Evening star., 1941-04-08
Jai A|ai Veto
Asked by More
CountyGroups
Trade and Civic
Organizations Join
Fight on Bill

Opposition to the referendum bill
to legalize jai alai in Montgomery
County with pari-mutuel betting
continued to mount today as the
names of several more large county
organizations were added to the
list of those asking Gov. O'Conor to
veto the measure.
merce, the Women's Democratic
Club of Silver Spring, the Citizens
Association of Section 4, Chevy
Chase, and the Hillandale Citizens
Association at meetings last night
went on record against thet bill and
urged members to write Gov. O'Con-
or to veto the proposal to hold a
referendum on the question at the
coming special election for a Rep
resentative for the 9Th Maryland
district.
The resolution adopted by the
Citizens Association of Section 4,
Chevy Chase, demanded the bill be
vetoed without delay 1t de-
clared that for generations citizens
bling in any form" and that the bill
would corrupt the citizens of the
county"
The Hillandale Association, meet
ing in the home of Mrs. r. L. Grant,
voted to oppose the bill and directed
Association President E. B. Smith
to advise Gov. O'Conor of its action.
Speakers opposing the measure re-
ported that it was proposed to erect
the court on New Hampshire avenue
extended near the Hillandale sub
division.
Woman Democrats Oppose Bill.
The Silver Spring Women's DEM
ocratic Club voted to oppose the bill
by a 25-to-7 vote after Mrs Ralph
Wells president of the County
Women's Democratic Club, asked
that no action be taken and re-
minded members that the Demo-
cratic organization had announced
the measure was not party project
and each member would be urged
to vote according to his own opin-
ion on the question.
The resolution was introduced by
Mrs. PGad Morehouse, treasurer.
Meanwhile sponsors of mass
meeting to be held tonight in the
Silver Spring Baptist Church, an
nounced through James Deto, chair
man, that Gov. O'Conor might return
to Annapolis today and would be in
vited to attend the rally to learn the
extent of sentiment opposing the
jai alai bill or to have repre-
sentative in attendance.
"A resolution asking the Governor
10 veto the bill to deny it the dig
nifty" of a referendum will be pre-
sented by Washington I. Cleveland,
president of the Greater Kensington
Civic League. Speakers include o.
Merton Kile, president of the Mont
gomery County Civic Federation;
Stephen Tuhy, jr., president of the
Silver Spring Citizens Association;
Gerald Ryan, president of the Sligo
Park Hills Citizens Association Mo-
torcade Committee: Mrs. Everett
Brown and the Rev. j. Wesley
LOTUS.
The Takoma Park Community
League at meeting last night in the
community center also voted oppo-
sition to the proposed measure and
directed President Walter Prichard
to write Gov. O'Conor asking his
veto.
Mistake in Printed Copies.
During discussion of the bill, at
tention was called by several oppon-
ents to printed copies of the bill cir
culated in the county which con-
tanned the following wording:
"* = The ballot label to be used
on voting machines in all the polling
places in Montgomery County in
the said special election shall con-
tain condensed statement of the
provisions of this act to be thus
voted upon, accompanied by the
words yes" and no" The word
yes" shall be interpreted as mean
ing a vote against this act thus
referred. ="
Officials of the publication which
printed the bill after comparing
tlic "Oldll1S pl llGCO All OllC
ton with the wording of the pro-
posal as introduced in the Legisla-
ture, said line had been dropped
out in reprinting the bill in their
publication and that a correction
would be printed.
The wording of the bill provides
that vote "yes" would be inter-
preted as meaning a vote for the bill
and mo" vote as vote against
the bin, according to official printed
copies of the bill, county legislators
stated.
The Board of Trustees of the Ia
koma Park Library, at its regular
meeting last night, voted to send a
letter to Gov. O'Conor opposing the
5ai alai measure.