ACT INEFFECTIVE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 48, 26 February 1941, Page 7

ACT INEFFECTIVE.

Millions Of Dollars Spent On

American Election.

EVASION OF THE LAW.

(Rccd. 11 a.m.) WASHINGTON, Feb. 25

The Senate Campaign Investigating Committee reported to-day that the major parties spent 22,717,000 dollars in the 1940 election. The Republicans spent 16,622,000 dollars and the Democrats 6,095,000 dollars. The Hatch Act was ineffective in preventing the expenditure of enormous sums.

The committee found that the 5000dollar limit for individual contributions was ineffective, because gifts were spread by State or local committees, thus the following gifts were legal: — Dupont's, 187,000 dollars; Pew'o, 100,000; Rockefellers, 59,000. Both parties legally used the devicc of making loans to various State and local committees to avoid the Hatch Act. The "ceiling" of the loans was to Illinois 25,000 dollars, New York 175,000, New Jersey 100,000, made by Mr. R. J. Reynolds, who is now treasurer of the Democratic National Committee.

ITALIAN SUSPICIONS. VISITORS TO U.S. EMBASSY. (Reed. 1 p.m.) ROME, Feb. 25. Italian plain-clothes detectives are checking up on visitors to the American Embassy. Americans are not aware of the reasons for the move.