Evening star., 1950-10-14
The Political Mill
CoIifornions Due to Vote
On LegoIized Gambling
Both Warren and Roosevelt
Oppose Proposition No. 6
The Political Mill
By Gould Lincoln

LOS ANGELES Oct. 14-California,
without a "ham and eggs" issue in a
political campaign, would be something
strange. This year the voters are asked
to pass on a proposal to legalize gam
bling, particularly slot machines. with the
proceeds from a tax on gambling opera
tions to be used to pay more and larger
pensions to the aged. In addition to
the pension argument, its supporters
urge that they want to take gambling
out of the hands of underworld Syndi-
Gates. If people want to gamble-and
so many do-let them gamble at least
legally, is the plea.
Both Governor Warren and James
Roosevelt, the Republican and Demo-
cratic candidates for governor, have de-
clared themselves against proposition
No. g. on the November ballot-the
legalized gambling proposition. It draws
its support from promoters and some
of the old age pension enthusiasts, who
have always gone for any scheme to in
crease pensions, from Dr. Townsend's
original plan on down the line.
Would Set Up Commission.
The bill to legalize gambling, which is
proposed under the initiative and refer
endum law of California, would set up
five-member commission to administer
the gambling law 1t even names the
five--a majority of whom have been ar
dent leaders of the old age pensioners.
Each would receive a salary of $4,000
annually They would have the power
to issue licenses for gambling-and that
means for all kinds of gambling, except
the proposed new law would not touch
race track betting which is now covered
by State law. Book making, on any and
all kinds of sports, card games, crap
'games, and slot machines would be Ii
censed with the State getting its take
from these operations.
California, as things now stand,
through normal taxation manages to sup
port pensions totaling about $3.50 million
a year. The promoters of the legalized
gambling plan say this pension fund
could be doubled, with a 7l2 per cent
cut for the pension tax. Even should
this be true, it would require each citizen
of the State to do $400 worth of gambling
a year, or $1,000 for a normal family OF
four Most of this would go into the
pockets of the gambling operators, and
would be total loss to the public.
The promoters of the project, among
them Willis-Allen and Roy G. Owens.
contend that other taxes could be re-
duced Is per cent But the costs of State
government, pensions, etc, would still
be coming out of the pockets of the
taxpayers.
Shot in the Arm.
Not all of the old age pension groups
in California are supporting Proposition
No. g. Some of their leaders insist that
the money from legalized gambling would
come from the pockets of the lower in
come citizens, who can i'll afford to make
the contributions. In the long run, these
leaders insist, the scheme would hurt.
not help, to bring the kind of old age
pensions the people should have.
The hue and cry against lawless, syn
dicated gambling, particularly in the
big cities, aroused by the present Senate
investigation, in New York, Chicago and
elsewhere showing the tremendous profits
and corruption growing out of gambling
as it now goes its unlawful way, has
given some of the promoters of legaliZed
gambling a shot in the arm. But 1T Is
not expected that Proposition No.
on the California ballot will win. A great
drive against it has been initiated by the
newspapers, the clergy and many civic
groups. A State senate committee has
been holding hearings on the proposal,
too.
Among the witnesses was j. D. Cox,
San Francisco coin machine distributor,
who testified he had contributed $1,000
to the legalized gambling campaign. He
said he did so because he thought Propo-
Sition No. 6 was "a good thing for the
elderly people and a good thing for
business Wed benefit" he continued.
"by contributing a lot of slot machines"
When pressed to say the number of ma.
chimes might run to 10000 or 100 900, he
replied: It's possible"
Brutus K Hamilton, athletic director
of the associated students of the Univer-
sity of California, testifying before the
same committee said it would have an
evil effect on sports. If a boy fails to
catch a pass in the end zone" he told
the committee, "or fails to make a free
throw in basketball, or pulls up lame
in a sprint the fans will say he was
bought off"
Legalized gambling has been tried in
this country and invariably brought
about corruption and crime, and has been
abandoned, except in Nevada, which
runs wide open and liveS-So far as its
government is concerned-of the gam
bling taxes. Nevada, however, has tiny
population compared to California, and
its industries are limited Louisiana, in
the first part of the 10Th century. legal
lied gambling, particularly in New Or
leans, but abuses and greed of the
gamblers brought an uprising against
it. In still earlier days lotteries were
permitted in many States-but eventu-
ally laws were made against them.