Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1940-12-05
Racket VS.. License

Racket VS.. License
During the past several weeks we
have seen many news reports in the
daily papers and considerable COM
ment in the press on the operation of
slot machines and other gambling
devices in Scott county. Having fol-
lowed the press reports, including
statements by officials of the Mime
sofa Law Enforcement League, the
local public officials in Scott county,
the Grand Jury, and statements of
convicted lawbreakerS, the reader is
sure to draw the conclusion that
there is widespread law violation and
racketeering. All of which leads to
the conclusion that the laws on the
statute books should be observed or
repealed. Wherever there is wide
spread gambling, contrary to the law
of the state, one can be sure that it
is accompanied by racketeering and
that gamblers are paying hush money.
Why anyone should care to play
slot machines that are made to pro-
duce huge revenue to the proprie-
tor, or the owner of the machine, the
syndicate which operates machines
in many places, is a conundrum to
people who indulge only in games in
which there is fair and equal chance
to all. The slot machine is some
times called one arm bandit. Never
theless it seems that some people en-
JOY taking a chance with machines
that take their money.
Gambling devices are much like
prohibition 1t is not difficult to
enact a law declaring it illegal, but
it is quite another matter to enforce
the law when there is desire on the
part of many to indulge in drinking
and gambling. To do away with it
is much more matter of education
than placing laws on the statute
books.
So long as slot machines and other
gambling devices are in operation,
contrary to law, we can rest assured
that there will be payoffs, hush
money, racketeering, and corruption
of public officials. Those vices in
themselves are much worse than the
actual participation in operation of
the machines. If they are here to
stay and cannot be wiped out through
law, would it not be better that slot
machines were properly licensed by
the state or municipality in which
located? That would produce some
revenue to the state and eliminate
the damnable racketeering VIII C h
sometimes results in unsolved MUIR
ders.
Those who are in on the racket
are naturally doing their best to dis
credit the work of the Minnesota Law
Enforcement league, but the fact re-
mains that had it not been for the
work of the league, there would like
ly have been no stir and no arrests
in Scott county.
If the business of slot machines and
other gambling devices flourish in
a certain county, one can be reasona-
bly, sure that local officials, such as
the county attorney and sheriff, are
in on the game, or overlooking it.
At any rate, under existing laws, they
are not fulfilling their duties. The
present governor of our state should
be very familiar with that situation,
having been county attorney of Da-
kota county when the slot machine
business was running wide open. It
is hardly to be expected that the
Law Enforcement league or any other
citizens can look to Governor StasSen
for sympathy or cooperation in their
endeavors to clean up on the illegal
business.
And now comes the report that
Senator Elmer E. Adams of Fergus
Falls, will introduce bill in the
1941 session of the Minnesota Legis-
lature, which will have for its pur-
pose the licensing of slot machines
and other gambling devices by the
state. According to press reports,
under his bill, the slot machines will
be set to give bigger returns to those
who play them. It is proposed to
have the machines return rs cents on
the dollar. What the machines and
the racketeers now take is something
of a guess, but according to those
in the know, it exceeds so per cent.
How the slot machine syndicate
through their lobbyists will fight the
proposed legislation! They will pre-
tend to be opposed to vice and gam
bling, but like the doubling Red Rid
ing Hood, some one might ask: Why
are your fingers so long? They will
likely be the ones to enlist the sup
port of well meaning church people
and even organize their protests
against the bill.
Senator Adams has served for many