Evening star., 1938-03-28
D. c. RACING BILL
REVENUE CITED
LegaIized Track Would
Raise Money for City,
House Group Told.

Iegalized horse racing would benefit
business in Warrington, add about
100000 . year to the revenue Of the
municipal government, and end budget
deficits in the future, proponents Of
the Sacks racing bill today told the
Fiscal Affairs Subcommittee Of the
House District Committee.
Led by Malcolm s. McConihe. chair
man of the Democratic National Com
mittee for the District, the bills SUPP
porters promised its enactment would
result In the construction o. one Of
the best racing plants in the country
and that it would be owned end
operated largely by residents of WASH
tngton
I'VE will make this an outstanding
track" declared Mr.. McConihe. 1T
will be free of suspicion or any funny
business some times associated with
racing"
Mr.. McConihe also declared that
Walter O'Hara, one-tine operator of
the now closed Narragansett track in
Rhode Island, who was interested In
establishing q racing plant IN WASH
tngton several years ago. has no In
terest whatever in the present project.
Sportsmen Are Named.
Names of number of prominent
sportsmen were mentioned by Mr..
McConihe as being interested in es-
tablishing a racing plant here. He
also declared he had interviewed Z
number of District officials who IA
vored the project. These included
Commissioners Melvin G. Hasen and
George E. Allen, Police Supt. Ernest
w. Brown, United States Attorney
David A. Pine and his immediate
predecessor, Leslie c. Garnett.
w. c. Murphy, an attorney, told
the subcommittee the Central Labor
Union had Endorsed the bill, and cited
statistics showing the amount Of work
that would be provided for residents
Of the District in building and op-
erang racing plant, as well as the
revenue 1t would produce for the
District.
Based on q daily mutuel play Of
$350,000, Mr.. Murphy said. the mu-
nicipal government should net re-
turn of more than 100000 for
54-day racing season. His figures
included l per cent Of the take" .
$4,000 daily license fee, taxes, etc.
Mr.. Murphy also laid stress on An
argument that racing would not At
tract an undesirable element to Wash
ington, and cited police statistics to
show there was less crime here In the
three years Immediately preceding the
abolition of racing in 1911 than after.
ward.
Racing" he declared, did not
create crime"
Deplores Money Leaving d. C.
John Paul Jones, representing the
District Federation of Business Mems
Associations and the Georgetown Bus
iness Mems Association, said both
these organizations favored legalized
horse racing in Washington.
1T seems a shame to U.S." he said,
that 30 much money leaves the Dis
trict to be played at the tracks in
Maryland, West Virginia and Della
ware
Mr.. Jones also said he believed the
average person in the District favored
legalized racing here, and pointed out
that Washington is the only world
capital that does not have its own
race course.
Il don't care how long people live,"
he said, they're going to get pleas
ure out of the sport Of kings. and they
will go where they can find it."
Representative Dirksen, Republic
can, Of Illinois, questioned Mr.. Nc
Conihe closely about whether an Or
ganization had been set up to build q
track. Mr.. McConihe said no corpo-
ration had been formed.
Asked why Mr.. O'Hara or any one
else couldn't come in under the pro-
posed law, the witness replied he and
Mr.. Murphy held an option on the
old Benning race track, "the only fes-
1ble site" and others had agreed to
help finance the project.
Tells Of Stock Offer.
Mr.. McConihe said he had been ap-
preached by one man who wanted to
take 100000 worth OF stock.
Il told him he couldn't have that
much" Mr.. McConihe added. Il don't |
think any one person should have too
much stock"
He said Mrs. John Hay Whitney and
Mrs. Dodge Sloane had indicated they
wanted to serve on the board of direc-
tors and to back the track financially. |
DR.. Arthur Hooe, q physician, said
he favored legalizing racing because
It would help to regulate gambling in |
the District.
He added there was Q tripod Of |
activities, three factors in human
nature. which no amount of legislation |
could possibly wipe out-the tratf1c in
liquor. sex and gambling.
you gentlemen can place Scotland
Yard in control Of Washington" DR..
Hooe said, but it wouldn't make any
difference. You can't legislate morals
into people,"
DR.. Hooe said since gambling could
not be eradicated, it should be regu-
lated.
"Legalize gambling in the District"
he added, "and you'll convert q lia-
bility into an asset
The racing bill also was indorsed by
Mrs. Margaret Hopkins Worreu, rep
resenting the Columbia Heights Citi-
1ens' Association; Frank E. James,
president Of the Benning Citizens As
sociation. and Miss Eta Taggart, presi-
dent Of the Washingtonians, whose
membership. she said, Is composed Of
q group of intellectual men and women.
1T would be to the best interests
and to the welfare Of the District
to legalize racing" declared Miss Tag-
CERT. It's mere camoudage not to
have racing here when you would
.