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ADVERSE VOTE IN ASSEMBLY GITTINS BILL FAILS IN LOWER HOUSE AT ALBANY BY VOTE OF 72 TO 52. Friends of Measure Plan to Mako Another Attempt to Pass It Seventy-Six Votes Required for Its Passage. Albany, N. Y., July 20. The Gittins hill, relieving directors of racing associations from liability for gambling carried on at race tracks without their knowledge, which passed the Senate yesterday, was reported favorably by the Assembly Committee ou Rules today. During the afternoon, the Assembly voted on the hill. Seventy-six votes were required to pass it and it received only fifty-two, while seventy-two votes were recorded against it. A number of legislators who had promised their support were absent when the vote was taken and the friends of the measure will make another effort to pass the bill either at tonights session or tomorrow. It was with the aid of six Republican senators that the Tammany delegation forced the Gittins hill through the Senate yesterday. The six Republican Senators who aided were Allen of Rensselaer, Arget-singer and Ormrod of Monroe, Brackett of Saratoga, Emerson of Essex and Sage of Albany. Nearly every one of the Tammany delegation went on record in favor of the bill. Senator Wagner, majority leader, and several upstate Democrats voted against the measure. The final fate of the measure rests, of course, in the hands of the governor if its supporters succeed in getting it through the house. What course he will take is problematical. He has not indicated by any public utterance whether he will sign or veto it. On his final word both the race track owners and the opponents of the measure pin their faith. It was upon the Senate that the New York Civic League under the leadership of Rev. O. R. Miller centered Its opposing lire. Dr. Miller and his associates did not believe that the bill would get through the Senate and consequently neglected to train their batteries upon the Assembly. Dr. Miller and his colleagues last night made frantic appeals to the ,-. pastors of local churches throughout the state to their assembly representatives to vote against urge the bill. The friends of the measure were equally busy encouraging the, ascmblyinen to stand by them. The hill was rushed overtotlie assembly last night and went to the codes committee of that body. The Gittins bill is as simple a njcaure as had been passed this session. It makes an amendment to the penal code by adding the words "to be" before the phrase "used for gambling purposes." This nieans that the Directors Liability Law will apply only to directors and owners of such buildings or in-elosurcs as are intended, erected or designed for gambling purioses. Race tracks are. of course, not built for gambling, but for racing. At present any owner or director of a building or inclosure may be sent to prison in case of gambling on his premises, no matter whether he knows. of it or not.
