New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-02-18
RACING UNDERTHE NEW LAW
THE GRAY-PERCY ACT PRONOUNCED A
SUCCESS.
SOME CHANGES IN II SUGGESTED BY THE STATE
RACING COMMISSION. INCLUDING MoDIFi-
CATION OF THE PER CENT TAX
AND A PROVISION TO PREVENT
EMISSIONS OF THE LAW.

| night its first annual report. II Is an exhaustive
document. dealing in detail with the practicai
operation OF the GTay-Percy law and concluding
with such recommendations experience mas sus-
gested for it's perfection. Two Of these recon-
menda lions will undoubtedly be the subject OF legs-
lation. The first will be amendment OF section
IS of the present law. that it may be possible Tor
the several racing associations TO discriminate IN
the pricec Of admission they may charge to certain
portions of their grounds where certain privileges
may be enjoyed. providing always, OF course iha'
these privileges not contrary 10 law and DO not
contemplate pool-seliing bookmaking. The sec
ond amendment will be designed to make impos-
sble I'm future any such attempt to violate the law
as that which was designed by De Lacy and others
in the Maspeth bogus fair Of last fall.
In accordance with strong letter addressed 10
them by the Coney Island Jockey Club the Brook
lyn Jockey Club and the Westchester Racing Asso-
citation the Commission recommends that the Legs-
lature should tighten the burdens imposed by the
State tax OF per the gross receipts. 10 the
extent that such tax shall ne!ther crea'e
nor increase a deficit. The Commission suggests
some alternative propositions the subject but II
il understood that while IT comedies the argument
OF the associations II does not feel called upon 10
introduce legislation in the matter. FROM the ,o"c
OF the report II may be accepted that the CoH'his-
sion will content itself with mere report ana rec
concentration on this subject. and VIII then ai'o"
II to be entirely at the discretion Of the Legs
lature
strong feature Of the report is contained IN the
ann ended copy of the judgments Of the seVerai
courts In which the constutionality OF the la" was
upheld 1t is neat compliment TO the "'soo'' -
the, Legislature OF 1885. and brings forcpiy 10 te
attention of the present House the fact that the
courts have decided that horse racing ana sweep
stakes not lotteries. and that the Gray -re,cy
bill is well within the constitutional ihhlol'io''
against gambling. The report says In part;
The Commission is convinced that the experimeen,,
Success The massage of tho constitutional amend,
ment providing that pool-sellsng. bookmaKlls an.
other kinds of gambling should not thereai.Sr no
Authorized or allowed within this state. ana re-
Gmest!ng the Legislature pass appropriate Jaws 10
partIre from former avs. and might have beer peer
The occasion for unwise action on the par 81 Inc
re ;ard 20 The constitutional regurensnt nsI Iasee
thorlzed racing under sich Sond'lo adnS
m~Yis and racing stables is likely to be preserved
,h largo number Of employees in and about the con-
d"c, ~ breeding ana racing OF horses to continue
49, be employed under conditions where the sport OF
5o,g.,,",irg hos been distinctly advanced
'g h saf~s,lards thrown about racing by these pro-
visions have been found to work as well in practlse
~. IN theory The racing itself has been OF ne hsh
@s, order and many persons prominent IN me com
mn,i.y who have not OF late been in sympathy win
racing have returnet to or have ior 'he HS' '''''
become Identified with the turf - =. .h.
Unfortunately however. the net returns 10 In, tne
In nearly every instance a financial loss has o'eh
Sustained Every effort must be made to correct
this FOR otherwise II Is only Question 1i uni ,s,
racing itself suffer and with II the ony les.
.ss. tial for the breeder IN the selection OF sta!os
During tn year the commss2n issued licenses 10 70
/ -. following associations. The toneN lSlthu
Jockey CLUB the Brooklyn JOCKEY Vi9o. tne oai
too, Pacing Association the New York Steeple-
chase Association, the WestcheSter hacls @ ,n
lion. the Queens county JoCkeS auo' e., ,'. nn "a
brighton Beach Association ihey nave III an re-
specis complied with TIE reqursne nr 81 of Hsw
| York three in Kings. one IN Saratoea ana one IN
| Queens County In no instance was II louIu heVes-
gary annul OF suspend lcslse loi ~ "a ~.
! nv an Arrangement suggested nut not ulcla'eu' ~
Ht,,o ,nnr dates OF meeting that there was not az
any on. time has been the case heretofore IN any
one section more than one associa'io" e"saseo III
' r ar. r ali this State 81 last year
/ ty The commission To the owners Of the winners
al flcs. races the several assorlil IONS pal ou w
, a.. go a. About 50 per cent OF these premiu ms
v.as won either by horses owned IN this State. ana
in many prominent INSTANCES bred within rad Jus
/ tents and purposes 10y horses permanently mere.
while o, the amount won by horse-oWhers %no vi
9o Der cent remained here I'm the form OF money ex-
.,,I In ,he maintenance Of horses and men.
,,cknv f.es transportation and other incidental
expenses necessary TO the equipment ana conduct
OF stable
cr.,n.sion bv the three racing associations above
,r.ption.a reciting the burdens OF the ) per cent
gross receip; tax. and requesting the Commission
10 call tho attention Of the Legislature TO the sweep
Ing change On the earning power OF the racing asso
cations They appended a comparative statement
/ N
Of the brooklyn Jockey club for the years 1884 ana
1925. follows.
THE COMFY BLAND JOCKEY CLUB.
ise4- 1895
;;r l'g Te1 c' ls' s552i sis' 100 20
selling privileges .....-.-. d1i 80" ~, 40 o, M
AMOUNT n' o; money for ~. 'ooooo" $500"
f " bsna ,, 27co7 else 90
nm pvoot,r.yN Hockey CLUB
1894 1898.
Nameer Of DAYS raced ..as go 90 sl, 100 30
Rr.eipts rom rom looknakng ana pool
selling privileges -, - - ~ %, 2as On
AMOUNT u none, raced .... 2ais5Ooo 2d5a5 %
= when the aericul'u al fairs are o,,, an. 90
the henehcari-s -l'"'oV so" w
The report then shows how the money value OF
racehorses has been decreased owing to the fact
that their earning power has greatly fallen off
1t says:
sold IL the pnns markets ,h i5 y
scs s5 In 1895 there were l2s7 sold for 1915 $i9 The
prise ea1.a az the IN es w IN ers
was decrease of nearly ~ pc. cent in he valve luz
entirey on the breeding Industry.
one Of the Commissions recommendations for
amending the law Is as follows:
The provisions In regard to fairs should be
performance as was attempted last year at the Mas
peth track and the consequent expense attending
suppression. IL VIII ne remembered that trOt-
ting associations and fairs not required to Sc
cure licenses from the Commission that II is
possible for unworthy persons under the gu'se Of
4 fair organization. to conduct a dsrepuable run
ming race meeting a simple amendment the act
o the effect that the grounds Of fair organiza
ton should be used for more than a hve-days meet
ing would corrcr' ,he evil.
COMMITTEE VIEWING SARATOGA LAKE
Saratoga y. Y. Feb. l7.-Fred r. Fortmeyer
secretary OF the National Association OF Amateur
har ~ .ha ~,
mittee. representing the Intercollegiate Regatta OF
Harvard Cornell Columbia, and University OF
Pennsylvania colleges came here yesterday. and in
company with committee OF citizens visited Sara
tOga Lake TO determine II IL IL suitable place for
holding the college regatta in June The commit
teemen expressed themselves being favorably i'm
pressed with the facilities here for the
contest They returned TO New-York last night
They would not say whether Saratoga would be the
L x.fna, oIa-.t.l -.