The Washington times., 1922-03-29
HOUSE ACT
MULTI
IN SENATE
Norris Amendment Comes as
Surprise to Reformers.
Game" Believed Safe.

ANNAPOLIS, Md, March 29.-
Horse racing in Maryland unoer
commission regulation is believed to
be safe for at least another two
years, following the action of the
State senate at Annapolis last
night in adopting an amendment
to the anti-racetrack betting meas
ure passed by the house.
The Bill Provides 72 Days.
The bill now goes back to the
House. and In the event thst body
refuses to concur in the Senate ac-
ton. the nnt'Iace track measure
automatically dies.
The amcudrat adopted by the SEN
ate provides ior seventy-two lays
racing ms. cad of 100 days as at pre-
sent; imposes a fee of $4,000 a day
on the tracks and abolishes a State
tax Of Is per cent.
The Norris amendment leaves the
tically intact and makes new provi-
sions for the appointment of road
officials.
This action of the Senate came as
q distinct surprise and shock to
those who have been working at
Annapolis for the Hall bill. They
were confident of at-least fourteen
votes when the session began. Op-
ponents of the measure were not
confident of more than twelve
votes.
Senators Parran. Of Calvert; Mish,
Of Washington. and Mccullough, Of
Garrett. all three of whom were
known to be ION the fence" but
leaning toward the side of the ad.
vocates of the Hall bill. voted for
the Norris amendment. That this
was surprise to the Hall bill ad-
vocates was indicated by the fact
that. just before the vote was taken,
Senator Mccullough was absent
from the chamber.
Senator Byrn, of Dorchester, pilot
Of the Hall bill in the Senate, ask.
ed that the sergeant-at-arms be
sent for Mr.. Mccullough. and VIII
liam Silver, president of the Mary
land Anti-Race Track Gambling AS
ISOLATION, ran from the chamber to
bring Mr.. Mccullough back. Then
Mr.. Mccullough voted to kill the
Hall bill.
President in Debate.
President Norris. for the first
time during the session, left the
rostrum and took the floor for his
bill. which he offered as an amend
ment to the Hall measure. Pre-
pared with a great chart, mounted
on an easel, which he placed in
front Of the Senate. and fortified
by a desk full of law books and a
pile Of records and papers of va
rious sorts, he began a two-hour ex.
pose Of conditions which. he MAIN
tanned would obtain under the Hall
bill.
He told of personal visits paid to
tracks in New York, Louisiana, and
Alabama, where anti-betting laws,
similar to the Hall measure, were In
effect. He told of placing bets on
horses at those tracks and told how
the bets were placed. He produced
81 original bookmakers charts which
he had secured, and which he dis
tributed to members OF the Senate
for examination and study after he
had placed one Of them on the chart.
He read each section of the law
which the Hall law sought to repeal
and argued on the effect of such re-
pealers. He argued that these re-
pealers took out Of the local laws of
the State every statute that men.
toned race tracks, and that every
one of those statutes was a regula-
tory statute, designed to prevent un-
declared that the repealers opened
the way for unlimited and unregu-
lated racing in every county Of the
State and in every section OF Balti-
more city.