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
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ONE ONIY-V-M
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