1 



I HIS may be your last chance 

 for a long time to get better 

 rural roads," Farm Bureau 

 leaders meeting in Springfield 

 were warned by Earl C. Smith, 

 former lAA president, during his dis- 

 cussion of a comprehensive Illinois 

 road improvement program which has 

 been submitted to the state legislature 



Two important provisions of the 

 proposed road improvement program 

 are (1) that the tax per gallon of gaso- 

 line be raised from three cents to five 

 cents and (2) that 121/^ per cent of all 

 gasoline taxes collected be spent on 

 rural roads. 



Smith called on farmers for their ac- 

 tive support in a campaign to inform 

 their neighbors and their legislators of 

 the importance of getting legislation 

 passed raising the gas tax two cents to 

 insure a steady source of state funds 

 for rural roads and highways. 



The road improvement program for 

 Illinois was proposed after a long study 

 of road problems by a 17-man group 

 called the Illinois Highay and TraflFic 

 Problems Commission. Smith was a 

 member of this commission. 



Recognizing the feeling of irritation 

 and dismay that sweeps over most peo- 

 ple at the mere mention of increases in 

 taxes these days, Smith said: "I have 

 always been opposed to any increase in 

 taxes unless such an increase was 

 needed to do the job I am con- 

 vinced an increase in revenue is in the 

 best interests of all the people." 



Illinois farm leaders are aware that 

 a major legislative battle is at hand 

 over use of gasoline taxes for local ru- 

 ral roads. Rural roads have never 

 shared in gas tax funds before and 

 there is bitter opposition brewing in 

 some quarters, particularly Chicago. 



During the Farm Bureau leaders' 

 meeting in Springfield, Smith charged 

 that the petroleum and trucking inter- 

 ests were "sabotaging the proposed 

 highway improvement and mainte- 

 nance program through a concerted 

 campaign of spreading misinformation 

 regarding the need for a two-cent in- 

 crease in the state gas tax and nominal 

 increases in truck licenses." 



The recommendation giving 121/2 

 per cent of motor fuel tax funds to 

 local rural roads also proposes that 

 371/^ per cent go to the primary road 

 system (the highways which bear the 

 heaviest traffic), 25 per cent to the 

 secondary highway system (sometimes 

 called the county road system), and 25 

 per cent to the municipal street system 

 (city streets not traversed by the pri- 

 mary system). 



In the last two sessions of the state 

 legislature, the lAA has been successful 

 in securing two special appropriations 



14 



Start Fight For 

 Road Program 



Earl C. Smith Calls on Farmers For Active 

 Support to Push Through Comprehensive 

 Road Building and Maintenance Plan 



of $15 million for local roads. These 

 appropriations, however, are merely 

 stopgap aid which cannot be depended 

 upon over the years. As ex-president 

 Smith said: "How can we set up a 

 long-range plan on our rural roads un- 

 less we have an adequate and depend- 

 able source of income.' We will never 

 have an adequate system of township 

 roads," he continued, "if you have to 

 appear before the legislature every two 

 years with your hat in hand." 



The Commission commended state 

 officials for their current campaign to 

 enforce the law on truck weight limita- 

 tions. The report pointed out the in- 

 creasing destructiveness of overloaded 

 trucks which have caused rapid deteri- 

 oration of primary road systems. Smith 

 suggested that people interested in 

 preserving the roads write the gov- 

 ernor and their representatives to ex- 

 press their appreciation of the present 

 law enforcement program. 



The Commission also has recom- 

 mended the encouragement of road 

 district consolidation. The proposal 

 provides that gas tax funds be cut off to 

 township or township road districts un- 

 less they meet one of the following 

 conditions: (1) have levied taxes nec- 

 essary to construct and maintain grad- 



ing and culverts (not exceeding three 

 feet in diameter) under roadways; (2) 

 have levied the maximum tax limits au- 

 thorized by law; (3) have in excess of 40 

 miles of local rural roads. 



The lAA recognizes that the state 

 cannot be expected to allocate funds in- 

 definitely to units which are too small 

 for eflFicient administration. Consoli- 

 dation, it is felt, is necessary for more 

 efficient administration. 



"Rural people too have a great stake 

 in this program," Smith said, "because 

 they need all weather roads in order 

 to futher the much needed reorganiza- 

 tion of our country school districts." 



"Total revenues from gas taxes, 

 motor licenses, federal aid, operators' 

 licenses and other sources to the state". 

 Smith said, "were $83,762,462 in 1947 

 as compared with expenditures of $86,- 

 792,668. Some |30 million of this ex- 

 penditure were returns to cities and 

 counties, $11 million was for mainte- 

 nance of our primary system and about 

 $25 million was for primary road con- 

 struction. The average motorist knows 

 you can't get much road construction 

 these days for that amount of money. 

 He can see how our roads are breaking 

 down, and it costs considerable to build 

 such safety requirements as grade sepa- 



L A. A. RECORD 



