Interview with James W. Martin, March 11, 1981

Partial Transcript: The following is an unrehearsed interview with James W. Martin for the Alumni/Faculty Oral History Project.

Segment Synopsis: James W. Martin discusses his involvement with various federal government agencies, focusing mainly on his work with the Census Bureau. He talks about the quality of the work done by the Bureau, and discusses how their methods have changed over time.

Keywords: Administration; Administrators; Articles; Census data; Changes; Development; Estimates; Federal government; Inaccurate; Income; Methods; Population; Professionals; Quality; Reports; Research; Subcommittee on economic statistics; Taxes; United States Census Bureau (USCB); United States Congress

Subjects: Economics.; Politics and government; Taxation.; U.S. Census Bureau; United States. Bureau of the Census.

Partial Transcript: Well I'll ask my usual question. How did you get involved in, in this hearing?

Segment Synopsis: Martin discusses how the various ways of collecting taxes, particularly the differences between counties and school districts, made collecting statistical data difficult.

Keywords: Corrections; Data; Debt; Involvement; Issues; Kentucky; Problems; School districts; Statistics; Taxes; United States Bureau of Publications; Usefulness

Subjects: Economics.; Politics and government; Taxation--Law and legislation--Kentucky; United States--Economic policy.

Partial Transcript: Let's get back into the st, state and your activities with the Bureau during this period of time.

Segment Synopsis: Martin discusses the atmosphere of the McCarthy era, and talks about people he knew who were affected by the politics of the time, including University of Kentucky professors Amry Vandenbosch and Jasper Shannon. He talks about his own support of Secretary of State Dean Acheson.

Keywords: Arguments; Bureau of Business Research; Crimes; Dr. Amry Vandenbosch; Execution; McCarthy era; McCarthyism; Professor Jasper Shannon; Ratings; Secretary of State Dean Acheson; Secretary of State George Marshall; Support

Subjects: College environment; College teachers--Political activity; College teachers--Social conditions; Educators; Universities and colleges--Faculty.

Partial Transcript: What, uh, direction was the Bureau going in at this time?

Segment Synopsis: Martin talks about his work with the Bureau of Business Research during the early 1950s, and discusses the types of projects they were working on. He talks about feeling pressure from the University of Kentucky to go to Turkey as part of the Marshall Plan. He talks about some of the studies conducted by the Bureau during the 1950s.

Keywords: Bureau of Business Research; Cleanup; Local studies; Mayor Charles R. Farnsley; McCracken County (Ky.); Paducah (Ky.); Planning; Prestige; Public administration; Publication; Quality; Quantity; Reorganization; Reports; Sabbatical; Scholarly journals; Staff; Success; World War II

Subjects: College administrators; College environment; College presidents; College teachers--Leaves of absence; Economics.; Educators; Income tax.; Turkey--Politics and government.; Universities and colleges--Administration.; Universities and colleges--Departments; Universities and colleges--Employees; Universities and colleges--Faculty.; Universities and colleges--Research

Partial Transcript: Uh, on the other hand, on the other side of the, the ledger, uh, you, you--there were some activities, uh, taxeses, and licenses as far as motor vehicles involved in interstate commerce.

Segment Synopsis: Martin discusses his work concerning the appraisal and valuation of public service corporations, mainly focusing on railroads. He talks about how various ways of measuring cost, income, and value can change the results.
[An interruption in taping occurs during this segment.]

Keywords: Assignments; Business; Changes; Clyde Reeves; Cost; Depressions; Earnings; Economists; Engineers; Examples; Income; Internal Revenue Service (IRS); Interstate commerce; Kentucky Department of Revenue; Korean War; Land; Measurement; Methods; Property ownership; Public service corporations; Public utilities; Publication; Recessions; Technology; Valuation

Subjects: Economics.; Politics and government; Railroads; Taxation--Law and legislation--Kentucky; United States--Economic policy.

Partial Transcript: Well, uh, I think that you could say that in the, in the early sixties I got the bug and I published a stream of papers about that that you, uh, may have noticed here.

Segment Synopsis: Martin discusses the difficulty of measuring earnings of public service corporations, focusing mainly on railroads. He discusses how varying practices results in different findings. He discusses reactions from professionals and industries to the articles he wrote on the valuation of public service corporations.

Keywords: Articles; Canada; Deductions; Department of Revenue; Earnings; Issues; Measurement; Net income; Papers; Practices; Problems; Public service corporations; Public service property; Reports; Revenue; Tax valuation

Subjects: Economics.; Income tax.; Politics and government; Railroads; Taxation--Law and legislation--Kentucky; United States--Economic policy.

Partial Transcript: Just in passing, a couple other things that you were involved with: um, administration of state motor fuels taxes, uh--

Segment Synopsis: Martin talks about his involvement with the administration of state motor fuels taxes. He talks about others who were also involved, including a doctoral student from Egypt, and the publication they made on the issue.
[An interruption in taping occurs during this segment.]

Keywords: Administration; Automobiles; Changes; Contracts; Doctoral thesis; Egyptians; Gas taxes; Government finance; Kentucky Highway Finance Administration; Municipal gross receipts; Publication; State motor fuels taxes

Subjects: Economics.; Gasoline--Taxation; Politics and government; Roads.; Taxation--Law and legislation--Kentucky; United States--Economic policy.

Partial Transcript: Um, what kind of a, a relationship did the--did you and the Bureau have with the Wetherby Administration?

Segment Synopsis: Martin talks about his relationship with Governor Lawrence Wetherby. He talks about his attempts to remain apolitical. He discusses the issues between the Wetherby, Chandler, and Clements administrations. He talks about the quality of the state budget staff.

Keywords: Abilities; Apolitical; Budget staff; Bureau of Business Research; Clifford Barnes; Clyde Reeves; Commissioner of Finance; Commissioner of Revenue; Consultant; Democratic Party; Emerson Beauchamp; Felix Joyner; Governor Earle C. Clements; Governor Happy Chandler; Governor Lawrence Wetherby; Objections; Personality; Phil Herzl; Relationships; Resignation; State budget; State government

Subjects: Chandler, Happy, 1898-1991; Clements, Earle C. (Earle Chester), 1896-1985; Politicians; Politics and government; Wetherby, Lawrence W. (Lawrence Winchester), 1908-

Partial Transcript: When did you first learn that Happy Chandler wanted you to participate in the second administration?

Segment Synopsis: Martin talks about the pressure he felt from University of Kentucky president Herman Donovan to accept an offer to join Governor Happy Chandler's second administration. He talks more about his attempts to remain apolitical. The interview concludes abruptly.

Keywords: Acceptance; Chandler administration; Department of Highways; Dr. Herman Donovan; Elections; Expectations; Governor Happy Chandler; Joining; Partisanship; Pressure

Subjects: Chandler, Happy, 1898-1991; College administrators; College environment; College teachers--Political activity; College teachers--Social conditions; Educators; Politicians; Politics and government; Universities and colleges--Administration.; Universities and colleges--Employees; Universities and colleges--Faculty.; Universities and colleges--Public relations