Evening star., 1952-04-20
Union Leader
Says Disti||ers
bribe Editors
UNIV Official Asserts
5 in West Virginia
Serve as Agents
By the Associated Press

by me ASSociofed PFeSS
CHARLESTON. w. Va, April
ia United Mine Workers off,
cial today named five West Vir-
ginia newspapermen who he said
have profitable liquor or wine ac-
counts with the State.
Under West Virginia law, dis
tilleries and wineries are required
to have resident agents in the
State to represent the manufac-
turers in their dealings with the
State Liquor Control Commission
which buys for the State stores.
The newsmen were named by
George j. Titler, president Of
United Mine Workers District 20
at BeckIey. w. Va. On April l
Mr.. Titler in an address at Key
stone, w. Va, said, the state
house gang prostituted the free
press of America by bribing some
of the most important editors in
the State with liquor accounts ..
I know of one newspaper editor
who gets $4,000 a month to keep
his mouth shut about anything
detrimental to the statehouse
gang -"
There was editorial comment
from several newspapers in the
state challenging Mr.. Titler to
make public the names.
Names Listed.
Today Mr.. Titler listed these
names and connections:
c. E. (Ned) Smith, editor Of
the Fairmont Times, identified as
a sales representative of the Glib
son Wine Co.
Jack Shipman. publisher Of the
Pineville Independent Her.
aid, representative of Hiram
Inc.
Forest r. Thompson, editor Of
the Voice O. Labor, weekly labor
at Morgantown, rep
resentative of Greenbros, Inc, Of
Cincinnati.
Nelson Hicks. associated in the
mechanical department of the
Martinsburg Journal. representa-
tive of the Louisville Distilleries,
Inc. Mr.. Hicks is also chairman
of the Berkeley County Demo-
cratic executive committee.
c. v. Duke" Ridgely, sports
columnist for the Huntington
Herald-Dispatch who Mr.. Titler
said claimed to have liquor ac-
count and was doing business with
the State until about two years
ago.
Mr.. Titler also said Mr.. Ridgely
was on the payroll of the State
Conservation Commission while
Mr.. Shipman was director of that
agency some years ago.
Liquor Charge Denied.
In Huntington, Mr.. Ridgely
asked: who is George j. Titler?
I've never heard of him and never
have I had liquor account. You
mean to say I'm an important
editor?" he asked.
why, I've only been around
here 80 years." he added.
Mr.. Ridgely said he had worked
on the Conservation Commission
magazine in 1945 and 1916, writing
articles for it.
Mr.. Shipman said he had no
comment beyond a statement of
fact. He said he has owned and
published the Independent Herald
since 1912 and was named district
manager of Hiram Walker for
West Virginia three years ago. He
recalled the $4,000 per month fig
ure Mr.. Titler used in his keystone
speech and said any such amount
was completely out of line with
anything I get"
Belittles Political Significance.
Mr.. Smith said it would appear
an effort was being made to draw
some inference that the liquor ac-
counts had some political signifi-
canoe in the present election cam
paign. and said his association
with the firm which he has rep
resented for u years "has no po-
litical significance whatsoever"
He said as special representa-
tive of the firm, his work in
cluded other States as we'll as
West Virginia.
Mr.. Thompson said at Morgan
town only that he had been a dis
tillery representative for IA years.
Mr. Hicks declined comment for
the time being.