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Show BATES DIFFERS IN WANE I Weber County Attorney Places Different Construction on Corrupt Practices Act Joseph B. Bates, county attorney of Weber county, differs with Dan B. Shields, state attorney general, on the scope and meaning of the corrupt practices act. so far as it regards the financial report of receipts and ex-pendltures ex-pendltures to be made by candidates. Mr Bates' Interpretation Is Interesting Inter-esting in Ogdon In view of the rullnc of Harden Rennlon. secretary of state, that candidates before a convention woro candidates under th corrupt practices act. In this c onnection campaign cam-paign managers of w n "Wnttir.. o-den o-den candidate for governor at the state Republican convention, were notified no-tified that It would be necessary for a BU1VCJUIVUI a. vm ' f to be filed! There was a timo when it was intimated that Mr. Wattis would be prosecuted for failure to comply with the supposed requiro-I requiro-I ments INTTMTON NOT fONVF.YI'.D. Mr. Bates is willing to concede, lie I said in a letter to Attorney General Shields, that the legislature intended tho law to moan as Interpreted by (Mr. Shields, but he declines to instl-I instl-I tute any proeeedlngs under the act ':igainst Mr. Wattls who was defeated I for the nomination of (fOvernor Refore wrltlnc to Mr Shield? Mr I Bates said he took up the question I with leading attorneys of Garden and it was the consens is of opinion. M, Rates said, that Mr Shields had misconstrued mis-construed the somewhat ambiguous law. Leading candidates in the first ballots bal-lots taken at the Republican convention conven-tion were Oeortre T. Odell of .lt like and Mr. Wattis of Ogden. both of whom had been before the public ' of Utah for somo months for the nomination Neither cot it. the convention con-vention finding the Wattis and Odell forces irreconcilably opposed to each j other. The nomination nnd later the rn ernorship of the state, went to a third candidate, Charles B Mabey. Following the holding of both th I Republican and the Democratic convention's. con-vention's. Harden Bennlon. secretary of state, announced the ruling that candidate before a convention were candidates under the corrupt practices prac-tices act and as sjch were required by the act to file iiat merits of receipts and disbursements for political purpose?. pur-pose?. There was no doubt that con-dderabU con-dderabU money had been expended in behalf of the candidacies f Mr Odell and Mr. Watti.s. nines advortlse-j advortlse-j ments In behalf of each appeared In 'the newspapers, and It was declared J (hit considerable organization work j had been done The aotioni of the delegates In the convention Seemed ro confirm definite organisation In each case. ODEIiL OMPME6 Tr Odell compiled with the ruling of the Secretary qf state and reported) various expenditures totaling consider- i ubi imounts. Mr Wat lis however, informed in-formed Mr. Bennlon over the trie-phone trie-phone that he would take the matter no with co-Misel Iater Charles R. Hollingsworth, sn attorney of o?iln. stated to Mr Benhipn n difference of opinion a- to the interpretation of the eorrupt pmctlcSS ncl Aftfr no aefton bod been 'aken b; Mr. Wattis within what Secretary Benpion csldored a reasonable rte-rlod. rte-rlod. ill Reunion took the next s'ep -en.uirefl of him bv the law, as he Interpreted In-terpreted it lie turned the capers in the case and a report on the matter over to the county attorney, of Weber counlv for such action s be mlrht -co fit Mr. Bates' reply came yes-terday, yes-terday, an follows In ret:arrl to the question as to violation vio-lation of f'P corrupt oraetlee -rt bv W II Wattis, for failure to file ex- n mi ir citlrimnfit "After a very carfuj oons'deratlon -d examination of the aet i have -ip tr 'be conclusion that it is not cesary under Its terms nd lan-i2 lan-i2 age for a defeated eandldate at a nlitlcal convention to file an expense statement It would be other'V.s however, if he were nominated by nonveitlon. "While It is undoubtedly rather lain that the legislature meant to tn-'-irie conventions with primary and lection in order to make Mr. Wat-Is Wat-Is failure fo file a statement a Time :t would he necessary to imply as nuc": from the. s'atute A crime cannot can-not be created b implication and it is not feasible, therefore to bring any ::ctlon agilnrt Mr. Wattis." oo |