Evening star., 1949-05-02
More Editors Found
On Illinois Payroll
During Green Regime
BY George Them

s'o" kspoff~ OF fhs Chicago Dolly News
SPRINGFIELD. III. May 2
Especially The discovery of more
names OF Illinois editors and pub
fishers carried on the State payroll
during the regime Of former Gov.
Dwight H. Green swelled the total
to 81 and the amount collected to
more than $40o. 900. a Chicago
Daily News search has revealed.
Chicago suburban publishers
who collected from State jobs in
clude Fred Fulle of Des PLANES,
publisher Of the Suburban Times
and a Maine Township Republican
committeeman, and Raymond J..
Peacock. Chicago seth ward COM
mltteeman and publisher of a
string OF sectional newspapers.
Mr.. Fulle went on the payroll
September l, 1912, as a field in
vestigator in the State Highway
Division general Office. He COL
lected $11,201.46 in four years
when he was promoted to CLERK"
in the State auditors office.
Got $23,326 In Six Years.
Between September, 1916, when
the monthly payroll figure was
increased, and January Is, 1949,
when Mr.. Fulle's name was drop
ped from the rolls by order of
Gov. Adlai Stevenson, the Maine
Township publisher collected an
additional $12.125, or a total of
$23 .326.46 in a little more than
six years.
: Mr.. Peacock was carried on the
I Revenue department payroll as an
! executive I" from January 16,
1912 to January 81, 1949. He
COLLECTED a total of $31 ,884.58. He
was listed as supervisor of sales
tax collections in the Chicago area.
Additional Downstate newsmen
discovered on the State payrolls
include Carl M. Davidson, city
editor. and Robert c. Poisall.
sports writer. for the Danville
Commercial News.
Was "Field Investigator"
Mr.. Davidson collected $6,640
between January, 1946. and No
vember 80. 1948. as a field in
yestigator" in the State Labor De-
partment.
+, Mr.. Poisall held a similar job in
l943. "A and As, then was trans
ferred to clerk" in the State
Office Of Public Instruction, COL
lecting a total Of $685..
The auditors office said that Mr..
Poisall was on State payroll as of
April 20 under the Republican
superintendent of public instruc-
ton, Vernon L. Nickel.
These four names added $685.
1864 to the payroll that was re-
vealed in earlier disclosures.
The Chicago Daily News also
uncovered the fact that Ben l..
Berve, of Rochelle. former chair
man Of the Republican State Com
mittee. was on the State Highway
Division payroll as an admins
trative assistant" at from $500 to
1878 a month between May l. 1912,
and May !. 1947. for a total Of
21,150.
Moved to Chicago.
Mr.. Berve moved his residence
to Chicago on June 26, l946, to aid
Russell Root in the Chicago
rnayoralty campaign. Mr.. Berve
was removed from the State pay
roll within a few weeks after Mr..
Root lost the election to Mayor
Kennedy.
other Downstater names dis
covered on the highway division
payroll. purged since Gov: Stew
enson took office. were Scerial
Thompson. Harrisburg attorney
and director Of the Greater Egypt
Association, at $3.50 a month as
an engineering assistant; Paul
D. Carlson, Erie. Whiteside County
Republican Chairman, 5000 a
month, Bernard Buenemeyer, jr.,
Germantown, Clinton County pre-
cinct captain, $3.50 month;
Walter G. Williams, Greenville.
800 a month.
Gov. Stevenson's director of
finance. George Mitchell, abol-
ished the jobs Of superintendent
of printing and superintendent
Of multigraphing. Harold j.
Cruger, Elmhurst publisher held
the former job, collecting ST.
332.04 until removed from the
payroll February %. and Herschel.
Blazer. Aledo publisher. was car
ried on the multigraphing job at a
cost Of $15,560. Both drove State
cars and had expense accounts.
Worked Three Days a Week.
Mr.. Fulle told the Chicago Daily
News he worked for the State
three days every week-Mon-
days. Wednesdays and Fridays"
He said he had not wanted the
Jobs. but took them "at the in
sistence" of Gov. Green and for
mer State Auditor Arthur c.
Lueder.
Mr.. Fulle said that from Sep
tember. 1942. to September, 1946,
his job was to survey printing
shops in 13 Northern Illinois
counties to determine their ability
to handle State printing con-
tracts.
He said he made detailed re-
ports and submitted them to the
State Superintendent of Printing
at Springfield.
81 did my work and ran my
tires down and wore them out
when they were hard to get." he
said. He said he collected 4l2
cents a mile In travel allowance.
He said he quit in 1946 be
cause they wouldn't give me a
letter to the OPA saying I needed
new tires"
Turned Down Four Jobs.
Mr.. Fulle said he took the print
ing job after Green offered me
fhraa ~. four Athnr iohc and +