Los Angeles herald., 1909-02-14
LET'S TELLS OF
FIGHT AGAINST
TRACK BETTING
DISCUSSES RECENT BATTLE
BEFORE CITY CLUB
SAYS ALL GAMBLING DEVICES
MUST BE ABOLISHED
Southern California Legislators GAL
Iantly Assisted Measure, but Only
One Northern Member
Supported 1t

With but modest references to his
own large part of the work. and giving
all credit to Southern California legls-
lators for the passage of the Walker
bill that kills race track gambling IN
Southern California, Arthur Let's de-
scribed the stupendous fight against the
allied forces of evil in an address be-
fore the City club at it's regular weekly
meeting yesterday at the Westminster.
Mr. Let's address was entitled the
DUTY the Business Man Owes to the
State" and in introducing him Presl-
dent Hunsaker said:
"One hopeful sign Of the times is
that business men find time to partic1-
pate in civic affairs. There is one such
in this community of whom we are all
proud. His advancement in the busl-
ness world has been little short of mar
veIous. Yet he has found time to give
his attention to combating one Of the
greatest evils this commonwealth has
had to deal with. Arthur Let's has
rendered signal service in wiping race
track gambling from this city"
Mr.. Let's modestly denied his signal
service" ST didn't do this thing he
protested, 'I was simply a means to an
end. 1 would rather give the credit
where it belongs. The newspapers
helped wonderfully in this fight, and
the state owes them a debt of gratitude
it never can repay. Part Of the good
work was done by representatives OF
the Los Angeles press in Sacramento.
''I thought it my duty to make this
fight for the good of our young men.
We supposed our troubles were over
when the territory in which Ascot park
is situated was annexed to the city,
but they had only begun. Santa Anita
has been much worse than Ascot ever
was.
Gambling Worst of Evils
'"The greatest of all evils is the gam
bling evil / believe every gambling
device should be destroyed. Gambling
FOR merchandise is wrong, and our city
council did wrong when they made
the recent compromise permitting
gambling at cigar stands. EVen Wall
street gambling is wrong. And that
reminds me of New York, and I wish to
pay high tribute to New Yorl1's chic f
executive, Governor Hughes. The laws
Of California, of Washington and of
Nor tana against the race track evil
are cue chiefly to the stand Governor
Hughes has taken on this question"
Mr.. Let's spoke of the interview be
and 7. r Garrett had with Governor
Cillett, and of how they had systema-
tized the work Of pinning down the
Legislators.
1--WE were confident the ass emily
would uass the bill,' said Mr Let's.
''but Kew it would be hard Shedding
in the senate. We wrote to these
doubtful senators to get their views on
the subject, and where we found we
could not accomplish much we wrote
to the constituents of these senators to
secure their cooperation.
1--WE found the Los Angeles delega-
ton all in favor of the Walker bill,
but were told there would be a joker
in it. We started out to smoke out this
Joker and found it in the shape of an
amendment. Our united forces finally
stopped the amendments and we got
the bill before the assembly in it's orig
inal form. Even when one of the
friends of the bill offered an amend
ment to make it all the more strong,
we demurred, preferring to have the
bill passed, and then, if any amend
ments were needed, they could be
added later. Our southern delegates
were our most helpful source. We re-
ceived support from only one northern
delegate, and yet notice the north is
claiming all the credit for passing the
bill. There is precious little done in
California that the north does not claim
credit for, wherever that credit may
belong. We appeared before the SEN
ate committee, as did also the men in
terested in the race track.
1--WE made a clean fight and stayed