Evening star., 1944-10-31
Betting Commissioner
Says Polls Dispute
Odds on Roosevelt
BY JUSTIN L. FLAHERTy.

ST. LOUIS, Oct. Sit would TAKE
only about 100000 to control the
betting odds on the presidential race
II any one wanted to control them
in the opinion of James j. Jimmy
Carroll, st. Louis betting commits
sioner, who is the country's leading
bet-taker in the present election.
Its positively fact that II some
one were to put up large sum OF
money-say around $500, 000-Dewey
could be made the betting favorite
In this campaign Carroll declares
The betting commissioners odds
are merely the reflection of the bet
tors hopes. II the 100000 were
placed on Gov. Dewey at the present
odds. Carroll would have to lay it
off on President Roosevelt. And, to
attract sufficient bets to do this, he
would have to make Gov Dewey
Immediately as much a favorite-
and probably slightly better-as
Roosevelt has been.
No Indication of Trend.
1t would not indicate any trend by
the voters, Carroll points out. 1t
would merely represent the sudden
desire--it could be planned manip-
ulation--to plunge on one of the
candidates.
But, Jimmy hurries to point out,
he feels sure" that there has been
no such manipulation in keeping the
odds on the President rather steadily
at az to 31a to ! since the national
conventions. The money that has
kept these odds so high, he does
admit, though, has come from pro
fessional" sources and in large blocks.
Carroll does not back either can
didate, himself. Long associated
with top men IN the Democratic
party here, his personal feelings, it
is known, run to that side of the
political fence. But when it comes
to his business, he Is strictly
middle man, laying off the money
he gets on one candidate as quickly
as he can on the other. There has
been q steady supply of money from
these professional" sources, so
Jimmy has been forced to offer at
tractive odds against Gov. Dewey
to get these bets stabilized on his
books.
Personally, Jimmy can't see how
In the world the odds remain as
high as they do on Roosevelt.
Every indication he points out,
SIS that the election will be as close
as horse race"
And Jimmy Carroll knows all
there is to be known about horse
racing.
Sees Close Election.
"All the polls certainly indicate
q close election he observes, And
they've been pretty accurate gauge
for some years now-with the excep-
ton Of the Literary Digest poll in
1886"
Jimmy remembers that one well.
His book was wrecked by the Roose-
velt landslide in that year. Carroll
was confident that Roosevelt would
be reelected and had his slate on
the election, nationally, we'll cleared
up. But, he hadn been so fortu-
nate IN putting out the money on
the individual States. When every
State except Maine and Vermont
went for Roosevelt, Carroll was
badly hooked.
The odds might be little tighter
Carroll believes, If Gov. Dewey were
as personally popular as was Wen
oell Willkie four years ago.
THE money that's coming out
now" he says, ''is seither pro- -Roose-
velt or anti-Roosevelt. There Just
isn't much Dewey money at ALL"
The commissioner can't see any
psychological benefit that would
come from rigging the odds on the
election.
The issues ought to be clear-cut
enough SO that people will have de-
,ided by now whom they want" he
said. Il just can't see where it
would do either party any good to
,ry to influence the odds. 1t would
'e funny world if we were to let
he betting odds determine our Sc
ection of President.
STILL" he admits, I'm confused
because these odds certainly are not
n accord with all the best available
POLITICAL polls"