Evening star., 1934-03-14
BLACK RACING BILL
WINS APPROVAL IN
HOUSE COMMITTEE
Amendment Adopted to Gre.
ate Commission of Three
Members.
LOCALIZED WAGERING
ON DOGS is REJECTED
Proponents of Measure Estimate
District Would Get Half Mil
lion Taxes a Year.

The House District Committee to-
day ordered favorable report on the
Black bill to legalize horse racing in
the District.
The committee. however, adopted
several amendments to the original
bill. One would relieve the District
Commissioners of the duties of regu-
lating racing and place the super
vision in a racing commission of three
members. The other would eliminate
a provision in the original bill to
leealize dog racing.
Action was taken at the conclusion
of a public hearing. at which oppo-
nents and proponents of the bill
alternately attacked and indorsed
legalized racing.
The proponents of the bill were led
by Arthur Clarendon Smith, repre-
senting the Federation of Business
Mems Associations, and the Central
Bl s!ness Mems Association. He de-
clared legalzed racing would attract
many visitors to Washingtond and aid
business generally
we have legalized horse racing in
Maryland" he said, why not have
it in the District?"
Would Provide Work.
James E. Colliflower, president of
the Merchants and Manufacturers
Association. told the committee the
Board of Governors of his Organ1-
zation had unanimously indorsed the
bill. He said estimates had shown
legalized racing would add approx
imately S500,000 a year to the reve-
nue. of the District and provide work
for labor through the construction OF
a track and grandstand which would
cost about $750000.
Racing is legalized in 20 States, in
cluding nearby Maryland, oscar B.
Roberts, representing the Center Mar
ket dealers, declared He also pointed
out that the finest people in the
United States go to the races, these
including the vice president. clergy
men and members of Congress.
"If races were crooked" he declared.
"these fine people would not attend"
Racket Curb Seen.
The opinion was expressed by A. j.
Shipe, an attorney, who Endorsed the
bill, that legalized racing would go
long way to end the present illegal
bookmaking racket in the District.
Shipe also suggested the creation of
a racing commission to supervise the
sport and the committee later adopted
his recommendation.
John F. Costello, chairman of the
Democratic National Committee for
the District, also spoke in favor of
the bill. He said he had lived in the
District for 63 years and remembered
the days when legalized racing
f1ourished at the old Benning race
track. At that time. he declared, the
finest people in the United States
attended these races, including the
President.
Costello said he thought the legal
ization of racing would help to re-
duce the tax rate in the District, in
addition to aiding labor and attract
ing thousands of visitors to the city.
s535.0OO Taxes Seen.
Leviah David, representing the
Benning Citizens Association, intro
duced as exhibits reports from a
number of States where racing is
legalized, showing the revenues de-
rived by those States from racing. He
estimated the legalization of racing
in the District would produce in reve-
nue. for the municipal government
total of about S535, 900 year. He said
his estimates showed about $40 900 900
would be bet on the races in the Dis
trict each year.
David also called the committees
attention to newspaper account
which quoted Commissioner Melvin
C. Hazen as favoring the legalization
of races in Virginia but opposing 1t
in the District.
The group of witnesses opposing the
bill was headed by Arthur l. Winn,
jr., of the Civic Committee of the
Federation of Churches of the Dis
trict At the very outset of his testi-
mony Winn defended Hazen and said
the Commissioner did not let his per-
sonal feelings govern his attitude with
respect to the citizens of the District.
Winn described racing as an in
stitution to encourage gambling"
Federation Fights Bill.
He declared that the Washington
Federation of Churches was unalterably
opposed to the bill, and pointed out
that the residents of Kenilworth,
through their citizens association, had
already pleaded with the District
Commissioners to oppose the bill. He
cited the fact that Kenilworth is the
community adjoining Benning where
the races probably would be held.
Others who opposed the bill in
cluded Rev. Thomas E. Boode, pastor
of the Temple Baptist Church; Rev.
Augustus T. Murray, pastor of the
Society of Friends; Rev. Henry N.
Pringle of the International Reform
Federation; Thomas L. Gammell, of
the Lincoln Park Citizens Associa-
ton, and Rev. William S. Chase.
DR.. Pringle branded horse-racing
and other forms of gambling as a
vice. At this point Representative
Black, Democrat, of New York, author
of the BILL said:
You'd feel different about it If you
had ever put over a winning parlay."
DR.. Chase told the committee that
as ministers of Cod they should
place on the statute books for the
District what you think God would
like for you to do"
Corporation Counsel William w.
Bride, who has resigned effective to-
morrow, made his final appearance
before the committee and thanked
the members for the consideration
that had been shown him during his
tenure of Office.
In reply. Representative Weideman
of Michigan said: "The committee
aGaets MIR. Bride in . Like manner"