Evening star., 1938-02-23
PUBLIC HEARING
ION NUMBERS BILL.
SET FOR MARCH 9
House D. c. Committee Acts
With Only Three Mem.
bers Present.
CALL ISSUED FOR ALL
INTERESTED TO ATTEND
Presence of District ATTORNEYS
Representatives, Police and
Editors Is Desired.
BY CARTER BROOKE JONES,

BY CARTER BROOKE JONES,
A public hearing on the numbers"
bill was set today by the House Dis
trict Committee for March 9. The
measure passed the Senate more than
year ago and slumbered in the
House committee until recently, when
several members demanded it be TAX
en- up.
It makes possession of numbers slips
evidence of violation of the lottery
law and provides penitentiary sem
tenceS for racketeers convicted of op-
Grating the game.
Although only of the 20 COM
mittee members were present, Chair.
man Palmisano, who opposes the leg
islation, agreed to hold the hearing
on the date suggested by Representa-
tive Dirksen, Republican, of Illinois.
who insisted the bill be disposed of at
an early date.
Last Meeting Recalled.
Mr.. Palmisano recalled that on the
last regular committee day, week
ago, there was only one member be-
side himself present and there was not
quorum today.
1T seemed that those who wanted
the bill brought up lost interest in it."
the chairman remarked.
He added that he though Washing
ton newspaper editors who as so in
terested in smashing the numbers
racket should attend the hearing.
1t was decided to make the numbers
bill special order at the committee
meeting two weeks hence. Represent
atives Of the district attorneys office,
police officials and others will be in
vited.
Little's Presence Desired.
Capt. Little should be here" MIR.
Palmisano said, referring to George
M. Little, head of the vice squad, with
whom the chairman clashed several
years ago during a discussion Of the
numbers racket before a special COM
mittee investigating crime
The third committee member pres
ent when the hearing was agreed to
was Representative Bigelov, Democrat,
of Ohio. Representative Short, Re
publican, of Missouri was present at
1890 a. m, the hour set for the meet
ing, waited for some IS minutes for
the meeting to start, and then was
called away.
The committee secretary was in
formed that four members were out
OF town and 10 were attending other
committee meetings.
Lockers Full of Slips.
Meanwhile, it was learned Capt.
Little has had whole lockers full of
numbers slips in raids and from stray
runners and overhauled automobiles.
Now and then they get so thick that
he has to clean house, sweeping out
raft of these tickets. He saves some.
however, in the hope that they may
serve useful purpose.
He could if the House District Com
mittee desired. exhibit tableful at the
hearings on the pending numbers bill.
AS the law now stands. Capt. Little
explains, the tickets are not of much
use. though their purpose is unmis-
taxable.
Slips Alone Not Evidence.
The police can raid a numbers
headquarters and find 10000 OF these
lottery slips-this has been done-but
the courts have held that these alone
are not evidence that the District
lottery statute has been violated.
To convict numbers operator YOU
have to offer convincing proof that
he personally has sold chances on
numbers or else has received marked
money and identified slips bought by
a detective gathering evidence. Other
wise, though he may be surrounded
by tickets, adding machines, busheI
baskets full Of dollar bills and small
change and all the other parapher-
MALTA of numbers business, he'll get
out Of it.
Supt. Browns Views.
In urging the proposed law, which
makes possession of these slips evi-
dence of conducting lottery, Capt.
Little, Supt. Ernest w. Brown and
other police and prosecuting officials
explain that nobody but a person in
the racket would have hundreds or
thousands Of these tickets.