Madison County Democrat

Ohio Auditor Vacations in State Car

These two automobiles belong to the State of Ohio but were photographed in the same afternoon recently 931 miles apart. Both have been registered out to State Auditor Joseph T. Ferguson. The light, deluxe, four-door auto on the left was photographed in the driveway of James Ferguson of Jacksonville, Fla., while the auditor visited his son on a recent vacation. The other was photographed at the garage of Auditor Ferguson's Columbus residence. Both cars bear "undercover" license plates instead of the official tags originally issued by the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles. This is done to hide the fact that the vehicles are public-owned.

COLUMBUS-At least two state-owned automobiles made "news" around Ohio's bustling political capital recently.

It all started when State Auditor Joseph T. Ferguson went off to Jacksonville, Fla., to spend a vacation with his son, James, who lives there.

Ferguson took along his daughter, Clara, and another son, Terrence. Their transportation was a smart, light green, 1951 eight-cylinder sedan which displayed a pair of "switch plates"--special Ohio license tags assigned to state-owned cars to hide the fact they are public-owned. Mainly, they were designed for cars used by law enforcement agencies and elected officials.

Auditor Ferguson, it developed, is within his rights in having one state auto registered out to him. The law also says he is entitled to one pair of "undercover" license plates.

However, while newsmen checked into the matter of Ferguson's Florida transportation and found it sitting in his son's Jacksonville driveway, others at Columbus came upon a second "unusual" situation.

In the garage at his local residence reposed a 1951 Buick, bearing an additional pair of "undercover" license tags. It soon was verified by Robert E. Foley. registrar of the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles, that both the sedan at Jacksonville. and the big Buick at Columbus, had been registered out by Auditor Ferguson. Likewise, "switch" tags- E 41 Y and B 47 Q-were assigned to the autos in lieu of their official state plates, S 37-504 and S 37-501.

Further questioning produced additional surprises. Foley admitted two other late model state automobiles-a 1950 Buick and a 1949 Oldsmobile-also had been registered out to the state auditor somewhere along the line, and each time additional sets of "undercover" license plates were issued him.

Although newsmen were able to pinpoint that Ferguson was making personal use of the two '51 autos, which they were able to photograph during his Florida visit, and at the same time here at his residence, there remained some question concerning the use of the 1950 Buick and the Oldsmobile.

Registrar Foley couldn't say from his records how the auditor's office employed any of these cars--and Ferguson aides were vague on the point. They were vague, too, on their boss' exact whereabouts.

According to Foley. and State Highway Director T. J. Kauer, official plates issued state-owned autos always go with the cars even though the "undercover" tags hang outside.

Foley also reported that such cars can obtain gasoline within Ohio at various state highway garages. He professed ignorance as to how gasoline would be obtained for Ohio-owned vehicles when traveling outside the state.

However. stories circulated here for years hold that swank state cars with "undercover" plates have roamed far afield throughout the United States, and have obtained gasoline and oil reportedly charged to Ohio's expense.

These tales also contend several Ohio vehicles-- some traceable to the auditor's office-have even been seen in Mexico.

Two other "incidents" contributed at about the same time to keep the state auditor's office in public view.

Ferguson's secretary, Clarence J. Doyle, 51, was fined $75 and costs in Columbus Municipal Court, March 10, on a drunk driving charge, while State Highway Patrolmen served a warrant for speeding against Assistant State Auditor O. P. Van Schoik.

Doyle, arrested Feb. 21, pleaded guilty after he and his attorney first indicated they would seek a jury trial. Van Schoik was arrested. Feb. 19, near Jacksontown on U. S. Route 40. He pleaded guilty before a justice of the peace, and was fined $15 and costs. Ferguson, who is seeking re-election to a fifth term, was a passenger in Van Schoik's car at the time, the highway patrol reported.