Nogales international., 1935-02-26
Why Not LegoIize Human Desire To Gamble!

w nv IVOG EGgUssZC gUNstss OSSsse y Os''''O'~
t.Whv moi legaIiZe human desire to gamble is tn
,eadng appearing over an editorial in recent lssu
IF Arizona Fax, published in Phoenix.
Tho editorial reads in part as follows
aThe question has many angles and finding
of the right answer will be perplexlng.
"Take for instance the punch and tip boards;
They cost the drug stores, cigar stands oars anu
other establishments that operate lhehi Oh an e''0
erage of IS cents apiece
erTwo men handle al that are purchased IN
Phoenix 1.' $ a.
"An ;nvestlcation has shown that between
00o and 800 are sold in Phoenix each week.
This means the two Galesnanagers who have the
monopoly upon them do gross business ranging
from 81 500 and $2,25O per week.
Generating Of the punch and tip boards pro-
vide no extra employment III PhoenlX. 1ney ar are
merely sidelines in the places Wnere they are uo
played and operated ana pfoVlce goUu intbo tn,',
For two men who personally sell and deliver thell
to the merchants.
CON the other hand, an establishment where
,-o,.o,ss +Incs of card games are played is able
to furnish employment to from TWO 70 d uoZeA
mon who otherwise would not be working
"Fyerv card table requires dealer. Men
r1e,7ino cards want drink now and then and 1t
takes walters to serve them.
e.c,1rvevs have shown that the average place
where card games might be played Wouid employ
a minimum Of 10 persons
"Slot machines and marble machines provloe
little or no employment for Phoenix men. ouen
onnaratls are Installed and then all that IS re-
ni1;rnd is that from time to time the collector
comes around, turns the lock and gathers up the
coins deposited III the machine.
"Again, in so far as the punch and tip boards
are concerned, they are played largely by school
children and youths Of both sex just out OF schoo
"Manv states are following the lead of Ne
vado and New York III legaliZing and licensing
certain types Of gambling. 1t is the modern trend
to recognize facts that stare one in the face and 1t
is generally acknowledged that the human deSlre
to gamble will not be thwarted.
"This being true, it is reasoned that so long
IS gambling is to go On anyway, 1t should nave d
measure Of regulation with license fees going in
the public treasury.
"Playing of the stock market gambling past
ime and avocation Of thousands Of Americans, has
recently been put under strict regulations that
call for stiff penalties for those who cheat.
"The Arizona legislature would be wise to
set up the machinery for legalizing and regulat.
ing certain if not all ma jor forms of this one Of
the Oldest of human vices
"All that the legislature could do would be
to set up the machinery, i'll that the present state
law prohibiting gambling was approved by vote
Of the people
Fax could go ahead and declare that gambling
rampant throughout Arizona, not only i'll Phoeni
If legalzed it might, from payment of license fec
have tendency to reduce the tax rate.
If gambling the worst of all vices, is to contin1
there should be laws passed legalizing it, If it can
stopped it should be but we have our doubts that
can ever be stopped. 1t is human nature to gamb
life itself is gamble.
Janitors are doing their bit in aid Of the fire-p
yentiOn movement.