Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-07-20
Rep. Knu+son
Adopts Plan
For Lottery
Will Ask u. S. TO Raise
Service Relief Funds
BY DAMON RUNYON

if it comes into existence, go to
the relief of the families of the
service men.
He informs me that he intends
introducing a new bill in the
House of Representatives to that
effect. 1t will replace his II. r.
6587 which provides for the lot
terry "as a means of raising ad-
ditional revenue for defraying
war expenditures and of financ-
ing increased federal grants for
old-age assistance after the ter
mination of the present unlimited
national emergency"
In this revised form. l think
Mr.. Knutsons bill will have a
better chance of being accepted
by Congress than the original
draft. At a time when the hat
is being passed among civilians
to raise money for the distressed
dependents of our fighting men,
and without adequate result, l
do not see why there should
be any hostility to a plan that
promises to take care of the en-
tire situation.
With all the benefits and coll
lections that have been taking
place in the country fer army
and navy relief purposes, the
total sum that will. be realized
will not exceed a few millions of
dollars which is wholly insult
ficient to meet the emergency.
The federal lottery would pro-
duce, at the lowest estimate,
$250.000,000 per year. This would
not only cover the relief required
but would leave something over
for other contingencies.
MY IDEA of the lottery is that
1'A il should continue only dur
ing the period of war and per-
haps year afterwards 10 gather
up the loose ends, but should
the experiment prove a success
it might possibly be carried on
longer to take care Of old-age
assistance. Howev l am
chiefly interested in the problem
of the moment which is getting
the money for the families of the
service men.
I think il was J. Edgar
Hoover, the able chief Of the
FBI, who estimated some years
ago that the American public
gambled more than So, 000, 900. 900
per year one way and another
and while l thought at the time
that the figure was a little high.
/ am now commencing TO think
il was quite conservative.
In the past few months 1 have
received evidence that indicates
that lottery alone is practiced in
various forms throughout the
country TO an extent that must
involve millions and millions of
dollars.
T'HESE forms include the
Il Club" drawings for cash
prizes that have enormous vogue
in San Francisco and other large
cities, and in the numbers rack
cts of the East and Middle West
and the Boleta Of the South.
/ learn. somewhat TO my as
constituent. that the Club"
drawings are deemed quite le-
Ultimate in some places though
they are undeniably lottery and
certainly they have the gambling
aspect that some persons con-
tend is the Objectionable feature
of a federal lottery
Most of my readers will rec
ogniZe this objection as a phase
of that hypocrisy that is always
prevalent in the United States
on questions TO which the argu-
ment of public morals can be
applied in some manner.
l have no doubt that members
of churches which tolerate
Bingo or who participate in
those movie theater drawings
for prizes would be hostile TO
federal lottery. although there
is no essential difference be-
tween that and their own forms
of demonstrating
besides the savings men,
- toned. we have the legalized
pari-mutuels gambling on horse
racing in which both state and
federal governments figure 10
some extent as partners. They
take their taxes out of the jack
pot and. in the case of the state
governments, exercise consider
able supervision over this meth
cd of realizing on the gaming
instinct of the public.
My train of thought may be
somewhat peculiar, but / think
it the height of hypocrisy for
any oneto object TO the idea of
federal lottery while saying
nothing about the gambling on
horse racing. If not indeed en-
couraging il TO the extent of
attendance and participation.
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