Omaha daily bee., 1898-02-10
ALL DRIVERS MUST NE LICENSED.
National Trotting Association Makes
Some Imnortnnt Am enLm enta.

Some Important Amendments.
NEW YORK. Feb. s.-The biennial con-
gress Of the National Trotting association
met here today The representatives went
over the entire turf code and after discuss
ing the various changes suggested by the
rules committee approved the great ma
jority OF them. Few of the rules enacted at
the congress held on February II, 1896, and
only will the National Trottlng associat tion
be governed by the revised code, but by
resolution the American Trottng associa-
tion was requested TO concur.
The annual election of officers resulted;
President. p. Il. johnson, Lexington, KY;
vice presidents, David Bonner of New York
and M. L. Smith Of San Francisco; treas
urer, Lewis j. Powers, Springfield Mass;
secretary, w. S. Gocher, Hartford, Conn.
The following district boards were also
East Dlstrict-Charles b. Palmer lowell.
Mass; William Christie. Toronto; Morgan
G.. Bukley, Hartford Conn.
Atlantic District-Georgo Archer. Roches-
Frank Bower, Philadelphia.
Central District-Willam Edwards, Cleve-
land william II. Allen, st. Louis; Il. l..
Kirkman, Nashville, Tenn.
Western Dstrct-W. c. Blake, Cedar
Rapids, Ia; John L. Mitchell, Milwaukee;
Pacific District-E, p. Herald, San Fran
cisco; A h. Spreckles, San Francisco; c. NJ.
Two questions that have excited much
discussion in trotting circles the abolition
OF hobbies ana the licensing of drivers, came
In for brief discussion. The section re-
garding the use of hobbies now reads:
Horses wearing hobbies shall not be eli.
gible to start In races on the grounds OF
members after January l. 1S99'
The new rule regarding the licensing OF
drivers provides that no rider or driver shall
be allowed to compete on the grounds of
member until he shall have obtained a
license from the secretary of the National
Trotting associations; that license must be
applied for anyway; that in an emergency n
member may permit II rider or driver to
compete pending action on application for
license, but In all such cases the winnings
of the horse shall be withheld until the
license Is issued, and In case of failure to
be distributed under the rules; that a license
may be revoked under certain conditions; ;
that license may be issued free of charge
to all riders and drivers against whom there
are no claims on the books.
The same rule provides that drivers must
no licensed rider or driver can, without
sufficient reason, decline to be substituted
by judges required by rule 81, which has
reference to disqualification of the driver
of a horse that is being pulled or being
handled improperly such a refusal may be
| punished by suspension, or the imposition
| of tine, or both; t1at rider or driver
| shall not ride or drive a horse in n race
without personal knowledge as to the eligi-
| blity of the horse.
| A resolution introduced by Charles r.
Palmer of Lowell which set forth that, as
| 1t is generally believed that betting on heats
| is detrimental to the best interests of the
! approves of the practice and declines to give
| it recognition was adopted
New York was selected the place of
| meeting for the next congress-.