Evening star., 1951-03-18
Delegates Firm
Against County
Slot MachiineBi||
Flood Of TeIegroms
Fails to Alter Stand
In Prince Georges
By J. |. Michoel
BY Sioff Correspondent Of The Star

ANNAPOLIS, Mar. 17.-Despit,
an avalanche Of postcards, let
terS and kilograms advocating
Ipay-of slot machines. Primo,
Georges County legislators toda!
appeared virtually certain to de
eide against introduction of en-
abling measures.
Two delegates. j. Frank LillarA
tjr., and Harry E. Taylor. jr.. botl
Republicans. issued statement!
condemning the devices and Sen
ator John r. Fletcher. Republi'
can. reiterated his opposition.
An informal poll of the dele.
gates showed two for and foul
against legal slot machines. There
also is a possibility of a 5-to-1
negative vote.
But the county delegation !!
worried about the situation. "Aftel
all" they explain. I'VE are here
to express the will of the people.
Heaviest Batch of Mail
The people" more than 6.00t
of them, have aired their view!
in messages now piled up on tht
delegates desks. Several hundred
more have been delivered on the
Senate side.
! 1T is the heaviest batch o.
mail have ever handled for ont
delegation" said Henry Abrams
veteran postmaster to the Gen.
eral Assembly.
/ Senator Fletcher said almost
all of the communications he ha.
received urge passage OF SLOT
machine legislation.
Most of them are couched ir
similar language, he added, "anc
appear to be inspired by the same
source"
Harassed delegates have beer
able to wade through only small
percentage Of their mail but
messages that have been reac
are much like those delivered te
Senator Fletcher.
Three Arguments Advanced.
Three main arguments for the
machines are advanced. One is
the estimated 100000 a year
revenue they would be expected to
produce. Another is the claim that
taxes can be lowered or new levies
avoided and the third refers to
slot machine income as "a pain
less solution for school problems
including higher pay for teach
ers."
The mail influx concerns a bill
proposed by the County Small
Businessmen's Association, de-
signed primarily to perfect the
title Of an act passed last year
and approved in d referendum.
The statute was voided by the
courts because it called slot ma
chimes amusement" instead o;
gambling" devices.
But, the bill advocated by the
small businessmen goes far be-
yond slot machines and proposes
to legalize various other forms of
gambling when operated by fra
ternal, religious and other well
fare groups. 1t retains clauses of
the voided act banning "one-arm
bandits" and prohibiting play by
minors.
Hearing Set Monday Night.
A public hearing on the slot
machine proposal will be held at
9 pm. Monday in the State House,
Albert r. HaSsall, chairman OF
the county delegation. announced
A group of IS residents has
urged that a grand jury investiga-
Ition be made into the campaign
for legalized gambling. They said
the jury should be asked to deter
mine whether or not this current
promotion campaign is receiving
Ithe backing and support of county
State or interstate gambling in
Iterests."
Another opponent, Oliver Met
Izerott, a former State Senator
said that "shopkeepers who favor
making slot machines legal would
soon find. if this bill is passed
that they are under control OF
Capone-like gangsters."
Mr.. Metzerott urged residents te
write, telegraph, phone or see
your senator and delegates before
/ it is too late"
Gait Urges Public Action.
Dwight B. Gait, chairman oi
the Washington Suburban SAM
tary Commission, also urged citi.
zens to "besiege our legislators.
He said that, Il for one am very
much opposed to my tax burden
being lightened by any such out
| fit (as) the big time racketeers.'
Another slot machine propose.
will be discussed by legislators anc
veterans at a hearing at pm
Wednesday in the delegation
room.
Offered by Alexander Matthews
the proposed measure would per.
init county veterans clubs to oper.
ate any type of slot machines.
A decision on this, and tn,
businessmen's plan, probably will
be announced after the hearins
because the deadline for introduc.
ton of bills is set for Thursday
Veterans Plan Faces Trouble.
The veterans plan has little
more chance than the business.
mems in view of the statement.
by Delegate Lillard.
Il repeat my statement that
am opposed to any form of legal.
lied slot machines in Prince
Georges County" Mr.. Lillard said
Il would suggest that the writer.
OF these letters examine the Chi.
cago Crime Commissions report
on the insidious effects of per.
mitting slot machines to operate.
Mr.. Taylor said he believed thu
letter writer's have been mislec
by the fact that promoters Of
such legislation studiously avoic
calling the devices slot machines
Instead they refer to "coin-oper.
ated amusement devices"