Evening star., 1938-07-27
Sheppard Committee Finds
Statement Was lin No
Way Coercion
REPORT ON KENTUCKY
W.P.A. CHARGE RECEIVED
Investigators Will Be Sent to
Georgia, Illinois and
Indiana.
BACKGROUND

supervisory police duty ouer its
o,un contests, special committees
being delegated to task. Thus far
a near record number of bitter
Democratic primary fights hare
fallen under scrutiny OF Senate
tcatchdogS, ,Uith controversy most
often reuolving around charges OF
using relief funds to influence
poters.
BY the Associated Press.
The Senate Campaign Expendi-
lures Committee today decided not
to investigate a recent statement by
w. P. A. Administrator Hopkins that
80 per cent of w. P. A. workers would
vote for President Roosevelt.
The committee issued a statement
in which it said such comments are
to be distinguished from those that
are in the nature of political advice
to, or that INDICATE an intention to
exert political pressure upon, workers
paid from relief funds or from bene-
ficiaries of relief funds"
Mr.. Hopkins statement. the COM
mittee found, was lin no way CO.
ercion."
Chairman Sheppard announced in
vestigators will be sent to Georgia,
Illinois and Indiana to investigate
other charges of political abuses.
Hear Kentucky Report.
The committee heard a report from
its Kentucky investigator, H. Ralph
Burton, but reached no decision.
There may be statement on the
Kentucky situation later in the day,
Senator Sheppard said Charges
have been made of coercion of w. p.
A. workers there, where Senator Bark
ley, majority leader, is opposed for
the Democratic senatorial nomination
by Gov. A. B. Chandler.
The addition of Indiana brought to
nine the number of States from which
the committee has received charges
OF political use of public funds. SEN
ator Sheppard said a committee of
eight residents Of Spencer, Ind, had
asked an investigation of political
activity of local w. P. A. super
visors'
Replies Are Overdue.
Reports of campaign contributions
and expenditures from So senatorial
primary candidates rounded out the
committees agenda. Replies are over
due from SO of the 135 candidates.
The newest complaint received by
the committee was from James w.
Mellen of Los Angeles. an opponent
OF Senator McAdoo for the Demo-
cratic senatorial nomination in Cali
fornia.
MIR. Mellen telegraphed yesterday he
was mailing charges by "other senator
ial candidates that Federal job hold
ers are being shaken down for S per
cent OF salaries to re-elect McAdoo." "
He added that he was including
charges of irregularities by McAdoo
and his old law firm in connection
with Federal projects and strange
association of McAdoo and alleged
lobbyists on branch banking bill"
A statement issued by the Jeffer-
sonian Democrats of Los Angeles said
Mellen requested the questioning of
Judge John w. Preston and Sheridan
Downey, other senatorial candidates,
Pierson M. Hall, Carl Pustau, William
H. Neblett. McAdoo's former law part
ner, and the Senator's campaign man
ayers. George Creel, Hamilton Cotton
and George White.
John R. Neal of Knoxville, a can
didate for the Democratic senatorial
nomination in Tennessee, has charged
use of public funds for political pur-
poses. The committee sent an in
vestigator even before makisg the
charges public.
In North Dakota Gov. LANCER, re-
Gently defeated by Senator Nye for
the Republican senatorial nomination,
charged coercion of w. P. A. workers
and abuse of the franking privilege.
A. H. Greening of Springfield, ILL.,,
asked the committee to investigate
charges that Federal road funds were
used in the Illinois primary last April