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NEW YORK MUTUEL BILL1 I Dunnigan Measure Passed in Senate by a Vote of 33 to 15. Bill Sent to the Assembly for Concur- rence — Senator Dunnigan Voiced j Support of Bill on Senate Floor. i c BULLETIN. c ALBANY, N. Y., May 10.— Attorney-Gen- eral John J. Bennett, Jr., in an opinion sub- * mitted to the Senate, sustains the legality of j Senator Dunnigans bill for the adoption of 1 the pari-mutuel betting system in New York state. The Dunnigan bill was passed by the - Senate today. j ALBANY, N. Y., May 10— The Senate this : afternoon passed Senator Dunnigans pari- 1 mutuel betting bill by a vote of 33 to 15. Before the vote was taken, Senator Dunni- gan made a long and forceful speech in . support of his proposal. Sixteen Republicans i and seventeen Democrats voted for the bill, 1 and six Democrats and nine Republicans 1 voted against its adoption. It now goes to the assembly for concurrence. : Senator Dunnigan in advocating the sup- J port of the bill on the floor of the Senate : said: "In conversation and press comments, ; the resolution before the House has besn popularly referred to as the pari-mutuel bill. While I appreciate the practicability , of tags for legislation, I am, at the same • time, aware of the limitations. [ "It is true that the resolution would in- ; stall a pari-mutuel system of wagering on horse lUces and that feature of it is very important, of course. But if it were the only feature or even the principal one, I would not be as zealous about the bill as I am. "The wagering feature is subordinate to the primary object of the resolution, expressed in its title— additional revenues for the i-tatc— and it is but an excellent means , of producing an end. REVENUE THE ESSENCE. "Revenue, Mr. President, is the essence ■ of this legislation. Irrespective of my alio- i cation of time in discussing the subjects, ■ taxation is the object and pari-mutuel bet- • ting the incident. I "Mr. President, this resolution would open ; an additional taxable resource to the state — ; perhaps I should prefix the phrase addi- ; tional taxable resource with the word ; ideal, because it approaches an ideal held | by most taxation economists— of the great- ; est yield to the government with the least . pressure on the source. . "As a revenue measure it comes particu- : larly well recommended. The present Senate finance committee has surveyed sources of I taxation more diligently, perhaps, than any of its predecessors. That committee had exclusive jurisdiction of this resolution, and its favorable report on it should be seriously considered during these times of fiscal stress. "According to present indications, if it passes, it will be the only constitutional amendment on the voting machines in November. It will command exclusive, statewide attention, and the record made bv the supporters and opponents in the legislature will be searched for answers. "Mr. President, I intend to cover the subject exhaustively and ask indulgence if I repeat old arguments. The roots of this amendment grow deep. A thorough background is necessary for an intelligent discussion. PERSONAL SENTIMENTS. "As a lover of the thoroughbred race horse, I want to express some personal sentiments. I know that because of the magnitude of betting at ruce meetings many cynical moralists classify the thoroughbred with a die, a card or a wheel of chance — as an instrument of gambling. Distinctions are not blurred by those who really love the thoroughbred for itself. To them words aie never adequate to convey thejr feelings and, Mr. President, I venture to say that you have actually heard such persons attempt explanations which they confessed were inadequate. "The only question," said Senator Dunnigan, "is shall we continue our present system of bookmaking betting or shall we supplant it with a system of pari-mutuel betting? "We must answer that question today and if we answer in favor of the pari-mutuel method now, then the people of the state must answer the question at the polls in November."
