Evening star., 1941-04-06
Lee Defends
Jai AIai Plan as
Protests Mount
Hundreds of Letters
And TeIeqrums Pile
Up on O'Conor's Desk

In the face of mounting oppo-
eition, E. Brooke Lee, chief sponsor
of the proposed referendum on jai
slai betting in Montgomery County
last night defended the plan to sub
NIT the issue to the voters.
Hundreds of letters and kilograms
from persons and groups opposing
the measure are piling up on Gov,
O'Conor's desk while he is away on
a short vacation, the Associated
Press reported from Annapolis.
There have been more protests
against this particular bill than
against all the others combined
said Augustus J. Bourbon, secretary
to the Governor.
Latest Montgomery County de-
velopment in the fight to have the
bill vetoed was an announcement OF
a mass meeting to be held Tuesday
at pm. in the Silver Spring Baptist
Church, 822 Wayne avenue, to for
mulate plans for concerted protest
James M. Deto of Silver Spring,
a leader in the movement against
the referendum, said he had asked
a number of clergymen to announce
the meeting from their pulpitS
today.
Church Groups Fight 1t.
Several influential church groups
In Montgomery County and the
District of Columbia have urged the
Governor to veto the bill and more
are expected to act today.
The Rev. Dr. J. Hillman Hollister,
pastor of the Chevy Chase Presby-
teriar Church, yesterday announced
that the Womens Guild and the
Missionary Society of that church
had unanimously requested Gov.
O'Conor to veto the bill.
Claiming many civic groups in
the Silver Spring area are demand
ing that the measure be denied the
dignity of a referendum" Mr.. Deto
said speakers invited to the mass
meeting Tuesday include O. M. Kile,
president of the Montgomery Coun-
ty Civic Federation; Stephen Tuhy,
president of the Silver Spring Citi-
zens' Association, and Gerald Ryan.
president of the Sligo Park Citizens
Association.
The Montgomery County Fedora
ton of Parent Teacher Associations
will discuss the effect of revenue
from the bill on the association s
request for school buildings Tuesday
at pm. in the Rockville High
School. F. Hunter Creech, presi-
dent of the group, said it was his
opinion residents of the county were
opposed to additional gambling but
not to a referendum on the pro-
posal.
Lees Statement.
In a formal statement, Mr.. Lee.
who guided the bill through the
Legislature, said:
I'VE continue to believe that the
voters of Montgomery County are
competent and entitled to settle by
their direct vote the question of
whether or not they want their
county to receive each year an
amount estimated as equal to about
a quarter of all the real estate taxes
paid to the county in 1889 from the
gate receipts and percentage of
pari-mutuel betting on jai alai which
the vote, if affirmative, would legal
ize.
Those who are demanding a veto
instead of an election appear to
have little confidence in the intelli-
gence and fiber of the people of the
county.
such a direct vote is the essence
OF home rule.
There will further be no party
designation on the yes or no choice
appearing on the ballot.
Belongs to Citizens"
This is so markedly basic prob
lem belonging to the citizens and
taxpayers to determine how and by
whom a large part of the cost of
government in Montgomery County
is to be paid, that we will oppose in
the County Congress any move to
put the Democratic Party of the
county in the referendum election
as a political party and will ask that
all party workers and voters answer
the question and vote thereon as
individuals.
There is a considerable demand
for additional school buildings and
more school teachers salaries, more
road construction and better road
maintenance in the county.
THE Democratic county admin
istration is opposed to further
county bond issues, but voted to
build about 100000 of new schools
a year on a pay y-as-you-go basis
as approved by the County Con-
gress in February, and the .1941
Legislature considerably increased
the road maintenance fund.
The countrywide Parent Teach
ers' Association has recommended
81 100000 in new school buildings
as needed for 1941 and 1912, while
the county administration has pro-
vided 100000 for new schools for
that period.
Estimated New Revenues.
'If larger expenditures than those
already provided for schools and
roads are really needed new source
of revenue or higher taxes are re-
quired.
THE Legislature, in the last
several days of the session has re-
ferred to the direct vote of the
people of the county the acceptance
or refusal of large source of new
revenue. For example, this estimated
new revenue approximately equals
the interest on the present bonded
debt of the county. This is primarily
a taxpayers and citizens problem
and the Legislature has placed the
decision with the voters.
ITO have refused to allow the
people to vote upon this oppor-
tunity would, in my opinion, have
been merely political timidity."
When the measure was before
the General Assembly, Mr.. Lee sale