Post, the New York Times, the New York Herald, and those papers, that do not want to see section 5 passed, I can assure you.

Senator STERLING. I think the chairman can fix a day which will give an opportunity for the publishers to be heard, far enough in advance of the present time.

Next Monday is the regular meeting day of the full committee. It is our regular Judiciary Committee meeting day. My thought was that I would continue this hearing until next Tuesday.

Mr. JOSEPH E. BAILEY. Mr. Chairman, I do not represent any man or any organization. I heard this hearing was to be had, and I thought I would like to hear the trend of the arguments; and, having heard it, I believe that I would like to submit some observations upon the power and right of the Federal Government to undertake the control of these matters. I understand that the purpose of this is to close up the race tracks. It is stated here that for the purpose of suppressing betting, you will close them up. I am not sure as to whether that is true, and I am indifferent as to whether it is true or not; but if that is the purpose, I think that belongs to the States.

Senator STERLING. Excuse me, Senator Bailey, have you read section 5? The other sections are all amendatory of present law.

Mr. BAILEY. I know. I know this committee started on this legislation with the lottery bill. That bill was sustained by a bare majority of one in the Supreme Court, the other members insisting that it was not commerce, and that it was an invasion of the rights of the States. They finally got a majority in the court by inserting in that opinion that it was not intended to hold any further than that a lottery ticket was a subject of interstate commerce, and that was prohibited.

Now, if the Federal Government does undertake to suppress gambling, of course I think it ought to go the whole distance; I think it ought to prohibit these ladies playing bridge, and it ought to close every stock exchange in this country. They bet millions every day on the stock exchange where they bet thousands on race courses. But I do not think it is any part of the business of the Federal Government; and if it is entirely agreeable to the committee, whenever it resumes its sessions I think I would like to have a word to say about that. I do not suppose there is any use in contending for the rights of States now, but I am still contending for them. Senator STERLING. I do not think there will be any objection to hearing you, Senator Bailey, when we resume the sessions. Now I would like to ask Dr. CraftsMr. CHASE. Dr. Crafts has just left.

Senator STERLING. Well, does anyone present understand that there are some that can be here to-morrow? Mr. Pringle, can any that you know of be here to-morrow; are there any to be heard for the bill?

Mr. PRINGLE. So far as our side is concerned, we can be here. But are there any more to be heard?

Senator STERLING. I understand there are several who wish to be heard. I think there are two or three.

Mr. PRINGLE. I did not understand that there were any others.

Senator STERLING. But I am not sure who they are. However, it will be understood that the subcommittee will meet again to-morrow at 10.30 o'clock, with the further understanding that others can have a chance to be heard on next Tuesday at 10.30 o'clock.

Mr. BAILEY. I want it thoroughly understood, Mr. Chairman, that I am not asking for a hearing on either side, as far as that question is concerned. I am interested entirely in another.

(The following letters from the heads of police departments in different parts qi the United States in favor of the Sims bill, a similar bill in the Sixty-sixth Congress, were offered for the record by Mr. Deets Picket, and are here printed:)

NEW YORK CITY.

Such a bill would be of assistance in the prevention of fraud and crime due to betting on races, and would be of considerable assistance to the police department of this city in suppressing gambling, particularly gambling on horse races.

During the past year nine elaborate telephone centrals organized for the purpose of distributing racing information to gamblers have been driven out of this city, but they are still a source of annoyance, inasmuch as they have reestablished themselves in an adjoining State, and in cities located just outside the New York City jurisdiction, and although they are considerably handicapped in their operations, they are still able to furnish information to some of their former clients.

R. E. ENRIGHT, Police Commissioner.

CHICAGO.

I believe this bill would be of considerable value in suppressing gambling on race horses, especially in this city, inasmuch as there are no tracks in the State of Illinois, and the information concerning winners, odds, jockeys, etc., is transmitted by means of telephone and telegraph. Bookmaking could not exist without this information, and if it was made a crime to transmit the same in interstate commerce I believe the books would go out of existence.

JOHN J. GARRITY, General Superintendent.

CLEVELAND.

