Evening star., 1946-10-15
AFL Denies ALLEGATION
OF Political Fund, but
Will Help friends
BY J. A. oIeory

In this years elections, the Amer
lean Federation Of Labor will try
to reward its friends and defeat its
enemies, but has no funds ear
marked for politics, Lewis g. Hines
told the House Campaign Expendf-
lures Committee today.
Mr.. Hines, legislative representa-
tive Of the federation, said the AFL
complies the voting records Of mem
bers of Congress and sends them to
its affiliated unions, with the sug-
gestion that we follow the time
honored policy of Samuel Gompers
(the late AFL president) reward
our friends and defeat our enc
mics
Asked by Committee Counsel
Lowry N. Cpe for the total spent in
this years campaign, Mr.. Hines said
the federation has no money ear
marked for political purposes. The
only such expense would be the cler-
ical work of preparing the records
of congressional voting, he said.
Communists Are Barred.
Mr.. Hines testified that If law
maker has a fine record from the
standpoint of labor, the federation
will send some one to his district
to let its members know that fact.
He said that is done particularly If
the friendly candidate Is being op-
posed by Communists. Representa-
tive Curtis, Republican, of Nebraska
asked If the AFL has any rule
against admitting Communists.
Yes sir" Mr.. Hines replied, add
ing that the constitution of the fed
Grafton bars Communists, Facists
or bundists."
Explaining that there are both
Republicans and Democrats in the
federation, Mr.. Hines said 1T is not
within our purview to indorse parties
as such, but individuals"
Kroll Denies Large Spending.
The committee heard Jack Kroll,
director of the CIO Political Action
Committee, deny late yesterday that
it spent any large sums to defeat
members of Congress in recent pri-
marieS.
Like the National Citizens Polit-
ical Action Committee, Mr.. Kroll
said the CIO committee leaves in
dorsement of candidates entirely in
the hands of local units. Operating
at the national level, Mr. Kroll said
CIO-PAC has made no contribution
to any candidate, but assists local
organizations by furnishing them
with congressional voting records,
pamphlets and the advice of %
field workers.
We're trying to do the thing
within the letter and the spirit of
the law-we have nothing to hide,
Mr.. Kron asserted.
Operated on Contributions.
Mr.. Kroll and his counsel, John
Abt, told the committee that during
the first nine months of the year
CIO-PAC operated on the contri-
buttons it gets from the interna-
tional CIO unions. Starting on
September 3, however. the political
activity of the CIO is financed en-
tirely out of the 81 contributions OF
individual members. That date is
uSeO Oh IIe assumption tIldI tllc
election period starts after all State
primaries are over and the candi-
dates have been chosen.
Mr.. Abt said CIO-PAC gets only
so cents of each dollar contribution,
the other half remaining in the
locality where it is contributed.
When the lawyer estimated that the
national headquarters has received
only about $4,000 thus far from
these local contributions, Mr..
Curtiss asked:
Are You falling way below your
goal?"
Mr.. Krol said the local organiza-
tions had been asked to try to raise
a million dollars, of which half would
come to the national Office. With
the campaign still going on, he said,
there undoubtedly are contributions
that have not been processed into
headquarters yet. Referring to the
$4,000 received to date. Mr. Kron
predicted well do much better
than that"