Evening star., 1949-06-12

or say how much a central part,
organization may spend, but holt
down the expenditures of an in
ldividual candidacy for Parliamen
Ito $50 pounds ($1 5000. plus abou
Ia cent and a half for every vote
Registered in the constituency. II
addition. the candidate has tn.
fright to send post free to ever
registered voter letter of no
more than 2 ounces containing
campaign literature. Members O
Parliament do not have the frank
ling privileges our members of Con
tgress enjoy.
Many Hands Involved
| AS indicated by the lack O
bills to have the Treasury pa!
campaign expenses. the ordinar!
member Of Congress does not seen
Ito be interested in the idea, per.
haps because of the complexities
The practical politicians of tn,
Democratic and Republican ma
tional headquarters don't thinl
much of the idea and can fore
see many difficulties In draftinl
Legislation that would not give ad
Vantage to the ingenious or tn,
|unscrupulous.
One Democratic committee
spokesman points out that tn,
national committee is only ont
agency in presidential campaign
There are numerous collateral or.
ganizations such as State and re.
lgional committees, Senate ane
House political committees, vet.
erans' committees and so-callec
Independent committees, all oi
which collect and spend funds.
Each committee is limited tt
So, ,000, 900 in a calendar year anc
individual contributions are linn.
tied to 5000. The national com.
mittees of the two major partie.
spend about $1,000,000 annually
for routine work. In presidential
campaign years they usually spene
about the limit.
In 1943 the Smith -Connally Act
forbade labor unions to contrib
ute to election campaigns but the
following year the CIO-PAC ant
the NC-PAC spent $1,000, ,00t
without interference from thu
Justice Department. The Taft.
Hartley Act forbade unions tt
contribute or expend union fund.
in political campaign, but the
Post-Dispatch noted in January
that labor groups reported that
for the 1913 campaign they had
spent $1,29l 900. This money
was contributed by individual.
union members to political com.
mittees set up by the national
and local unions. The CIO-PAC
led the list with $510,003: the
AFL League for Political Educa.
ton reported $312,196; the Ladies
Garment Workers Committee
$24O,532; the Railway Labor Po.
litical League, $84,357. and the
Machinists' Nonpartisan Political
League, $33,043.
Trade Union Role
The labor organizations polit.
ical committees are still at work
for the 1850 congressional anc
the 1852 presidential campaigns
Such committees bring up tht
question whether a Federal Law
prohibiting campaign contribu'
tions would violate the freedom-of-
speech clause of the Constitution
To take a simple case. could Con-
greSS enact a valid law that woule
in effect prevent a trade unior
member or a veteran from con.
tributing a dollar or so to a politi'
cal committee - not the Demo
cratic or Republican Nationa
Committee-to help elect a Presi.
dent, a Senator or a Representa-.
tive who had promised Legislation
the trade union member or the
veteran favored? Or could Con.
gress effectively stop the "institu.
tional" or educational" adver.
tisements by such organization.
as the National Association ol
Manufacturers and some larg.
business concerns, which, although
they mention no candidates by
name. are designed to influence
voters?
Or as q States right question
could Congress say how much. Il
any. money could be given to Z
State political organization al
though 1t Is known that fund
given to State candidates otter
influence presidential and con
gressional elections?
It Is easier to answer those whit
fear that splinter parties nigh
get lush funds or that a majol
party might be Discriminate
against If Congress voted cam
paign funds. The allotment coult
be on the popular votes cast II
the previous presidential and con
gressional elections. At / cent ,
popular vote In the 1948 campaign
the Democrats would get abou
81, ,367 900, the Republicans. $2.'
154, 600, the Dixiecrats. $100, ,00t
and the Wallaceite ProgreSsive'
about 100000.
Until the constitutional question
Of freedom of speech. as 1t relate'
to the so-called voluntary or In
dependent committees. Is settled
the party which got the support O
one or both of the two great pres
sure groups Of the country, thu
trade unions and the veterans
would have the advantage becaus'
these two groups have the nationa
and local machinery at hand h
take an aggressive part In any po
litical campaign affecting their in
terests. They contribute something
more than money-effective pre-
1 cinct work.
| Federal financing Of campaign!
might prevent the payoff In cabi
nat ard Sirtnx,s 3{a x,refe 20 vscl