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Beacon HiU WeeklySen. Graham Points His Rifle at Testimonial DinnersWhich Fatten the Bankrolls of Their Guests of HonorBy A. A. MicheUonBOSTON.SEN. PHILIP A. GRAHAM, the broad-breasted turkey farmer frqm Hamilton, who is one of four Republicans running for governor, made an obvious grandstand play for a headline this week at the State House, but his point was well taken.He aimed-at phony and preda- -----too' testimonial dinners for state in the Bureau of Environmental officeholders which have just Sanitation, Mr. Michael is not retir-about reached the racket stage. One State House lobbyist, who has finally decided that the tattooing he has been getting from the ticket • vendors must at least be abated, estimates that “phony” testimonial dinners in Boston are a million-dollar-a-year racket.ic-*yInab-ing; he is a middle-aged man. This was simply a “friendship dinner for which some 1,200 persons convened in the ballroom of the Hotel Bradford at $15 a fruit cup. Unless there was an extremely free flowage of booze, the individual tab couldn't have come to much* * * more than $5. Thus, there wouldFURTHERMORE, the Essex be an estimated $12,000 “kitty1' or 15 County gobbler is being what he “purse” for the guest of honor, le calls “broadminded” about the These estimates, of course, assume e- whole business. In a bid Graham that only 1,200 tickets were sold, filed for consideration—which he There could have been 1,500 or8n-undoubtedly knew wouldn't be allowed in by legislative leader.1 he asked that non-elected public officials be prohibited from pro-r, motmg such dinners, and that vio-j. lators be subjected to a $1,000 fine, six months in prison or both. He2,000 because the number of persons who buy tickets and stay away for a number of reasons is legion.issays he Is being broadmindedSen. Philip A. Graham of HamiltonLlbrizxss‘ when he excludes elected officials,:Sodiferous or otherwise distasteful.“ Graham is also willing 1o excuse testimonials lo public officials re-t- tiring from 1he service. Many of these are bona fide salutes fromTHE POINT IS that Mr. Michael has a responsible position in stale government. He and members of his staff police all kinds of busi-V on The ground That the public can ness Places- including grocery Daniel J. Murphy, a veteran in the ocrat. To succeed Whitney, he i remove such officials if the tactics Mores and restaurants, to protect State Police and former commis- appointed Henri Goguen of used in the promotions are too the consumer against unsanitary Moner of public safety. Capt. Mur- Leominster who has proved to beconditions. It could be that the Phy is now head of a newly ere- an outstanding commissioner of party was given him because he’s aletI division designed to protect public safety: but before he could just a “helluva guy,” which is all Massachusetts against subversives, do it he had to appoint Whitney the excuse that’s necessary ofLtimes Just who 8°t sandbagged on that as commissioner of insurance even in Boston. It could be that he one 's one for honored guest's col- though the Republican had never people who realIv want to say did well Inst November to help leagues to investigate. It certainly had any experience in the field of thanks for a job well done. But straighten out the cranberry crisis, couldn't have been undercover insurance. At any rale, the tinkling otherwise, the colorful campaigner when consumers were warned by a Communists hoping to be given cymbal and sounding brass were says, the hosannas are a gim- cautious federal agency about eran- preferred treatment. At any rate uniimbered for Whitney, ah out-berries that might possibly be pois- tiie Murphy meal was a blue plate standing example of the concept oned from spraying. Or it could be, special—$10 a plate-fWhich is of government-by-a-helluva-guy.” as Sen. Newland U. Holmes said barely tip money for testimonials. Insurance lobbyists, incidentally, Tuesday on the floor of the Senate Sen, Graham complains that are reported to be among the soft-in defense of Michael, that the din- Clement A. Riley, registrar of mo cst and most receptive touches ner was for an “outstanding'’ per- ,or vehicles, has been given no along the Beacon Hill knife-and-son in the state service. Iess lhan three testimonials in fork circuit. Unlike their claims iIf the latter be so (Gov. Furcolo various sections of the state in adjusters, they say No” almost Iafter all. was one of the speakers)! Iess than two years‘ The occasion “ever. «Newdie Holmes, dean of the Senate these psalm-sings escapes most Unfortunately, it would be ex- 1in point of service, is enunciating '|clcet buyers but they obviously lreme! difficult to draft a law ;a new policy. A division head who *8“™ they should contribute to - . Idoes his job by protecting consum- make thc «Venm* a, thinS of J°-v- - , ,DUr„ ' 11°LnLIdinne haters becomes eligible for a bonanza has «* iast i, *o™«Td?™h“. tt”to be financed mostly by the busi- aut0 1,cense revocation and res- forteci down lhroat- bu rmick, if not “downright highway robbery designed to prey on those who want a favor or want to stay in” with certain government officials.STATE OFFICIALS aren't entirely to blame, The testimonials wouldn't flourish, of course, unless there was a ready and willing market for tickets. And as long as certain lobbyists, contractors, overamiable businessmen in all fields remain cooperative, these wampum xvingdings will persist. And all too often they or their agents in the State House are poised and wailing in the wings to be of “service” lo someone who is being “feted” by admirers and well wishers.A recent example was a dinner given George A. Michael of Marshfield, director of the stale Divisionauto license revocation andness places he patrols.. The most iorati0n active ticket-seilers for the friendship dinner were members of his staff and lobbyists who represent businesses which come under pur-ANOTHER RECENT testi-there could and should be other i deterrents. For instance, is large scale purchase of testimonial tickets, whether it be to a SI,000 lunch- .monial was for Olis W. Whitney, eon for Sen. John F. Kennedy, ora Concord Republican who had so to a $10 dinner for a Dan Murphy,view of the Division of Food and much influence with the Gov- a legitimate business expense? AndDrugs. ernor's Council last year that Gov. what about the boodle that the hon-* . * * Furcolo simply couldn't fire him ored guest makes from the pro-LAST SUNDAY night some 1,000 as commissioner of public safety ceeds? Is it a gift or is it income orof Food and Drugs, an agency with- persons gathered to honor Capt. to make way for a qualified Dent- is it a capital gain?dhFacu
Newspaper Details
The Berkshire Eagle
Pittsfield, Massachusetts, US
Sat, Apr 30, 1960
Page 27
Full Page
Clipped by
Michael M.
USA 23 Jun 2018
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