The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current, April 19, 1972, Image 4

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    Page 4
College Station, Texas
Wednesday, April 19, 1972
THE BAIT
AUSTIN, Tex. 0P> — Further
investigation of Rep. Cordell
Hull’s companies shows they re
ceived $24,605 in taxpayers’ mon
ey for rental of office equipment
and furniture to Hull and 12 other
legislators.
And a spokesman in the state
comptroller’s office says the state
could foreclose on one of the
(Companies for failure to pay
franchise taxes.
The Associated Press revealed
Sunday that Hull paid $2,625 from
his legislative contingency to As
tro Office Supply Co. over a 21-
month period. The story also said
Astro took in at least $2,915 in
rentals from seven other House
members.
Hull denied any wrongdoing
despite a provision in the state
Constitution forbidding legisla
tors to be “interested, either di
rectly or indirectly, in any con
tract with the state . . .”
Hull, of Fort Worth, said As
tro “merged with Commercial
Office Supply about two years
ago.”
Asst. Secretary of State Bill
Bowers said Tuesday that if that
is true “they should have filed
articles of merger for both cor
porations.”
No articles of merger have been
filed with the secretary of state’s
office for either company, an in
spection showed.
Hull claimed he saved the state
money by renting the furnishings
for less than other companies
would have rented them.
Both he and former Rep. Jack
McLaughlin, a fellow incorpora
tor of Astro, said the figures in
The AP story were incorrect.
Hull said he rented “about
$1,000” worth of equipment from
Astro.
McLaughlin, now commissioner
CANON
CHURCH
R. L. BEEDE Pastor
Pastor - Teacher
BIBLE CLASSES
Evenings; 7:30 pm
Monday Morning Womens ;
*■“ Class - 10 am
Sunday 9; 11 am, 7:30 pm
CANON: Derived from the
Greek word K a n o n which
means; the authority, measur
ing rod, ruler, norm and stand
ard for the believr—priest in
this Devil’s world (Kosmos Dia-
botos)
It is our privilege as Be
liever—Prists to daily take in
the refreshment of the word of
God. The purpose of Canon
Church is to teach the word of
God as interpreted, from the
historical setting, from the orig
inal languages (Greek, Hebrew
and Aramaic) word by word,
verse by verse, precept upon
precept and book by book.
Hebrews 4:12 Romans 10:17
2 Timothy 3:16,17 Isaiah 40:66,8
Proverbs 4:13 Matthew 4:4
2 Timothy 2:15 Psalm 138:2
John 8:32
For Further Information
Call:
846-4867 846-6516
bOb
HAY€S
"Speed on the highway
usually has only one
end zone ... an accident.
Try driving friendly.
Keep your speed down
. . . You'll make it to the
goal line every time."
—Bob Hayes
Presented as a Public Service
by the Governor's Committee
on Traffic Safety—
Presented as a Public Service
by this newspaper
of the Texas Bureau of Labor
Statistics, said: “somebody’s got
their figures all fouled up. There
are some untruths.”
The voucher register of the
House shows Hull made 30 rental
payments to Astro from his con
tingency expense fund from June
19, 1969, to March 21, 1972.
All payments were $75 except
for three: $150 on April 23, 1970;
$225 on May 27, 1971; and $225
on June 25, 1971. Total: $2,625.
The voucher register shows Mc
Laughlin made 16 rental pay
ments to Astro from June 18,
1969, to Jan. 11, 1971. All pay
ments were $50 except for a $100
payment on June 12, 1970. Total:
$850.
Hull admitted he still owes
franchise taxes for 1970 on As
tro, but he claimed he left the
firm in a dormant condition in
order to be able to activate it
again, if he wants to, merely by
payment of the taxes rather than
have to go to the expense of
AP reveals legislators rented office equipment from Hull’s companif j
getting a charter for a new cor
poration.
Astro's charter was forfeited
April 9, 1971, by the secretary
of state’s office because the fran
chise taxes were not paid. How
ever, 10 payments from Hull’s
contingency fund totaling $900
were made to Astro after that
date.
Hull says the checks were sent
on to Commercial Supply.
Two of the three incorporators
of Commercial, John McSpadden
were incorporators of Astro to
gether with Hull and McLaughlin.
The third incorporator of Com
mercial was Joe K. Matthews of
Fort Worth.
and Lucille Smith of Fort Worth,
from Astro:
Hull said he owned 13 per cent
of Commercial during most of the
time he was making payments to
it through Astro. But he has a
larger interest in Commercial
now, he said.
Hull, $2,625; McLaughlin, $850;
Robert Burnett, Arlington, $1,275;
Bob Hendricks, McKinney, $1,080;
George T. Hinson, Mineola, $400;
Tom Holmes, Granbury, $3,300,
W. C. “Bud” Sherman, Fort
Worth, $1,350; and Neal Solo
mon, Mt. Vernon, $1,100.
ing his total rental from
firms $6,475. WASHIb
Five other House me:: | .he com
shown to have rented 1:1 ier lac
mercial:
of tec
Frank Calhoun, Abilei* 11 j.
Dean Cobb, Dumas, Lay
Hilliard, Fort Worth,! ly is limit
son D. “Gib” Lewis, Fort
$2,400; and Joe Spurlock]
Worth, $1,500.
The House voucher register
shows eight legislators rented
The register shows Sherman
also rented $5,125 worth of fur
nishings from Commercial, mak-
Total for Astro: Jib (h •
for Commercial: $12,52j
total: $24,605.
but sii
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urtian
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style t