The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-03-14
PUBLICITY BILL
 MAY BECOME LAW Favorable Report Made Upon
 MT. McCall's Measure DEMOCRATS FAVOR IT If the Bill Becomes Law Publicity in Campaign Funds Will Be Enforced
 and VIII Begin With Next
 Congregational Elections

washirgton March 13.--Compulsory ,,,,,,icttv for election campaign contrl- buttons and expenses came a great way nearer to being an accohphsheu
 when the House committee on eiec''oii oi vice president and members or Consi ess yesterday reported out with 1asoI'ip'e recommendation the bill reported py hep- .osantst,ve NcCau a republican member ,ro,, Massachusetts, which had been re- nosiny in the committee almost since the present session began.
 Action on inc measure was accomplished only after prominent men who had been advocates of the measure had brought pressure to bear.
 Recently Perry Belmont of New fork, Gov. Judson Harmon of Ohio and Dr. Charles ". Eliot. former president ol Harvard. addressed letters which nave ap- peared in print deploring the inactiVity of Congress in the matter, and demanding that the committee having the bill in hand take some action.
 Mr. Belmont has spent the last fort night in Washington bringing pressure to bear in favor of the bill.
 The demoe ratic members of the commit tee. led by Representative Fucker or MS so,,r; after petitioning Chairman Gaines of the committee several times to call meeting Of the committee to consider the bill, few days ago gave out statements strongly denouncing the repuoiicaiis TOT "holding up the bill.'
 It 1as declared that the democrats were solidly in favor of the Mccall measure. When the committee convened Saturday If was with great difficulty that quorum
 was obtalned. After waiting for an hour and a half sufficient republican absentees were found. The bill was taken up ana with slight amendment was passed the democrats voting for 1t ana tne repuo- licans beng divided.
 1hose votinr for the bill were Represen- tatives Rucksr of Missouri Hardwick of Georgia, Conroy of New York, democrats, and Ellis of Oregon, republican. Repre-. sentative Suiloway of New Hampshire and Madden of Illinois, republicans, voted i'm the negative. Chairman Gaines re- trained from voting.
 The repor ting of the bill insures that 1t vii, be taken ur ny the House at an early date. and according to the claims of both republicans and democrats will pass the House.
 If it becomes law 1t will apply to the congressional elections this fall. The bill makes it mandatory for the treasurer of every political committee in any congressional campaign where two or more states are affected, to file not more thar IS days ncr less than 10 days before an election with the clerk of the House of Representatives detailed statements of all ca npaign contributions in excess of $10 and the disbursement of the same. He must also file within 30 days follow ing the election final sworn statement. The statement must contain the names of donors and amounts given in cases where more than 310O is given. In cases of less than that amount the aggregate must be furnisned
 In the case of expenditures the names of persons to whom money is paid must be given in all cases where the amount ex- ceeds s1o. and in cases of amounts less | than that amount the aggregate must be rublished. The penalty provided for a violation of the law Is a fine of not moro
 than s1Coo or Imprisonment for one year. 1 or Eoth.