The Churchill county standard. (Fallon, Nev.) 1908-1920, 1915-03-31
GOVERNOR BOYLE SIGNS BILLS
Gambling For the Next Two
Years.

Governor Boyle today signed the
Arnold gambling bill and vetoed the
Arnold boxing bill. Both measures
were held until the end of the after
noon, shortly before the governor
route to San Francisco and San
Diego.
The governor gave out written
statement with his reasons for sign
ing the gambling bill and he made
a statement of his reasons for veto
ing the boxing bill, from which a
summary is presented.
Permits 10-Round Contests
The boxing bill which was vetoed
throws the state back to 10 round
boxing contests, as before, only the
provision for revenue from licenses
TO the state was struck out in the
revenue law II is stated upon good
authority, that there is nothing to
prevent county commissioners from
levying a license for l0-round bouts
these being still permitted by law
As to the boxing bill, the COVER
nor said it was an attempt to legis-
late for 20-round prize fights, where
as the present law permitted but 10
round contests. The 10-round act,
he said, did not offer particular. in
dneements, but the 20-round act, in
sieW of the fact that nearly every
other state had banned such fights
because of the general "rottenness'
Of the sport, would operate to make
Nevada q sort of Mecca for prize
lighters. The governor said the state
could get along without such lights
and lie saw no public demand for the
new law. lie is convinced, he aid,
that the legislature had no ,ood
ground for assuming that such
legislation was the viii of the
people.
VIII Enforce New Law.
On the gambling bill the governor
expressed belief that it would be
better for the state than the one
now on the books, which, he said,
was not enforced. He promised that
this one would be enforced.
Governor Boyle's statement that
lis administration will compel the
enforcement of the Arnold gambling
law is at least interesting. in max
ing this statement one must reckon
I'LL B0DAAN ORiAiOif QCcDlLt
everything said and done is eminent
ly fair when put to the acid test
There are few il any who would con-
viet saloonman for taking a fair
OF the transactions of a
poker game conducted within his
place of business even if the law de-
nies this right. for plainly, no one
can be expected to pay overhead ex-
penses, furnish tables and cards and
room for players and do these things
without compensation. If a saloon
man or gambling house keeper has
the right to maintain gambling on
his premises under the terms of a
state statute, he is entitled to a COM
pensation for the privilege.
The statement on the gambling
bill follows:
My approval of senate bill No.
S4 is certainly not based ON a per-
sonal feeling that gambling is ad-
to Nevada or any other
state. but it comes after an investi-
cation of conditions which leads me
to believe that the public sentiment
against the playing of the five card
games permitted under the act, is
not strong enough to make the law
OF 1903, as amended in 1913, en-
forceable. Cards are being played
for money in every county in this
state today and were played openly
and notoriously under Governor Cd
dies administration. which, in the
light of his well known opposition
TO gambling in any fol m leaves no
other conclusion than that the law
could not be enforced by him.
Moreover, in at least one county in
the state there has been feloniously
conducted for a year or so, regular
percentage gambling from which the
community derived a revenue in the
form OF fines-a thinly disguised
authorization of a criminal practice.
THE bill just signed tightens up
on tho banking games and slot ma
chimes and will, hope, permit the
state to close this-the most obnox-
ious form of gambling-effectua
and permanently. AS far as card
playing is concerned, no one who
takes the trouble to investigate can
question that it is going on every
where under vicious auspices and
that IL was practically impossible to
secure convictions of offenders un-
der the old law.
THE public must not content it
self with merely getting laws on the
statutes, it must back up their en-
forcement and until it is prepared
to do this, the operation of these
laws which will not be seen enforced
should be suspended. A few more
years of card gambling in the open
may serve to further educate the
public to sense of its real duty in
the premises. The state can be de-
pended upon to fully enforce the law
as it now stands"
W. hauo s,tet rAnotu1I thn Cn,t,c