Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-01-07
mutt SAYS LUCAS
EXCEEDED POWER
G. o. P. Treasurer TestifieS
of Fellow Officers Use
of Special Account.

some improvements on it, and took
charge Of all accounting.
II had engraved pf1cial receipts and,
while the law provides that shall hle
the name and address Of every con-
tributor Of 800 or more, we fled with
the clerk Of the House the name and
address Of every contributor, whether
81 or more. These receipts were made
in Duplicate and the auditors checked
every contribution into the bank ac-
count. Like wise, they have audited
every bill from the time became treas
urer I'D to the present that has been
paid, and they have prepared every
report from my records that I MED
with the clerk Of the House. think
it can truthly be said that never before
In the history Of any political party
have the financial records been more
carefully kept.
Il have insisted that an oficial re-
ceipt be issued TO every contributor.
During the campaign Of 1928 We issued
more than 1000 such receipts, and
every one who contributes should make
sure he Is giving to an authorized agent
by insisting that he or she receive an
oficial receipt An Ernst 81 Ernst audi
tor was continuously in our Washing
ton ONCE and In our New York cfnce
and at Chicago for several weeks--they
day.
Closed Offices Later.
cat the close Of this campaign we did
away with our Chicago ONCE as well as
the New York ONCE. In the 1880 cam
paign all contributions received from
Eastern and New England States were
sent to jeremiah Milbank, Eastern
treasurer in New York, and these con-
tributions checked into our account at
the Chase National Bank. Contribu-
tons from all other sections Of the
country came to the Cleveland once
and went into our account ct the Union
Trust Co.
II have since the close Of the 1923
campaign kept fund Of $1,000 at the
Commercial National Bank In Washing
ton. This is an account which is used
for pay rolls, rent, ONCE expenses and
bills that are paid at Washington.
whenever they use up q few thousand
dolIars Of this account they forward
the receipts to me at Cleveland and I
reimburse the washington account so
that the maximum balance in this &C
count at any one time is $4,000. I
make all my checks on the Union Trust
Co., Cleveland.
"From time to time, as that account
is depleted, I transfer funds from the
Chase National Bank, New York. to
Cleveland
"The business conditions that pre-
vailed In 1890 made 1t very difiicult to
collect funds for political uses, and I
have throughout the year used extreme
care to see that no money was wasted
or spent needlessly. 1t has always been
my aim to conduct the financial affairs
of the Republican National Committee
in a clean and business-like way so
that there could never be any just criti-
cism. have personally contributed
literally to the campaign funds, have
devoted my time and given my services
and have paid all Of my own expenses
because Of my interest In the party.
I have confined my work entirely to
the financial end"
Discusses Local Account.
When he was asked to discuss the es-
| tablishment Of the special account In
the Commercial Rational Bank, Mr.
Mutt said:
About the middle OF October there
was feeling that we might lose q
number OF congressional districts and
talked over the telephone with Chair
man Wood Of the Congressional Cam
paign Committee at Chicago, snd with
Earl Venable, secretary Of the commit
tee, and they thought 1t advisable to
have more money. I said ] will agree
to provide as high as $50, 900, and you
agree where the money is to be spent.
On october 20 accordingly deposited
$4,000 in this special account, and on
october 20, $4,000 more"
Mr.. Mutt was asked why, in the face
of the fact that there was already the
Congressional Campaign Committee, he
had not turned the money over to that
committee to send out instead Of set
ting up a special account, to be drawn
] aganist by Mr.. Lucas
81 think the Congressional Committee
wanted Ns TO handle the money this
way" said Mr.. Mutt. The CongresHion.