view raw text
WILL SUPPORT THE GITTINS BILLS. New York Assemblyman Makes Interesting Reply to a Saratoga Springs Appeal for Help. Albany. N. Y., July 10. — President James G. Mc-Nulty of Saratoga Springs recently wrote Assemblyman Louis C. Cuvillier of Manhattan asking him to support the bills of Senator Cittins defining book-making and relieving directors of racing associations froii personal liability for gambling on race courses. In replying Mr. Cuvillier wrote: "It will afford me great pleasure to do all I can to secure the passage of these desired amendments. I know of no legislation in recent years that has done more damage to the sportsmanlike and liberal citizenship than the enactment of the Hart-Agnew bill and the amendments that were passed last year, driving out of the state the best and most healthful amusement of horse racing. There was never any public demand for the enactment of the Hart-Agnew law. Unfortunately in the state of New York 100,000 pi rsons, some reformers, others fake re-formers and others bigots and puritans, try to govern and in many cases do govern 7.000.000 people of the state of New York. Tli- trouble that I have found with the members of the legislature is that most of them are moral cowards and they are susceptible to the lightest insinuation of an attack on any bill that they may support and vote for which is opposed by these fake reformers and bigots. •• I have yet to see where legitimate racing has led men to become thieves or ever ruined their morals. Ruling was conducted in this state by men of the highest moral diaracier and financial worth. Of course, unscrupulous persons could take advantage of the imperfection of the racing law the same as unscrupulous persons take advantage of our other laws, but that is no reason why a great pleasure should be destroyed. What the state of New York has been deprived of in wealth — in the neighborhood of ten to fifteen million dollars a j car— France and England have welcomed. There the great breeders oi horses can enjoy the most liberal laws for their protection ami the encouragement of the breeding of horses. "I am informed that your v illage is now on the evo of bankruptcy by reason of this obnoxious law being upon the Statute bixiks. and the magnificent hotels which were the Ideal summer places of the world are ruined. I was informed by one of your citizens that they were a thing of the past and that only the torch which would reduce them to ruins is needed to make them a memory." "Peraons opposed to tie- Cittins racing bills do not stick to facts when they say that those measures would permit wide open bookmakiug." a prominent State Senator is quoted as saying. "There can he no bookmakiug in this state as long as the recording of bets remains a felony punishable by one years imprisonment. The Hart-Agnew laws have killed sheet writing and tlnre i* no way to keep track of bets made with layers except in ones mind. That means a limited .amount of business, also an unsatisfactory way to compel speculators to settle their obligations. The Cittins bills, if passed, would simply allow the tracks to open and bettors to make private oral wagers. Without the privilege of recording business so-called bookmakem will remain permanently crippled. It is worthy of note that although countless raids of alleged poolrooms have been made in this city since the first of the year no proprietors of buildings in which these "places have been conducted have tieeti held criminally liable Even though these property owners have known nothing ..t the exi-teiice ,,f gambling on their premise* they arc amenable to the directors liability law and should be prosecuted by the District Attornev "
