Crop of Governors

With a great swearing of oaths, blaring of bands and outpouring of orations, a fresh crop of governors last week began taking office throughout the Nation. Last year 35 states held gubernatorial elections through which ran the same Democratic tidal wave that swept Franklin Delano Roosevelt to the White House. In January, prime month for state inaugurals, voters repaired to their capitols to hear and see the men on whom they had staked their hopes of a change for the better. They beheld new faces not nearly so handsome as the campaign posters, heard voices containing much less self-assurance than on the stump.

In November, eleven old governors were re-elected of whom only three (Vermont's Wilson, New Hampshire's Winant, Delaware's Buck) were Republicans.-Of the 24 new ones, 22 were Democrats, two Republicans. In Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Michigan, Missouri, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming and West Virginia the governorship passed from a Republican to a Democrat. Only in Kansas did it pass from a Democrat to a Republican. North Dakota alone managed to change Republican governors without having a Democrat slip in.

Most of the new governors were oldtime politicians past middle age who had worked up through inferior jobs to the top of the state pile. Most of them by birth and breeding were close to the plain people who had elected them. Most of them, as "outs" fighting "ins" had promised a "new deal" in the campaign. Every last one of them in their inaugural addresses or first legislative messages hammered hard on a common theme: Economy--economy--economy to save their states from bankruptcy.

New governors inaugurated last week: New York-Four years as lieutenant governor had well trained Democrat Herbert Henry Lehman, Manhattan banker, for the country's second biggest executive job. Beside him at his simple inaugural stood the two men who had made him governor--President-elect Roosevelt and Alfred Emanuel Smith. The former talked about "Al" and the latter about "Frank's Forgotten Man." Governor Lehman advised the Legislature to prepare for beer at once by passing legislation to regulate and tax its local sale when authorized by Congress. Said he: "Approximately 25% of the entire working population of the state is now unemployed. We are now forced to look to Washington for assistance."-

Arizona. A political babe-in-arms who never before held public office is 70-year-old Governor Benjamin Baker Moeur of Tempe. During his campaign Democrat Moeur promised all his friends jobs. Last week he was in hot water because he found he had more friends than jobs. A physician, he employs his bedside manner in public. Newsmen consider him profane. Politicians consider him radical. The common people consider him their liberal savior who will somehow deal them reduced taxes.

Florida. Though Brooklyn-born and Yale-educated, Governor David ("Dave") Sholtz, 41, boosts his state like a native. Round-faced and jovial, he is a Daytona Beach lawyer, an Elk, a Mason, an American Legionary, a Rotarian. His campaign speeches drew men from barbers' chairs with lather still on their faces.

Illinois. From Chicago to Springfield Democrat Henry Horner, bachelor, took his own male cook and valet. On the probate bench for 18 years he won wide acclaim for his efficient management of estates. Governor Horner plumes himself on having one of the world's largest private Lincoln libraries.

Indiana. American Legion bands were loudly present when Democrat Paul Vories McNutt, 41, onetime (1928-29) national commander of the Legion, took office at Indianapolis. Tall (6 ft. 2 in.), grey-haired, autocratic Governor McNutt has an ambitious eye on the White House. A liberal, he favors a state income tax. repeal of the Indiana Dry Law, abolition of the Public Service Commission. Author Meredith Nicholson stagemanaged his outdoor inaugural.

Kansas. Republican Alfred Mossman ("Alf") Landon, 45, of Independence, saved his state from a goat gland government when he defeated "Dr." John R. Brinkley, blatant independent, radio medicine man, and simultaneously wrested the governorship away from Democrat Harry Woodring. In 1912 he was a rampant Progressive, is regular today. Oil made him rich. All in one week last year he won the party nomination for governor, became the father of a daughter and brought in a 500-bbl.-per-day oil well. As a boy he once held an old hen on her nest until she delivered the egg necessary to complete a dozen he had promised to deliver that day.

Michigan, Thrice Detroit's William A. Comstock, "angel" of the state Democracy, ran for governor in default of other candidates, thrice was beaten. None was more surprised than he when on the fourth attempt he won last November. As the first Democratic governor in 16 years, he recommended to the Democratic Legislature a combined sales and gross income tax, old age pensions, direct relief for jobless and a change in the local Dry enforcement law to conform with the November repeal of state constitutional Prohibition. Every year he goes hunting, kills his buck.

Missouri. What sort of Governor Democrat Guy Brasneld Park, 60, will make, few citizens knew last week because he had been presented to them only three weeks before the election. When Nominee Francis Murray Wilson suddenly died in the midst of the campaign, Boss Tom Pendergast of Kansas City picked Judge. Park, Nominee Wilson's old friend and neighbor, off the circuit bench to fill his place.

Maine. Many a jobless citizen was deprived of voting for Democrat Louis Jefferson Brann last September because the

State Constitution disfranchises as "paupers" all who receive public relief. Last week Governor Brann, first of his party to hold the office in 18 years, recommended a change in the law "differentiating between the habitual claimant for supplies and the hard-working industrious citizen temporarily receiving assistance." He also declared the Maine treasury was in "a very serious condition," promised to give up part of his $5,000 salary.

North Dakota. Tall, thick-set Republican William Langer took his oath in Bismarck's Atalexius Hospital where he lay ill with influenza. Mrs. Minnie Craig, elected Speaker of the House, led the inaugural audience in singing the State hymn.

