Evening star., 1934-02-23

The District Federation of Churches
the Kenilworth Citizens Association
the Cavalry Baptist Church and sew
eral speakers in a personal capacity
including Methodist bishop, wert
arrayed against the bill.
The Allied Building Trades Council
and the Benning Citizens Association
we're in favor of it. Henry j. Cum
mings, president of the Laurel Rae
ing Association, appeared to say a
good word in favor of horse racing,
but took no sides for or against the
bill
See Work Creation.
The first speaker was Simon Lane
who brought with him a letter signed
by representatives of the bricklayers
electrical workers, stone cutters, paint
ers and building laborers' unions
They favored the bill as something
which would create work in the Dis
trict. Mr.. Lane said the Allied Build
Ing Trades Council had not held a
meeting on the subject, but he was
certain the bill would be approved
if it met.
Bishop Edwin H. Hughes of the
Methodist Episcopal Church said no
great moral scientist from Plato down
to Newman Smythe had been able 70
approve gambling on moral basis.
The District of Columbia does not
want to sell its soul for dollars" he
said, II hope we will not tie the GEN.
ter of the Government of the United
States to a gambling proposition /
wonder if I am dreaming II the time
has come when the Commonwealth OF
our country and the District of CO.
lumbia are going to tie themselves IL
gambling for the support OF their
people"
Frank E. James, president of the
Benning Citizens Association, said
that at a meeting of that body. with
% to 80 persons present. the bill was
unanimously indorsed.
Commissioner Allen asked lin
whether the legalization Of gambling
here would reduce illegal gambling
Not entirely" was the answer.
Did it reduce 1t In Louisville?"
II don't think So"
Best Element Seen.
James said that in his experience
the element which conducts racing is
of the very best. He said as boy
and youth he spent 10 or IL years In
the employ of August Belmont before
starting to work for the Pennsylvania
Railroad.
II do not think" he said, ''that 10
or II years contaminated me. -.
George E. Sullivan, representing the
Federation of Citizens Associations,
opposed the bill, and reported such
action had been taken by the feder-
alton at its last meeting. He pointed
out race track betting has an appeal
to youth and the criminal class Is
made up primarily of persons under
% years of age.
He said that to admit gambling Is
evil, but to legaliZe it because people
are going to do it anyway is analogous
to admitting that any crime is i'm
moral and yet legalizing crime be-
cause we know people are going to
commit crimes anyway.
Pickett Voices Opposition.
Deets Pickett, speaking for himself
only. said he was raised in the Ken
lucky blue grass country, and knows
racing is a corrupting force, especially
for young men. He said they stopped
racing in Louisville previous to the
panic of 1907 and that was the rea-
son why Louisville was able to meet
its pay rolls during the panic.
I'VE know" he shouted, that cars
pick up people to go to Jimmy's place
and to go to other places where they
can gamble in Maryland. The closer
home you get the race tracks, the
more of this there will be-"
Arthur L. Winn. jr., of the Civic
Committee of the Washington Fed
Grafton of Churches, said $1,000 or
ganized church members in the Dis
trict are against the bill.
Commissioner Hazen asked him If
the church people had held meet
ing. He said they had not. but that
the committee had direct authority to
conduct a crusade against gambling.
He said passage Of the bill would vio-
late the purpose of the present ad-
ministration, which is to coax money
into productive channels.
Commissioner Hazen asked him If
he thought legalized racing had any
effect on the horse-breeding industry.
Possibly in Kentucky" was the
reply
Philip J. Murray, assistant pastor
of the Calvary Baptist Church, said
he represented a constituency Of 1000
to 4,300 people and knew that young
persons who are morally weak will
spend their money on race bets and
then have none left for rent.
What the people want is bread"
he said, land not to let some exploit
the morally weak for their own pur-
poses"
Mrs. Rafter Against Bill.
Mrs. Giles Scott Rafter, member of
several women's organizations and the
only woman present at the hearing
spoke against the bill and so did the
Rev. Charles H. Butler, secretary of
the Lutheran Ministerial Association.
Willard A. Driggers, representing
the Kenilworth Citizens Association,
opposed the bill. saying the Kenil-
worth territory adjoins the Benning
race track site where track probably
would be put if the bill is passed
The Kenilworth citizens want an air
port and not race track on that site,
he said. He said he believed the
aviation fraternity is higher class
of people than the horse racing fra
ternity.
do you believe in air races?" Com
missioner Hazen asked.
They have never been commercial
ized," was the reply.
Henry F. Pringle, speaking as q
citizen and taxpayer. opposed the bill.
Opposes Dog Racing.
Andrew ]. Cummings, president OF
the Laurel Racing Association, said he
appeared at the request Of the Com
missioners to give some information
on racing. AS a preliminary, how
ever, he condemned dog racing as
the lowest form of sport, and con-
fined the rest of his remarks to horse
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