Evening star., 1951-03-19
Citizens Urge
Slot Machine
Drive Inquiry
Committees Claim
Of $637 900 Possible
Revenue Disputed

The Prince Georges County
Citizens Committee for Good
Government today called for an
of the "diabolically
clever promotion campaign" to
legalize slot machines,
A statement by William r.
Turner, executive secretary Of the
group. asks the States Attorney
ito investigate completely this
campaign and place all matters
concerning it before the grand
jury" A grand jury will con-
vene April 2.
The statement declared that
the principal public campaign for
passage Of a slot machine meas
ure has been conducted by the
so-called Small BusinesSmen'S
Committee. ;" q The statement dis
puted claims of the committee
that legalization of the devices
would produce annually $637 ,537.
it would be considerably
less.
"The misleading and inaccurate
information being circulated as a
part of a campaign to legalize coin
Of the gaming type and
the implications of this campaign
in view Of the recent disclosures Of
the Senate Crime Investigating
Committee are a matter of serious
concern to every thinking resident
of Prince Georges County," the
statement asserted.
Public Hearing Tonight.
The county delegations will hold
a public hearing tonight at An
napolis on the Small Business
mems Committee proposal. The
measure has not been introduced.
The statement issued by Mr..
Turner on behalf of the commit
tee also said:
Records of the Internal Rev.
enue Collector listed a total Of
116 establishments in Prince
Georges County that had paid
the 500 Federal tax on at least
one gaming device. The tax was
paid on approximately 400 ma
chimes. Only one veterans or
ganization was listed
"The principal public campaign
for passage of slot machine
measure has been conducted by
the so-called Small Business
mems Committee. In presenting
the bill to the Prince Georges
County legislators on March 3.
the committee made the follow
ing claims: (a) That the bill
would produce an annual revenue
|of $637,537. Cb) The bill would
permit the county's s1.9o tax
rate to be reduced 25.5 cents and
would cut out $7.20 of the bill
of every tax payer. (c) The bill
would produce income that could
build two new elementary schools
each year, or add SO new class
rooms, or pay the salaries Of
200 school teachers. or educate
4,364 children from kindergarten
through high school.
Data Called Misleading.
"It is to be particularly noted
that the claimed revenue, even if
true, would not simultaneously
accomplish the various ends cited
but rather, could accomplish only
one at a time. Thus the informa-
ton is misleading. Further, the
estimated revenue cannot be sub
stantiated as will be indicated.
However. being unchallenged,
these 1ures have been repeated
over anu over again in the public
press until outwardly they have
come to be accepted as facts be-
cause Of repetition.
"The campaign in the public
press was followed by the distribu-
ton of two different letters, one
mailed to all teachers in Prince
Georges County. and the other
mailed or carried by hand to par
ticular sections of the county
which have in the past condoned
gambling or have been particu-
larly susceptible to misleading
propaganda.
"The fact that this promotion
campaign was able to produce
over 5000 communications to the
Prince Georges County Delegation
at Annapolis indicates the extent
of its planning. -.
Prospective Revenue Denied.
"A claim of the Small Business
mems c Committee is that $637 .537
will be raised by the proposed act.
The citizens committee is in pos
session of information placed be-
fore the State legislature in 1949.
for the purpose of proving that
revenue from the 1949 bill could
not exceed $214,000. A company
that distributes coin operated de-
vices, told the legislators that 800
was approximately the number Of
machines that could be accom-
modated" in Prince GeoI ses
County.
BASED on fees totaling 5000 per
machine, approximately the
amount called for in the 1949 bill,
it would be necessary to install 81
1876 gaming devices in Prince
Georges County to obtain the in
dicated revenue. This would be
eight times as many machines
as were licensed by the Federal
Government in September, 1850.
Revenue 1919 of Profit.
"It is probable that the tax
revenue would represent only
about 10 per cent of the total
profits of these devices, consider
ing the experience with such de-
vices in st. Marys County where
the profit must be reported. Thus.
If S637 537 revenue could he oh.