Evening star., 1951-05-01

Information is vital to large
scale bookmaking operations. The
elimination of wire service to book
makers is, therefore. of such i'm
portance that q practical law must
be devised to effect this end. The
need is all the more essential
because such wire service to book
makers is now in the hands of
Continental Press Service, which
enjoys an almost complete mo-
nopoly Of this activity insofar as
it exsistS on a Nation wide
scale.
The committee is now working
on q specific bill for the purpose
of accomplishing these ends. and
at the same time, minimizing dis
advantages which may incidentally
accrue to those who are engaged
in the wholly lawful dissemination
Of news. To the extent that they
may unavoidably cause Incidental
inconveniencies to such persons
engaged in wholly lawful opera
tions, the committee desires to-
suggest and urge that these dis
advantages be accepted as inevi-
table and necessary in order to
accomplish very important pub
lie purpose. It is believed the
specific legislation will hold any
such disadvantages to an. abso-I
lutte minimum.
Would License All Sources
Of Betting Information.
In general, the committee has in
mind a proposal which would re-
Iquire all persons engaged in the
dissemination of any information
concerning horse-racing or dog
racing events or betting informa-
ton on any other sporting event
by means of interstate or foreign
communication to receive license
solely for these purposes from the
Federal Communications Commits
sion.
It is proposed that such licenses
shall be freely granted to any ap-
plicant unless the commission
establishes that the granting OF
such application would not be in
the public interest. that the appli-
cant is not of good moral charac-
ter, or that the information will
Intentionally be disseminated di-
rectly or indirectly to any substan-
tial number of persons who would
utilize it primarily to facilitate
gambling activities or other activ-
tiles in violation of the laws of
the various States.
No one seeking a license shall be
able to evade responsibility for
/ the ultimate use of the informa-
ton provided by him merely be-
cause the ultimate user or any
number of intermediate sub
scribers are independent legal
! The committee has given con-
sideration to proposals that all
dissemination of betting informa-
| ton in interstate commerce be de-
clared illegal. but has rejected this
proposal at least for the present
in the hope that the elimination
tof racing wire service primarily
for gambling will effect the de-
sired result, with the minimum
disruption of legitimate news dis
semination activities.
| The committee intends to pro-
pose in the legislation to be sub
mitted that the operation of such
a wire service without the requi-
site license suggested shall be
made felony. ,gH
TX. The internal revenue laws
and regulations should be amend
ed so as to require any person
who has been engaged in an
illegitimate business netting in ex-
cess of $4,000 a year for any of
five years previously, to file net
worth statement of all his assets,
along with his income tax re-
Would Require All Criminals
To Report Net Worth
In order to facilitate a check
upon the income tax returns of
known criminals and racketeers,
the committee recommends that
they be required to file net-worth
statements so that this essential
beginning point for investigation
will be available to the Govern
ment.
| x. The transmission of bets or
wagers, or the transmission of
moneys in payment of bets or
wagers, across State lines by tele-
graph, telephone. or any other
facilities of interstate commune
cation. or the United States mails,
should be prohibited.
Large bookmaking operations
cannot be carried on without
using facilities of interstate COM
merce and interstate communica-
ton. ."
The Federal Government should
not permit interstate communica-
ton facilities or the mails to carry
on bookmaking and gambling
operations. It may be argued
that the prohibition of all use of
interstate communication facili-
ties or the mails to place bets or
send money for wagers will throw
an unreasonable burden on Fed
eral law-enforcement agencies.
Thousands OF small bets are made
over the telephone to bookmakers.
However, the Federal Govern
ment should leave the elimination
of these transactions to State and
local officials. 1t should concern
itself only with the larger book
making operations. where the
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