Evening star., 1938-08-26
SHEPPARD WARNS
LASER AGAINST
W.P.A. SOLICITING
Cites Criminal Code in Belief
Alliance Would Violate
Law.
ADVOCATES SPECIFIC
ACT TO BAN PRACTICE
Clarlfication of Present Statutes
Is Needed to Cover Such
Instances, He Says.
BY the Associated Press.

oy tac Associated Press.
Chairman Sheppard, Democrat, Of
Texas Of the Senate Campaign Ex-
penditures Committee advised David
LASER, president of the Workers Al
lance, today not to carry out his plans
to raise $4,000 political fund from
donations made largely by w. P. A.
workers.
Citing a section of the criminal code
defining principals" the chairman
said 1t was his personal belief that
Mr.. LASER and the alliance would be
violating the law if the alliance
solicited funds from relief workers.
The section defines principal" as
whoever directly commits any act
constituting an offense defined in any
law of the United States or aids,
abets. counsels, commands, induces
or procures its commission"
Senator Sheppard previously pointed
out that the criminal code prohibits
solicitation of political contributions
from Federal employees by any person
himself receiving Federal compensa-
ton and prohibits candidates from re.
ceiving any benefits from funds so
collected.
president Roosevelt in HYDE
Park today said he hoped people
on relief will not contribute any
money for the purpose of aiding
any party)
Treasury to Take Action.
Meanwhile, the Treasury notified
the committee it would give prompt
attention to charges that the internal
revenue collector for Arkansas had
taken an active part in the Demo-
cratic senatorial primary in that
State
Representative Mcclellan, Demo-
crat, of Arkansas, who was defeated
by Senator Hattie Caraway, had COM
planned to the committee that Homer
M. Adkins. the collector, and -four
or five other high-salaried Federal
employees" had campaigned for Mrs.
Caraway.
Earlier, Chairman Sheppard advo-
Gated law forbidding any person
from soliciting money from w. P. A.
workers for political purposes.
Qualification Of present statutes, he
said, is needed to cover such in
stances as the disclosure that the
Workers Alliance, an organization of
relief workers, wanted to raise
S50,000 political campaign fund.
Mr.. LASER told the committee yes
terday that the Alliance believed it was
within its rights in raising the fund, as
it did not intend to contribute direct
ly to any candidates campaign ex-
penses.
Senator Sheppard wants the COM
mittee to hear investigators reports.
now available, about California's DEM
ocratic senatorial campaign before the
primary election Teusday. If he is un-
successful, he probably will communi-
cate the report to Senators Walsh,
Democrat, of Massachusetts,, and
White, Republican, of Maine by tele-
phone.
Committee agents have been inquir-
ing into charges that certain Federal
Office holders were shaken down" for
contributions to the campaign of Sem
ator McAdoo, Democrat, of California.
The charges were forwarded to the
committee by James w. Mellen, oppo-
nent of Senator McAdoo.
McAdoo Denied Charges.
Senator McAdoo denied these
charges hotly in communication to
the committee, asserting that these
statements emanate from desperate
men who do not hesitate to resort to
SANDER and libel to gain their ends"
A committee request to the Treasury
Department, that it look into charges
that officials of the Internal Revenue
Bureau had been active in behalf of
Senator McAdoo, thus far has gone un-
answered, Senator Sheppard said.
The Treasury informed the commit
tee, however, that it was giving
prompt attention" to complaint that
certain officials of the Internal Rev.
enue Bureau in Arkansas had been
active in the successful campaign of
Senator Hattie Caraway for renomina-
ton.
Senator Sheppard said the COM
mittee's investigation of the Arkansas
charges would be continued.