Rhode Island. For six hours Democrat Theodore Francis ("All-round Man") Green waited in the executive office to take his oath while the House deadlocked on the election of a Speaker. Later he had the distinction of being the State's first Governor to be sworn in after dark. He then asked the General Assembly for $3,000,000 for jobless relief.

South Dakota. Democrat Tom Berry, 57, onetime cowboy who now owns a 30,000-acre ranch, asked the Legislature to abolish the office of State sheriff, the rail-road commission, the insurance commission, the direct primary, the bonding department and gasoline exemptions.

Utah. Roads are the specialty of Democrat Henry Hooper Blood, 50, Mormon Stake president. He directs a canning company, a sugar company, a bank and the Zion Co-Operative Mercantile Institute.

Wisconsin. Democratic women demanded an inaugural ball when bald, soft-spoken Albert George Schmedeman, 68, was sworn in as the first Democratic Governor since George W. Peck, author of "Peck's Bad Boy," 42 years ago. They got the ball, but not before Communists and Socialists had paraded about Madison with signs: "Dems Dance while Unemployed Starve." Son of a tailor, Governor Schmedeman, close at whose side stood the Brothers La Follette, was four times Mayor of Madison, served as President Wilson's Minister to Norway.

Wyoming. To make sure of getting his job Democrat Leslie Andrew Miller, one-time railroad brakeman, took his oath of office secretly six days before the inaugural. Stocky, sandy-haired Governor Miller's father used to run a Laramie store called "The Temple of Economy."

North Carolina. At the inaugural of John Christoph Blucher Ehringhaus, an Elizabeth City lawyer, more eyes and thoughts were on the outgoing Governor than on the incoming. The best Governor Ehringhaus can do is to carry on the State program that made Governor Oliver Max Gardner a national figure.

In four years Governor Gardner worked wonders centralizing the government of North Carolina. It cost him some old friends and made him some new enemies but he succeeded in putting his State on a sounder financial footing than it has been for years. "The joy ride is over." he announced when he took office in 1929 and proceeded to hammer through reforms which many another state is today emulating. Chief among them were:

1) The State took over the maintenance of all county roads (45,000 mi.), thus dispensing with some 600 local road officials. Annual savings: $2,250.000. Simultaneously the State took charge of the 3,800 prisoners on 47 county chain gangs, housing them in modern concentration camps about the State.

2) Created was a Local Government Commission to censor the borrowings of counties and towns fast running into bankruptcy. No local unit can issue bonds or notes without the sanction of this State agency. Local loans have been cut from $30,000,000 to $810,000 per year.

3) The State assumed the total cost of the constitutional school term, thereby relieving local taxpayers of a heavy burden, guaranteeing teachers their pay on time.

4) The live-at-home movement whereby one-crop farmers were encouraged to raise their own food and feed kept an estimated $55,000,000 within the State during Governor Gardner's term.

Explained he: "One of the tragedies of local government is borrowed money. Local governments have not only anticipated the future, they have spent it. ... The doctrine of local self-government has come in large measure to be a means toward local power to mismanage."

Property taxes have been cut 20% in North Carolina during an era of rising governmental expenses. Governor Gardner whittled the annual State tax bill down from $102,000,000 to $90,000,000 in four years. He has settled textile strikes in his State in such a way that both Capital and Labor are urging his appointment to the Roosevelt Cabinet as a worthy Southerner.

Last month Governor Gardner received the following telegram from Clyde Laverne Herring of Des Moines: "In my campaign for Governor I urged that Iowa follow the lead of North Carolina and reorganize our State government. I was elected upon that program and with me a Democratic Legislature. A dinner has been arranged for the members of the Legislature. We wish very much to have you as the one and only speaker. These earnest men want you to tell them what you did in North Carolina and how."

Such a tribute from Democratic Iowa to Democratic North Carolina could not be declined by Democrat Gardner. After seeing his successor safely in office at Raleigh, he started for Des Moines on the eve of this week's inauguration of Governor-elect Herring.

Iowa. Clyde Herring was born 53 years ago near Jackson, Mich. Bicycling to Detroit as a boy, he got a job as a jewelry clerk, repaired a watch for Henry Ford, was given the Ford agency in Atlantic. Iowa, later became the Ford distributor for all Iowa. The millions he thus made he invested in real estate. In 1926 he switched to the Herring-Wissler Co.. wholesale auto parts. Since the War Democrat Herring has run for Governor and Senator, but not until last November (with the help of the Roosevelt sweep) did he win. A self-made man whose first books were the Eliot Five-Foot Shelf, he dresses like a banker, talks with mellow accents, gardens about his swanky West End home just for the fun of it.

His prime aim is to reorganize the State government on a business basis--the job for which he summoned Max Gardner as adviser. The Brookings Institution has been engaged to conduct a $30,000 survey of the State. What bothers the new Governor most is the fact that so many State agencies are beyond his control and jurisdiction. Said he:

"I'm set up for everybody in the State to shoot at. Yet I'm shorn of the power to give Iowa a good government. Some of the chairmen of Iowa commissions right now will be serving out their appointive terms after my first administration has ended. I have been given the job of Iowa's general manager. I have all the responsibility and none of the power. That's the situation which must be revised."

*Democrats reelected: Connecticut's Cross, Idaho's Ross, Massachusetts' Ely, Montana's Erickson, Nebraska's Bryan, New Mexico's Seligman, Ohio's White. Also re-elected was Minnesota's Olson, Farmer-Laborite. *Up to now New York has not borrowed from R. F. C. for jobless relief.

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