Throttlebottoms' Revenge

STATES & CITIES

Throttlebottoms' Revenge

If the Vice-Presidency of the U. S. is often a gateway to polite political obscurity, even more hapless Throttlebottoms are lieutenant governors of most States. Last week, therefore, their colleagues watched with interest and envy as two lieutenant governors took advantage of their chiefs' absences to make unusual news:

When Massachusetts' Governor Charles F. Hurley left his office for a couple of days, ambitious and rambunctious Lieut. Governor Francis E. Kelly moved into the Governor's office, summoned the Governor's secretary, directed him before delighted newshawks to call the heads of the State's utility companies together for a rate conference. When Secretary Paul Ryan declined, Lieut. Governor Kelly sent out the invitations himself. When the utility executives also declined, irrepressible Francis E. Kelly loudly charged Governor Hurley with "lack of cooperation" and jealousy because in last year's election Kelly polled more votes.

Listing the occasions on which Michigan's Governor Frank Murphy has been absent from the State, Lieut. Governor Leo J. Nowicki invoked an 1840 statute, asked the State auditor to pay him the Governor's salary for the days in question. Figuring that he had been away 32 days at $13.88 a day,* nettled Governor Murphy sent the auditor his check for $444.42. Lieut. Governor Nowicki (who has been earning $200 a week since July as a bankruptcy trustee) thereupon claimed the Governor's salary not for 32 days but for 70, returned his own check for $210 ($3 a day), demanded the Murphy check and $317.44 besides.

*Michigan's Governor gets $5,000 a year, as compared to $3,000 for South Dakota's, $25,000 for New York's.

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