Evening star., 1948-10-26
Election Spending Rise
Held Due Chiefly 10
Higher Living Costs
Reports by Both Porties
Required by Low; Must
Be Listed Periodically
BY Datfd laurence

sSttO1sS0tty
By David Laurence
Large expenditures of money in
both the Democratic and Republ-
can campaigns are reported this
year-larger than usual because
campaign costs, like living costs,
have gone up, too.
The use Of money for general de-
bate In campaigns is not illegal.
There are various limitations speci-
fed by law for congressional elec-
tions. for instance, but the most
important requirement Of all is that
campaign expenditures, as we'll as
receipts, must be given full pub
ncity. The law requires all these
items to be listed with the clerk Of
the House of Representatives period
ically during and after the cam
paigns.
One cost that has gone up is
printing and mailing. The cam
paign committees do not get the
ranking" privilege but must pay
for the distribution Of their pam
phlets and leaflets. Assuming That
mailings nowadays will average
about $50 per thousand, 1t means
that 1t would cost $4,000 900 to mail
one letter to the 100000 persons
who are going to vote in next weeks
election-if, indeed, a list of such a
large number Of names were
available.
Spending in Pivotal States.
Since the campaign committees
are concentrating on certain pivotal
States, the sending Of campaign lit
erature two or three times during
the prediction season mounts up
to high figures.
Another expense Is printing, which
Is much larger than 1t was in any
previous campaign. Still another
important item of expense is the
cost Of sending speakers through
the various States. Not only must
transportation and hotel expenses
be provided but there are costs for
halls and auditoriurns and a vast
amount OF money for advertising
such meetings.
The use of radio and newspaper
advertising absorbs a considerable
part Of the campaign fund nova
days. but 1t is considered a rela-
lively economical way Of attracting
the attention Of maximum num-
Der Of voters.
The days are past when vast sums
sent in to States for workers at the
precincts are considered effective as
another means Of influencing the
views Of voters.
For one thing, precinct workers in
rural sections find it hard to cover
economically the large, sparsely
populated areas. In the cities the
personal canvass Of voters is a tre-
mendous undertaking but this is
often resented by the voters, many
OF whom prefer to spend their eve
ming hours in other ways than re-
ceiving strangers who argue the
merits Of campaign issues.
The truth Is that, while huge num-
bers Of voters are undoubtedly con-
tacted by precinct workers, especially
in the large cities, the preponderant
majority are never reached except by
the press and radio. That is why
elections in the United States are
probably the freest Of any in the
world, Notwithstanding the large
sums OF money that are spent.
Another characteristic Of cam
paigns that has changed Is the con-
tribution. Corporations and labor
unions are forbidden to contribute
their funds. Individuals may con-
tribute out Of their own resources.
This means that many businessmen
contribute out Of their own pockets,
and yet 1t is interesting to note that
rarely Is an individual contribution
above 81 1000. The bulk of the re-
ceipts are from small contributions.
Labor Union Collections.
The labor unions have set up sep
arate committees to collect funds
from workers. This Is not a viola
tion OF law. Corporations have
never felt it was within the law for
them to set up committees consist
Ing OF the personnel Of their respec-
tive businesses and to collect from
their stockholders or employees.
Most Of the funds collected by busi-
nesmen's committees have had no
such parallel influence over cor
porations and their personnel as
the labor-union committees have
over workers.
In the case Of labor unions a
device has been introduced which
makes 1t possible for officers from
local unions to collect directly from
the members for supposedly inde-
pendent political committees. In
asmuch as these same officers have
economic power over the workers
particularly because the personnel
working in a closed shop and the
hiring Of new workers have been
within the power of the labor-union
of1cers-the use of labor-union
money in campaigns is in some
respects more far-reaching than
that Of businessmen.
1t is not to be wondered at that
the labor union bosses are putting
up such a vigorous fight to repeal
the Taft-Hartley Act, which bans
"closed-shop" monopolies and not
only puts restrictions on the use Of
labor-union funds in campaigning
but makes 1t possible for intimida-
ton of workers resulting from pres
sure for campaign contributions to
be punished by law. This phase of
the statute has not been tested in
the courts, hence it Is not being
honored very much in some quar-
ters this year. But eventually the
hand Of the law will prevent use of
union membership discipline to in
terfere with the political freedom