10 THE. A U\DU BO Ne 2B Ui ea aes 
should not be drowned by incom- 
petents, nor should it be sacrificed 
by politicians who hear more fre- 
quently from the cement lobby 
than from conservationists. 
Former Governor Ogilvie sup- 
ported the Oakley Dam; now his 
successor, Mr. Walker supports it. 
The late Senator Everett Dirksen 
favored the dam; now his succes- 
sor, Mr. Stevenson favors it. Sen- 
ator Percy, who has a low mark of 
57 on the LCV chart, has always 
supported it. 
The retired congressman from 
the Decatur area, William Spring- 
er, introduced legislation in behalf 
of the dam. His freshman succes- 
sor, Edward Madigan, defends it. 
An enthusiastic body of student- 
voters in the Champaign area — 
dedicated to the preservation of 
Allerton Park — could make a 
difference in a congressional cam- 
paign. 
The park is used for educational 
and research purposes. It is used as 
a forest and nature reserve. It is a 
public park, where many picnic on 
a week-end. It is a prime example 
of landscape gardening. It was ded- 
icated in 1970 by the National Park 
Service as a “national natural land- 
mark.” It is one of the few largely 
untouched bottomlands in_ the 
state. This is what the Army Corps 
of Engineers would destroy. This 
is what conservationists can save. 
A new edition of the large 48- 
page illustrated book, “The Battle 
for the Sangamon,” is available for 
$1.50 postpaid from the Committee 
for Allerton Park, 1208 West Union 
St., Champaign, II1. 61820. 
(EDITOR’S NOTE: The U.S. Ar- 
my Corps of Engineers, in its 1975 
fiscal year budget request, has in- 
cluded $600,000 for land acquisition 
for the Oakley Reservoir project. 
However, no construction funds 
were asked for, the Illinois Depart- 
ment of Conservation says.) 
HOW THE ALLERTON PARK PETITION READS 
TO: State of Illinois Board of Elections: 
We the undersigned, duly registered voters of the State of Illinois 
representing not less than 10% of the registered voters of the State 
of Illinois, respectfully petition that the referendum on the Protection 
of Robert Allerton Park be submitted to the registered voters of the 
State of Illinois for their approval or rejection at the general election 
to be held on the 5th day of November, 1974. 
Each petitioner, for himself, says: I have personally signed this 
petition; I have not signed any other petition for the same measure; I 
am a registered voter of the State of Illinois; and my place of resi- 
dence, including street number, if such exists, is correctly written 
after my name. 
The ballot title of the proposed measure shall be “Referendum on 
the Protection of Robert Allerton Park” providing: 
“Shall the federal and state officials elected from the State of 
Illinois protect Robert Allerton Park in Piatt County, by preventing 
any and all increased or unnatural flooding within the park resulting 
from the construction of proposed dams on the Sangamon River.” 
(Legal, printed petition forms available from the Save 
Allerton Referendum Committee, P.O. Box N, Station A., 
Champaign, II]. 61820.) 
