The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-03-05
THE MfCPfN Law.
Inc hacc-Trsci Counsel Jndeayorfns O
Pick Flaws in IL.

ltai-fady's Washington IosN se.o.
After careful scrutiny Of the Maupin
bill. legal counsel for the race-tracks
have discovered several vulnerable points
in the measure. Whether the racing mag
mates will regard them as OF sufficient m
portance 10 warrant test being maze "
actual racing remains to be seen. Inc
report is stin prevlent that the 81 Asaph
track viii be reopencd on March l''h'
and the officials neither deny nor ai''ii In
the statement They are not "liii"s ~
disclose their intentions just at present.
The first weak point which me iaN9e
found In the Maupn law was ~ '"o 49, 49,
y clause. which provides LOT ule
ment % "any person or cotpoI"',,u' -,
olating It's provisions. IL II h'"'I -
that IL IS impossible TO punsn oolFv'"
ton by Imprisonment an. gu -
the penalty that can be applied ms
point was brought up on the iioor OF 'ie
Senate at the time the bill was passeu,
one speaker maintaining that the tern.
corporation clearly meant the oihcefs OF
n corporation. Should ii ever feacn inc
Virginia courts however, II VIII DE
knOtty point 10 decide.
REGARDING IMPRISONMENT.
If st should be held that the several
members of a corporation cannot ne I'M
prisoned. there IS nothing 20 prevent uIe
sport from proceeding merriiy az the over
the-rlver tracks for at least TWO years
more.
Next in Importance comes the fact that
no less than three bins were enacted TOT
the purpose Of suppressing winter racing
rHH
and betting I'm Virginia. II was apparent
~ the intention Of the Maupin pii 10
prohibit betting on races in other states
as well as on races iu Virginia but IN
spite OF this fact another bill was passed
specially prohibiting betting on ioreibh
events.
The lawyers claim that the second hiN
IS. in effect simply a legislative constrlc-
ton Of the Maupin bill so far as n relates
to the foreign book; that obviously me
Maupin bin does not prohibit heti.nS OH
races in other States, or the second nlea-
surcs would not have been adopted IT Is
thought that there Is flaw I'm the second
bill. which renders 81 ineffective ana.
Therefore, IL IS quite possible that inc
foreign book may be operated as hereto-
fore
The prospect OF evadng the provisions
against the foreign book is good news
10 the track officials. and just now they
are devoting their attention 10 this prob
lem. II they can run the foreign DOCK
they viii be perfectly satisfied to let the
local racing 60. as the result would be al
most equally profitable.
IGNORES PRIVATE BETTING.
Furthermore. the Maupin hill seems 10
utterly ignore private betting. IL goes
into detail concerning the maintenance
Of betting booths, sheds. tents or other
structures. or the setting up OF betting
and gambling parapheinia, boards
sheets. and papers and provides severe
penalties for the same There is appar-
emily nothing in the BILL however. 10 pro-
hibit betting such as that i'm vogue on
the New York tracks last season.
10 IS almost the unanimous opinion Of
lawyers and others that fl IS only neces-
sary 10 devise some method Of registering
bets which will not be a violation OF the
law. This would involve considerable
trouble, but there Is little doubt that fl
can be done. and a system of this char
acter would be In smooth operation inside
Of few weeks. While no decision has
yet been announced. 70 IS quite probable
that one OF The two tracks will put some
such system In operation in the near
future
The situation at the tracks remains I'M
changed. There IS nowhere FOR owners 10
ship their horses. 50 they are patiently
awaiting the announcement OF the oDen-
ing on the Maryland tracks
SIII worm ny A .THLrJ-