The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1954-05-01
FLORIDA
POLITICS
BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

by THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Acting Gov. Johns and State Sen
LEROY Collins campaigned in West
Florida today while Bradley Cd.
ham appealed for votes in Orange
County for Tuesdays Democratic
gubernatorial primary.
Johns wound up stay in Miami
last night and faced a busy sched-
ule of politicking in Bristol,
Blountstown, Mariana, Cotton
dale, Chipley, Bombay, De Funiak
Springs, Crestview, Jay, Milton
and Pensacola. He is to appear
on a television program at Pensa-
cola tonight with the same pro-
gram piped to Panama City.
Collins left Tallahassee for Pan.
anna City where he scheduled a
Up. m. (CSTy address. Later he
plans to speak in Milton and ap-
pear on television in Pensacola
and Panama City with the pro-
gram also to be picked up by
radio stations in the area.
Oldham flew from Miami to Or
1ando and will visit in that area
during the day. He will attend
barbecue there late today and
make a statewide radio broadcast
from the city auditorium at the
fair grounds in Orlando tonight.
Johns, who claims West Florida
is his greatest stronghold, charged
at Homestead that state welfare
workers in some areas are trying
to defeat him and in some places
are holding up welfare checks. He
promised an investigation.
Oldham told Dade County voters
that consolidation of state agencies
would save two to three million
dollars year. He also said he
wants to keep present racing laws
giving choice racing dates to the
track having the largest betting
handle.
Collins told a Jacksonville tele-
vision audience his opponents are
distorting the truth in last-minute
efforts to gain support. He said
both his opponents are desperate
but our position is secure"
Oldham said there was dupli-
cation of effort now inspecting
state licenses, collecting taxes and
from five to II different agents
from Tallahassee are Elm and out
of a mans business" checking on
such things as cigarette taxes,
beer licenses, sales taxes.
''It looks to me like one man
could walk in and inspect all THOSE
licenses. It makes too much sense.
That's why the politicians don't
like it,"
Oldham said he favored develop
ment of a state aviation program
and wants adequate hunting and
fishing facilities either through use
of state lands or leased areas.
When one man in the audience
asked if North Florida didn't get
an extra 80 days hunting each
year, Oldham replied They've
been getting a little bit more of
everything than you have"
Oldham said he wants to keep
present racing laws which give
racing date choices to the race
track having the largest betting
handle in the preceding season.
He explained ~ do not advocate
any change in race date regula-
TONS"
His discussion of racing dates
came about when a questioner
asked If James Dom, president
of Gu9stream, had been promised
the choice middle-season dates if
Johns is elected governor.
That's exactly what Mr.. Char
ley intends to do" Oldham said,
adding that Jimmy Dom and all
the race track boys are for Charley
Johns"
Collins told his listeners Johns
"has been going around taking
wounded feelings saying l called
all his friends and supporters
scum. That is deliberate falsi-
fication."
The Tallahassee senator re-
called that on a TV program two
weeks ago he made the statement
"Racketeers or the nearest thing
to racketeer that could be found
were supporting the acting COVER
nor.
II followed this statement i'm.
mediately by saying I didn't mean
all the acting governors support
ers belong in this category, that
some of our finest citizens in Flor
ida are for him."
Then Collins played from a tape
recording that portion of his earlier
talk and said:
"That's what Leroy Collins actu-
ally said. I stand on my original
statement and if any of you doubt
the truth of it look around in your
county and you viii see that the
facts bear me out. The racketeers
are for him."
He said another example of the
Johns technique was an effort to
scare people into believing some
one is advocating elimination of
homestead exemption. He said