National Affairs: 30

30¢The 1928 political campaign cost about 30¢ a vote, according to final figures last week made public by Republican and Democratic National Committees. Republicans spent $6,276,000. Democrats spent $5,342,000. As some 36,000,000 votes were cast, the combined expenditures of $11,618,000 represented slightly less than one third of a dollar for each ballot.

In addition to electing their candidate, the Republicans also came out of the campaign with a treasury surplus of $285,000. Democrats, however, borrowed $100,000 from Mr. Raskob and $1,500,000 from the County Trust Co., Manhattan. As they spent all but $100,000 of what they were given and of what they borrowed, they now have a one and one-half million dollar deficit to increase post-election headache.

Last week’s figures included late campaign contributions, one of which added a financial note to the long discord between Senator James Couzens, Michigan’s motor-millionaire senator, and Secretary of the Treasury Andrew W. Mellon. Senator Couzens made a last minute contribution of $10,000, and, according to one report, offered to make it $40,000 if promised that Mr. Mellon would not be reappointed treasury secretary.