Leland J. Kennedy Memoir - University of Illinois Springfield

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- that's not - there's no General Assembly action needed for that. There may be congressional action needed. Q: I was going to ask, I was wondering. A: That's what they say, that the Alton Commons is not supposed to he used except for - they say it's a historic purpose. They claim it's against the law to put a road through there. They'd have booths and tents all around down there when they have an affair in July, some civic affair. Q: Kind of a carnival sort of thing? A: Well yes, that, and they show antiques and different people bring in their sculpture work. But they couldn't get liability insurance this year. They got to where they were afraid that since it was under litigation that they wouldn't he covered - somehody rould get hurt and had a big lawsuit you know, why, they'd . . . so they put it hack - if you notice on Broadway there, as you just come by the mill there's, oh, a parking lot or two, why, they held it in those places there. They were afraid to hold it in that particular area where they'd held it before on account of litigation. That's quite newsworthy in the paper, the litigation that kceps the completion of the Berm Highway - and there was something in the paper about it the other night I believe that they wished it would get over with, but the - oh, the press has been active in it, but they've - I thought they always spoke of the Landmark Association rather gently. I think there's a St. Peters family that's quite active in it, but they're all Alton homeowners or landownrrs or businessmen or merchants or ordinary taxpayers. There's quite a suit going on about it. Q: Well now, this Great River Road, is it part of the - what do they call it'! the Mississippi Parkway'! A: I think so, sure. That - doesn't the Mississippi start in Minnesota, Minneapolis up there? Q: Someplace up there, yes. A: It's supposed to follow that road down to New Orleans I believe as close as it can. It's become a federal project now. At that time, thirty years ago when it was started, or forty years ago when John McAdams thought about it, I gurss he was glad to see that he could get it from Alton ten miles up the river I guess. And he probably livcd to scr it get five or seven miles. But I imagine that Me1 Price and Paul Simon and our IJnited States senators were responsible for legislation that then the entire Illinois delegation, arid Ihe Minnesota delegation too, supported for the construction that lets that be. Of course I guess those things, are they under the Department of the Interior, or would they he thosc . . . Q: I'm not sure. I don't know what they arc at the federal level A: Well if that would put them under there, or not, that would give them Jim Watt, wouldn't it? Q: Yes it sure would. (laughter) A: He makes a lot of noise, don't he? Q: Yes he seems to. A: He doesn't seem to back away, does he?
Q: No sir, no sir. Well let's see, you mentioned the increase in the truckers' license fees. Were you approached by the truckers in any way? A: Oh no. They didn't bother me. I didn't know too many of them. Well now, was 1 approached? No, I don't think so. There wasn't too much lobbying going on. At least I didn't know it. Now maybe over in the senate there might have been. There might have been a feeling in the house, "Maybe let the senate take care of it." Did Friblcy mention that in his book? Q: Yes. John Fribley lost his seat in the senate because the truckers came down on him after he had passed that bill. A: Was he for it or against it? Q: Oh he was for it. He . . . A: He got beat over it though, didn't he? Q: Yes. According to him they provided money to defeat him, and actually did. A: Well they never - they never done that to me. They must have figured they could beat Fribley. But no, I didn't get any heat from them. I would have gotten heat if 1 hadn't supported the administration I believe, because that Monroe from the Collinsville Herald he was quite active, and he had a pretty poison tongue and a poison press, and he was - oh, I don't say poison disrespectfully. He could write some severe articles and it would - well, a politician running for reelection wouldn't want him against him. I didn't I mean. (laughs) If he done something, and he was against it, you just had to suffer the consequences. Bond and Madison County were still in the same districts, and I would assume that Madison County was pretty much Democratic, you had to get beat in the primary to be defeated. But the only thing in that 1949 session, I'm sure that's when the truck fee passed. it wasn't. Then Fribley must have got beat then in 1950 or 1951, did he? Maybe Q: No, it was in the 1952 election I guess. It was 1951 that the truck license fees were increased. A: Was it? Q: Yes, the 1951 session. A: Is that when it was? When was the gasoline tax - was that in 1949? Q: I'm not sure which that was now. A: Did he talk about that, did he? Q: I believe we did go into it. I don't remember specifically what he said about it. Rut now the motor fuel tax was increased, but the big question concerning thc motor fuel tax was really the distribution. A: That's right. Sure, that's right. Q: It seems that Stevenson didn't want to recognize townships and other - I guess it was Mr. Fribley that was pushing for townships to get a, specified amount from the . . . A: Would that be the first time then that cities and towns and counties shared in the tax revenue?
