The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1909-01-21
OTIS BILL SCORES
IN The ASSEMBLY
Forces Favorable to Racetrack
Gambling Are Routed
Two TO One
Observation-Disclosures Measure Is
Rejected by a Vote of
81 TO Is


Ser OF COMMERCE BUILDING, SAC
RAMENTo, Jan 2o--In a series of de-
cisive clashes the assembly today
routed the forces favorable TO race
track gambling and stood by the
Walker-Otis bin, two to one The de-
bate at times grew bitter, and once,
when Grove L. Johnson hurled defiance
at Speaker Stanton. II looked as though
the sergeant at arms would be called
upon 10 remove the aggressive Sacra-
lnento member. Incidentally the Mar
1ineIli-Butler bin was offered as n
amendment and rejected, 50 to %.
John Mott Of Oakland in urging the
consideration Of the action whereby
the assembly refused yesterday TO re-
refer the Otis-Walker bill to the public
morals committee, said the result would
have been different had the speaker al
lowed a discussion Of the subject. He
believes every one should have right
10 a hearing. He asserted that the bill
was Of no moment 10 him He denied
any desire to send the bill back TO COM
nittee and hold il there
CRITICIsE COMMITTEE
4 don't like TO charge the chairman
OF the public morals committee with
bad faith or doing wrong said Mott.
THE committee met in my absence 1t
had two other bills on the subject be-
fore ii. but considered this one and re-
ported IL back. This may be all right.
but I have my suspicious Of It"
". ". Greer Of Sacramento said that
the owners OF three large breeding
farms in this country were anxious for
q hearing before the committee. He
decried any effort 20 jam the bill
through the assembly.
. Chairman W B. Grifiths Of the COM
mittee defendad the action Of the com
mittee saying that II had received no
notice that any one desired TO appear
before it.
I have bill before the committee
Has il been consideredg' asked E. l.
Butler Grif1ths replied that it had
not
oscar Gibbons. who had given the
notice TO reconsider, said be was a
strong supporter Of the anti-racetrack
gambling bill. but he favored fair play
BY vote OF 80 to IS the assembly
refused to send the Otis bill back to
committee
BUTLER BILL BEATEN
Butler led the MartineIli-But bill
10 the slaughter by Offering il as an
amendment TO the Otis-W alker bill by
striking out everything but the enabling
clause of the bill before the house and
substituting the measure credited 10
MartnelH and himself The original
bill makes il optional with the Judge
whether the defendant in the event of
conviction be sent to Jail or prison
while the amendment carries with II
only a jail term and fine
i wouldn't have been forced to offer
the amendment If I had been given a
chance before the committee" said But
Ter II am here under pledge TO my
constituents TO do away with pool
room gambling. At Sausalito we have
pOolrooms open when the tracks are
not operating in this state. BY the
Otis bin 1t would be necessary to prove
there had been A result in the race and
We couldn't get proof from outside the
state. BY my bill it is only necessary
70 show that the race was purported to
have been held. If my bill becomes a
law the poolrooms viii be eradicated
from Marin county, and that is what
I'm here for"
Frank Otis Of Alameda opposed the
Butler amendment saying that the
features which Butler said We're miss
ing really We're included in the bill
which was a copy Of the Hughes bill
that had stopped racetrack gambling in
New York
We can go outside the state to get
witnesses or get their dispositions"
said Otis. We are not trying to get
at the bettors. We think the pool sell
ones. 1 believe the amendment is a
defective measure"
JOHNSON TO RESCUE
Grove L. Johnson then went TO the
rescue Of Butler and tried to win votes
for the measure with some unusual
promises
j want bill that viii hold water"
said Johnson. 4 guarantee to clear
any man who may be prosecuted under
the Otis bill. II he We're not cleared I
would volunteer to serve his term II I
could The object Of bill is to have
II effective. am one Of those who
thinks the evil is exaggerated. often
when man spends his money for wine
ana women he blames the racetracks
Now when man embezzles he saws he
has been playing the ponies. Ninety
nine times out of hundred the man
lies. think Alameda county should
skin its own skunks"
The Butler amendment was then de-
teateo p to 50, the roll call being as
follows:
Black, Butler. Coghlan. Collum. FeeIev
Greer, Hopkins. Irwin Johnson of Sas,
rsmento, johnson Of San Diego. John
SIon, Jullliard, Macauiey. McManus
Nelson Mel o'Neil Pugh, Schmitt. Weber
Noes-Barndonar. Beatty Robnatt
lallan. CattelL CogsWell. Collier. COS
tar, Cronln. Dean. Drew. Flavelle
Fleisher, Flint. Gerdes. ellis. Crffftbs
Harmon, Hanlon. Hans Hawk. HAYES
Hewitt Hlnkle. Holmquist Kehoe
Leeds, Lightner Maher Mcclellan
Melrose, MendenhaI Moore Mott
doom, Otis. Perine. Polsley. Preston
Pulctfer. Rech. Rutherford Silver
Stuckenbruck, Teller. Transue. Wag.
ner. Whitney. Wilson. Wyllie Young
Stanton-52 -
Johnson tried 10 amend the Otis hin
by having II apply TO automobiles also
His amendment was defeated % to as
Otis asked that his bin be made
special order for tomorrow at II
O'Clock. Johnson and Mott opnosed
this. When a roll was deman on
the proposition, johnson began ia
speak on the matter and clashe5 with
Speaker stanton. The vote was "a Ia
3d. and the speaker announced that
the motion had carried.
Would Have Plumbing Board .
CALL HEADQUARTERS CHAMBER
Of COMMERCE BUILDING. SACRA
MlSNTO. Jan. 20.-Assemblynaan Purh
offered q bin ia the assembly TODAY TO
create state plumbing board. which
is planned 10 bring about uniform
Plumbing throughout the state and &c