Special details have been made from time to time at various poolrooms, cigar stores, etc., with a view of eliminating this form of gambling and many arrests made. A number of our citizens, as well as persons lured here from out of town, have been fleeced out of large amounts of money by the wire tapping scheme.

In my judgment, should such a bill become a law, it would be of valuable assistance to all police departments in preventing fraud and crime of this character.

FRANK SMITH, Chief of Police.

CINCINNATI.

In reply, beg to state that I think this bill if passed would be of the greatest benefit and help to the police in preventing gambling, especially handbooking. Would therefore welcome its passage.

WILLIAM COPELAND, Chief of Police.

ATLANTA.

I think that such legislation would be of great help and that it would go a long way towards preventing crime due to absentee betting on races. I sincerely hope that the bill now pending will become a law.

JAMES L. BEAVERS, Chief of Police.

ROCHESTER.

In reply, beg to state that I believe that the enactment of such a law would be beneficial and would undoubtedly be of great assistance in preventing crime due to absentee betting and all other crimes for which gambling is primarily responsible. I hope that such a bill may become a law.

JOSEPH M. QUIGLEY, Chief of Police.

COLORADO SPRINGS.

I am firmly of the opinion that it is necessary to pass the proposed law for the suppression of gambling information from foreign countries. One of the familiar games that confidence men use is supposed race-track information from Habana, Cuba, and they usually use that manner of trimming suckers out of large sums of money on the strength of advance information on the outcome of horse races.

H. D. HARPER, Chief of Police.

CHARLESTON, S. C.

I wish to state it would be a God's blessing if such a bill could be passed, because we are having trouble here with that class of thieves, and such legislation would be a lessing to every community, and you have my best wishes and my hearty indorsenent for such work.

CONRAD H. A. STENDER, Chief of Police.

BUFFALO.

This bill meets with my hearty approval, and the only suggestion that I can make is that the bill be made as strong as possible.

JAMES W. HIGGINS, Chief of Police.

SAN DIEGO, CALIF.

If such a bill were passed by the Congress, it would undoubtedly be of great assistance to this department in the prevention of crime.

This city, being but 16 miles from the Mexican border and from the Mexican town of Tijuana, where a large race track will be opened sometime in January next, a great number of race-track followers will flock to this city, bringing the usual number of hangers-on and criminals of all descriptions, who will ply their trade, not only among the thousands who attend the races, but among the permanent residents of the city. It is my unqualified opinion that all efforts should be expended to secure the passage of a bill which would eliminate the evils attendant upon race-track gambling, and you have permission to use my name, if it may be of any value, as being in favor of legislation looking to that end.

JAMES PATRICK, Chief of Police.

SPOKANE.

We consider this very helpful and a legislative action which is a great help to the police departments. W. J. WEIR, Chief of Police.

DETROIT.

I wish to acknowledge receipt of your letter of December 12, and to say that any kind of legislation that would prohibit the nullification of State anti-gambling laws, reduce crime due to betting losses, and put a stop to handbook making, would be of great benefit to thousands of families in Detroit. It would assist us in preventing fraud and crimes due to absentee betting.

We are in favor of any law that would have a tendency to eliminate these parasites of society.

WILLIAM P. RUTLEDGE, Superintendent of Police.

LEXINGTON.

I am a great admirer of horse racing. I am equally opposed to handbook making and am in favor of any legislation that will help to do away with this evil, if such legislation does not have a tendency to injure legitimate horse racing.

COLUMBUS, OHIO.

J. J. REAGAN, Chief of Police.

If the law is properly drawn so that it is enforceable in municipalities throughout the United States, it being a Federal law, there is no question but what it would be of material assistance in preventing fraud and crime due to betting on races.

I am heartily in favor of a law of the kind mentioned in your letter. and feel that if it is properly drawn with the proper enforcement provisions carried with it, that it will be of material benefit to the country.

CHARLES E. CARTER, Chief of Police.

LOS ANGELES.

I beg to advise you that it gives me great pleasure to express my approval of the bill prohibiting the transmission of race track information.

There is probably no other vice that leaves its path strewn with destruction and sorrow as does race track gambling. Men in trusted positions again and again steal

from their employers and break their trust and commit numerous other crimes to obtain funds for their mad orgies, destroy and desert their wives and children and parents and frequently rob them of their life savings.

