The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-01-19
lParis Cor. New York Tmesl

paris Cor. New York T1mes)
To such an extent has gambling
spread in. Paris and the French pro-
vincial resorts frequented by Amer
has decided to take up the matter
and divert some of the millions thus
suuandered into the national treas
ury.
At a single club. scarcely a step
from the Place de Opera. 1t is stated
during the year just ended no less
than 500. 900. 900 was risked on h
turn of the cards at baccarat, and
there are nearly a dozen places In
the city where nearly as much is stalk
ed annually.
vorce which is now pending between
Baroness Vaughan. the morganatic
wife of the late king of the Belgians
and her second husband. 1t Is said
hat when her friends told the bar
oness that her. husband was for of
baccarat h replied:
Let him play a million. it won't
matter"
At. the end Of a very brief period,
to it as her losses at the card table
are said to have reached 100000 in
a single day and to have threatened
to swallow up the fortune left her by
King Leopold. the actual amount of
which has never been revealed.
At the club. favored by several mag
notes and American 1nanciers, the play
was so high and continuous last sum
mer that the staff of croupiers. CASH
Gers and inspectors of tables could not
take heir annual vacations.
l. An idea Of he enormous amount of
money gambled away in France is Civ
en- by the figures of the "cagnotte"
receipts revealed this week. 1t has
started the chamber and the public,
authority as tho Vicomte Yves de
Kerguezec. the Breton deputy who is
introducing a bill to tax gambling. In
baccsrat a percentage of the stakes
goes into the cagnotte at the beginning
Of each bank and Is entirely APP
propriated by the management.
At Enghlen. near Paris. the casinos
during 1sll-$ss4.2oo-do not repre-
sent the total receipts. Members Of
the club r served with a dinner on
which. no expense is spared to provide
the most exquisite food. prepared by
one OF the finest chefs in the world.
The charge for this is 81. a minute
fraction Of the actual cost and $780,
Of the cagnotte receipts to pay for the
cost of dinners. practically given away.
More money now changes hands an.
nually at Enghlen than at Monte Car
lor.
Most Of. the big clubs Of Paris are
limited companies. each with its own
president and board Of directors. but
It il q matter of common knowledge
that a ring Of capitalists backs most
Of them. A little club in the Chausee
d'Antin over q bakers shop has been
known to make $500. 900 IN an ordi-
nary year from the cagnotte and there
are Of course, other sources Of reve-
nue. for such clubs as the Capucines
and the Loeskirme which are consid-
cred as good az gold mines.
The; chamber Of deputies and the
minister of finance are convinced that
since gambling has now risen to such.
q remarkable height, there must be
some means for. the treasury to win
out for, although the government at
present collects q high tax on playing
cards and other gambling accessories,
1t takes no. share as yet Of the gross
receipts Of the cagnotte Of either bac-
carat or ecarte. s- 80.
This It 10 now possible to do on a
progressive scale and the receipts will
be applied to the alienation Of mis-
cry. Thus. while still running them
selves, gamblers will. at least Indirect
~, beneht s~nufferers in hospitals. for
instance. instead OF further enrichine
already wealthy capitalists. The tax
alton which the new. bill proposes. IL.