan Kline, president, and Wilfred. 

 Shaw, Secretary. 



JANUARY. 1949 



