Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-04-17
AnTI-GAMBlInG BILL
LOOKS LIKE A SCHEME TO DE.
FEAT ITS PASSAGE.
It Was Offered as a Substitute for
the Campbell Measure, Which
Was Tabled.

Is there q scheme on foot to kill the
Sims anti-gambling amendment to the
bill for the widening of Bennins road,
which has already passed the Senate and
House? This is the fiat. unequivocal
statement made at the House end of the
Capitol today by members of Congress
who are in "A position to know just what
is going on. These members claim that
not only is this the fact but that the
scheme, plot, conspiracy, or whatever it
may be called, has bare chance of sue
cess. Friends of the anti-gambling pro-
vision are very much exercised over the
turn that affairs have taken In connec-
ton with this legislation, and are STIR
ring thems selves to defeat the alleged ends
and aims of congressional friends Of race
track gambling
The Senate yesterday sent back to the
House with a minor amendment or two
the bill for the widening of Benning road,
which carries upon it rider the
Sims amendment extending the prohibi-
ton against bookmaking and gambling of
all kinds all over the Dstrist-in other
words, doing away with the present mile
| limit proposition. The bill put through
! the House carried the usual language to
| appropriate money for the work on the
| road One-half of the money to be pay
| able from the general treasury and one
| half from the District treasury. formal
amendment made in the Senate changes
| the language of the bill and instead OF
authorizing the expenditure uses the
| word appropriate"
! Now, on the basis of this immaterial
change. an effort is being made to have
the measure referred back to the House
District committee for further considera-
| ton. In view of the fact that the
House District committee voted solidy
against the Sims amendment when it
! was laid before the committee in the
shape of a substitute for the defunct
Campbell anti-gamblng measure, the sig
nificance of this proposed performance
may be appreciated.
Campbell Bill Defeated.
| On the day that the Campbell bill was
under consideration by the District com
mittee-this being i'll the latter part of
March-Representativ Sims of Tennes-
see offered substitute for the Camp
bell bill his own proposition, which is now
an integral part of the Benning road bill.
| AS stated, this was voted down, Mr.
| Sims being the only member of the Dis
| trict committee to protest against the
| tabling of the anti-gambling bill. Then
I the Campbell bill was taken UP, and this
| measure tabled by d vote of ) to 3,
! two members voting present.
Those members of the House who are
| desirous of seeing the anti-gambling pro-
| vision on the statute books before Con-
greSS adjournS, are now exceedingly ap-
| prehensive that If the Benning road bill
| is again referred to the District COM
| mittee that committee will either fail
| to take action on the BILL leaving 1t to
die OF starvation or StrangulatiOn or some
| similar complaint, or VIII act adversely
| upon the gambling clause. And even If
| the House committee should act sfayorably
! on the full bill including the anti-gam-
| bling provision and should send the meas
! ure back to the House, those members
| who favor the Sims amendment are
/ afraid that in the press of business around
| the close of the session, and i'm view of
! the fact that the Benning road bill is not
a privileged measure, Congress will ad-
| journ without enacting it into law. and
/ that the races W II come back to town
| next fall on schedule time.
| When asked by q Star reporter today
! for his views on the matter. Representa-
/ tive Samuel Smith OF Michigan. chairman
of the House District committee. was in
clined to be non-committal. He would
not forecast the action of his committee in
| the event that it should be decided to
| send the Benning road bill with its i'm
pcrtant anti-g ambling provision back to
I the committee which origina ly acted ad-
| versely upon It. He said he had not read
/ the amendment. upon the technicality of
which it is proposed to send the bill back
| to the District committee. Mr. Sims of
/ Tennessee author OF the anti-gambling
provision, was inclined to be rather guard
ed In discussing the alleged scheme He
| admitted that there was some talk Of
strong pressure being brought to bear
| to kill the bill e.se keep 1t asleep until
/ adjournment, but he would not discuss
any details of these reports.
! 1t is said, however. that for some unac-
| count;sDIe reason some prominent men