The Washington herald., 1918-12-21
Committee on Interstate
Commerce Traffic Does
Not Expect Decision on
Issue This Session.

Race folks who were given the shiv-
ers a few days ago when the Inter-
national Reform Bureau was given a
hearing before the House Interstate
Commerce Committee have nothing to
fear during this present session IL the
words of the wise prove sufficient
The committee of reformers repre-
sented by H. N. PTingle, Canon Will
liam Sheafe Chase and DR.. w. w.
Davis. appeared. before the interstate
body in crusade against pari mutuel
betting in the states of Ken
lucky and Maryland. This hearing
was granted by the Interstate Com
mittee on last Wednesday as two of
Reform Leaguers were compelled to
give up their time to other inyestiga-
ton of illegal vice. Although the
Interstate Commerce Committee held
a lengthy session yesterday there was
no action taken on the bill prohibiting
interstate traffic in news and placing
of bets" The meat packing house
bill took up the entire time OF the
committee.
The ant-racing bill. which is
recommended by the reformers,
means great deal to the racing
game in both Kentucky and Mary
land, where pGri mutuels hold sway.
The Committee was urged by these
reformers TO recommend the passage
of this measure by Congress and If
it becomes a law IL Is said that the
next move will he q fight to have the
mutuels statutes repealed by Ken
lucky and Maryland legislatures.
Should Congress pass such a bill the
newspa pers in other States than those
where racing is legal cannot publish
TN" results ard cn Ties together with
official prices" The transmission of
all racing news in reference to bets
from the tracks where pari mutuels
are in action would be annuled and
the telephone wires to poolrooms and
hand-bOoks operated in the cities ana
towns Of other States would easily be
outcasted and a thing of the past.
This reform measure is not aimed at
betting on tracks in New York State
and Louisiana. where the ''individuai
system" prevails. and it appears that
the Teformers are after the pari mu-
tuels 100 per Centers only
Representative Thetues W. Simms
of Tennessee. who is chairman of the
Interstate Committee. stated yester
day that the bill is on the calendar OF
the committee and will be reporteo
some time in the near future, but in
using his opinion he said: This does
not mean 1t will pass either the House
or the Senate. and at this short ses-
sion ii almost seems impossible, but
Of course. | cannot state how soon IL
will be taken up and what action will
be taken on it."
One of the committeeman who
begged not to be quoted on his
opinion. claimed that the commit
tee would have their hands full in
putting over straight legislation this
session. while others did not believe
it would be given a hearing until
the next Congress.
1t has been known that the re-
formers for the past three years
have been trying to induce the gov
ernment to prevent the handling of
racing information by Uegraph and
telephone companies. The necessary
data must be secured over the wires
and as racing has been placed
among non-essentials. all papers
earring entries and results now OBJ
tain them by outside wire route
from information bureaus known to
the big telegraph and phone COM
panies as common carriers
Sporting men who play the races
all the year around look to be paid
off by the odds quoted by a New
York racing paper. Should this Con-
gressiOnal act become a realization
it would mean a lOcalizing of hand
book making. The fact that Hav-
ana and New Orleans races along
with all New York State meets are
not referred to in the bill now be-
fore the House committee is
taken to mean that the reformers
have picked out the mutuel sys-
tenn of betting for vigorous on
slaught.