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CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT Senator John J. Dunnigan Advocates Passage of His Bill to Legalize Pari-Mutuel Betting. ALBANY, N. Y., April 28. The long expected initial movement for the support of the adoption of the pari-mutuel betting in New York state, was inaugurated today by Senator John J. Dunnigan, Democratic majority leader of the senate, when he advocated the passage of his constitutional amendment designed to legalize the machine form of betting at the New York state race tracks. The first move was made by the senate judiciary committee, when it unanimously voted to favorably report Senator Dunni-gans amendment as soon as the measure reached the floor. The senator moved to advance the measure for a final vote. This action was objected to by Senator Jeremiah F. Twomey, resulting in holding it up and its reference to the committee of the whole. This will delay action until it reaches that order of business. Senator Dunnigan, in urging the senate to favorable consideration of his amendment, said that he was convinced that if it was passed New York state would derive a much greater revenue. He declared that the states revenue since the passage of the Crawford open betting law had fallen below the estimates. He also charged that the present form of betting under the Crawford law was "absolutely illegal." "Some day," he added, "one of the district attorneys of the state will make a test case of this law and betting will cease entirely. I estimate that the state will probably lose 0,000,000 if this amendment is not passed." Senator Dunnigan further charged that a certain individi"!, who he described as a ringmaster at the tracks, was at present getting over 00,000 a year in fees from the bookmakers. "What I want to know," Senator Dunnigan explained, "is how many more are collecting unjustifiable salaries when the state should be getting this money?" Later -Senator Dunnigan described the individual mentioned as being "John Cavanaugh." "For what reason he receives that vast amount of money and why the state racing association should permit him to be ringmaster of the betting ring," Senator Dunnigan said, "I dont understand." Senator Twomey, who objected to the advancement of the bill, said he had figures to show that since the enactment of the Crawford law, revenues and attendance at the race tracks had increased. "In opposing progress of the bill," Senator Twomey said, "the only reason. I object to the bill is that I believe it would ruin racing in the state."
