Los Angeles herald., 1908-12-18
FORM LEAGUE TO
STOP GAMBLING
BUSINESS MEN WILL OPPOSE
BETTING ON RACES
NORTHERN SENTIMENT MUST BE
EDUCATED BY SOUTH
Commercial Leaders Hold Meeting
at Westminster Hotel and Or
ganize for Fight Against
Bookmaking Element


ject of the Business Mems Anti Race
Track Gambling league of Southern
California. organized at Hotel West
minister yesterday afternoon. About
forty prominent and influential busi-
ness men of Los Angeles attended the
meeting, which was called TO order py
Arthur Let's at 1880 p. m.
LET US get into the harness and
root out the=evil of race track gam
bling" was the sentiment that domi-
mated the whole meeting. Mr.. Let's read
a paper in which he portrayed the IN
fiuence of the race track. The evil
does not consist in horse racing" ex-
planned Mr.. Let's. 1T is beautiful
sight to see finely developed animals
exerting themselves in a contest IF
speed. But the evil lies in the betting
which accompanies the racing. Let us
get together today and put an end to
the evil of race track gambling which
is demoralizing our people.
Plans for the organization evidently
had been carefully thought out in ad-
vance for the program went through
like clockwork The committee on
permanent organization appointed by
Temporarv Chairman Let's retired to
one side of the room and in a few mo-
ments appeared with a short list of ar
ticles of organization. which were READ
and adopted.
t.n1lTl1Hn IIlOlndS II. NTlDbOu vi lllp
committee then placed in nomination
the following names for permanent Of
ficers: President Arthur Let's; vice
presidents, George II. Stewart j. NJ.
Schneider, J. o. Koepfli and w. J.
Hunsaker; secretary, Hugh w. Adams,
Jr.. and treasurer, L. r. Garrett. These
officers were duly elected.
The organization of the association
having been perfected. a number of the
members were called on to express
their opinions on the work to be un-
dertaken.
Bookmaking Curse
"Horse racing is in itself harmless
and natural sport" said Edwin A. Me-
serve, "but bookmaking is curse.
believe there is no lawyer in Los An
geles or the United States who, after
practicing for some years, has not
come across some young man whose life
has been ruined at the race track and
whose only future outlook was the
prison. 1t is only natural for man
to want to go out and see the races. he
goes there the first time for the joy
of witnessing the sport. But he sees
men and women around him betting
and he thinks he will just take a small
chance for the fun of it. Then he
takes a bigger chance, and it is not
long before he is risking his employers
big pile for himself.
81 have been attorney for several
bonding companies and a number Of
cases have come under my personal
care of young men who had spent their
employers money. They were not
naturally dishonest. But they had been
seized by the race track gambling
fever. In every case the bonding COM
panies paid the shortage and requested
the employers to retain the young man.
exacting from the latter a promise TO
remain away from the track. In every
case the young men made good the
shortage They were all right as soon
as the influence of the track was re-
moved / have not had single case
of this kind since Ascot was closed.
"Public sentiment in this part Of
California is undoubtedly opposed to
gambling at the races. That was made
evident when the county convention
was forced to adopt an anti-race track
gambling clause and send our southern
representatives to the Legislature
pledged to such q measure. 1t is now
our business to spread the sentiment
which is predominant in Southern Cali
fornia to other parts of the state
Thomas z. Gibbon spoke briefly on
the evil which race track gambling has
done to business. He told of interviews
with prominent business men of San
clared that the gambling across the
bay was doing untold injury to business
in San Francisco. "This association,
declared Mr. Gibbon, should be
business mans movement to put an
end to an evil that is hurting business"
George H. Stewart, president of the
chamber of commerce. indorsed the
sentiment of the previous speakers and
urged that for business as well IS for
moral reasons the curse of race track
gambling should be removed from Cali
fornia.
Double Task Ahead
In decided terms President John VIII
lis Baer of Occidental college de-
nounced the evil of the track and told
Of the fight of Governor Hughes in
New York against the racing and book
making elements. "There are two
things which this organization viii
have to do" said Mr.. Baer. "We shall
have to carry on a fight in the legisla'
ture to secure an anti-race track gam
bling bill. and we shall have to get
public sentiment in the north to favor
the movement"
Judge John d. Works expressed con-
siderable doubt as to the ability of
our southern representatives to secure
the passage of the desired bill through
the legislature. 'I am afraid there are
influences in the legislature which NAV
cause our southern representatives 20
swerve from the instructions given
them by the county convention unless
public sentiment is strong enough to
hold them to it,"
President G. F. Bovard of the Uni
versity of Southern California and DR..
John r. Haynes both made brief re-
marks on the subject under discus
sion. An advisory committee of prom
inent Los Angeles business men was
appointed and the meeting adjourned.
The following are the articles of or
ganization of the new association
Il This organization shall be known
as the Business Mems Anti Race Track
Gambling league of Southern Califor-
MIA.
"2. The purpose shall be to secure
the enactment and enforcement of a
law prohibiting race track gambling in
the state of California.
"3. The officers shall consist of
president, four vice presidents, treas
lIrer and secretary.
~ There shall be an advisory COM
mfttee and such other committees as
NAV be deemed necessary. Nlch COM
nittees to be appointed by the presi-
dent.
~. Meetings shall be held a the call
of the president. and five members shall
constitute quorum"
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Marshall Fountain Pens ST. sanbOrn, Vail
A Co. 834 and 1855 So Broadway
sn
II you want 20 go east. 1. HaydocK. Agent