The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-11-27
CONTRIBUTIONS ID
 CAMP PAIGN FUNDS Will Be Made Public on De-
 cember 8 WILL BE INTERESTING Heavy Mall for Democratic Congress- men Is Result of Recent Land slide for Party-Constituents
 Want Something
WILL BE INTERESTING
Fly RoDERIcK CLIFFORD

Fly RODERICK CLIFFORD
 Washington. November 26.-(Special.) J.
 Just to remind the many political re-
 formers, who for some years were knock ing at the congressional doors for legis-
 lation to correct the abuse growing out
 of political campaign contributions. 1t
 will be interesting to watch for the re- ports on December s, of the chairmen of the several campaign committees mak- Ing public, in accordance with the cam paign fund publicity bill which was signed by President Taft, June 25, the contributions received from various sources. The report will unquestionably prove interesting in view of the many stories printed about the large sums con-
 tributed by the corporations and others to down the new policy of New Nation alism; and, it might also be added. the sums contributed by the advocates of that doctrine. Members of the congress
 sonal committees express the opinion
 that the publicity law will fail to meet the expectation of it's advocates, and in that the report of the money contributed toward the expenses of the campaign will be far short of the amount which the newspapers have from time to time as serted have been contributed. Should this prove to be the case 1t Is believed
 by the advocates of the publicity law that
 an amendment making 1t compulsory to publish contributions before the cleo tions. This provision was in the bill when it first passed the House, but the Senate knocked 1t out. and the House. in order to get anything, was forced to accept the Senate amendment.
 Did we have a landslide? We'll. if 1 you doubt it take a look at this mail ,. 1 remarked an employe of the House post office, as he pointed to a dozen sacks of l mail that had just arrived. The mall
 was from every section of the country. and the larger part of it for democratic members.
 l You see." said the veteran employe, -the constituents of the members are fully alive to the fact that a reorgan-
 ization of the House occasioned by a change in the political complexion, means ] a new deal and distribution of the good things which have for the past IS years
 been enjoyed by the republicans. It is only natural that the democrats should | lose no time in making known to their members what legislation, etc., they | favor.
 Not since the republicans carried the House in 1894 has the mail just after an election been so heavy as now.
 You may depend on it that the press ure on the democrats for office here at the capital will be something fierce. Of ] course, the older members, those who have seen several terms of service, will have the biggest pull, but the member elect who knows any politics at all, es- l pecially the game connected with the 1 House organization, will be able to laud
 Nrn fx1sra Y.1o fnr n He 1cfi
 ents. But there are exceptions, as you
 will note if you run over the list of en-
 ployes. You will find more than a dozen
 fellows holding good positions who have
 been here more than 30 years What
 is the explanation? Why. they made friends on both sides of the House, and | thus grew in the places"
 The newspaper stories to the effect that
 there may be an extra session are. in a measure, responsible for the unusually heavy mail thus far in advance of the l opening of the session.
 Treasury officials smile knowingly these days when they tell their friends that the | prohibition wave is receding. Asked for an explanation, they take up the daily treasury statement, and point to the | growing internal revenue receipts. This time one year ago before the country had taken any interest in the campaign, and when the prohibitionists wereAdoing mis- l sonary work, receipts from internal rev. | enue from the first four and a half months of the fiscal year were, in round numbers, s9s, s,Ooo,OOO. For the same pe- riod of this fiscal year the receipts are | $11O eco in round numbers, This is | proof positive that the consumption or liquor is increasing. Indeed. the increase | in internal revenue is climbing at such a rate that unless our imports take a sudden rise the internal revenue will be crowding custom receipts for first place. Last year customs exceeded internal rev. enue by s27000,OO0 while for the same period this year there is but s1o,oOo0O0 in favor of customs.
 The recent express strike in New York | and New Jersey. which at one time threatened to spread throughout the United States, has encouraged the post office department officials to believe that | Congress, at the coming session, will | give careful consideration to the recom- | mendation of the Postmaster General for l legislation that will permit the depart | ment to make a trial of the parcel post l system. A prominent postoffice official
 said the other day that the great express | strike in New Fork city had proved an | object lesson that cannot but have it's Il influence on Congress. 1t showed just | what could be expected if organized labor
 in the various trades had yielded to the labor leaders ehd gone out in the sym
 pathetic strike. It was not only the | express companies and the employees who suffered because of the strike, but it was | the public generally that suffered, and
 was made to endure hardships.
 It is believed by advocates of the par
 cels post system that one effect of the
 recent express strike will be to remove
 some of the opposition of the small coun- try merchants to the parcels post Dill
 which is to come up before the House
 committee on postoffices and postcards early next month The committee ias session heard much testimony in favor of the measure that had been recom
 mended by the administration, but 1t hae
 to give way for the postal savings bank
 on which President Taft had set hi
 heart.
 The postoffice department is prepared to show, 1t Is said. that parcels pos
 would prove self-sustaining from thu . very beginning. and would go a ions
 way toward placing the department oi a satisfactory financial basis