OCR Text |
Show Effort Made to Discredit Treasurer of the Progressives Washington. Aug 3L. Reports that ono of tho political parties waa soliciting contributions from national banks for tho pending political campaign, cam-paign, stirred treasury dopartment officials of-ficials today. Any national bank making such contributions, declared Thomas P. Kane, acting comptroller 'of the currency, will be Bubject to a fine and its responsible officers and directors liable to fine and imprisonment im-prisonment for violating the law. The Washington Post today published pub-lished a report that E. H. Hookor, national treasurer of tho Progressive party, In a personal letters to the president of a local national bank, with a capital and surplus of nearly $1,000,000. had solicited a contribution contribu-tion of $250, The act of Jnnuary 26. 1907, Mr. Kane pointed out, specifically forbids for-bids national banks, or any banks authorized by authority of congress, to make monoy contributions in connection con-nection with any oloctlon to political office, Including the offices of president, pres-ident, vice president, senator and representatives in congross." Tho penalty for tho violation of that act Is a fine, not exceeding $5,-000, $5,-000, against the corporation as well as a fine ranging from $250 to $1,-000 $1,-000 against ovory officer and director consenting to the contribution, or their Imprisonment for not more than ono vcar, or both. Tho acting solicitor of tho treasury treas-ury department, recently decided that national banks could Tecelvo and forward for-ward gratuitous contributions to political po-litical parties, provided there was no expense to tho bank. This does not permit tho bank Itself to contribute, It Is declared. |