My experience of 18 years in the Los Angeles police department-most of the time at the head of the detective bureau-proved to me conclusively that criminals of all classes flock to and prosper about the zone protected by the race track gambler, and of all men, the burglar, the thief. the confidence man, the macquereaux, the pickpocket, the narcotic peddler, and, in fact. all of this kind. flourish in the unhealthy atmosphere of the race track.

And so it is obvious that no single legislation would be of greater benefit than such a one as you say is under consideration, in my estimation.

GEORGE K. HOME, Chief of Police.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

The experience of both the police department and the Department of Justice in this city is that there will be gambling on races as long as the Government permits racing information to be transferred by telephone or telegraph. During the past five years the police department, in cooperation with the Bureau of Investigation of the Department of Justice, has succeeded in getting sufficient information on gambling in this city to bring about the arrest of considerably more than a hundred persons for gambling on the races.

The expense of these investigations to the Government has been very great, and it has been with exceeding difficulty that even a few of those arrested have been brought before the courts. None of the men arrested could have carried on their betting devices or schemes if there was a law on the statute books against the transfer of racing bets and racing information over the wires.

I think progressive police heads over the country will be glad to support the Sims bill, which will put a very effective end to bookmaking, which is the most dishonest of all forms of gambling.

RAYMOND D. PULLMAN, Major and Superintendent.

DES MOINES.

I believe all honest police officials will gladly welcome such a law. The undersigned has had some experience and the guilty parties nearly always escape under present conditions.

A. H. DAY, Chief of Police.

FLINT, MICH.

I am thoroughly in favor of any proposed law which will tend to prevent gambling of any kind.

FRESNO, CALIF.

JAMES P. COLE, Chief of Police.

I heartily believe that a bill of this kind would be of assistance in preventing fraud and crime due to absentee betting on races.

DECATUR, ILL.

FRANK TRUAX, Chief of Police.

We feel that it is impossible to enact laws too stringent to cope with the class of crime mentioned in your letter.

E. G. ALLEN, Chief of Police.

AUSTIN, TEX.

I believe if such a law is passed by Congress that it will be of material assistance to all peace officers in preventing fraud and crime due to absentee betting on races, etc. And if the law is strictly enforced it will ultimately put a stop to this kind of gambling. J. D. PLATT, Chief of Police.

NEW BRITAIN, CONN.

I am of the opinion that a bill of that kind would be good, and would be for the good of the public in general. We can not have too many safeguards against unscrupulous persons. WILLIAM J. RAWLINGS, Chief of Police.

YOUNGSTOWN, OHIO.

This bill would be of great assistance to this department in the prevention of crime, and it is my candid opinion that it would not only assist this department but every police department in the country.

JAMES WATKINS, Chief of Police.

MOUNT VERNON, N. Y.

I am heartily in favor of bill under consideration before Congress to prohibit the transmission of race gambling information from foreign countries and in interstate J. C. FOLEY, Chief of Police.

commerce.

WACO, TEX.

This law will be a great benefit to all concerned, as there is so much crooked work in this kind of gambling that an innocent person will fall for it, thinking that he will have a dozen chances where there is absolutely no chance whatever for him to win, and I am strictly against any and all such gambling; if they could have old-time horse racing in this country like they used to have I would be in for it, but old times are past.

GUY MCNAMARA. Chief of Police.

BERKELEY, CALIF.

In many of the large cities betting on the races is a factor in crime, and responsible for the downfall of many promising young men.

It is hoped that Congress will listen to your petition to eradicate from this country the last vestige of the old race horse gambling interest.

AUGUST VOLLMER, Chief of Police.

STOCKTON, CALIF.

I approve all legislation which will prohibit gambling in any form, bookmaking on horse races and all other vicious practices. It is a great advantage to have national laws to handle the whole situation and would assist local authorities in suppressing crime.

W. M. SIMPSON, Chief of Police.

KALAMAZOO, MICH.

I am glad indeed to add my indorsement to any such measure, as it seems to me that it can not help but greatly lessen fraud and crime due to absentee betting on races. BENJAMIN F. TAFFEE, Acting Chief of Police.