New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-04-12
TRUE FRIENDS OF RACING.
WHAT THEY SAY ABOUT THE SITUATION.

THE TURF CANNOT POSSIBLY PROSPER UNLESS
RADICAL REFORMS ARE MADE
The best friends OF the best quality Of racing are
stu crtclsing with much severity the action VI
certain representatives, Of raceracks who nave peeA
trying in the State Senate this late day to amend
the Grey Percy Racing bill. All well-informei peo-
pie say that any efforts TO amend the bill now that
it has reached the Senate, are likely 10 result IN the
failure of this measure TO become a law. If this
bill IS enacted. the prospect for any racing ~
all in any part of the Empire state IS OF the glooml-
and most dismal kind II this racing Dill Is
by the action Of racetrack represeniaF es
who have been urging amen Inents IN IN" 'eII"'c'
those representatives will be denounced with eX-
IRENE bitterness by all unSefish and disntereSted
supporters Of the turf. 1t is not a matter ot tAe
mightest moment to the racing ORGANIZATIONS III
this State whether for this particular year, 1895,
they compelled to pay to the State for count!
fairs. agricultural associations. etc. per cent on
their gross receipts As The Tribune has pointed
clearly and emphacaly again and again the
racetracks OF this State brought upon themselves
the calamity of the passage Of the constitutional
amendment last year They ought to he glad to get
any sort Of a racing bill through this Legislature
at this time. They ought to be satisfied with any
racing measure that they obtain. They ought
to BE- willing to make little or no profits in this
particular year, or even to suffer losses theE
can secure the privilege Of glvins racing at all
1t may be difficult get 4 Jaw Of the Grey
Percy bill becomes law 50 amended next WIN
ter to make the percentage Of the receipts OF
the racetracks per cent on the net instead or
per cent the gross; but all attempts TO amend
the hill this session of the Legislature ought to
be abandoned at once. or the raceracks viii PROB
ably be compelled 10 give up any effort to use
their property for racing purposes al any time in
1885.
HUGE PROFITS IN THE PAST.
The managers and the stockholders of the racing
associations in this State ought To console them
selves with the reflection that their receipts and
profits in previous years have been enormous. No
sympathy need be wasted the man who
bought property altogether too valuable II be used
for racing. who put up buildings altogether too
costly for racing purposes in this state and who
invested SO much money that he was never able 10
obtain stupendous profits on his investments. He
fell into errors of judgment in his investments and
disappointed in the results. But every racing
association in this that displayed any ehrewi
ness in the purchase of land for racing uses and
in the erection of suitable buildings. did not fail
for many years to make enormous profits the
money actually invested. The Brooklyn Jockey Club.
the New-York Jockey Club the Brighton Beach
Association and other organizations in the
State have secured most dazzling returns for the
fortunate who invested in the securities OF
those associations. The revenues derived from the
betting rings and from other sources We're trench
dous for many seasons. The popularity Of racing
reached its height few years ago If the man
ayers Of racetracks had shown moderation,
sagacity and wisdom they could not only have
maintained the popularity Of the turf but they
could have developed and expanded and enlarged
that popularity every season. II our racetracks
had been managed with acuteness. foresight and
discretion the turf would have grown in popularity
and in the goodwill and favor Of the pubic year
after year. But. without exception. the racccouISes
in the part of the country have been under
the control of who did not fully realize that
their only chance of lasting success and continued
.trg,
the great mass OF the peop.e, whose support alone
could maintain the turf ana sustain It's prosperity
UNWISE POLICY OF RACE COURSE MAN
Ayers.
Most of the managers OF race.racks in the East
have belonged TO particular classes. BIT not one
racecourse in this State has been managed in the
broadest. most generous most liberal lines. with
unfiinching. constant and fearless determination
10 inspire rnbounded public confidence in the
honesty and cleanliness of racing. As The
p Trbure has often proved beyond pos
sible doubt, if the managers of our weE-knoWn
racetracks had kept in mind all the time the
absolute necessity of convincing the people in this
State and other States that there were stains.
evils abuses. scandals in turf affairs;
that dishonest men allowed 10 play any
tricks; that no interruptions trainers or jockeys
were permitted to put up any Jobs; that these
managers were determined to suppress all vicious
and Objectionable elements in racing; that ;hey
bent making the sport spotless stainless,
honorable and above reproach that they would Doe
digent earnest. bold, courageous. energetic quick.
Keen alert to discover anything that wrong
in racing. and unsparing in the abolition OF al
evils and abuses the Constitutional amendment
adopted last fall aboiishng betting would not have
been necessary. TIE truth is that all our race
track managers were TOO much concerned about
immense dividends and vast profits They ought
10 understand by this time that racing cannot AZ
Tess there are radical reforms from the very top
10 the very bottom OF the turf. The Jockey Club
fSElF hoe Far has f.4.
active resolute resourceful and energetic in de-
tecfing and furnishing fraud The stewards ard
officials OF our racetracks have apparently shut
Their eyes In several Instances TO hagran, no
torious and conspicuous abuses They have not
been doing everything they could do to eliminate
everything that was irdefensblc and unclean on
to act up to the standard 't OF aniy which they
should have set up for themselves.
NEW STEWARDS AND OFFICIALS NEEDED.
If the Gray-Percy bill does not become a law 1t
is not likely that there viii De any racing in this
State in 1895. II it does becomes law. 1t is
tain that turf organizations cannot induce the
great masses Of the people to visit the race
courses and TO make racing success by their
patronage unless they will do everything in their
must appoint stewards and oftclais whose eye
sight is SO acute whose grasp of the situation is
so masterful, whose capacity for detecting fraud
and disSonesty - so exceptional. that the racing
suspicion That is the only hope for The racing
organizations. The Jockey Cub ought to put
Joseph ]. Burke at the head OF it's board of stew
ards for the principal racetracks. with positive In
struetions that he shall devote all mis- energies to
the detection of dishonesty and fraud and then the
severest punishment should be applied. There
should be such mistaken lcniency
shown by the Jockey Club last year in restoring to
the turf a number of rascals who had been prop
erly ruled of. The turf needs publication sadly.
Joseph ]. Burke has peculiar qualifications for the
position of presiding steward and chief official
our racetracks and II he is properly backed up
and supported by the Jockey Club Itself and by
the racing organizations which under Jockey
Club ru.es there is doubt that Mr.. Burke with
such assistants az he ought TO have will be able
make racing in this State a spotlessy clean
a
clean and honest sport in the past The
who controlled 1t have been too careless neg
ngent, too Indifferent. too inefficient make Il
thoroughly clean and honest. and without blemish.
Moreover. The Tribune has said, the Jockey
Club needs three starters. The Arrangement
which has existed IN previous years Of having only