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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 7, 1963)
g Q THURSDAY. FEBRUARY 7, 1963 . ; "lutunu . ; Gambling Accepted as Aid to Tax Program . . ..... . - , c : ..r.... n.: . -i . . U .. T-, . n V, TI,.clno iri-1 oltrihlltp at sion of thC State Police 10 In BY JAMES R. CAMPBELL Uniltd Prei International Hot Springs, Ark.HVPD-The Vapors Club is the plushiest of several casinos in this mineral bath resort town in this state where gambling is "illegal." The Vapors has a distinct Las Vegas atmosphere, al thought the waitresses are more matronly and the negro waiters serving free drinks in the gaming room add a flare of the old south. Expensive entertainers trot their stuff on a wide stage at one end of the elegant, two tiered dining room while the drinking trade watches from the S-shaped bar along one wall. (Liquor also is illegal). From the dining room and lobby doors lead into a smart- ly-decored room with thick carpet and heavy drapes over the wide windows, blot ma chines line all four walls and their jingling and whirring is virtually incessant. The felt covered tables for craps, roul ette, blackjack and poker also do a brisk business. There's nothing sneaky about the gambling here. The casinos at the Vapors and sev eral other clubs the South ern, Bclevdere, Tower, to name a few are aboutt as ill concealed as the signs outside which advertise the current stage attraction. Arkansas' anti gambling laws are ignored here with complete impunity. Ignore the Law In fact, the municipal gov ernment collects a black mar ket tax known at city hall as the "amusement tax" on the big gambling clubs and lesser establishments where one-armed bandits and card games proliferate. City em ployees call on gambling places quarterly, collecting $500 a month from large clubs where craps, blackjack, pok er, chuck-a-luck, rummy and other games of chance are fea tured. Smaller clubs pay $200 a month. Where cards only are played, the tariff is $50. Any place where mixed drinks are served kicks in $30 each month, except for fraternal organization which pay $25. Slot and pinball ma chines are taxed at $5 a month each. Since 1958, when the "amusement tax" ordinance was passed, the revenue has amounted to about $350,000. The money is being applied to the 4,000-seat, $1.26 million convention center the city is building. Batting Ltgal Only on-track pari-mutuel betting is legal in Arkansas and the betting at Oakland park here last year amount ed to $24,112,000. But local sources estimated "very con servatively" that the posh casinos in Garland county did a neat $2.3 million in illicit business. Newspapers and clergy speak out frequently against gambling and, on occasion, a policitian adds his voice of dissent. For years now, none of the gambling places has been raided. In recent weeks, a federal grand jury looked into poss ible violations of federal gam ing lav.-s but failed to find any. And an explosion writ ten off as the work oi a "drunk or fanatic" did $125, 000 damage to the Vapors and injured 12 persons. Other wise gambling has gone on quietly and profitably. Gambling Tax Needed Mayor Dan Wolf won't say directly he thinks gambling is desirable. He describes it as "a situation we've grown up with." About the "amusment tax," hp snid: "We'd be handicapped if we didn't get it. "I'll be honest with you We wouldn't be handicapped in operating the city but we would be in making future imDrovemcnt." Wolf said he thought it mioht be a good idea if Ar kansas legalized gambling so it could be regulated ana tax- ed by the state. In the view of Chamber of Commerce Secretary Mort Cox, the citizens of this city who tolerate, if not approve, of. gambling haven't lost respect for the law. State officials including Gov. Orval Faubus take the position that gambling in Hot Springs is a local matter. Be fore he was elected governor, Faubus said he would have the gambling places raided, but he since has changed his position, saying he won't send stale police unless they're ask ed by local officials. The last time the state en forced the gambling statutes was in the post-World War II years when Marine Corps hero Sidney S. McMath was elected governor. McMath never said flatly he'd raid the places, but they closed up quickly when he went into office in 1946. In 1949, a group of 63 mer chants organized the Hot Springs "Better Business As sociation" and complained that a "lack of recreation" was hurting Hot Springs eco nomically. State enforcement ceased thereafter. No More Raids Local authorities raided the gambling places occasionally before the "amusement tax" ordinance was passed in 1958. There have been no raids since. There was some speculation that the bombing at the Vapors was the work of New York, Chicago or Kansas City interests trying to muscle into the local gambling. Gambling proprietors and local officials scoff at such suggestions. Prosecutor David Whitting- ton said "syndicate" gamblers are not tolerated here and are sent packing as soon as they get in town. Anthony (Tough Tony) Accardo, ex-Al Capone aide from Chicago, was booted out last fall, Whittington said. Accardo and such under-1 world luminaries as Capone, Frank Costello and Lucky Luciano once spent much time here. Luciano was arrested here in 1936 and returned to New York for prosecution which led to his deportation. Hot Springs Flow The 47 hot springs, which bursitis sufferers have sworn by for decades, still flow abun dantly and "bathhouse row" does a flourishing