Evening star., 1937-03-17
RECONSIDERATION
OF D. c. RACE BILL
AGAIN IS BLOCKED
House Committee AdjournS,
With Fight on Floor
Apparently Due.
UNAVOIDABLE REPORT
COPY is ASKED FOR
Measure to Allow Bowling on
Sunday Wins Approval in
Earlier Consideration.

Supporters of the District horse.
racing bill blocked another attempt
at a meeting of the House District
Committee today to force its recon.
alteration.
Taking advantage of parliamentary
rules, the bills proponents turned
deaf ears to all proposals for further
consideration and the committee ad-
journed, apparently determined tc
fight the growing wave of opposition
on the floor of the House when the
measure is called up March 20.
Discussion of the bill was precipi-
tated by Representative Hull, Pro-
gressive, Of Wisconsin, one of its
bitterest opponents, when he asked
for copy of the unfavorable report
Of the Commissioners. Hull plans
10 embody the statement of the Com
missioners in a minority report he
Is preparing to file with the House.
Report Received Yesterday.
Chairman Norton promised to have
copies Of the report supplied all men,
bers of the committee within a few
days and remarked, incidentally, that
the report was not received from
the Commissioners until yesterday
although the bill was sent to them
January %. In the meantime, she
pointed out, the committee had no
way of knowing whether the Com
missioners opposed or favored the
bill
Representative Kennedy, Democrat.
OF Maryland, one of the bills sup
porters, made the first move to curtail
any further discussion by explaining
the measure had been favorably re-
ported to the House and was not prop
erly before the committee.
Mrs. Norton ruled Kennedy was
correct, but the discussion was simply
"a little by-play.'
Shafer Asks About Rules.
Representative Shafer, Republican,
OF Michigan, another opponent of the
bill then inquired if it would be pos
sible to delay further action until
hearings are held.
Are we working according to the
rules of the House?" asked Repre-
sentative Schultz, Democrat, of In
diana, who is supporting the bill
yes" answered Mrs. Norton.
Then the discussion Of this bill
should STOP" he declared.
Did you follow the rules of the
House when you voted the proxies
several weeks ago?" inquired Shafer.
(The bill was reported out of the COM
mittee by 10-to-8 vote with the use
Of two proxies)
Mrs. Norton emphatically answered:
Absolutely. If the gentleman wants
me to prove it, will gladly do So"
Dirksen Recalls 1884.
Representative Dirksen, Republican,
Of Illinois told the committee it was
difficult for him to understand the
continued discussion of the bill, be-
cause, in 1884, when a similar measure
passed the House, 'only one or two
stories appeared in the newspapers and
there were no editorials about it." He
pointed out, too, that Representative
Jenckes, Democrat, of Indiana,
member of the committee, favored the
bill at that time, but now had lined
up with the opposition.
Next Representative Sacks, Demo-
crat, Of Pennsylvania endeavored fu-
tilely to discuss several amendments he
has proposed to the bill The changes
he recommended are designed to pre-
vent one race track operator from get
ting a monopoly on racing in Wash
1ngton.
Amid several simultaneous motions
tor adjournment Representative
Bates, Republican, of Massachusetts,,
who also is fighting the bill, reminded
Chairman Norton she had promised to
reconsider it if every one of the 81
members of the committee we're pres
ent. She told him her promise had
not been withdrawn.
Effort to Change Report Seen.
Mrs. Norton also declared she had
learned "a great attempt" is being
made to turn the majority report on
the racing bill into a minority report.
Hull asked: who is doing that?"
II think the gentleman knows" Mrs
Norton replied.
Before the controversy over the rae
ing bill, the committee favorably re-
ported a bill to permit bowling on
Sunday between and IL pm. Former
Senator Gore, Democrat, of Oklahoma
appeared in support of the measure
and recited statistics showing the
widespread interest in the sport in
Washington and pointing out the bill
had been approved by the Police De-
partment and the Con issioners.
A bill authorizing the Commission
ers to reinstate David R. Thompson
and Ralph S. Warner to the Police De-
partment and one providing for estab-
lishment of small claims court were
referred to special subcommittee for
consideration.