Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-03-02
THE FLORENCE VILLA, AXLE BANS

secretary, a decorative, confidence inspir-
ing and expensive president maitre-
dhotel, a good kitchen to draw players by
delightful meals at quarter price; when you
count the servants, the heating and light
ing, the government tax of 81 per member
ana $40 or SO worth of club-taxed cards
per day, it is calculated that the kitty
which can scarcely run higher than $500
per day in the best season and down to $40
per day in the dead season-can scarcely
save the proprietor from an annual deficit.
Have Mystic Resources.
M. Clcmenccau, as minister of the in
terror, has had these figures all presented
to him with the harm these clubs are
doing to the Paris population. The great
closed clubs, to which membership is so
difficult that it is a brevet of honor, are
forced to charge high annual dues-S200
or $500 from each member-to meet ex-
penses. In the open" clubs the member
who proposes to pay dues is looked on as
an idiot; indeed, the notice to pay up is
a polite request for resignation, sent to
no-good members, who neither play nor
bring in new players Therefore, M.
Clemenceau is convinced that they must
have some occult resources, and that the
slick introduction of prearranged "se-
quences' (cold deck) and packs with sort
ed backs by a croupier, and three or four
'combinards, with Or without the aid OF
the great specialist, Monsieur Laratisse,
can be the only explanation of the mys-
terry.
The recent revelations of a certain
Eugene Villiod giving complicated lists
of sequences, that run as high as to six
packs of fifty-two cards for railway bac-
carat" have made it clear that there exist
star operators of baccarat swindling who
make short engagements for themselves
and their gentlemanly "brigades' like
nowned actors; and that in between times;
when there are no particularly suspicious
and well-posted players to be "rinced. the
Plain sequence alternateS with the honest
deck to make a living average.
And ii is here that NJ. Clemenceau is
troubled. What is he to stop?
Cry of the Statesmen.
stop crooked gambling in the open
clubs!" urge senators and deputies, from
seashore, mountains and the Riviera.
I'VE approve you; but do not touch the
game of our watering place casinos. They
are not clubs, with expensive kitchens, cell
lars, high-priced officers and Paris rent
ais. They make honest profits from their
kittes'-and find the means to subven-
ton our fetes, our short racing season and
our theater
Does NJ Ciemenceau imagine that the
games of great casinos-like Biarritz
Vichy, Arcachon, TrOuvile, Flcrs, AK,
Nice, Beaulieu and the French-territory
Beausoleil at Monte Caribbean be crooked
even for one bank in three? The vital in
terests of whole regions cry out No! And
here the great Napoleon failed in 1906, and
every ruler of France since him, to the
extent that his famous decree is still today
invoked for liberation. Thus the Pratlque
de Droit (book 4, par. 2O), declares IT:
THE keeping of gaming houses is alb
sclutely prohibited; nevertheless, the min
lister of the interior, by virtue of decree
Of June IS, 1906 considered still in vigor
exercises the right to authorize. in casinos
of watering places, certain games OF
hazard, such as baccarat, roulette and
little horses"
NJ Clemenceau is minister of the in
terror. AS M. Jean Cruppi has Just
pointed out, he is the first, since the great
Napoleon, to announce reform on these ex-
traordinarily delicate lines When he be-
gan SURPRISING Paris clubs" all France
applauded But now that he even contem-
plates attacking the revenues OF fourlsh-
ing health resorts cry of protestation
arises
ne will ruin France! He will drive out
rich foreigners! French pleasure seekers
will go to Belgium and Monte Carlo!
Cannot Understand Their Budgets.
Yet NJ Clemenceau cannot understand
the budgets of some Of these watering
place casinos any better than those of the
Paris CLUBS" The watering place grows
up beside it's beach. its mineral springs or
its climate 1t has no natural resources.
Everything, from architect to building ma
terial, and from hotel manager to raw
/ foodstuffs, must come by rail from distant
centers.
\ Everything is dear-except the casino!
Where the hotel keeper asks you $S per
day. the casino. for subscription averag-
! ing not 80 cents per day, affords you thea
ter symphonic concerts, fireworks. fetes.
gymkhanas, riower battles, balls and races!
How do they do 1t?
The explanation is the gaming tables.
Therefore, M. Clemenceau Is beginning to
SUSPECT that the casinos problem Is not
very different from that of the open" club
of Paris-to give So worth OF value for
the sum Of 50 cents!
And worse! The gaming clubs of Paris
have the year to make their profits; the
casino only has it's season" of six weeks,
eight weeks, three months at most, and
rainy intervals spell pure disaster! So
the "robbing machine must operate IN
Curious figures have been put before NJ.
Clemenceau. fourishing casino corpor-
alton had 100000 capital and $4,000 water
ed shares on which to earn interest One year
its managers farmed out the gambling priv
ilege for $4,000, and rented the casino.
with all its entrance fees, bar, restaurant.
summer garden. afternoon tea and other
priyiieges for 100000. With the aid of these
resources they were just able to organize
the grandiose fetes, assure the functioning
of the theater brilliant programs, stars and
symphonic concerts. support the racing sea-
son with aooO0 francs frand prix-and pay
Il bare per cent dividend!
A second year, imagining that the gam
bling concession was making too much