Evening star., 1935-03-19
Subcommittee Head SAYS
Bill Passed in Senate
Will Be Favored.
TIGHTENING OF GAMING
REGULATIONS HELD NEED
Members Favor Stop-Gap to Crime
Pending Outcome of In
vestigation.
BY WILL p. KENNEDY.

Legislation to strengthen the exist
ing laws relating to gambling in the
District, designed especially to wipe
out the numbers racket" is definitely
promised by members of the Crime
Investigating Subcommittee of which
Representative Jennings Randolph OF
West Virginia is chairman. The
members of the subcommittee are Civ
ing intensive study to this phase of
law enforcement, it was said today
The Senate passed this bill on
January 10 as emergency Iegisla-
ton" and it has since been slumber-
ing in a subcommittee of the House
District Committee of which Repre-
sentative Vincent Palmisano of Mary
land is chairman. Mr.. Palmisano has
announced repeatedly that he has no
intention of giving this measure any
consideration until after the Crime
Investigating Subcommittee has COM
pleted its study and made a report
However. Chairman Randolph say
that this measure will get early con-
sideration and he expects it to b.
passed as urgently needed legisla
ton.
Favor StOp-Gap Action.
Some members of his committee, h
said, are in favor of reporting this
bill Immediately as a stop-gap meas
ure to correct known evil. The
situation in regard to gambling is
particularly fagrant, he points out,
and his committee may decide to
act upon this clearly defined phase
OF crime while awaiting a general
| remedial program.
Il personally feel that there should
| be a Tightening of the gambling
laws" said Mr.. Randolph.
/ Representative Chauncey w. Rec
Of Illinois, a Republican member Of
the crime subcommittee, who has had
/ extensive experience in prosecution of
/ criminal ofenses and knows all the
quirks of legal entanglements which
delay justice and getting convictions.
declared positively that the first thing
/ the subcommittee does will be to
tighten the law so as to put the num-
bers racket out of business.
| To meet the situation confronting
the officials charged with enforcing the
District laws. particularly in the mat
| ter of proof, the pending bill provides
that possession Of tickets, slips, etc.,
issued in gambling transactions, shall
be prima facie evidence of purpose or
intent Of carrying on gambling trans
actions. 1t also declares that posses
sion Of gambling paraphernalia shall
be prina facie evidence of the use
thereof for gambling purposes and Of
permitting, inducing, betting or play
ing on the part of the owner, lessee or
occupant of any house or other place
where the paraphernalia is found.
$4,000 Gross Daily.
The evidence before the committee
! shows that in the numbers racket"
! known to be f1ourishing in the Ma
| tional Capital the principals carrying
on the game realize about $4,000 a
day through their operations, on
amounts played which range from /
to so cents. The chances of winning
are in 600. The pending bill carries
language designed to bring the mum
berS racket" directly within the pro-
visions of law-naming numbers"
specifically in three sections.
Provisions granting a broader basis
for search and seizure warrants are
also carried in the bill and have the
support of majority of the member
ship of the crime subcommittee. Rep
resentative Reed is personally inter-
ested in having these safeguards
written into law.
The pending bill has the support of
the United States district attorney,
the District Commissioners, the COR
poration counsel, the Police Depart
ment, the Police Court and the Wash
ington Federation of Churches.