The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1911-07-11
ABApCONS BOOKMAKINC BILL
BIT GITTINS INSISTS THAT or
FICIALS BE EXEMPT
From Arrest for Gambling Done without
Their knowledge senator says He
Ia MisunderstO0d and IT'S Too Late
TO Set Folks night This Session.

ALP.NY. July 10 81 Early in the session
Senator Gittins introduced two bills. one
defining bookmaking as the receiving OF
wagers from all comers and the other pro-
viding that the directors and officers Of
racing associations should not be liable
for gambling on the tracks unless they had
knowledge OF the same. Tonight Sen
ator Gittins announced that he would
abandon this proposed legislation, except
the provision generating the directors
and officers. and he attempted to amend
one OF his bills TO that end.
This attempt resulted in a par iiamentary
wrangle. participated in by Senator Fiero
who was in the chair. and Senators New
comb. Brackett. Hinman. Gittins and
| Wagner. which evolved the conclusion
that Senator Gittinss attempt to amend
his bill was not made in the proper order
OF business.
Previously Senator Gittins had intro
duced a new bill to accomplish the pur-
pose sought by his amendment aud whe |
Majority Leade. Wagner pointed ont Ia
him tnat he could advance his bill intro
duced tonight as speedily as his pro-
posed amendment, Senator Gittins aban-
doned his attempt to amend his old bill
Senator Gittins said tonight
The directors liability bit, as intro.
duced carries two amen dments TO the
existing statute known "a the gambling
house act We're both amendments made
the act would he restored To the exact
form in which it existed up to 1910. The
effect OF this act had been TO make Grim.
,nc l,ck L.. -
house, which was broadly described AZ
any tent. tenement. booth. building, foal
or vessel. 80 that by no construction
could any one keep such a dive or an,
part thereof, to he used for gambling
and escape erin nal liability.
The Gittins bill. now pending. does moi
repeal or affect the Hart -Agnew law Of
1908. nor does it legalize or permit ga;nb
bling in any place. A few of the pro
fessional bookmakers, against which thu
Hart Agnew law was aimed died hard ant
covertly attempted TO do business at tn,
races. hut the great evil Of public gambling
Was practically destroyed and eliminated
| by the 1908 law. and | am satisfied that tn,
small remnant which survived woulc
have soon died a natural death as th'
ticket scalpers eventually died under tn,
operation Of the law against their business
Most OF the criticism against my bill
has been based upon misundersta nding
assiduously cultivated. that my bill re
peals the Hart-Agnew law and permits
open air gambling while the law forbid
gambling in the regular gambling houses
so skilfully has this ito,
been implanted into the hearts and mind
Of good and misguided clergymen anc
others Throughout tho State that fee
called upon in the closing days Of the ses
sion to abandon. for the present at least
the amendment which proposes to TAXI
out of the statute the words or any othe
enclosure or place and thus ie1ve thu
keepers Of hotels. clubs. &c, within th'
operation of the gambling house law il
order 10 strip the bill of everything eX
cept the to be amendment which inserts
those words before the words used TO
gambling and makes conviction i'm
possible without proof of guilty knowledg'
or intention on the part OF the accused.
1t IL now so late in tho session thai !
have decided to strip the bill Of everything
except the bare question as 10 wh"the
this Legislature is willing to stand for tn
proposition that any man may be i'm
prisoned without fault on his part, s.
blue law never before has been en-
grated upon our statutes