New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-06-09
FUTURE OF HARNESS RACING
PROBABLE EFFECT OF ANTI-BETT1NG
LAWS.
r,-RFuEN AGREE THAT THE SPORT MUST BE
PLACED on DIFFERENT BASIS VI "'f
PORT THAN IN THE PAsT-REAsoNS
FOR THEIR OPINIONS.

FOR THEIR OPINIONS.
Tho recent action of the Pennsylvania Legis-
la;ure In enacting the Peltz Anti-Be'uhs ID" auu'
~ - tho list of Eastern States that have
declared against racetrack gambling with'h 'he ia'
year Now that public betting on races ~ ioio''
49, +, paprsvlvania New-Jersey, New-York. Con-
,oc,icut Rhode Island and Massachusetts, the
States in which practically all OF the ie''S
trottng tracks east OF the AieshanS
are located. the followers OF harness. ia''"a "
awaiting with much anxiety the outcome Oh '"e
present campaign There is singular difference
- ,i-,o, o,ong experienced turfmen as 10 the
roh,h,a effect of the laws upon harness '"'
inc and horse interests in general, some sp''
men stouty maintaining that the Pio''D'o
noolsellng and bookmaking Is gong 10 CIV N'
,b.ee ~ the snort new lease or llfe' "ie o
rs insist that hghclass trotting is doomed III 'ne
&c.. ,,,hore nublic betting has been stopped ohe
,hir, however is agreed upon by all VINO are ID
,niliar with the methods which have maze ""'"''S
racing financially successful III CERTAIN"
tracks which will be affected by the re'or" ''s'
lation. II they manage to survive unce' me NJ
rIr q, things It will have to be on Dasis e"-
.,, Ioorent from that which has supported them
=, ho ms, They will have 10 rely more ia'se's
unor gate receipts and less upon prV"'Ks i'
from booksellers bookmakers' restaurant a.
io.ners and men who run the sinoh-pu'c e"' -
chance known as the wheel OF fortune ~
,ords tho snort must stand on its merits as d
, o.,.cle ar fall as the better class 0i
m
,sr,e, agree that IT deserves to ran where
h,d management has dragged 1t down TO tne 'eY,.
~ "a simple conspiracy - gaihpie anu 90 -
Harness racing under the new or''r u '"''7
rovy been on trial IN Philadeiph'a 'o' ~" .,
, and with poor financial success 'e'''s'
P -, ,r,ss r.norfs have grossly under'su-
- ,,o daily attendance at the Belmont f4fN
and Point Breeze meetings. MI accounts
that better trotilng WAS never p''o'' So" - ~
t,,stern track AZ this season ~ the year. YET vi ~
occasion except Decoration Day wien 80 80
IT,, = -oo neope witnessed the wind-up AT he''r''.
nd, ho rho number OF spectators reached Lv"
- NOR. Tho average daily Attendance mas zee"
s,aer,hlv below these figures hV'ryp''E w
,cri.necl in the management oil "o'""7
,erees that no association can long SUI ,t,
th.s. conditions and the situation j"
+. cited a. proof that harness racing cam. D'
fully carried on without the poo.poN a'J''''"
, ,hro is another side to the question: say
-, ,,.,,s of pubic betting. 1t IL asserted "y
,h,so yh, ought to know that bad mafas'i'."
alone Is al the bottom OF the poor suPP' ,,,
rafting now receives from the people Vi i"''
1,nta and that the meetings given at both tracks
= ..,..rol wears past have been conducted Oh 4
false basis the interests Of the poosr.rS anu o'''
n,,.rs NJ privileges being looked to more
closely than the entertainment anu ~,
ton 81 the spectators IN ~
Tits the last annual report oil ."'
r ., the Philadelphia Driving Park NsSoo''
ION =
t, ,ho Nv. trotfing meetings given at the POINT
pre- truck in 1884, resulted In A net loss 10 'he AZ
s,cl,tlon OF 1881 The aggregate gate re''lp's III
those five meetings only N,'s an a'efds' VI Us
,h,n 800 a day while the gross expenses I'o'' Wy
a. ,q4 leaving ss ST. or little more than % per cent
-, the total receipts 10 be made up from o'n'i '' %
~ revenue Apart from entrance fees pai' oS S'''
100 IL, rho races the largest income was oeINeH
from the sale Of privileges or concessions u '''
SORTS this item bringing in to the clup u'is"''
SO g., thus IT Will b. seen that the poo.S''rtS
,.,,-,,ls.rs restaurant and the IKE
contributed last season nearly seven "'"'S a.
