Great Falls tribune., 1922-01-23
The Haski,1 Letter . 'Sssss'as sss2a
STRANGLING THE PRESS

THE PRESS
guilty Of sending information through |
Newspaper publishers and the
American Newspaper Publishers as
sociation have been very active IN op-
pointed out by S. +. Thomson, one
of the officers of this organization,
that probably not more than 10 per
cent of the papers included IN the
membership of the association print
racing tips of any kind, and not more
than 20 per cent print racing entries
and the results with betting odds.
Under this law as it is drawn" Mr
Thomason pointed out, "under an au-
tocratic administration of the postof-
flee department, we could no longer
safely print the fact that notorious
!! embezzler had won $50O,000 at La
tonia, that large sums were being wag-
cred on prize fight, or that an ac-
Of Princeton and Harvard had begun
the mails upon which betting odds
could be based, or of sending the ac-
tual odds, could be sent to the peni-
, tentiary for period Of five years. A
strict Interpretation of this would
| work out so that schoolgirl writing
to her parents that she had bet 10
cents on a basketball game could be
imprisoned. Senator Stanley pointed
out this fact to the committee. and
added, 1T may be said that the judges
would not impose such severe penal
ties, but one might be found occasion
ally who had as little sense as the SEN
ate of the United States"
] aF tba oil
ship bill' have pointed out repeatedly
| that the legislature of any state where
racing is permitted could have all the
tracks in the state closed within 10
minutes after the legislature convened,
if it was so desired.
an investigation Of betting on football
games.
First Step In Program.
This is the first step in the pro-
gram of the reformers," Mr.. Thomason
went on. They would be before you
later with some similar argument
about stock gambling"
As a matter of fact, strict interpre-
tation of the law might prevent news.
papers from printing the prices OF
stocks and bonds and the dealings in
them, if the postoffice department
should choose to be severe IN its ad-
ministration of the law. The ridicu-
lous side of the proposed law was
shown by the fact that in some states
to tip q man off on horserace might
incur penalty of five years IN jail,
while being convicted of involuntary
manslaughter'' in killing the same man
would result in only three years IN the
penitentiary: Thus 1t would De De IA. iar
better to kill the man than tell him
oh ha
horse.
f. H. Baker. OF the Cleveland PLAIN
Dealer. told the committee that strict
enforcement of the proposed law would
result in the suppression Of about 10
ner cent of the news printed IN the
papers. "Out in Cleveland people bet
on the weather." he said Shall we
, suppress the weather report"
. w. F. Wiley, prominent newspaper
man of Cincinnati and Washington, dl-
. rectly charged before the committee
that the bill was not really aimed at
racing at all. but was plainly and sim
ply an effort to ,nuzzle the newspapers
. Of the country through the imposition
of government censorship ne
pointed out exactly how the broad Ian
: guage of the bill might work out to
I prevent printing even the results OF
| on-professional athletics.
! The fact that Ohio state university
: beat Michigan at football" he said
"and that Michigan beat Illinois, would
, suggest to gamblers that Ohio state
{ viii beat Illinois. News from baseball
training camps. or of an injury to
ball player, would be useful to gam
: blers.
e Would Bar Market News.
n s.If this bill is passed. and congress
wants to be consistent" he continued
1T would have to forbid publication Of
t stock quotations and bank clearlngs
. for pools are made on them as we'll as
!, on baseball news published in the
j newspapers. What this comes to is al
y attempt to Russianize and destroy The
American press
+ One witness before the committee
). frankly declared that there were mil
3. lion people who bet on horse racing
and that he did not in any way con
+ denim the "eviI of gambling" Thi:
: was Henry ID. Oxnard. president o
q company, and well known hors.
S breeder Said he. Il represent th'
. people who want this racing news, wh'
> like horse racing and betting on hors'
e races. There are a million people likt
myself who want the news the pape
provides us with. | don't want all th'
n JOY taken out of life"
e Canon w. S. Chase, rector Of a,
Episcopal church in Brooklyn, one o
q the defenders of the proposed legisla
: ton, declared that reformers were tn
- authors of liberty in all ages.
''Who was it won liberty for Amer
e ica?" Canon Chase demanded befor
r. the committee.
;. "The American people" Colone
n Mccormick. well known Chicago pub
e Usher, replied:
1T was religious conviction" th
4 canon rejoined.
Ii who freed England from Charlie
:, r. he then demanded.
Cromwell" said Mccormick.
Z "Yes, Cromwell. the Puritan
n "And who," asked Colonel McCor
, mick. dug up Cromwelrs bones afte
IS he was dead? An Episcopalian"
le I was not aware of that the cano
!, admitted.
d Land Bank Accent