New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-02-21
rOR CLEAN md HONEST RACING.

4 hearing will be- given at Albany to-day III
regard 10 the Gray Racing bill 1t is already
evident that this measure will be vchcmenlly
onposcd by the basrr element of the turf. Ii Is
So rigorous and severe in its provisions for the
suppression Of bcttngrings. pool-sclling ana
Matchmaking that if the bill becomes a law all
the evils of racerack gambling. when nave
been So notorious and Migrant in recent years
will be- done away with in the State OF New
York Every earnest advocate Of honorable
sport is strongly in favor OF the aDolitioh Oh
betting rings, and Of all the rascalties when
have grown up in NcwYorl, about the system
of bookmakng and Of lcgaliZed gamphhg vi
the racccolirses. The professional gaihpi'rs vi
the State do not take kindly TO this Gray Dill.
They realize that II the Legislature adopts inc
proposcd act. it will be impossible for them 10
fleece the public either in poOlro0ms or III pet
tina-rlngs on racctracks That is exactly what
the honest people Of the Empire State ardently
dcsirc-thr destruction of all lcgaliZcd ana per
mittcd gambling the closing of all poolrooms'
the sweeping away of betting rings and book
making.
If the Legislature accepts the views OF the
friends Of honest sport it will probably pass
the GRAY bill. The character OF the opposition
70 this bill is 4 strong passport to the FAVOR OF
LEGISLATORS who wish TO see racing OF the high
cst class carried on in this State without any
of the evils which have attended 1t in previous
vcors The section Of the bill which provides
for the licensing of racetracks ought To COM
mend il 10 the support Of Senators and Assem-
blvmen who are In sympathy WIN efforts 10
cleanse honest sport Of every objectionable feat
urc All running courses and trotting courses
should b. licensed by proper authority. ana
should he. under vigilant supervision and regu-
Iation. The Gutenberg rascalS. who recently
c,ue to grief in New Jersey. after defyinS the
law I'm that state for many years. should not
bc allowed To disgrace Saratoga hereafter 10y
,hcir burlcSune Of sport. No racctrack should
be- permitted 10 open its gates THIS year or NJ
any time I'm the future which is not entirely
under The control If reputable, hghmhh"''
puhlic.Spiritcd citizens. The day or the Grap-
bcr' and Of the graSping. unscrupulouS promoter
Of public gambling on the TURF ana the ia! OF
the friends and supporters Of the infamous bet
tins.rincs. have gone hy. Racing must ne
Wholesome. sweet. and Of good roputc or 1t can
not he, permitted to exist in this state. Hence
the licensing system and kecn-"yed supervision
and reculntion should be- enforced 10 the letter.
No modification in any way OF the provisions
of the bill which are intended to put an end 10
the bors. stains and shamcs of past years on
the turf should be permitted.
Some people say that racctracks should be
compellcd To pay > per cent Of their gross re-
ceipts 10 the State for the benefit OF the county
fairs and not ; per cent their net receipts. as
the Gray bill provides: but IL should be reInem-
bcrcd that as there will be no bctting-rings I'M
dor the new conditions. the revenues of the
racing associations will. of course. be greatly
diminished Last year The total receipts OF the
Concv Island Jockey club were more than half
a million dollars. and the total receipts or the
x.w.york Jockey club and Of the Brooklyn
Jockey club exceeded 100000 each. Probably
almost 80 per cent Of this revenue In each ease
came from the betting rings and betting priv
u.ccs on the tracks Of these organizations. All
running and trotting associations will be- de
nriycd II income from betting under the Gray
hill Hence It does not appear TO be- unrcason-
able that racing organizations should be taxed
In the future only > per cent on their net re-
ccipts instead 81 upon their gross receipts. II
the Legislature should Insist that tax should
be imposed upon their gross receipts, IL would
Inc advisable - make the tax less than per
cent.
The proposed racing act has received the sup
mort Of great number of newspapers III TINS
city and in other parts OF the STATE" IL mas also
the snpport Of many prominent racing men. who
desire To free the turf from the swampS soughs
and pcstholcs which have been 50 abundant
both on It's surface and beneath its surface in
this state for many years. The Legislature
should consider the subject carefully. and should
moi Weld in the least To the appeals and arg,i-
mcnts of men who are really enemies of honest
sport while they are processing to be friends
Of the turf.
THE SITTER BILL DROPPED.
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