Evening star., 1934-06-15
CITIZENS. APPEAL
TO:SENATE TOK|LL.
HORSE ERAc|NGB|LL
Federation: Insists on Rec.
:. ord Vote if Measure
Is Considered.
TRACK GAMBLING SEEN
DETRlMEAT TO CITY
Committee Adds Amendments
Giving Commissioners More
Control Over Sport.

As advocates Of the District horse
racing bill awaited an opportunity to-
day to have II taken up in the Senate
George z. Sullivan, representing the
Federation of Citizens Associations
sent q new appeal to members Of the
Senate. urging them not to allow the
measure to pass
Calling attention to the fact the
District Commissioners have opposed
the bill and the federation has on
three occasions protested against its
passage. Sullivan urged rnemberes OF
the Senate to refuse to take. the bill
up by unanimous consent, and to in
sist on record vote II the bill should
be- considered. .-'t.'
For mere than q quarter OF a CEN
tury, since 1908, this community has
been and Is now protected by law from,
this evil" sullivan wrote. why with
draw this protection and foster ant
encourage, the gambling spirit at this
time? Why not. take active steps in
stead to vigorously enforce all laws
against gambling? Obviously, If oul
national legislators should favor Oh
eountensnce gambling in any form
the laws against gambling generally
will lose al respect since they deal
with form merely, and not substance
"Ne Public Demand"
After declaring there Is no public
demand for the bill here, Sullivan's
letter continued:
The demand for this race horse
gambling bill comes from the State oi
New York and certain race horse peo-
pie there assure US that they Intend
to establish here O model race track
worthy of the Nations Capital and
with legalized gambling as the essen
tial and outstanding feature. Thi.
kind OF interest In our community !,
not appreciated. The State of New
York would do well to keep within it.
own borders its model gambling ract
track and allow the Nations Capita
to continue to be o model worthy oi
copy elsewhere as to being protected
By law from. the evil OF gambling
Those who would recommend, as ar
additional recovery measure, that w
should gamble ourselves back to pros.
perity' are sadly unmindful Of the les
sons Of history. Instead Of unempioy-
met1t distress being relieved. the mum.
Der of wrecked lives incapable of any
employment and requiring public aic
and suppor Is vastly increased"
Takes Money Away.
Sullivan also argued that q race
track invariably takes away money
from any community.
The favorable report Of the District
Committee on the bill, filed late yes.
terday by Senator Reynolds. Demo.
crat, of North Carolina, shows tbs
committee made q series Of amend.
ments to give the Commissioner
wider power to regulate any rae,
tracks that, may be established. Tht
House bill allowed them to reject ar
application but said nothing about
revoking licenses. for cause.
The Senate committee added thii
power. Another amendment require!
rules to govern the accountings fol
gate receipts, on which the District
would get.a 10 per cent tax Another
amendment allows the Commissioner
to fix the amount and control ths
and to have full regulatory powel
over jockeys and all other ot1iciall
and attendants at the race track
Another amendment provides fol
penalties of fine or imprisonment fol
persons convicted of violation of pro.
visions Of the bill or any Of the regu.
lations of the Commissioners. Tht
bill has passed the House, but If ths
Senate adopts 1t. 1t will have to &C
back to the House for, consideration
of these amendments.
The Washington Federation o
Churches is opposed to the bill. VII.
bur La Roe. jr., chairman Of the
federation's Civic Affairs Committee
announced today, pointing out thai
lack of congressional representation
handicapped District residents ir
such matters. >. - -ts
His statement follows:
"Our federation is very much op.
posed to- the. bill and regrets the at
titude of certain members Of Con
gress. The actual situation at tn
present time is that legislation aimet
at improving moral conditions in th'
District Of Columbia has hard TIM
to get through either house, but i
some one proposes q racing bill or any.
thing else Of that kind which viii
make conditions worse here, ever
though the District Commissioners ar
opposed to it, its chances Of gettini
through are excellent.
= 1T Is condition and not, a >theor,
that confronts, US. We are handicap
ped by having no. representation II
Congress, but we are not going to stol
fighting just for that reason. We shal
continue, to argue that washington
should set q high standard for tn,
Nation in the matter Of liquor control
clean motion pictures, absence o
gambling; etc. The fact that certain
members Of Congress seem to have lit
tie interest in these matters consti
tutes an additional reason. for O Wig
orous championing Of what we know
to be right