The Press: Another Election

The American Newspaper Guild, which has contracts with all three San Francisco papers, for years has cast longing eyes at a prosperous neighbor across the bay, the Oakland Tribune (circ. 208,029). Repeatedly, the Guild attempted to organize the Tribune, repeatedly it failed. But last week, trying once more to move to Oakland, the union found strength in a new source: staff discontent with the regime of the Tribune’s assistant publisher. William Fife Knowland, 51, sometime (1953-58) Republican leader of the U.S. Senate.

Soundly beaten in his candidacy for Governor of California last year, Bill Knowland slipped quietly into working harness on the Tribune, which has been in his family for 44 years. The Tribune seemed more than ready for a firm Knowland hand on the editorial side. At 86, Joseph Russell Knowland. Bill’s father and the Tribune’s publisher, was pretty well out of action. Bill Knowland’s brother Russ, 57, was running the business end. And Bill’s son Joe, 29. while willing, still needed editorial seasoning. Leaderless, the Tribune had drifted into some bad habits. Said one staffer: “The paper hasn’t initiated any stories in years. It takes its cues from the [San Francisco] Examiner and the Chronicle.'”

Hurrying into his fourth-floor office every morning around 8:30 after a bracing 4½-mile walk from home, burly, vigorous Bill Knowland looked just the man to take charge. But as the months passed, there was no improvement. Reserved to the point of coldness. Bill Knowland rarely mixed with his staff. Son Joe occupied himself with writing memos to copy boys (No talking to rewritemen) and drawing up rules for staffers (Don’t throw cigarette butts on the floor). Overtime was cut to the bone, and staffers who quit were not replaced.

With Tribune morale at rock bottom, the results of last week’s Guild election were inevitable. Indeed. Bill Knowland hardly put up a fight. Said he after the polling: “The vote speaks for itself.” Indeed it did: by a 2-to-i margin. Bill Knowland had just lost another election.