Evening star., 1939-06-20
Churches Fight Turf
Referendum Backed
ByMayor Hague
Women's Clubs, Business
Men Oppose Sanction
For Tracks in Stute
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
NEWARK, N. j., June 20.-A A.
year-old prohibition, denounced by
Mayor Frank Hague of Jersey City
as curtailment of civil rights, went
on the block in New Jersey today in
referendum to decide whether
pari-mutuel betting on horse races
shall be legalized
Opposing the proposed State con-
stitutional amendment is the Rev.
Dr. Lester H. Clee. Newark Presby-
terian clergyman and former Re-
publican State Senator, who has
forecast dishonest balloting in Hud-
son County. Democratic stronghold
of Hague, national vice chairman of
his party.
Battling Hague through long
campaign, Clee repeatedly has urged
discounting of Hague's contention
that legalized horse race gambling
will bring the State an annual rey-
enue of S5.000000 and has an
nounced a ''topheavy" vote in Hud-
son will result in recount
Women's Clubs Fight Racing.
Hague's primary and only con-
Germ" Clee says, sis to secure for
himself complete control of new
and profitable legalized gambling
industry"
The Jersey City Mayor has de-
clared prohibition of race track bet
ting curtails the freedom of New
Jerseys citizens, causing them to
stink through back alleys and back
rooms to bet. Passage of the amend
ment, he says, will bring gambling
out into the light under lawful reg
ulations.
Many church congregations, wom-
ems clubs and the State Chamber
of Commerce have rallied to Clee's
side. Other clergymen, some labor
organizations and various resort ho-
tel men have rallied to Hague's.
The State Chamber reported
6-month survey of other States
which permit legalized pari-mutuel
betting at horse races showed that
New Jersey could not hope to COL
lect more than 100000 annually
from race track industry.
No Meet Likely This Year.
Passage of the amendment to-
day--in the voting from II noon
to 8 p.m.-would not, however. per-
nit the immediate establishment of
race tracks.
The vote will not be official until
July II, when the Board of Can
vaSsers meet. In the event of pas
sage, Gov. A. Harry Moore then
would have to issue a proclamation
declaring the amendment part of
the State constitution; then the
Legislature would have to meet to
set up the machinery for regulating
the tracks, and the tracks would
have to be built.
1t is unlikely that there would be
any actual racing before next spring
Proponents of the measure expect
three tracks will be authorized, one
in Bergen County. one in Atlantic
and one in Monmouth, site of the
once-famous Monmouth Park track
where the fashionable East used to
gather as it now does at Saratoga.
Light Vote Expected.
If the amendment is defeated, it
will be five years before it can be
submitted again and would have
to 60 through two successive Legis-
latures before reaching the voters
in a referendI,n,
The present measure was intro
duced by Assemblywoman Theresa
K. Maloney, dark-haired Hudson
County Democrat, and was passed
by the 1887 and 1888 Legislatures.
Despite the oratorical fury it has
caused, a comparatively light vote
was expected today. perhaps half
a million. Clee has arranged for
700 church bells to toll for 10 min
utes every hour that the polls are
open to bring about "a crushing de-
feat"