Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1953-10-21
Trend 10 Democrats
In New Jersey Seen;
Fay Is Big Issue
By Gould Lincoln
Star Sfeff Correspondent

NEWARK, N. j., Oct. 21.-If
New Jersey voters were electing
"a Governor today. they prob
ably would pick a Democrat.
That is an admission that comes
from an important Republican
leader here.
This Republican, however,
points out the gubernatorial
election does not come until No
vember 3. He adds hopefully
that the voters may swing back
toward the G.. G.. P-despite the
impact of a now-famous letter
written about Joseph s. (Joey)
Fay.
Fay, a labor racketeer and ex-
tortioniSt now in Clinton Prison,
Dannemora, N. Y, has become
the central issue in the cam
paign..
TrOast ~Interceded for Fay.
Paul j. Troast, the Republic
can candidate to be Governor
OF New Jersey, wrote Gov. Dewey
Of New York in January, 1851,
asking executive clemency for
Fay.
When the public learned about
the letter two weeks ago, voter
sentiment shifted toward the
Democrats. A prominent Demo-
.crat here said the G.. o. P. was
way ahead before disclosure of
the letter. Now, he says, the
voters are going to elect Demo-
crat Robert B. Meyner as Cover
nor.
1t seems to make little differ
ence to New Jersey voters that
the letter asking the release of
Fay was written long before
TroaSt became a candidate for
the gubernatorial nomination.
Nor does it make much differ
ence when the Troast supporters
argue that if the letter was i'm
proper, then it is equally i'm
proper for any private citizen
ever to ask the authorities for
parole, probation or clemency
for a person convicted of crime.
Mr. Meyner put it this way:
"It is shocking to learn that the
man who seeks the highest posi-
ton of trust in New Jersey
should try to use his influence
with the Republican Governor of
another State to free a rack
eteer."
Was Newark Labor Leader.
What brings the Fay issue
close to the New Jersey voters
is the fact that Fay, a fabulous
character, is a New Jersey prod
uct. For years he was a labor,
leader right here in Newark. He
was a vice president of the In
ternational Union of Operating
Engineers and a powerful figure
in labor circles. In addition,
Fay established a contracting
concern of his own-the Inter-
national Excavating Co. He is
still listed as president of that
company, although his place in
the operating engineers union
has been filled.
The intersection of Fay into
the political campaign came as
a by-product of Investigation of
scandals involving the harness
racing tracks in New York, in
Guiding labor racketeering. 1t
was shown that prominent New
York and New Jersey officials
and labor leaders visited Fay in
Sing Sing prison, N. Y.
While Mr. TroaSt was not
among the visitors, it was dis
closed that he was one of those
who had w%rittenAto Gov. Thomas
E. Dewey asking that Fay be
paroled. The fat was in the
fire.
Mr.. Troast, for many years
president of the Mahoney-Troast
Co., a large construction firm,
has been a leading engineer and
businessman in New Jersey. At
the time he wrote his letter for
Fay's release. he was chairman
of the New Jersey Turnpike
Authority.
Mr. Troast, when confronted
with the report he had urged
the parole of Fay. quickly adj
mitted it. He made public the
text of the letter. He insisted
he had done no wrong. In the
letter he wrote he had frequently
sought out Fay to use his in
fuence to adjust labor disputes
and that Fay had been remark
ably effective. He said he had
not been asked by Fay for money
for these services, and had not
paid him any.