Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-01-21

WASHINGTON. Jan. 1S.-The
Congress OF the United States is now
struggling with the question OF 1uf-
Ither reform legislation. This time 1t
is, on the face Of it, designed to MT
at horse racing, but as a matter OIL
TACT probably would prevent news
papers from printing sporting news
of any kind and give one govern
ment a fairly strong hold on n
press of the country.
Professional reform agencies are
actively behind the measure, trying
20 defend it from the attacks which
have come from every side. The bill
now is before a subcommittee Of
the Senate judiciary Committee.
There has been expressed before
Ithe committee not only fear of the
Immediate effect of the legislation,
if it becomes a law, but apprehension
because of the general tendency OF
such legislation. There has been
freely expressed to the committee
holding the hearings the opinion that
the measure is merely a symptom
of the trend of legislation toward
regulating everything in the country
p~aralyzing one business after anoth-
er by putting them into government
al straight-jackets.
Senator Stanley. of Kentucky. n
of the strongest opponents OF the
bill. has this to say about the meas
ure:
when you have placed a ensor-
| ship on the freedom of speech and
the press, you have not merely in
vaded one constitutional right; you
have imperiled them all. Destroy
the freedom of the press, and your
hands are unshackled to destroy the
freedom of conscience, immunity
! from arrest, or any other outrage
or act of tyranny against which the
people are not protected by consti-
tutional guarantees.
This, the senator thinks. is the
worse phase of the legislative itch
| affecting the cuontry.
1t has been pointed out to the
committee that passage of the bill,
unless the President vetoes it, would
impose restrictions on the American
press far more severe than those
imposed on the papers of autocratic
Europe at its worst.
Reaching Effects
The bill would provide that any
one guilty of sending information
I u ob6l lllt itii oBpi "llltii pCN
ting odds could be based, or of send
ing the actual odds. could be sent
to the penitentiary for q period of
five years. A strict Interpretation of
this would work out sc that q school
girl writing to her parents that she
had bet 10 cents on a basketball
eame could be imprisoned. Senator
Stanley pointed out this fact to the
committee, and added 1T may be
said that the judges would not inn
pose such severe penalties but one
might be found occasionally who had
as little sense as the Senate of the
United States"
Opponents of the alleged cen
sorShip bill' have pointed out re-
peatedly that the legislature of any
state where racing Is permitted could
have all the tracks in the state closed
within ten minutes after the legisla-
ture convened, if it was so desired.
Newspaper publishers and the
American Newspaper Publishers
Association have zen very active il
opposition to the measure. 1t ha:
been pointed out by s.. i. Thomson
one of the officers of this organiza'
ton, that probably not more thar II
per cent. of the papers included il
membership or n aSSoclatloi
print racing tips of any kind, and no
more than 20 per cent print racing
entries and the results with betting
odds.
Under this law, as it is drawn,
Mr.. Thomson pointed out "undeI
an a%utocratic administration of tn,
Post Office Department we could M
longer safely print the fact that
notorious embezZler had won $500,
coo at Latonia, that large sums wer'
being wagered or n prize fight o
that on account of large sums bet
the faculties of Princeton and Har
ward had begun an investigation o
betting on football games.
First Step in Program
"Tais is the first step in the pro
gram of the reformers," MI. Thorn
ason went on. ''They would be be
fore you later with some similar ar
: gument about stock gambling
AS a matter of fact, strict inter
probation of the law might proven
newspapers from printing the price
Of stocks and bonds and the dealing
| in them, il the Post Office Depart
lment should choose to be severe l
its administration OF the law. Tn