The Courier News from Blytheville, Arkansas • Page 7

APRIL 14, 1954 BLYTHEVILLE (ARK.) COURIER NEWS PAGE Great Game of Politics in Arkansas Is Not Only Uncertain-It's Expensive, Too By LEON HATCH LITTLE ROCK (AP) Are interested in applying for a job of great responsibility uncertain tenure that cowid cost you a year's salary or more in advance without any assurance that you'll be hired? Maybe you aren't, but lots of persons are. TSiey're the persons who run for office in Arkansas every two years. The law says these candidates may spend a maximum amount lj equal to year's salary in seeking the olfice but limit is exclusive of actual personal traveling and hotel expenses. Of course, the amount a candidate spends of his personal funds for a major office like governor or tL S. senator is only a small part of the total.

Arkansas law sets no limit on how much others may spend in espousing the cause of a candidate they favor or who they hope will favor them if he gets the office. Candidates and unsuccessful must file statements setting out their personal campaign expenditures, exclusive of travel and hotel expense, but a list of campaign contributions and expenditures generally is not required. Then how much does it cost to run' for a major office? There have been numerous estimates, some of them running into truly fantastic figures, of the cost of various races in the past. However, the only even partly documented evidence is furnished in a report made public by the Pulaski County Grand Jury in March, 1953. The jury undertook to find out how much had been contributed and spent in the campaign for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination in 1952.

Lists of contributions some of them apparently incomplete since the law doesn't require that such records-be supplied by campaign managers for the five candidates. Gov. Cherry's campaign total wa placed at 1131,000. Cherry previously had reported $4,500 as his per- sonsvl campaign 'expenses. The campaign of former Gov.

Sid McMatC whom Cherry defeated for a third term, cost $192,213, the jury was told. McMath had reported personal expenses of $4,700. For former Congressman Boyd Tackett the campaign total was $134,406 in addition to a reported personal expenditure of $9,827.68. The Jack Holt total was reported at $32,500 plus personal expenditures of $1,085, and the Ike Murry total at $66,840 plus $4,850 in personal expenses. Thus, $567.460 was reported spent in behalf of the five candidates, exclusive of their personal expenditures.

There are two Arkansas statutes limiting personal expenditures to the equivalent of a year's salary exclusive of travel and hotel expense. One mentions only primary elections and the other covers the candidate's campaign in both primary, and general elections. Although there is an apparent conflict between the two laws, actually it seems to make little difference. In Arkansas, of course, major contests are nearly always decided in Democratic primaries and general election costs are virtually non-existent. One of the two restrictive laws has a special provision for limitation of expenses of a candidate for governor to $5,000 rather than to the general maximum of a year's salary.

The explanation is that the law was adopted in 1913, when the governor's yearly salary was $4,000, and was 'designed to permit a candidate for the office, a little more leeway in spending not less, as would be true now when the salary is $10,000 a year. However, except for Tackett, all the 1952 candidates certified personal expenditures of less than $5,000 and as a general rule candidates in previous years have reported their personal spending at $5,000 or below. The provide for possible fine and imprisonment for candidates spending more than the legal maximum or neglecting to file an expense account. Apparently no one has ever been less either provision. Two bills relating to campaign contributions and expenditures introduced in the 1953 Arkansas Senate but legislative action wasn't completed on either.

Sens. Max Howell of Little Rock and James D. Johnson of Crossett submitted a bill which would have prohibited expenditures of more than 10 times the equivalent of a year's salary in behalf of any candidate. The present limitation on per- onal expenditures would have been retained and public reports of all campaign contributions and would have been required The Senate passed the bill, 26-0, but it wasn't called up in the Johnson introduced a second bill with similar provisions but limited to campaigns for governor. This measure died on the Senate calendar.

Two years ago the research staff of the Arkansas Legislative Council made a study of state laws relating to campaign contributions and expenditures and noted in its report that "Arkansas is one of the few states that does not require the reporting of political contributions. By BOB THOMAS HOLLYWOOD Spencer Tracy, doing his first loanout in 15 years, is happy to be back at the studio where he says he was once fired. Tracy, long a member of the MGM star team, is doing "Broken Lance" for 20th Century-Fox. The price for his services is probably around $150,000. But that's not the reason for his satisfaction.

A couple of decades ago, when the studio was just plain Fox, he was under contract there. "They fired me," he said. "Those were in the days when I was still drinking, and I got drunk now and then. But never on a between. Anyway, they worried about me.

"I was all set for a big. expensive picture. But they came to me and asked if I was going to behave. I told them, 'That's a heck of a way to get me to behave! If you're worried about me, why don't you let me "That's all they needed. I wasn't a box office star or anything, and they were happy to see me go.

I was out of the studio the same day. "But one thing pleased me about the whole affair. At 8 o'clock that night, my agent took me over to MGM to have talk with Louis B. Mayer. At 9 o'clock I was signed to a contract, and I've been there ever since." The rest, of course, is Hollywood history.

Within three years, Tracy had won two Oscars for "Captains Courageous" and "Boy's Town." His former bosses at Fox must have been burning, "But they had the last word," Tracy admitted. "Somebody discovered that I still owed the studio a picture. So I went back and did 'Stanley and Livingstone' in 1939." Tracy, who ranxs with beer as one of Milwaukee's most notable products, is still going strong, having turned 54 last week. His hair is white, but he still nas his youthful bounce and lively sense of humor. There had been reports that he woii'd be leaving along with Clark Gable, Greer Garson and other long-time stars.

Tracy is one of the longest last stars on the lot. He said: "Will I sign 1 don't know. At first I didn't think I would cause I didn't think they wanted me. Nobody said anything abou staying. I think that's why lot of actors leave.

"But 'we have started having talks, and something may come of it. I still have three pictures to make for them. After that, who knows?" "A of lht stlltos provide for ho of cam- tarting the Day with an Hour's Rest It's about an hour from his home to his he doesn't think of it as a drive at all. He just settles back in the deep, comfortable seat his hand on the inviting out over the hood in the general direction of the office starts to relax. Comes first, the ten-mile stretch in the country.

If the car were standing still, it could not be smoother or softer or it loafs over the broad; winding highway. There's only the faint sound of the wind, plus the receding trees and posts and buildings, to give him a sense of movement. Almost before it begins, it seems, the ten-mile stretch is a sign announces the city's limits. The soft pressure of his foot shifts from accelerator to the big car settles down easily, smoothly and quickly to the prescribed speed. And then begins the real wizardry of Cadillac performance.

Stop and and and creep all regulated with the slightest touch of toe and hand. Insofar as the driver is concerned, it's just as easy as the open little slower, of course, but just as calm and relaxing. And maybe a little bit nicer, in one notable now there are drivers all about stealing glances at his beautiful car, and wondering who's the fortunate whose name is on the title! What a highway or street! Owners say the hours behind its wheel are among the finest hours of the relaxing and inspiring. If you haven't as yet driven a 1954 you've been missing something wonderful! Better come in the most revealing hour you ever spent behind the wheel of a motor car. SULLIVAN-NELSON CHEVROLET CO.

after the elec- 301 Wtit Walnut Phone 4578 ture. both before- and tion," the researchers found staff summary also stud' "A number of prohibit corporations to a political cami'mmi. A few states limit this prohihuu.ii to ppubik- utili ties. Other stairs rohl bu persons baying an alcohnlu- permit- from contributing to a campaign." Arkansas contains none of these "Several of tho states" the summary said, "require that campaign funds be cleared through A central campaign manager or committee be: ore the ma be expended, The most effective laws in this respect appear to be in Florida. New Jersey and Texas.

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