Los Angeles herald., 1909-01-22
ANTI-RACFTRACK
GAMBLING BILL
TO BE PASSED
MEASURE ALREADY ADOPTED
BY ASSEMBLY
SENATE CERTAIN TO FOLLOW
: ACTION OF HOUSE
Governor GiIlett Will Sign Act, Hav-
ing Said He Would Attach His
Signature to Any LegisIa.
tive Enactment
Especial to The HeraId.1

~ ACffAMENTO, Jan. 21.-Opponents
~ OF race track betting are jubiIant
mere tonight over the passage in
the assembly of the Walker-Otis anti
race track gambling measure, and. al
though notice to reconsider tomorrow
mas peen given by Assemblyman Grove
l.. Johnson, it is known the bill will NOT
be disturbed.
Inc measure also will pass the senate.
IL is said, and so sure are the opponents
OF tne Dill that the days of race track
gambling are numbered in California.
that already followers of the horses are
arranging to open a track in a nearby
town in Mexico
Developments in the fight being made
by the race track adherents in the
senate to prevent the enactment in this
state OF the law passed in New York,
known as the Hughes law, prohibiting
betting upon races, showed this after
noon that within a short period>it viii
be ready for the signature of Governor
Gillett.
The assembly passed the measure to-
day by vote Of 81 to 10. Lieutenant
Governor Warren f. Porter said this
evening there was no doubt of it's pass
age through the senate Governor Gill
lett has repeated several times the
statement that he would sign any biz
prohibiting gambling on the races that
might come to him from the legislature
Race track interests are hopeful Of
delaying final action more than a week
Notice was given by Assemblyman
Grove l.. Johnson he would move to
reconsider the vote on the bill tomor-
row, but that motion will meet the
same fate as half a dozen other motions
made by opponents of the bill
The first lineup in the senate was
maze this afternoon upon motion of
Senator George S. Walker of San Jose.
who introduced the measure in the up
per branch, to call it out of committee
Tor immediate action by the senate.
The leading race track senators, Ed
ward l. Wolfe and and Gus Hartman
of San Francisco and Frank Leavitt of
Oakland, who had the program con-
cession at Emeryville, led the fight
against calling the bill out, and finally
prevailed, owing to the fear of many
of the anti-race track men that the
big stick" of the committee, of which
Leavitt is chairman, would be useG,
upon them If they were not more con-
servative in the race track matter.
Senator Walker withdrew his motion
upon the promise of Senator Leavitt
| that a public hearing would be held
within a week and the bill would be
| reported forthwith:
FOreseeing final defeat, the race track
men are negotiating with the Mexican
government for the establishment of a
big track at Tia Juana.
AS the Walker-Otis anti-race track
bill does not state the time that it will
become effective, it will take the usual
course and become operative sixty days
after it has been signed by the gov
ernor.
The governor is allowed thirty days
in which to sign or veto. From the
present indications the race tracks will
be able to finish the present season
] fore the law goes into effect There
fore, if the law is to be assaiIed, the
test will not come before next No
vember, the month in which the Cali
fornia Jockey club has always opened
it winter season.