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University of Illinois at Springfie
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ILLINOIS GENERAL ASSEMBLY ORAL HIST
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Preface This oral history of Leland
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Volume I Leland J. Kennedy SESSION
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next to us was a duplex house and a
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Q: Were these family meals that she
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I was awful fascinated by politics.
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Q: Yes sir. (chuckles) What part of
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that much about it, about the makeu
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out and there was the number of my
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A: Well. Yes, I always remember one
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Q: Was it a paddle wheeler or what
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een that far back, in that era, may
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that wanted to take roomers or boar
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A: As you go by, that's the Alton W
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Q: Oh? Were you a pretty good corn
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A: Maybe it makes good talking to m
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A: The Fourth of July and Christmas
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A: I mean his wife is I think, and
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golden handshake. They'd give you m
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A: . . . and the twenty-five. But y
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day I would say that half of the fo
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Young Democrat convention, elected
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in Edwardsville, and you had to pay
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- and we were for Smith, and fighti
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work. I never was drafted for nothi
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more German than I was I guess. (la
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Of course there were war clouds han
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A: Twice a month. Q: Twice a month?
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There was neighbor against neighbor
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A: And they did, so that's . . . Q:
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SESSION 4, TAPE 7, SIDE 2 Q: That w
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' I 59 you couldn't get across that
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A: Well they didn't have none of th
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A: Oh no, never saw any. I saw some
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VOTE FOR LELAND J. KENNEDY DEMOCRAT
Page 75 and 76: Q: Now when you first went in did y
Page 77 and 78: A: A port of embarkation or for sup
Page 79 and 80: A: Oh yes. I'm sorry about that now
Page 81 and 82: A: Alright. August. I'll tell you -
Page 83 and 84: And he got out before I did, but he
Page 85 and 86: A: No no, never said a word. Oh the
Page 87 and 88: though. He was a good talker, and o
Page 89 and 90: play cards or just talk. Women like
Page 91 and 92: Q: Yes sir. A: We had a strike in s
Page 93 and 94: Of course you'd have a lot of lawye
Page 95 and 96: A: Well that was - that was the bes
Page 97 and 98: polls in a particular city and he's
Page 99 and 100: Q: Yes. A: Bond never did like bein
Page 101 and 102: wife and family when you're out, or
Page 103 and 104: of Illinois) library and muse aroun
Page 105 and 106: A: Well legislative process, commit
Page 107 and 108: A: Yes I think so, had a column. We
Page 109 and 110: A: Well I recall - I guess they're
Page 111 and 112: state central committeeman. Now sta
Page 113 and 114: not an Italian name, but what those
Page 115 and 116: Q: Oh? WOKZ in Alton, Illinois? A:
Page 117 and 118: This is going back, and I don't hav
Page 119 and 120: had twelve in the pool. I think it
Page 121 and 122: Q: Oh is that right? A: Oh my first
Page 123: a federal gasoline tax thirty years
Page 127 and 128: they changed those desks after reap
Page 129 and 130: Q: He started that in the 1951 sess
Page 131 and 132: That wasn't a bone of contention a
Page 133 and 134: Q: Oh I see. A: I think they'd do t
Page 135 and 136: Talking about lodging, 1'11 always
Page 137 and 138: his wife's sister. Of course they w
Page 139 and 140: A: Oh did she? Q: Yes. A: Well some
Page 141 and 142: And a lot of those people are all g
Page 143 and 144: I believe there's a lot of that fam
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Leland J. Kennedy Memoir - University of Illinois Springfield

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