Evening star., 1947-11-23
|St.karysBoard
|0f Slot Machines
Civic Association
MobiIizes Voters
In Opposition
By J. l. MichoeI
speeiol s,or corrs,oesdsn.


LEONARDTOWN, Md, Nov. az
The st. Marys County Board Of
Commissioners today oficially en-
dorsed operation of slot machines
and urged voters to legalise the
devices in a county referendum.
Declaring st. Marys is in serious
financial condition" the Board in
a statement, termed approval of a
legalizing the machines "of vital
to every taxpayer In
the county"
The statement was signed BY
Board President Matthew r. Bailey,
and by j. Frank Raley, and Frank
Bailey, the boards two other mem
bers.
IT 1t is approved" the statement
said. we pledge you q substantial
reduction in taxation. If it fails,
owners are faced with a
further increase in the tax rate"
The county's present tax rate Is
sl.50 on each 500 assessed valua-
tion.
Self Interest Charged.
This announcement by the COM
came after officers Of the
400-member st. Marys County Civic
Association had charged at a meet
ing at Great Mills that each of
the county commissioners was per
sonally interested in slot machines"
and that gambling interests were
ready to spend huge sums" to win
approval of the contrivances.
The Civic Association has actively
opposed slot machines since it was
organized a year ago by the Rev.
George D. Naylor, Leonardtown
Methodist pastor.
Many taverns and roadhouses.
closed since score of gambling in
dlctments were returned against
slot machine operators in June,
have been re-opened in the last
week. Mr., Naylor declared after the
Great Mills meeting.
Lights are on again." he said,
and the gamblers have adopted an
attitude of victorious authorization.
They feel certain they will win,
ana they have plenty of money"
Hits Gamblers.
These questions, the minister said.
Will be asked of the voters by the
Civic Association.
/. DO you want st. Marys Coun-
ty run for the benefit of spectators
and gamblers?"
=. DO you realize that for every
$4,000 collected in taxes from slot
machines, at least one million dol
lars goes into the pockets of gam
blers?"
3: DO you believe the million
dollars will affect decisions of your
county commissioners"
Do State Senator Paul J. BaiIev
called the spending charges made by
the Civic Association ridiculous ;"
That is pure conjecture" he said
and without basis in fact"
FFurthermore," he added, "it ia
an insult to the voters. Money can
not buy an election in st. Marvs
County The people here vote the
way they feel
Bailey Sees Approval"
The referendum on the slot ma
'hine question will be held under
of law enacted at the
.ecent special session of the General
Assembly. This measure empowers
ne county commissioners to auth
orlze operation of the machines. i'm
pose license fees and tax gross re-
'elpts, II the measure is approved
at the referendum.
Senator Bailey said he believes
,he bill leagalizing the machines
has good chance of being ap-
proved by the voters because of the
known attitude of the people with
regard to slot machines" This at
'ltude, he asserted, was evidenced
~ the fact that "juries declined to
convict alleged gaming law VIOLA
'ors IN cases tried here In Septem-
oer."
OF "a gambling cases docketed for
rial at the fall Circuit Court term,
one conviction was obtained, and
wo resulted in deadlocked iuries.
The remaining cases were trans
erred to Montgomery County and
ire now pending in Circuit Court
1t Rockville.
The people" the Senator added.
have been apathetic to the GRIM
nal side of the slot machine issue.
md have not appeared overly con.
'erned with the moral issues in
,olved."
They have, however. shown keen
interest since the county's financial
Night was declared of paramount
In their statement, the county
commissioners said:
The bill in substance grants
lon1e rule to st. Marys County. The
,resent gross receipts tax law gives
he county commissioners the au-
hority to impose a tax of not over
o per cent on coin-operated ma
hines, but it does not legalize the
1t provides for the coll
ect1on OF the tax by the State con-
roller, who deducts 10 per cent for
ouecting the same, and returns the
let proceeds to the county"
I'm our opinion, a conservative
stimate Of the combined license
ees and gross receipts tax would
'1eld the county a net revenue of
lot less than 500. 900 annually"
I'VE will state frankly that it will
'e our purpose to legalize slot ma
hines If the bill is approved by the
oters at the forthcoming election"
Montgomery Hospital Fund
us.lf EH 77P