Evening star., 1940-08-04
WiIIkiie
Continued From First Page.)

ilomical campaign. Mr., Willkie told
newsmen he has not yet read MIR
Fletchers opinion. setting forth
what State and local committees
may spend aside from the National
Committee budget But he said
that, granting that to be the legal
construction of the Hatch Act, he
still wanted to keep the cost of the
presidential campaign down to the
lower figure he mentioned.
State Units Not Covered.
Addressed to National Chairman
Martin a week ago, Mr.. Fletcher's
legal opinion pointed out that the
section of the Hatch Act dealing
with the $1,000 limit on contribu-
tions of individuals provides that it
shall not apply to contributions
made to or by State or local COM
mittee or other local organization. -
Continuing, the opinion read:
The Corrupt Practices Act has
always recognized an exemption for
State and local committees and evil
IDENTIFY this sentence, which was
added just before the act was passed,
was intended to take out of the
operation of the statute altogether
State and local committees or other
local organizations. We have no
doubt that State and local commit
tees referred to are those that are
organized wholly within a State,
even though their object be, in part,
the election of Federal officers
consequently, we see no objec-
ton to any donor giving any
amount he sees fit to State or local
finance or political committee. The
words or other local organization
would also cover local group oper-
ating within a State, even though
its activities sought the election OF
Federal officer.
$1,000 Limit Cited.
"It is therefore our advice that
donors desiring to give more than
$4,000 to Republican candidates or
committees should give only one gift
of 5000 to the Republican National
Committee or the Republican Sena-
torial Committee or the Republican
Congressional Committee. Any
amounts above $1,000 that donor
desires to give should be given to
State or local committees"
The opinion continued in part as
follows:
THE setup which you had planned
prior to the passage of the Hatch
Act contemplated that all sub
scriptions would be made to the
national committee and then be
distributed to State and local COM
mittees. 1t is obvious that such a
procedure will result in reducing the
$4,000 900 limit for each committee,
because money passing through the
hands of a committee will be deemed
to be a part of its permissible
$4,000 900.
Change in Plan Advised.
eve, therefore, recommend that
you discontinue the plan you now
have, and have all solicitations made
by State or local finance commit
tees. Subscriptions up to IS 900 may
be paid to either the Republican
Congressional Committee, the Re-
publican Senatorial Committee or
the Republican National Committee.
"All amounts over $1,000 should be
paid to State and local committees.
Each of these committees can pay to
the national committee such part of
it's collection as it sees fit to do with
out violating section 13-A of the
act, and in this manner each COM
mittee will have its own $1,000 ,00C
limitation.
"In order that there may be nc
doubt that the State and local COM
mittees come within the exception
in the act, we think that they should
be entirely divorced from the Re.