Mr Stevenson Gives Details Of Illinois Fund

Press, Volume LXXXVIII, Issue 26848, 29 September 1952, Page 7

Mr Stevenson Gives Details Of Illinois Fund

(ft.lt. Pritt Asteeiatl&tv—CoflVMjht) (Rec. 7 p.m.) NEW YORK, September 27. Mr Adlal Stevenson, Democratic Presidential candidate, announced today that eight senior officials of the State of Illinois had received a total of 18,160 dollars in gifts from a fund which, he said, he used to induce competent men to enter the service of the State. Mr Stevenson, who is Governor of Illinois, said the gifts were made to supplement .their salaries. He issued a statement eight recipients and the donors—who numbered about 1000—in the wake of insistent demands by Republicans that he should make a full itemization of the fund. •Mi Stevenson said that tomorrow he would also make public his personal income tax returns for the last 10 years. He added that Senator John Sparkman, Democratic candidate for the Vice-Presidency, was also willing to make his income tax returns public. Mr Stevenson said that he was rt-1 I —*

veallhg the names of toe recipients! and donors of the Jllinoia fund With great reluctance. The contributions had been made in the belief that the privacy of the donors would be inspected, fie Said. The greatest benefactor under the fund was Mr William Flanagan, Governor SteVertsoh’s ptese secretary, dtld the superintendent of the division of department reports. He hfed received a total of 7900 dollars in. eight payments. Seven other State officials had received amounts ranging from 3000 dollars to 500 dollars. Mr Thomas O Donnell, superintendent of State Police, Received one gift of 1000 dollars. Mr Stevenson said a balance of 18,744 dollars had been left over from hig 1948 campaign for the Governorship. “Single Object” of Gifts The list of about 1000 donors showed contributions from individuals ranging from 7100 dollars to one dollar. Mr Stevenson said that the “Single object’’ of the gifts under the fund was to improve the quality of the public administration in the State. “I think the recipients of these gifts deserve well of the people they have served. I think these gifts have helped to make it possible for them to serve the State, in some cases they rejected offers of private employ* ment at mote than double their present compensation,” Mr Stevenson said. In a speech at Evansville, Indiana, yesterday, Mr Stevenson said: “No labour bosses will ever boss me, neither will I ever be bought by any industrial tycoons.” Mr Stevenson attacked Republican promises of heavy reduction in national expenditure and a cut in taxes. Saying that the only. way expen* diture could be reduced would be by cutting down on defence, he added: "If you are looking for a man who promises to buy you peace atid SBCu;'* ity in the bargain basement, i can tell you now you had better not vote for