-, a. m. suectators toward the support ~ the
Point Breeze meetings. and this analysis oil "'a'ee'
will apply pretty closely 70 the other r"'n''p''a
track a.. well as great many to''hs cou'''
throughout the country. with the interests VI s.
oral raceeoers thus completely overshadowei ny
~, interests Of the betting fraternity and the Class
,yh, p,tronize the bar. it would not De very sur
rrl.lne In this giliei OF racing wheh '"e 'o'
m,r-al spirit * uppermost with " m'J'''S o.
,,,ers II the degree OF con-.l Iteration given 70 Inc
supporters OF the sport Mere proporto""'e ~ ''''
contributions to the Golfers 81 the cino
~. 3, rtuce matters. this is exactly what some
,,,,l. .1y is true OF TOO many uoitinS tracks To-
DAY. one man has paid big sum LOT '''' eN0'D''
right 70 satisfy the public thirst, ana inc crown
mn, ne kept AT the track long enough for nm 70
o., Ma money back. even II the lui-'7 nave 80 49,
-, 80 drar along until O'Clock at night; Ihdt
,nis is often done upon orders from the manage
mont the writer has been told repeatedly oS J1NHvS'
,ho sought 10 excuse themselves for u"''NeSS''"s
uroionging IN, races. Tn po1.seler anu inc "o'A-
-, t.r nav literally for their privileges ana IL Is
taking money out Of their pockets every Time ue
,,be.s declare bets OF a race that looks susp-
cious ar worse WhDe anything approaching coAu-
sion between the booksellers ana the Judges i ""o
10 M, very rare occurrence. 1t Is just as bai lot
rho man who makes bet or The spectator WHO
~ =, -. Il race for blood II the officials hesitate
f.l
r,,,ca,l welfare of the chief holder OF concessions
tIo,, .oose and low l. the standard OF eih's III
vogue on some % the uottins tracks "hef' "e
r.v.nu. from betting overshadows the legitimate
s,lr,. Of income from tho gate Is illustrated by inc
u,rnlciols system OF permitting bookmakns on the
result OF each heat. AMI At the same time us''i''"
inc authority 10 prevent the widespread practice OF
l,ynr up heats Experienced circuit iohowers VINO
have studied the methods of the average pooNHaAV'
from the outside and the inside OF the box say II
* no uncommon thing for the marker OF the odds
and the who drives n tsSore 10 "TrN ,, Nc
r.thcr ana 'cut up the sheet the one poStnhis
Tempting odds and making all the pet, ,h poSS fhny
against the iayorite for The neat "he .ne c Sh
takes good care that the faVorte doe sn VIII sun
Ting as decarnS OF d pe'S Oh no speeinc rule in
thr book which prohibits the prac, lie, IN, ,
many short-sighted track managers, who DO not
come 10 appreciate the necessity OF proleV.nb "o
public until their patrons have lost confidence ~
ihr honesty OF the sport and ceased TO Auehd 'he
races
Irud.r the present condition OF tnilSS Oh ''oN
ting turf there IL another character whose III
nmencr With the track inagers is alosether too
,,re.t for the good of clean sport. This - the IN
mental horse owner or driver as the ease may DE-,
the man who controls bg stable OF ,Iottets. ne
Things which "A closc-mOuthed man OF discretion.
who has it In his power 10 give OF withho!i a uoHen
or more entries At a meetinS cannot 90 on SON
tracks which need not be- named are hardy worm
talking about. n good men are 90 be ptI''c.'; Al
,rns, ANYTHING short of downright fraud Is winked
nj by Judges whose sole aim seems TO be TO further
IN. trmporarv financial welfare or the manage
men, and even where crooks are caught red~
handed I'm the act of pulling they frequently escape
with a comparatively light fine instead or beng
ruled of fer life. With the associations almost
completely dependent upon horse owners poolseIl-
era md caterers for their revenues. II Is no wonder
,hnt these Influences dominate the management OF
many trotting meetings 10 the detrment. II not
th. min of the sport and the disgust of intelli-
gent racegoerS. -,.,..
The great difficulty seems TO be- so the critics
say mar the whole interest has heretofore rested
/ upon a false basis The average horse owner, or
driver is not for his health, but for the mighty
dollar and that alone. He finds II hard work to