Montana labor news., 1944-12-07
REELECTION OF
FORD EXPENSIVE
REPORTSSAY

Reports filed by the Republican State
Central Committee, the Ford for Govern
or Club Ford personally and the Mon
tana Citizens Council which waged
left handed" campaign for Ford also,
admit the expenditure of total of
S52,612.54, but a search of the records
accompanying the reports failed to disc
! lose an accounting for the large number
of Ford billboard advertisements which
were to be seen in practically all sections
Of the state and is known to De one OF
the more expensive forms Of advertising.
1t is generally believed that these bill
board advertisements represent special
donation by the large corporations Of the
81 state as a tribute to their friend.
According to the reports filed with the
secretary of state, the Republican State
Central Committee expended s3l, 1861
in the general election campaign, the
Ford for Governor Club $13,5OO and the
Montana Citizens Council $6,879.59, to
make up the total of S62,6l254. It may
| be assumed on the basis of statement
| reported to have been made by the
chairman of the Republican committee
that the principal object of the COM
mittee was Ford's reelection that the
bulk of the expenditures must have been
made for that purpose.
1t is interesting to observe that T. B.
Weir, counsel for some of the largest
corporations in the state was the heavi-
est individual contributor to the Ford
! for Governor Clubs exchequer. Others
contributing fairly large sums were:
Chas. Colbert $500; J. H. Chartres $500;
Lawrence opp $500; N B. Hotter $500;
w. NJ Nichols $500, w L. Cliff $500;
/ Fred Heinecke s32569 probably an as
sessment levied on employees Of the
First National Bank, Helena; Geo
Jacoby $500 and A. M. Hotter $780,
The report Of the Montana Citizens
Council indicates that concerted
drive for funds for the propaganda work
of the committee was probably made
simultaneously with and as part Of the
political campaign by personal contact
which the organization carried on in the
main streets Of pretty much all OF the
larger cities and towns of the state in
addition to circulation by mail of its
/ Ii. srature which was made up of half
truths seasoned with plenty Of false
hoods It's line of propaganda followed
out the main, the pattern set by Attor-
ney William D. Rankin in his vOcifer-
alton early in the campaign about Sidney
Hillman and the Political Action Com
mittee of the CIO and his dire predic-
ions that Sidney Hillman and Earl Brow
der were planning to take over the state
government, implying that they would
do so if Ford we're not reelected. On its
letterhead, this little but probably neo-
fascist organization carried this line:
Opposed to Sidney Hillman's Political
Action Committee"
According to its report it had divided
the state into II districts and had fixed
budget which totaled $12,132 and as
signed specific quotas to be raised in
each of the districts. The report lists
total receipts of s6,9O5 from ten Of the
districts Strangely enough-or is it.
T. B. Weir appears as the heaviest con-
tributor OF this organization also with
T. B. Weir listed as contributing 500
and Taylor B. Weir $780, Evidently he
still handled the purse strings of the
corporations even though wellington D.
Rankin may have been crowding him for
first place as attorney for them.