Evening star., 1932-10-23
OFFICIALS LIKELY
| TO SHELVE APPEAL
FoRLEGAL BETTING
GIassford Report Requests
O. K. for Some Form
of Gambling.
SAYS FEW SPEAKEASIES
ARE OPERATED HERE
Three Major Invasions Of City
During Year Reviewed-Dry
Act Arrests Gain.


tendent Of police was not expected to
receive any serious consideration by
the District Commissioners. to whom
the report was made.
Police Commissioner Herbert B.
Crosby is an arch foe of gambling
who resigned last week, will not be In
a position to press for the new de-
parture.
Glassford's point was that since 1t
was proper to bet on race at any Of
the ne.ghboring race tracks, 1t seemed
unreas enable to make the same act a
crime because it took place in the Dis
trict of Columbia. He suggested that
some forms of gambling" should be
allowed under licensed supervision.
Bonus Riot Not Mentioned.
Since the report covered the fiscal
year which ended June 80, it car
ried no mention of the bonus riot on
July 20. which made Glassford a ma
tional figure and started the train of
events which led to his resignation. 1t
compliments the individual officers on
their handling Of the bonus marchers
for a period Of two months"
I'll ehC eoHiDiAh6 pioPooAtioiis tuc Ic-
port says:
1T is inevitable that where there is
demand there will be supply. The
great number of illicit gambling estab-
lishments constantly springing up in the
District indicates unquestionably that
there is a large demand in this city fo-
an opportunity to participate in gam
bling, particularly in horse race bet
ting.
With q number Of race tracks in
the immediate vicinity of this city,
where bets under the pari-mutuel sys-
tenn can be made, 1t seems unreasonable
that this form OF gambling should be
prohibited within the District of Co.
lumbia. Legal restrictions. far from
eliminating gambling, result in un-
licensed and uncontrolled gambling es-
tablishments under newly developed
systems which are practically immune
from police interference.
1T Is urgently recommended that the
gambling laws of the District be modi-
fed to legitimatize certain forms Of
gambling under license requirements
and police supervision"
Bonus March Reviewed.
On the three major invasions of
"A national hunger march brought to
the city some 1900 Communists and
agitators in December, 1881. The sane
and efficient manner in which this
emergency was handled by the Police
Force brought universal commenda-
ton; likewise, the police arrangements
q few weeks later in coping with the
invasion of Father Cox's Army some
$500 strong
More important still was the concen-
tration in Washington Of thousands of
destitute World War veterans, beginning
late in May, 1882, and reaching at its
peak total of more than 10000, exer-
cising their right to petition Congress
for the immediate payment of the
bonus The police force supervised the
feeding. shelter, sanitary and medical
requirements of this army of veterans,
and. despite the desperate efforts to
incite trouble by some Of the principal
Communist leaders of the country,
maintained order, protected life and
property, and prevented any crime, dis
order or demonstration of serious conse-
quence for period of two months.
During this trying era the individual
patience, discretion, good judgment, and
accepted cheerfully the necessity Of
many hours of extra service"
Although complaining of the large
number of gambling places, Glassford
reports very few speakeasies in the
capital.
Prohibition Situation.
Violation of the prohibition laws in
the District of Columbia" he wrote, ''is
confined principally to transportation,
the principal consumption being in
private residences. Unlike many other
cities, there are but a few speakeasies
or other esta blishments where liquor
may be purchased. The greatest inroads
against the traffic in intoxicants has
been secured through placing great
difficulties in the way OF its transpor-
tation. In this endeavor there has been
the closest cooperation between the
prohibition bureau and the small squad
of six men selected from the personnel
of this department"
The report refers in several places
to the extreme youth OF the of1enders
with whom the police are nowadays
called upon to deal. In one place 1t
says: "A disturbing fact is the youth,
and responsibility OF an
increasing percentage of the criminals
brought into custody. An increasing
effort is being made to counteract this
trend by an organized plan to seek and
eradicate the influences which are
serving as school for the CRIMINALS OF
our next generation"
Again. in speaking Of the Crime Pre-
vention Bureau, it says: 1T includes
a Juvenile department, which has been
Organized to augment the efforts OF
the Woman's Bureau and the Board
of Public Welfare in decreasing the
development OF criminal tenoencles
among school children, young men and
young women. The Importance OF this
branch of the police and welfare serv-
ice is attested by the fact that star
ting proportion of those arrested for
crimes and misdemeanors are minors.
OF the 3,755 arrested for felonies. more
than a per cent were under 81 years
of age. Especially high Is the per-
centaee In arrests for HOUSEKEEPING.
petty larceny and unauthorized use OF
automobiles"
Recommendations Renewed.
Five recommendations, made many
times before, were renewed in the re-
port. They called for special appropri-
alton for enforcing liquor and gambling
laws. requirement of license by Super
intendent Of Police for dance halls and
public dances, payment Of street rail-
way crossing officers out Of public funds,
regulation Of the business Of executing
criminal bonds and legislation permit
ting pawn shops to operate in the Dis
trict.
The statistical portion Of the report
shows a jump in the number Of arrests
from 81, 4Ol In 1881 to 100,774 in 1882,
despite decrease in the arrests Tor
felcnies from 3,803 in 1891 to 3,755.