Evening star., 1938-03-17
NUMBERS BILL DUE
TO GET TO HOUSE
FLOOR MARCH 28.
Measure to Kill Racket Is
Approved in Committee
After a Struggle.
PROMPT PASSAGE
SEEN BY MEMBERS
Favorable Report Follows 3.Day
Hearing and Stormiest of
Recent Sessions.
BY CARTER BROOKE JONES.

BY CARTER BROOKE JONES.
The year-old Senate bill outlawing
the numbers racket in Washington,
headed at last for passage in the
House, is slated to reach the floor on
the next District day, March %.
The measure, sought for years by
every local law-enforcement agency,
was reported out by the House District
Committee yesterday at the stormiest
session in its recent history.
The favorable report followed three
days Of public hearings. during which
the bill was Endorsed by police and
prosecuting officials and by leaders of
church and civic organizations.
Chairman Palmisano, who fought
the committee Endorsement single
handed to the last ditch, indicated to-
day he would not delay its considera-
ton by the House. but would bring 1t
up in the ordinary course.
Opposes Search and Seizure.
The Maryland Representative would
not commit himself on what he will
do when the measure reaches the floor,
but he intimated that he might re-
1inquish his fight on 1t except possibly
to place In the record defense of his
position on the legislation. He has
opposed bitterly the search-and-seizure
section, which, he contends, gives the
police right to raid homes on "ob-
servation warrants" often without
justification, and he may seek to
modify this provision.
Other members of the District Com
mittee were confident the measure
would pass the House promptly. There
is possibility it may be delayed by
the local tax bill, although doubt is
expressed that the committee will
agree on this much-disputed measure
in time for it to be brought up at the
next District day.
A successful fight to have the num-
bers bill reported out yesterday was
led by Representatives Schultz, Demo-
crat, Of Indiana; shafer, Republican,
Of Michigan: Hull, Progressive, of Wis
consin, and Cole. Republican, of New
York. with other members joining In
the demand.
The committee got into a verbal
free-for-all over the measure. The
chairman brought it up on his own
initiative and sustained q point of
order against consideration of the bill
because no quorum was present, but
finally Mr.. Schultz succeeded in mus
tering four additional members, max
ing total of IA out Of the member
ship of 20. A motion to go into
executive session on the bill then was
carried, and the committee quickly ap-
proved 1t by a viva voce vote, with the
chairman's voice the only one heard in
opposition.
Passed by Senate Last Year.
The so-called numbers bill was
passed by the Senate March 10, 1887.
Referred to the House District Com
mittee next day. it rested in the files
of that group until about, six weeks
ago, when Representatives Shafer and
Dirksen, Republican, of Illinois, COM
PEELED Mr.. Palmisano to set it for
hearing.
As reported out by the committee,
the bill contains an amendment by
United States Attorney David A. Pine
designed to reach the hackers Of the
game rather than the players. It
makes possession of the original tickets
handled by those recording and for
warding the bets evidence of setting
up e lottery and punishable by q
maximum of $1,000 fine and three
years imprisonment. This amendment
Will have to 60 to the Senate for con-
currence, but that is regarded as a
mere formality, since no opposition
to the legislation developed in the
Senate.
In seeking the more stringent law.
enforcement officers pointed out that
the old lottery statute, dating back to
the beginning of the century, did not
reach the comparatively new num-
bers racket. It has proved impossible
to make much of q dent in the racket
under the present law, they testified.
With the sharper law, they promised
TO make Washington unhealthy for
1acketeers.