Evening star., 1949-05-22

The stories weTe written ay 4
Geosge Then ot The DAILY News
They reported that 5! ealtogS
executives o. Other enn!oses 0i J.
daily and IS weekly newspaper
received State pay checks 'otAlink
nearly s&so 900 between ls4S and
le4s. while they were directly cg
indirectly associated With thslg
newspapers There are - dails
and ssT weekly newspA pegs In
Illinois
Some newspapers e<iltorial.t
have called Tire revelations =
disgrace 10 journalism and &
newspaper family Scandai Some
comments criticized newspapers
and news services which failed to
carry the reports o. delayed cal
rying them,
On the other hand. comments
from State officials and news
papermen involved stated that
there was nothing dlSgraeetul
that the newSmen earned lhelf
State salaries and had no apolo-
gies to make, or that the reports
were distorted
Alleges Politics
Dwight II. Green. the Repuhli-
can Ex-Governor whose 1870 sts
administration hired the news
men. called the reports politically
inspired. He lost ~ Democrat
Adlai E. Stevenson st November
3 in his bid for reelection. after
a campaign IN which the Post"
Dispatch and the Daily News edl'
torially opposed him,
While some newspapers differec
edItorially on whether earning oi
the State salaries vas pertinent
many deplored the two Job prae'
tice by some newsmen as serious
breach Of professional ethics and
as damaging 10 the integrity oi
newspapers and OF journalism a,
a whole.
Editor a. Publisher. newspaper
trade magazine. said the reports
are "a stink as unhealthy ane
corrupt as any that has ever
soiled the reputation OF American
journalism. II added
mo man can serve two masters
Some OF the newmen held
major State Jobs. put in full time
or we're generally known TO tht
Illinois public as having news
paper Affiliations. Some OF thoss
named said they were no Longer
with newspapers.
Some we're listed on the payroll
as clerks. messengers or investiga'
tors. Some worked part time
and some we're not general,
known to be State employees. Al
contended they earned the Stat
salary they got.
Most OF the newmen namet
still are working for their news
papers. Three on one paper hsv'
resigned. They were the execu
tive editor. the sports editor ant
the advertising manager OF tn.
Danville, tIll., Commercial News
Most of those named In thu
reports no longer work for th,
State.
Mr.. Green denied that any o.
them were hired 10 further hi
political interests. He referred
to the various editorial charges
and TO the Post Dispatch anc
Daily News stories that man,
newSmen rode the gravy train
and printed editorials and new
stories from the Green publicity
mill . TO keep the Green ma.
chine oiled"
Mr.. Green said: The charge
are untrue and unfair 10 Illinois
newspapermen. They earned theil
money. They were not paid u
write canned editorials In favoI
Of my administration. They wer,
paid TO perform certain Jobs.
am proud OF what they did"
Some newspaper editorial com
ments declared that whether tn.
newSmen earned their State sal.
aries was beside the point.
But the Daily News said edito.
rally: ITO Us II seems 10 make {
great deal OF difference. More
over. 1t seems TO US that one ethi.
cal factor in the situation Il
whether the employment wa
open and public. as in the cas-,
Of several well-known officials
while 1t was going on"
RANGE in Payments
The reported payroll payment
for the varying periods ranges
from tso.50 to s2l .3ee. exelusiv,
of q $4I.2Si total reported paie
to one State worker who said hi
only connection with q news.
paper was as q minority stock
holder and as an uncle OF tn,
publisher.
Some Of the newspaperm~r
we're reported TO have State Job
classified as field investigator
for q State department. such n
highways. revenue. labor or pub
lie safety.
Some said they did variou
kinds Of writing or reporting II
the State work. Some said the,
did messenger or clerical or pub
lie relations work. One said b,
worked five and one-haIf days /,
week In O State oil laborator,
while his son put out the paper
Several editors or publishers d
weekiies held major Jobs. Thei
State appointments we're well
known and pubiictzed within tn,
State from the time they entsres
service.
Among these were the direcsol
Of the State Department OF Agri'
culture. the superintendent o'
printing. and the superintendent
Of muitigraphing. TfSe fact thai
the sports editor Of o large down.
State daily was n sAlayl@d mem.