The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1933-07-21
WHO PAYS FOR RACE TRACK
GAMBLING?

Under the new scheme for local self gov
eminent in the promotion Of race track
gambling in North Carolina, re suppose 1T
is none of Henderson county business as
to what goes on in Polk county. However,
we know that if race track is established
in Polk county it is going to be patronlzed
by Henderson county people; and this
county has that much direct interest in the
proposition. Therefore, it is of interest to
some people, at least, in Henderson county,
to find a well-informed correspondent of
The Polk County News, a gentleman who
evidently knows what he is talking about,
discussing the Polk county problem in the
columns of that newspaper. The News cor
respondent, Mr.. Bernard Sharp, answers
the arguments advanced by Mr.. Charles
j. Lynch, one of the Tryon leaders in race
track promotion. Some paragraphs from
Mr.. Sharp's long communication are as
follows:
ITO return to the trace track suppose that it
would be out of keeping with the times to mention
the moral issues involved but should like to make
few remarks, anyway. Mr.. Lynch did not discuss
this feature but l wonder how many people who
voted for the track recognized the fact that all the
money to be received by the county would be
money that somebody had gambled away? The en-
tire cost of the track and the buildings the profit
of the management and the support of all the tOuts
and hangers-on must be paid from money that
somebody has lost. Everybody who is familiar with
raee-track betting of even the most virtuous type
knows that the real losers are the two dollar
pikers the little suckers who play the long shots
The heavy players, such as Mr. Lynch hopes to
bring to TryOn, make big noise but the real money
comes out of the little clerks etc, who sneak off
for day and play the races, in the great Ameri-
can hope of getting something for nothing They
usually lose, and lose money that they need for
other purposes, but they pay the boys who live off
the ponies. There are several hundred thousands
Of people within motoring distance Of our proposed
gold mine most of them salaried and wage-earn-
ing employees or small farmers; these will pay for
the game. So when the people of the county find
their tax burdens lifted by contributions from the
race track they will also find that the money has
mostly been paid by themselves, their sons and
daughters and their neighbors from nearby coun-
ties. And, under the proposed arrangement, for
every ten cents received by the county, ninety cents
will be gone away from here-and definitely gone.
'Mr. Lynch looks forward with pleasure to the
coming of the delightful ladies and gentlemen who
will come to play the races and become so capti-
waited by our charms that they will remain to
spend money but there is another class that will
come along also. These are the professionals who
operate the tracks and follow racing for liveli-
hood. They are mostly plain and fancy gamblers
who are out for the money and without great con-
Germ as to method If Tryon and the county are
visited for six weeks twice year by these experts
and their followers it must be expected that our
young people will make some new contracts and
learn some new habits. Whether these new ways
are good ways is largely matter of opinion de.
pending upon the ideals of the persons who con.
slider them. Mr. Lynch and his associates appar
emily suspect evil or it may be that they hope
the money return to be sufficient to pay for any
moral damage that may result. No doubt they
mean to surround their enterprise with every pos
sible safeguard but they cannot make betting or
horse races into other than gambling, and gambling
with professionals on side and amateurs or
the other The moral and other implications seen
to be plain"
Mr.. Sharp is correct in saying that the
money to support race tracks and make
them profitable for race track owners anG
big shot gamblers comes out of the pocket:
of the masses, the 1.-TWO dollar pikers, the
little suckers" If racing is established il
Polk county, Henderson county will furnish