Birmingham state herald., 1897-01-10
SADDLE AND PADDOCK.

Sporting News.
 The most of the eastern turf writers this winter are urging the necessity of the existence of some agreement between cile jockey club and the turf congress. Some go so far as to speak of a coalition, but as has been repeatedly pointed out in this column, that is impossible, through the differences of conditions existing. There should be some agreement, howev CT, between the two governing bodies The spectacle of seeing ruled-eff jockey like Martin in the saddle is dishearten- ing to lovers of the turf and there are other affairs that cause equally deep con- cern that could be avoided by some agreement. There really needs to exist but three points,:
 First-That each association shall rec ognize the ruling of the other as to per sons pronounced guilty of fraud or cor rupt practices. A(
 Second-As to registration.
 Thrd-Relating to disqualifications for participation in outlawed meetings
 It is useless for the Jocky club to ex- pect an argument asethe forfeit list This was what caused the turf congress to withdraw from the old agreement. There are very few forfeits in the west; nearly all of the stakes being on the cash plan. It would simply entail useless la bor and trouble to Western track. for which they would get no return. There would, of course, be an agreement as to jurisdie- tion, but that has already been determin- ed upon by the rules of both bodies and E thsre is no danger of conflict. Uniformi- ty in the weight scale Is to be desired, but it is not vital. e#
 No man can urge a reason why there should not be an argument as to the. three main points. No one surely with the true interests of the sport at heart desires to see crooks openly supported in their attitude of defiance by either of the associations. The same holds good of the outlaw proposition. The registration muddle should be settled. The present system requires a double registration. The Jocky club requires all horses to be registered with it, before. they can start over Jockey club tracks. The turf con gress recognizes only registration with the American stud book This entails q useless expense. to breeders and is per picking to owners. esf
 rise in the scale of weights by the Western Turf Congress is demanded by patrons of the sport. At it's last annual meeting the Jockey Club of New York inaugurated this reform and the western organization will do well to promulgate similar innovation on it's circuit Lack of firSt-claSs riding talent was the only drawback to the fair grounds meeting last season. Slaughter and Jones, two iight-weights had everything their own way. Our jockeys have not kept up with the progressiveness of the horse. We have no riders today like Garrison Mclaughlin and Murphy. Ted Sloan, the foremost American jockey of the year, is not to be compared with any of the above trio when they were at their best. A rise in the scale of weights will give Johnnie Mooney, Charley Mcdonald, Frankie Jordan and other old-time favor ties another chance in the saddle.
 
 W. s. vosburgh, the official handicap per of the Jockey club tracks, tells some of his experience with horsemen, one of which shows how a mans own interest changes his opinion: "In 1892, gentle man who owned one of the largest sta bles in training had a very moderate lot, and there was. scarcely a day that sum- mer at Monmouth that he did not impress upon me how desirable it was to begin with a, high-top weight it was so 'nec- essary to make fields and 'brnig them to- gether' and to give the poorer class of horses chance Later in the year the