Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1909-01-29
RACE TRACK MAN
ATTACKS MINISTERS
President OF New California
Jockey Club Startled Legis-
latorS at Sacramento.
HE ADVOCATED GAMBLING.
Said That without 10 Racing Would
Ccasc-Nu-t Have Element
or Chance.

Sacramento Cal. Jan. 2>.-The senat.
public morals committee decided u OK.
ccutive session late tonight to report
back to the senate without amendment
tomorrow the Walkcr-Ous ant-rac,
track bin. with the recommendation
that 60 do mot pass.
Thomas Ii. williams. president of che
Now california Jockey club, which
operates the race track at Emcryvllle,
in addressing the committee on public
morals tonight startled the assembled
legislators and the auditors who crowd
cd the galleries of the senate chamber
by declaring that in the last Is years
moro crimes had been committed I'm the
United states and Canada by minis
tors OF the gospel than by any other
class. As he spoke he waved paper
bound book
II have the record here" ho cried.
ssrhero are 1900 of them and they
have committed crimes OF every de-
scripton. including murder and train
robbery"
iarauon Williams anger had been
aroused by several questions put by
advocate OF the bill in dispute who
asked him what ho had TO say In re-
gard 20 the criminal influences OF
the race track"
Among the quostioners was Arthur
Let's. Los Angeles millionaire mer-
chant and president of the Anti-Race
Track Gambling league Of southern
California
'Would you be- in this business 81
81 were not for the profits Ia it?' asked
Let's.
That's none Of your business" re-
piled Williams.
Senator Leavitt a member Of the
committee interrupted proceedings az
this point with "a motion TO adjourn
but Chairman Weed gave Senator
Hartman the floor
II am for racing" said Hartman
III this is 10 be- my political death
knell. toll your bells. J don't want 10
como here any more"
The speech Of Williams occupied half
an hour In part he said;
Without gambling, racing viii cease.
chance amy more than the real estate
on any other business. il Is the love Of
gain that supports every business. II
YOU curb that you ruin the trade OF the
world If you stop the race track you
viii have prohibition the next trip and
the Sunday rest law the next trip. and
80 ON ad lib.
"Are we going TO say that England.
Russia Germany, France and other
great nations know nothing? They
have decided that racing was one OF
the greatest features of their national
lifc-I mean the Improvement Of the
breed OF thoroughbreds
CLOSE the race tracks In California
and tomorrow you win increase the
number Of pool rooms and handbooks.
That has been the case in Chicago and
New York and many other cities where
gambling Is prohibited You can't con-
troll gambling IN Canada and you can't
stop the Telegraph wires"
Senator Leavitt Interrupted 10 ask
regarding the operation OF the Hughes
law In New York Williams handed
Leavitt the affidavit Of n citizen Of
New York 10 the effect that there were
over 400 handbooks there and many
more bucketshops than ever before.
Williams then continued
1 wish 10 make an announcement
here IN public ABOUT a gentleman who
has declared he Is against race track
gambling. Rudolph Spreckels has stat
ed that he favors restricted gambling
m he thinks he can get along without
gambling, ! am willing 20 give him
one OF my tracks I defy him 90 re-
strict gambling any more than I have
done ana am doing