PRESS CLIPS TEXAS 550CIATION 718 WEST 5th ST. AUSTIN, TEXAS 78701 47-'6-i; Register Gainesville, Texas JUL 2 3 1979 DATELINE: AUSTIN Clements Likes Job As Texas Governor By GARTH JONES Associated Press Writer AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — If you want to see a man happy in his work, take a snapshot of Bill Cements. "I'm having a wonderful time being governor," the Republican said at a news conference one day, grinning from ear to ear. "He really is having the time of his life," said one of his clos- est aides. When Clements was sworn in Jan. 16, he chuckled gleefully as he lifted his hand from the Bible — and he has been chortl- ing ever since. All Texas governors want the power and the glory that go with the state's chief execu- tiveship, but not all of them have been happy with some of the quasi-official duties that all governors are expected to per- form. "I'd rather take a whipping than go through one more proc- lamation signing ceremony," former Gov. John Connally once told an aide. He particu- larly disliked public ceremonies in the governor's reception room where he had to have his picture taken with delegations presenting him with local agricultural products and such. Former Gov. Preston Smith got a kick out of public ceremo- nies, but he also had a photo- graphic quirk. He wanted pho- tographers to wait until he put on a special pair of spectacles that had no lenses, so there would be no reflections. Former Gov. Dolph Briscoe was a warm and interesting conversationalist in a one-to- one meeting but sometimes turned brusque and defensive at press conferences. Clements loves it all. He'll try on or taste anything presented him. He is always ready for just one more posed picture. Crowds gather in the gover- nor's reception room several times a week. "Good to see you" is Cle- ments' first greeting. He shakes every hand within reach and -waves to everyone else. He may arrive 15 to 20 min- utes late, but he will stay until his aides drag him away. One day a group appeared advertising a peanut festival. Within minutes, Clements had tried on two peanut-decorated hats, pinned a peanut button on his lapel, kissed two peanut princesses, eaten part of a pea- nut patty, and signed a procla- mation. When Clements signed the proclamation making June 19 a state holiday for Texas blacks, the ceremony was on the Capi- tol steps with bands, an honor guard, rifle squad and several hundred spectators. At the end of the signing, a legislator of- fered Clements a T-shirt la- beled "Juneteenth." Off came Clements' coat and on went the T-shirt, with all cameras click- ing. Throngs of followers of evan- gelist Lester Roloff came to Austin one day to petition Cle- ments that Roloff's child-care homes be allowed to operate without a state license. Cle- ments stood on a chair in the Capitol rotunda and told the crowd he would pray for them — but the state law would be enforced. At his weekly Capitol news conferences, Cements refuses to be intimidated by any ques- tion. At the close of the recent leg- islative session, a reporter asked how Clements felt about the defeat of several of his choice issues. Cements replied that 13 of his top 17 priorities had passed "That's a batting average of .760 and that ain't bad for a rookie," he said. Another time, an out-of-town reporter demanded to kno% what Clements would do with a new gasoline allocation. "Well, we're certainly nol going to sit on it and wait for il to hatch," Clements replied