Los Angeles herald., 1909-02-05
WALKER-OTIS
MEASURE TO
BECOME LAW
ACT AGAINST BETTING ON
HORSE RACES ADOPTED
BOTH HOUSES OF LEGISLATURE
FAVOR BILL
Governor Will Affix His Signature to
Document, According to State.
ment, but When He Has
Not Decided
Especial to The Herald!

ASpeCldl 10 Inc AeralQS
| q ACRAMENTO, Feb. 4.-The senate
IN passed this afternoon the Walker
Otis anti-race track gambling bill
| by a vote Of 33 to and the governor
will sign it, according to statements
already made by him.
| AS to when he would sign the gov
ernor was non-committal this after
| noon. Under the law he must sign
| or veto 1t within ten days after it is
sent to him. He said that he might
! aftlx his signature after considering the
| measure for five minutes or he might
take longer. He has not made up his
mind.
If the governor wishes he may per-
nit the present season at Emeryville
and Arcadia to run their regular
courses.
There was no doubt about the pas
| sage of the measure through the upper
| mouse. In his opening address against
the bill Senator Edward l. Wolfe of
| San francisco, leader of the race track
contingent, said he knew it would be
passed and would receive the signature
/ OF the chief executive. He based his
objections to it on the ground that it
would not prevent gambling on the
| races, but would merely stop racing in
| California, which was unfair to the
men who had their money invested in
the two big tracks.
! The hand books, he declared, would
| be the only interests to profit by the
new law.
None of the proponents of the bill
| spoke, having agreed not to enter into
! the debate. Senators Leavitt and
Hartman were the only opponents of
| the measure who took the floor and
| their speeches were brief.
| Those voting no were Finn. Hare.
Hartman, Leavitt, Rely, Weed and
| Wolfe.
Senate Galleries Packed
The senate galleries were packed at
! 2 o'clock this afternoon in anticipation
Of a debate on the final passage Of the
| Walker-Otls anti-race track gambling
| bill (the Hughes law.
| Senator Edward L. Wolfe Of San
4 francisco, president pro ten, presided.
VI was agreed by the proponents of the
bill there should be no debate on the
part of those favorable to it's passage
Senator Wolfe stated, just before he
| called the house to order, there would
be no attempt to obstruct the smooth
passage of the measure, but it's foes
would make a last stand against it,
| Senator Walker, sponsor for the bill,
| explained it would not prevent horse
racing and would not injure the bust
ness of the state in any degree.
| Senator Henry NJ. Willis of Redlands
was the first to be recognized. He de-
clared he would vote for the bill, after
| denOuncing those who without author
! ity had classed him as race track sen
ator.
Senator Wolfe then called Leroy A.
Wright of San Diego to the chair, and,
| taking the floor, began:
| "The race track bill will pass the
senate. / believe it will be signed by
the governor Believing as do these
things, you may think it strange that
l arise from my seat and speak on the
question.
II am against this bill because it is
unfair. You don't stop the hand books
| by this measure, and if you pass it and
| it becomes law you will stop racing
in California. But they will continue
to race in Canada, Mexico and every
other state where gambling on speed
contests is permitted The hand books
will be all the more patronized. The
people will sneak into the cigar stores
and rear rooms and bet their money
on foreign races.
"Tll venture to say many of the
| senators who will vote against this bill
today go to the races every chance sthey
get. At the running of the Burns
handicap at Emeryville $4,000 people
witnessed the contest. They did not all
bet. They loved to be there-it made
their blood run freer to see that noble
contest.
There should have been a compro-
mise measure here-a bill regulating
racing. This one is unjust because it
confiscates hundreds of thousands of
dollars belonging to some of the best
citizens Of the state.
THE people need no guardian. If
you are going to start legislation of
this kind what about the prize fight,
the stock game, the slot machine, the
saloon? You can't stop with this bill.
You've got to make poker playing and
bridge whist a felony.
81 predict that if you pass the race
track bill and the local option bill the
people will drive the Republican party
out of power in California
Senators Gus Hartman of San Fran
cisco and Frank w. Leavitt of Ala
media followed in opposition to the
measure.
Leavitt made his speech brief stat
ing that Wolfe had outlined hGS%posi-
ton precisely.