Evening star., 1947-11-30
Trick k'Wordinq
On Slot Machine
Ballot |sFeared
Enemies See Voters
In St. Mays MisIed
By License Fee
(First of a Series.)
By Alex R. Preston
Stor Stoff CORRESPONDENT

Almost every one in st. Marys
County knows there will be a ref
erendum on slot machines Decem-
ber 9, but those who are fighting
against the devices fear many per-
sons will be tricked into voting to
make them legal.
What they have in mind is the
fact that the ballot does not ask
outright whether a person is for OF
against slot machines. Instead
voters will place a mark in a box
either after For the License Fee
or Against the License Fee"
A vote for the first question is, in
effect, vote for slot machines and
a vote for the second question would
keep them in an illegal status.
Furthermore, opponents believe a
threat of more taxes unless the
county gets the machines and a
promise of lower taxes if they are
legalized, are high-pressure tactics
by the Board of County Commits
sioners to force the vote one way.
The commissioners point to a
nearly doubled population with its
consequent financial demands and
say that license and tax fees on ma
chimes will yield 100000 annually
To Be First Test by Ballot.
State Senator Paul j. Bailey, Re-
publican, of st. Mary's, who spon-
sored the referendum bill at the spe-
cial session of the General Assembly
earlier this month, contends, how
ever, that fears of misunderstand-
ings and charges of trickery are
groundless. A synopsis" which will
consist of almost the complete word
ing of the short bill, will appear on
the ballot above the questions, he
says
If slot machines are approved
that action, in itself. will not make
them legal here. 1t would, however
give authority to the county COM
missioners to adopt a resolution tt
make the machines legal and the
commissioners are actively urging
approval of them as a revenue meas
ure.
Nowhere In the State crimina,
code are slot machines mentioned by
name, attorneys say but the courts
have held the devices violate gam
bling statutes.
The one exception to this is Anne
Arundel County where the State
Capitol IS located and where ma
chimes were authorized outright
during the Governship of Herbert
r. O'Conor.
st. Marys County, therefore, will
be the first in the State where the
slot machine issue will be settled by
ballot
Civic Association Leads Opposition.
The group that has led opposi-
ton to slot machines here is the
st. Marys County Civic Association.
1t was organized in January when
a Leonardtown Methodist minister
the Rev. George D. Naylor, called
a public meeting in the courthouse
with three main objectives: better
law enforcement, improved schools
and more recreational facilities.
Slot machines entered the picture
as tie-in with the drive for law
enforcement and better recreation
than that provided by taverns where
young people gather.
Mr.. Naylor says he declined to
serve as chairman because he did
not want the group to be too closely
associated in the public mind with
church movement William E
Tobin, editor of the ST. Marys News
was named chairman but because OF
his Illness, one of the vice chairmen
r. H. Pembroke, farmer and former
railroad engineer, serves as chair
man.
The civic association, which has
400 members, contends the unin-
formed voter who is opposed to slot
machines might easily vote for the
license fee in the belief that he
was adding a financial burden to
the operators.
Senator Bailey declares, ANY per-
son who can read and who can
vote will be able to understand
what he is voting on"
He says the reason a few words
had to be dropped from the bill
to be reproduced on the ballot is to
meet the legal requirement of
printing 1t as synopsis or summary
History of Situation Traced.
The last regular session of the
General Assembly adopted legisla-
ton prepared by commission
headed by Judge Joseph Sherbow
In which the counties were granted
certain additional taxing powers.
In May, the st. Marys County Board
of Commissioners voted five per
cent gross receipts tax on slot
machines.
About the same time Judges VIII
liam M. Loker, Charles C. Marbury
and John B. Gray, jr., OF the Seventh
Judicial Circuit, began charging
grand juries of this and surround
ing counties to investigate gambling
When the st. Marys County jury
failed to act, Judge Loker castigated
it and refused to dismiss the men,
bers. They were recalled in June.
Twenty-three persons were. in
dicted here and most slot machines
disappeared for a while but some
are still operated openly.
When this new revenue source was
removed because of the jury's action,
Senator Bailey offered his bill at
the special session. 1t applies to
all coin operated machines" and
is sufficiently broad to include pin
ball, candy and chewing gum vend-
ing equipment. although these were
not contemplated.
The December 8 referendum date
Is specifically provided in the law
and for this reason the matter
would be killed If voters turn the
proposal down.
Tax Plus License Fee Permitted.
On the other hand, adoption OF
the referendum question would
empower the commissioners to
designate which types of machines
would be legal. In addition to the
gross receipts levy, the commits
sioners could impose license fee OF
not more than $50 on each device
The civic association criticizes
this feature of the hill particl1larlv