Evening star., 1951-11-30
Opposition Guessing
On Campaign Funds,
Taft Aide Charges
By J. A. O'leory


the Taft-for-Senate Committee in
the Ohio election last year, told
the Senate Elections subcommit-
tee today the opposition has re-
sorted to guessing" and "Suppos-
ing" in arriving at exaggerated
estimates of the cost of the Taft
campaign.
Joseph T. Ferguson. the unSuc-
cessful Democratic opponent,
testified early in the week he be-
lieved SIS million was spent to re-
elect Senator Taft.
Senator Taft contended that
not more than 100000 of all the
money spent for the entire Re
publican ticket last year in Ohio
benefited his campaign. He
charged that the Ferguson cam
paign cost three times that much.
Corporation Ads Cited.
Mr. Gradison denied that So
called institutional advertising by
corporations, designed to reiterate
basic American principles, could
be regarded as hurting Mr.. Fergu-
son or helping Senator Taft. He
said the cost of such advertising
was counted in the Ferguson eS-
innate of spending for Taft.
Denying that Senator Taft was
given captive" audiences when he
spoke in factories and school,
houses, Mr.. Gradison said it was
impossible for Mr.. Taft to appear
at any union meeting. The only
way he could reach workingmen
was by visiting the plants and
Mr.. Ferguson had the same op-
portunity, the witness said.
Earlier. Ben Tate, treasurer of
the Taftfor- Senate Committee in
Ohio last year, told the subcom-
mittee he did not include in his
financial report about 100000 he
furnished to eight subsidiary COM
mitteeS because it would have
been duplication of the separate
reports filed by those groups.
ClarificatiOn of Laws Needed.
Before the committee resumed
today, Chairman Gillette, Demo-
crat, OF Iowa said he believed
existing laws designed to restrict
campaign contributions from cor
poration and union funds need
clarification
At the outset today, Mr.. Tate
testified that: /
I'VE laid down the rule from the
beginning that all funds over
which we had any control should
be carefully accounted for. includ-
ing the filing of vouchers for every
expenditure together with the pur-
pose for which the expenditure
was made. 1t would seem that Mr..
Ferguson's committees were hardly
that careful
Mr.. Tate estimated that the
total amount he collected for the
campaign was about 100000. He
said that possibly per cent, or
$4,000 of it, may have been in
cash.
Senator Gillette's statement that
the election laws affecting union
funds need rewriting was based
partly on testimony yesterday
that the courts have held that,
under some circumstances, union
funds may be used for political
advertising.
Earlier Testimony Cited. /
Earlier in the hearings, there !
was testimony by some witnesses
that they believe So-called insti-
tutional advertising by corpora
tions during a campaign has some
political effect, even though it
may not refer to a particular
party or candidate by name. /
This matter of contributions
by corporations and labor unions
has such a far-reaching effect on
the casting of ballots in an elec-
ton that there should be no haZi-
ness or misunderstanding as to
the clear and unequivocal inter-
probation of the law" said Senator
Gillette.
1t is the intention of the Elec-
tions Subcommittee to review all
election laws when the current
hearings are over, in the hope of
getting action early in the 1852
session of Congress on legislation
to obtain better control over the
cost of political campaigns.