SENATORIAL CAMPAIGN EXPENDITURES, 1930

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 2, 1930

UNITED STATES SENATE,

COMMITTEE ON SENATORIAL CAMPAIGN EXPENDITURES,

Washington, D. C. The committee met, pursuant to call, at 10.30 o'clock a. m., in room 212, Senate Office Building, Senator Gerald P. Nye, chairman, presiding.

Present: Senators Nye (chairman), Dale, Patterson, and Dill. The CHAIRMAN. Let the committee be in order.

The committee has convened this morning to ascertain in the expenditures made in any senatorial campaign, or in behalf of any senatorial candidate, by the Anti-Saloon League. The treasurer of the league is here and we want to hear him this morning. If you will just come up and take this chair, please.

TESTIMONY OF EDWARD B. DUNFORD, ATTORNEY FOR THE ANTI-SALOON LEAGUE OF AMERICA

(The witness was duly sworn by the chairman.)

The CHAIRMAN. Give the reporter your full name, please.

Mr. DUNFORD. Edward B. Dunford, attorney for the Anti-Saloon League of America,

The CHAIRMAN. Did you say attorney?

Mr. DUNFORD. Yes, sir; and designated as treasurer of the 1930 campaign committee of the national league.

The CHAIRMAN. Mr. Dunford, did the league make any contributions to any senatorial campaigns this year?

Mr. DUNFORD. The national league made expenditures in a few States where-what are known as nationalized States-where the national league largely directs or supplements the work of the State organization. There are just a few of those States, and, in a few instances, where there were close contests the league also sent some money to the treasurers of local committees.

The CHAIRMAN. What do you have with you evidencing such contributions or expenditures?

Mr. DUNFORD. I have compiled here a detailed statement of the 1930 campaign fund of the Anti-Saloon League of America, as of December 1, showing receipts and disbursements, indicating the names of all contributors of $100, with the aggregate of miscellaneous amounts less than that, with the disbursements and the names of the parties to whom paid.

The CHAIRMAN. I take it, then, it is not confined to senatorial campaigns alone?

111287-81-GEN, PT 1

1

Mr. DUNFORD. No, sir; not entirely. It is difficult to segregate because in some of the States where there were senatorial contests there were also contests in congressional districts. I can briefly summarize for you those States where the national league spent money in connection with the 1930 campaign.

The CHAIRMAN. Now, that this may be made clear, you are giving us a statement of your 1930 campaign fund?

Mr. DUNFORD. Yes, sir.

The CHAIRMAN. Does that mean that the receipts shown here for 1930 are the full amount of receipts for all purposes by the AntiSaloon League during that year?

Mr. DUNFORD. Not for all purposes, but for campaign purposes. The CHAIRMAN. For campaign purposes?

Mr. DUNFORD. Yes, sir.

The CHAIRMAN. You received then contributions totaling $6,875.25 for campaign purposes?

Mr. DUNFORD. Yes, sir. This special appeal was made for the 1930 campaign and those funds are kept separate and reported under the Federal corrupt practices act to the Clerk of the House of Representatives as required by that act.

The CHAIRMAN. Then, you made expenditures through the campaigns and left a balance of $983.48 on hand?

Mr. DUNFORD. Yes, sir. There are still some bills that will about consume that balance, not paid, principally for printing and traveling expenses.

The CHAIRMAN. I was going to suggest that the entire statement be printed in the record, but I do not know that it would have any meaning at all to the work which the committee has in hand. However, there is a summary at the close of the statement showing the distribution of the expenditures as follows:

And indicating also that the fund of $6,875.25 was obtained from 150 contributors.

Now, will you explain for us, please, this summary here? You indicate $3,197.62 for services. Just what does that mean?

Mr. DUNFORD. Well, it covers the services of the workers of the league that were engaged in campaign activities, speakers, and the services of the general superintendent in connection with conferences with the local organizations with regard to the campaign, and all items for personal services that were regarded as properly chargeable to this account.

The CHAIRMAN. And the same would be true of the traveling expenses?

Mr. DUNFORD. Yes, sir.

The CHAIRMAN. Now, then, in that matter of State aid, are you prepared to show just what the division of that amount was, what States it went to?

Mr. DUNFORD. Yes, sir. Of course, segregating this from this compilation in Delaware $200 was sent into that State in a senatorial contest and for use in the contest between Senator Hastings and former Senator Bayard. I have here a statement from Mr. Vining, the superintendent there, showing the distribution or purposes for which that money was expended in that State.

The CHAIRMAN. Does the statement show anything in addition to the $200 which you sent him?

Mr. DUNFORD. No, sir; it only deals with the money which I sent him as treasurer of the national organization.

The CHAIRMAN. Do the State organizations make reports to the national organization upon expenditures?

Mr. DUNFORD. To the national organization?

The CHAIRMAN. Yes.

Mr. DUNFORD. No, sir. Sometimes they may happen to report in a letter to us that fact, but they do not. They are separate and more or less autonomous, a federated body, and they raise their own funds and spend them themselves, and where they make expenditures, they come under the provisions of the election law and file their reports with the Clerk of the House of Representatives under the corrupt practices act.

The CHAIRMAN. If the committee desired to ascertain the expenditures of the various State organizations in those States, where senatorial campaigns were held this year, how would we proceed to get that information.

Mr. DUNFORD. Well, if the committee desired we could request it of them. I think they would submit it, or the committee could apply directly to the State superintendent in that State or to the chairman of their committee. If the committee desired it, we would make requests of them for that information.

