Evening star., 1937-04-17
PROMOTERS LOOK
FOX MODEST TILT
$4,000 Increase in Years
Business Would Crafty.
Starts Tomorrow.
BY ROD THOMAS.

BY ROD THOMAS.
TOMORROW, for the first time
in 40 years, the clatter and
bang of the bowling alley,
Il music to some $4,000 residents
OF metropolitan Washington, will
resound legally in the Capital on a
Sunday, the racket lasting from pm.
to midnight.
1t will be the requiem to a statute
born with the measure that closed
saloons on the Sabbath, law of the
vintage of 1897 that held its place in
the District Code even after the eight
eenth amendment outlawed the jam
boree joints.
Ofhand you'd expect the bowlers
and the men who promote the game
to rejoice with unanimity, with an
extra cheer from the promoters, but
no such fine accord exists over the
bowling measure which was signed
last Wednesday by President Roose-
welt.
Excepting very few who religiously
observe the Sabbath, the bowlers are
pleased. They can take their Sunday
duckpinning or leave it. A great
many Of them are downright jubilant,
including particularly a sizable group
who weekly journey to Baltimore,
where Sunday bowling has been law
full for some time.
Benefit Is Exaggerated.
TIE alley owners, nearly all OF
whom Clipped in on fund to
promote the bill, naturally are graft
fed but not as tickled as might appear,
for, contrary to newspaper reports,
the new condition will not accelerate
the flow of coin to the tune of $780,
900 year. Alley owners will be
happy if the new revenue exceeds half
that. 1t is estimated that the entire
take for season of bowling In metro
politan Washington is about s50O,000
The new set-up distinctly is unpopu-
lar with at least one group. Taking
'em by and large, the alley managers
and their staffs don't relish the
thought Of spending Sunday on the
job, even though paid extra.
AS one manager put it: Believe me,
six days week of work in bowling
alley is enough" And he voiced the
feeling Of majority
There is no guarantee that Wash
ington will take to Sunday bowling in
a big way but if it does you can score
a moral as well as a business victory
for Bill Wood, the Lucky Strike chief,
who for years tried to obtain con-
certed action by bowling interests to
have the Sunday law repealed but
without success until a while back
when Wootton Young, president of
the Convention Hall Corp, joined
him with powerful hand to the oar.
Bill Forces Issue.
FIVE or six years ago Wood, In the
knowledge that the old statute was
out OF date, having linked bar rooms
and bowling alleys-in the old days
the alley was an adjunct of the bar
made test case. On Sunday he
opened one Of several places under
his management, was called on the
carpet by John Law and paid a $40
fine. The case was appealed and
while the higher court examined the
matter, Wood remained open on Sun
days, finding it worth while to pay
weekly 20-buck fine, so worth while,
IN fact, that he opened a second plant
On the Sabbath. This one didn't do
80 well-for the time being, anyway
for the reason that the precinct cap
tain in its bailiWick socked him $40
week collateral. When the case
finally was settled, the judge rebated
$40 on each of Bills $40 plasterings.
Helps Intercity Play.
HERES no telling how Sunday
bowling will go in Washing
ton with all the places open," said
Wood today, "but it's been successful
In Baltimore and Silver Spring has
cleaned up. One thing, though, is
certain. 1t will be big help to inter-
city competition. You can look for
lot more big matches with much
more opportunity for people to see
them
Incidentally, it may be the good
old Summertime" coming up for most
OF us, but not your bowling promoter.
From May into September the aver
age duckpin plant is almost as cheer
less as a darkened theater, so quiet
that the noise of an occasional game
Is disturbing. But it may not be
thus always. Enterprising promoters
long have sought means of inducing
duckpin action in hot weather, and
several Of them now are looking into
air-cooling costs. Others are toying
with the thought of closing down dur
ing the Summer to save overhead.
The Recreation, when Bob McKeever
took 1t over, installed cooling sys-
tenn and the Summer business picked
up handsomely.
EPISCOPAL DUAL VICTOR