Evening star., 1942-09-12

Maine Votes Monday
With Small Hope
For Democrats
SeIf-Mode Businessmen
Opposes SewoII, COP
GubernotorioI Candidate
Continued From First Page,

Continued From First Paee.)
Gratis have nominated George W.
Lane, jr, banker and businessman,
whose career reads like an Horatio
Alger romance. He rose from office
boy to bank president and from
theater usher to president of cham
of theaters. His business interests
60 far beyond those limits however.
At present, his largest activity is
that of executive of National Fire
works, Inc. This Is the company
which manufactures the bombs
which Brig. Gen. James H. Doolittle
and his men dropped in the SEN
sational raid on Toxic. a raid which
electrified this country and terror
ized the Japanese The company
has factories making munitions jn
many States of the Union today,
with Government contracts totaling
between $70.000,00G and $50, ,000, COO.
Mr.. Lane is hard-headed Ameri-
can businessman. He admits quite
frankly that he is no politician. The
only elective Office he ever held was
city councilman in Auburn, and
that was in 1917. He has. however
held number of positions of pub
lie trust, through appointment of
President Roosevelt and two Re-
publican Governors of Maine. He
was regional adviser for New Eng
land on public works. Appointed in
1888 by the President, he held the
position until it was discontinued
in 1884.
Once Usher in Theater.
The Democratic candidate for
Governor was born 81 years ago in
Lewiston, his present home. There
was no silver spoon in his mouth,
and he went to work to help out the
family before he completed his
grammar school education. For two
summers he sold newspapers and
candy on the Crank Trunk Railroad.
He was an usher in the old Music
Hall Theater. He worked as floor
walker at five and ten cent store,
and he sold tickets at the Empire
Theater, all in his home town.
The bank of which Mr.. Lane is
now president, the Lewiston Trust
Co, took him on as an Office boy at
one time-after he had worked on
the construction gang which built
the bank building He was treasurer
of the bank in 1911 and president in
1926 He has been treasurer of
Bates College since 1918.
Mr.. Lane says frankly he became
candidate for Governor because
he believed a businessman could do
job for Maine and he wanted to
try his hand at it.
Il am not politician--never have
been-and don't want to be-" is the
way he puts it.
AS a campaign orator, Mr.. Lane is
no ball of fire. But he impresses
his audience with his sincerity.
Gov. Sewall. unlike his opponent
has gone in for public Office from
the ground up. He has been elected
alderman, to the lower House of the
State Legislature, to the State SEN
ate. of which he became president
and Governor. He was at Harvard
when the World War came along.
and he left college to go into the
armed forces After the war he
tried his hand at a number of
jobs, as a young man.
Made Career of Politics.
With plenty of money to keep
him going, he determined to 60 in
for public service some years ego,
and he has done so successfully. He
Is a good public speaker and he
makes friends easily.
He is proud of his administration
OF State affairs, and points to the
fact that the State bonded indebt-
edness has been reduced a couple of
million dollars in the last year and
that the State finances are in good
shape. He has placed old-age
assistance on a permanent and
sound revenue basis. And he gets
along we'll with labor.
Gov. Sewall was criticized because
he issued "gasless Sunday" order
last year, at time when summer
tourists come into the State in large
numbers.
1t was claimed he knocked $8, ,O00.- :
600 off the expected revenues from
the tourist trade. His friends insist
however, that the tourist trade OF
Maine in 1941 really was about q
per cent higher than it had been
the year before. The fact that the
Democrats are raising this as an
| issue against Gov Sewall makes it
appear that there are few serious
issues in the campaign for Governor
1t will be little short OF a miracle
II Mr.. Lane wins the governorship
| in view OF the Republican strength
! in this State. Gov. Sewall was
elected two years ago with lead OF
10000 votes over his then Democratic
opponent, Fulton j. Redman.
COP In Saddle Since 1896.
The last Democratic Governor OF
the State was Louis J. Brann, now
a candidate for the House in the
1st congressional district. Mr.
Brann was elected Governor in the
Roosevelt landslide year, 1882, and
e-elected In 1884. The Republicans
took over the State government
again, however, in 1886 and have
held 1t ever since.