The CHAIRMAN. Your offer to obtain that information for us, if we desire it, prompts the committee to request that you try to obtain those statements from the various State organizations only in those States where senatorial campaigns were conducted this year. Mr. DUNFORD. Yes, sir.

The CHAIRMAN. And to have statements filed in the form of affidavits. Can you do that?

Mr. DUNFORD. Yes, sir; we will be glad to make that request. The CHAIRMAN. And after they are received turn them over to the committee, report them to the committee.

Mr. DUNFORD. Yes, sir.

The CHAIRMAN. That would be very, very helpful to the committee and would save it a lot of work if you will do that, and the committee will appreciate your services to that end.

You had a letter there from Delaware, you said, indicating the expenditures?

Mr. DUNFORD. It showed the distribution of that $200 we sent there $165 for paid advertisements in the Every Evening; $20 for a similar ad. in the Italian Weekly; and $25 for one of the evening journals. I have a copy of one of the advertisements here if you care to see it.

The CHAIRMAN. I think that is not necessary at this time.

Are you prepared to say whether or not any material amount was spent in any State by a State organization?

Mr. DUNFORD. I could not answer, Senator, as to the gross amount expended by the State organization. That would not come to my attention.

The CHAIRMAN. Now, of this $5,891.77, what can you tell us of its division?

Mr. DUNFORD. $500 was sent into Montana to the superintendent of that State, a Mr. Wade, to be used in connection with the contest there between Senator Walsh and the Republican nominee, Mr. Justice Galen. In Virginia, $200 of this amount was sent there, but there was no senatorial contest there. There was a contest in one congressional district.

In Illinois, the national league sent $300 to the treasurer of the committee there, Mr. Coleman, in connection with the contest in that State, where there was a 3-cornered contest between Mrs. McCornick and Mr. Deneen and Mrs. O'Neill.

The CHAIRMAN. Did the league not participate in any primary campaign in any State?

Mr. DUNFORD. Yes, sir; the league made a special appeal for a primary fund, which, of course, is kept separate from the fund used in the general election.

The CHAIRMAN. Then, this statement which you have given us is not inclusive of the primary election fund?

Mr. DUNFORD. No, sir; because that is a report of the campaign fund which is required to be reported under the Federal practices act, which act does not apply to a primary contest.

The CHAIRMAN. I read your statement as being a complete accounting of your political expenditures made through the year of 1930, but this is only the general election campaign?

Mr. DUNFORD. Yes, sir.

The CHAIRMAN. Now, then, what is available to us in the way of information concerning expenditures in the conduct of the primary campaigns?

Mr. DUNFORD. I have compiled here a similar statement with regard to the fund raised for the primary campaign from April 8 to December 1, giving the names of all contributors giving over $100, the agregate in amounts less than $100, the disbursements, with the dates, and the names of the parties to whom disbursements were made, with a classification of the expenditures similar to that in the other statement.

The CHAIRMAN. May we see that, please?

Mr. DUNFORD. Yes, sir.

The CHAIRMAN. Now, then, in this statement, purporting to be that of receipts in the primary campaign, you show receipts of $9,029.33, disbursements of $8,720, leaving a balance on hand of $309.33. In summarizing that I find at the close of your statement this:

And the number of individuals contributing, 650.

Now there again, I suppose, the distribution was about the same as in the general-election campaign?

Mr. DUNFORD. Yes, sir.

The CHAIRMAN. What were the leading contributions to State organizations in the primaries?

Mr. DUNFORD. The largest one was in New Jersey, in the contest there between Mr. Morrow and Mr. Fort in that State, and amounted to $1,124.24, sent by the national league to the State organization. The CHAIRMAN. And other States receiving

Mr. DUNFORD (interposing). In Montana there was $950 spent in connection with the primary contests there. There was a contest in the Republican Party between Mr. Justice Galen and a candidate by the name of Shelly. There was also a contest in one congressional district in that State, so that money was for both purposes.

The CHAIRMAN. In whose behalf were expenditures made in Montana in the primary?

Mr. DUNFORD. In the primary the expenditures were made in behalf of Mr. Shelly. In the election it was in behalf of Senator Walsh; they were made in behalf of Senator Walsh.

The CHAIRMAN. Well, in the request that is made of the State organizations for a report on their expenditures, may the committee understand that you will see to it that that includes expenditures for primary and general elections as well?

Mr. DUNFORD. Yes, sir.

The CHAIRMAN. And I expect there will be some instances where the State organization gave its support to perhaps State officers, Members of Congress, as well as to senatorial candidates. In such cases we would like to have the State organizations break as well as possible the expenditures to indicate what part of them were properly chargeable in the conduct of the campaign of any candidate for the Senate. That may be rather difficult.

Mr. DUNFORD. That is a very difficult classification to make. They make a general appeal for the election of dry officials, and of course there are many more State officers than there are national officers, members of Congress, or the Senate. I will make that request of them, however.

The CHAIRMAN. They might lend us some aid in the preparation of their reports to a point that would enable the committee to better determine what part of it properly does belong as a charge against the senatorial candidacies.

Mr. DUNFORD. I think they will do the best they can.

The CHAIRMAN. Well, the committee will certainly appreciate it if you can get that information for it from the various States. Does the committee have any questions?

Senator DALE. I was a little surprised, Mr. Chairman, to find the activities of the Anti-Saloon League in the primary contests. Is that not a new effort on the part of the league? Have they formerly entered into the primary contests?

Mr. DUNFORD. Wherever there was a dry candidate working for the nomination against a wet candidate in a primary I think it has always been the policy of the league to seek the nomination of the candidate favorable to the prohibition cause.

111287-31-GEN, PT 1-2