JAPAN VOTE OF CONFIDENCE FOR IKEDA JAPAN'S NEW ELECTION REGULATIONS SEVERELY LIMIT 
CAMPAIGN ACTIVITIES, BUT THE COUNTRY'S POLITICIANS ARE MASTERS AT CIRCUMVENTING THE 
RULES . FACED WITH A $7,000 LIMIT ON CAMPAIGN EXPENDITURES, MANY 
A CANDIDATE IN LAST WEEK'S GENERAL ELECTIONS SIMPLY FOLLOWED AN OLD 
PRACTICE OF HAVING CONTRIBUTIONS FUNNELED THROUGH " RESEARCH INSTITUTES . " 
SINCE CANDIDATES WERE RESTRICTED TO THREE POSTERS EACH (V . THE 
PREVIOUS LIMIT OF 12,000), MANY " ACCIDENTALLY " DROPPED CARDS, COMPLETE 
WITH PICTURE AND SLOGAN, IN TELEPHONE BOOTHS, DEPARTMENT STORES, BARS AND 
BUSES . ON RAINY DAYS, ONE ASPIRANT EVEN HAD HIS CAMPAIGN 
WORKERS APPROACH COMMUTERS AND HAND OUT ARMLOADS OF UMBRELLAS ; WHEN 
THEY WERE OPENED, THE CANDIDATE'S NAME SPREAD OUT IN HUGE CHARACTERS 
PAINTED ON THE UMBRELLA SURFACE . FOR ALL THE UPROAR OVER 
PROCEDURES, THE ELECTION AMOUNTED TO AN IMPORTANT VOTE OF CONFIDENCE FOR 
PRO-CAPITALIST PRO-WESTERN PREMIER HAYATO IKEDA, 63 . THE SOCIALIST OPPOSITION ZEROED 
IN ON THE NAGGING INFLATION THAT HAS ACCOMPANIED JAPAN'S PHENOMENAL ECONOMIC 
BOOM . ECONOMIST IKEDA, WHISTLE-STOPPING ACROSS THE NATION, RETORTED THAT INCOMES 
HAVE RISEN 52 PER CENT IN THE PAST THREE YEARS, WHILE 
PRICES HAVE RISEN ONLY 14 PER CENT . AT A KYOTO 
RALLY, HE ASKED : " WHICH DO YOU THINK IS BETTER 
? THE SOCIALISTS' ADVOCACY OF DIVIDING THREE EGGS AMONG FOUR PEOPLE 
? OR IKEDA'S POLICY OF DIVIDING EIGHT EGGS AMONG FOUR PEOPLE 
? " ON ELECTION DAY, AMID THE SHRIEK OF SIRENS THAT 
REMINDED PEOPLE TO VOTE, IKEDA'S LIBERAL-DEMOCRATIC PARTY WON CONTROL OF THE 
467-SEAT HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES FOR ANOTHER FOUR YEARS, ALTHOUGH THE GOVERNMENT'S 
283-SEAT TOTAL FELL THREE SHORT OF ITS SHARE IN THE OLD 
HOUSE . THE SOCIALISTS GAINED SEVEN SEATS FOR A TOTAL OF 
144 . THE MORE MODERATE DEMOCRATIC SOCIALISTS PICKED UP NINE ADDITIONAL 
SEATS, FOR A TOTAL OF 23 . 