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Show 4 THE Sixteen Months (Continued Naturally the from of Maw page 1) Moffat-Gadsby contribution was wholly altruistic—a simon-pure gift to the State, with no strings attached. The boys even admitted it. No one doubted their sin- cerity. The Governor naively pointed to Kel- ly’s ‘‘free’’ service to Utah as an outstanding administration accomplishment—‘‘didn’t cost the State a cent’’, he said. Apparently His Excellency referred only to direct payment by the State. Public reaction was unfavorable. It was acquainted with that type of cooperation. It had seen Moffat and Gadsby in action before. The new cooperation was driven underground. Visits of magnates to the Governor’s office soon were unheralded and unpublicized. Gus P. Backman* was set up as go-between—and Gus 1s a marvelous go-betweener. All open cooperation of business with His Excellency was routed became the through Gus. Governor’s right-hand man. Within a week he political The political mentor and ‘‘riff-raff’’, so useful to Maw in the campaign of 1940 was put in cold storage to remain until needed in the 1944 election. And Gus dotes on his job. He loves it. <As this is written in early May, business-Maw cooperation with Gus as master of ceremonies, has become so fulsome and complete as to pro- voke the picturesque comment of a caustic Salt Lake City official, who remarked: ‘‘Gus and Herbie now cooperate so thoroughly that they obligingly pick lint out of each other’s navel’’. Meanwhile the Governor pressed his reorganization scheme. Nothing had been said about it during the campaign. But after inauguration day it displaced all else. When the Legislature convened nothing else came from the Executive office. At the instance of His Iixcellency all other legislation was subordin- ated to his re-organization of State depart- ments, or was side-tracked altogether. Utility reform was pushed out into the cold. Correetive legislation in many of the departments went by the boards. The need for amendment of the Corrupt Practices act failed to interest the Chief Executive notwithstanding disclosures of shocking violations of the spirit of the SEARCHLIGHT act during the campaign. Re-organization was the all-important thing. According to its proponents the plan was intended to: (a) (b) Streamline the State Government. Eliminate duplication of work and functions throughout all departments. (c) (d) Promote efficiency in the Government. Make the Government of (e) more responsive to the needs of the people by shifting responsibility from commissioners to the Governor. Save money for Utah taxpayers. About the only discernible change in management of the State State Utah to occur in the Maw era as contrasted with previous administrations is a steady deterioration. The transfer of powers from various commissions to the Executive—made at the Governor’s request—now enables that official to do about as he pleases. Restraints have been removed. He may entrust Backman et al with many of the powers of the State—a possibility not visualized intended by the Legislature nor nor by the voters. The dangerous grant of power conferred by the Legislature—power too great for any Governor to possess—is doubly dangerous at this time. Maw is an inefficient administrator. He has been known to issue conflicting instructions to State officials. He tolerates wild orgies of political conniving. He fails to command obedience, trust, and confidence, without which no leader, no administration, can succeed. *Gus P. Backman is secretary of the Salt Lake City Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber is dominated by Doug Moffat, Rube Clark, and George Gadsby, together with lesser lights and affiliated interests. Gadsby’s company pays for 24 seats in the Chamber for his ex- ecutives at $60 a membership. The above interests control Gus’ tongue, his thinking apparatus, and his cooperation. Consequently they, rather than Gus, are the actual cooperators with Herbert B. Maw. With Gus it is merely a job and the pay is good. (Continued on following page) |