business. The city's economy is flour ishing, too. Building permits, mostly for resort hotels and motels, rose sharply last year and gross income in 1962 top ped the previous year by an estimated 12 per cent. Business circles attribute at sion of the state police to in- lr-ast nart nf the economic vestigate gamming, maKe ar- part progress to the lure of the gambling machines and gam ing tables. A legislator from another county introduced a bill in the Arkansas legislature last week to set up a special divi- rests and initiate prosecutions of gambling law violations. As for local folks, they seem to agree with Mayor Wolf who says, "I don't mess with the gamblers and 'hey don't mess with the city." Cap C. Vandagrift REAL ESTATE APPRAISER, CONSULTANT & NEGOTIATOR ANNOUNCES - HIS NEW LOCATION King Street Phone 779-1666 Medford, Oregon 1 Biff Jo Establish Board Introduced A bill which would estab lish a state board of psycholo gist examiners within the de partment of education and prohibit use of the term "psy chologist" without meeting certification standards has been introduced by State White Praised in Court Resolution Retired Experiment Station Superintendent Harold White was praised by Jackson coun ty court in a resolution yester day. The experimental program carried on at the Southern Oregon Branch Experiment station has contributed great ly to the agricultural economy of Jackson county, the court slated. Individual owners and operators have benefitted by the per acre yield increases. the resolution staled. "Mr. While has Willi dili gent work combined the high est degree of honesty and in tegrity and endowed the coun ty with the finest agronomic research. The county court wishes to thank him for a job well done," the resolution noted. Sen. Alfred H. Corbett (D Multnomah county), Lynn Newbry (R-Jackson county) and Ted Hallock (D-Multno-mah county) and Representa tives C. R. Hoyt (R-Benton county) and Grace Peck (D Multnomah county) and others. Only exceptions under the bill would be certain persons employed by bona fide edu cational institutions and non profit organizations. The measure prohibits a person from representing himself to be a psychologist by using a title employing terms "psychological", "psy chologist" or similar terms unless certified under the net. Such representation would become a misdemeanor after July 1, 19B5. If the legislation is passed. Oregon will join 22 states which have passed statutes aimed at controlling unquali fied and improper practice of psychology. A special provision is writ ten into the bill to provide that when a certified sy chogist engages in psycho therapy, he shall "collaborate with a physician" in order to make provisions fur "diagno sis and treatment of medical problems." Beaver Electric & Plumbing Supply Has Been Found mi - ! Sj t iil If I 1 jVf C aJw : ' ; MfV M of Consistently Offering Brand Name Merchandise at the Jftm, IP LpEST PRICES IN TOWN 1- cvY " BUILT-IN APPLIANCE " - o t j? $ 52 GALVt 0 C THE BUY OF . j j ' high recovery 1 ! THE YEAR Eg&i V3 glass lined I 1 , p : fcfiSJ WATER 11 , br.?Sll 5SL R fH i HEATERS W CASINOS FLOURISH Patrons try their luck at table in than $'24-million during last season's 43-day racing period. 'iffltSSfB 4$? 1 RANGE & rV '' '5"5 local gambling casino in Hot Springs. The state revenue (UP1) ViK'SI BfiliaWV I ftUCU rf Made by Fowler tS department estimated some 400,465 customers bet more j X?!! ;' y UltN y J eA" V gj. LXHQU Make Tour ways . "I ;pc7,rtoM BEAVERS LOW PRICE $189.00 Pleasant With Plenty rS f ' .Cuoi.. LESS BONUS ALLOWANCE $ 20.00 f GUARANTEE of HOT WATER! " VjH P- S,e'' T WM'W g less Cal Or. Bonus $1 C 00 J' jgg Allowance 1 5 jgfew I : ?i jJ ' NORRIS THERMADOR jC --k0- TOILET r-Lj i 'ou ' 2 V TL 1 tr I DELTA "100" I f Medicine Cabinets I r'flfiv I , . -m . , R'.'-.-r- '1 18x32 24x32 V M I I I J PV" 30x32 . 36x32 if "w IV V II . . J mj.-h i wiirnup M -. A m I IW K, M I ,:J0L CEILING HEATER . Single Handle Faucet Special Sal Prices yVith Fan and (H KlAE V n W I $195 M& $1195 $0095 Calrod Unit " I lO ffom )o 0 1250 Watt &M I , 1 1 v. . AN ARMFUL - Mrs. Ramon E. Sagales, 27, of Argentina, cuddles her quadruplets, from left. Ana Marie, Leonor del Carmen, Jo.-e Adolfo, and Isabel Haydcs. The iniants were burn Jan. 21. Site lias two oilier children, Ricardo 5, and i Kitu, B. tUl'l) V iiiage V ariety & Lsarden bhop I Hunting & Fishing licenses Issued Pay Electric & Water Bills Here "Medford' Only Independent Variety Store" Next to "Piggly Wiggly" 2 Day Photo Finishing Service POST OFFICE ALWAYS OPEN 771 Stewart Avenue 9 A.M. to 9 P.M. Weekday - 10 to 6 Sunday 773-7002 Osod Astottment Valentines end Candy end 3 Piece Amethyst CHIP 'N' DIP SET Reg. $3.95 Set ONE ONIY-V-M Hi-Fi Sicrco Set 572.50 FREE WITH SETI 10 $4.98 (our price $3.98) albums, or ask for price alone. I imi ii ia vi nNIVIIIUIIW BATHROOM HEATERS New will Iniert type. Com pletely thermostatic con trolled. High polish chrome finish. 1250 wim 220 volts. $19.95 I icdidiiuc uii impci idi Ddiuuudiu ncdicis 62 Models, Only a Few in Stock 750W-Reg. $22.50 ONLY $1095 mm , mm 000W-Reg. $27.25... ISOOW-Reg. $32.25. ONIY 95 Elccfrie Heiting 2500W-Reg. $46.80.. it it thould rx! 3000W-Reg. $58.50 . ONIY ..ONIY $1655 SOC95 ..ONIY A 9 $3195 Wall Thermostats reg. $8.95 ONIY SET HE Price Effective Thru February 15 Dealer For Gaffers & Sattler, Pre way, Suburban and Monarch Built-in Ovens & Ranges RECORDS 33' j IP's 49c 33' i Stereos 99c While They Last 45 i 39c 78 t .. .05 (EMS WE SELL ONLY NEW MERCHANDISE EfZDfitj G&3l2sCtjv N0W
