The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-03-14

! world for raising fast horses At any
time. if order be framed here that will
legalize horse-racing to be carried on le-
ultimately and in such a way as to ex-
clude boys and girls from attendance up
on races, and will honestly stimulate and
encourage the raising of such horses. [
shall be in favor of it and will vote for
it. even If it is next Monday I will vote
for the present resolution
Mr.. KaIben when his name was called,
! said ''Mr Mayor and gentlemen: 1 have
| studied this thing up little bit and
find that 1 cannot vote for the resolution.
Ny only reason is-and I can explain it
to you here-that my business does not
allow me to do so: therefore 1 would
rather not vote at all than to be recorded
as voting"
Mr.. Black voted no without remark.
and Messrs. Perrault, Lackmann, Bying-
ton, Collins. Heyer Deasy, Attridge and
Aigeltinger aye.
The Mayor declared the result-9 ayes,
1 no, excused, I CMr. Phelps absent, and
the resolution finally passed, whereat the
lobby applauded.
Mr.. Perrault-On behalf of this commu-
nifty l now request the Mayor to attach
his signature to that order and have 1t
become a law at once
The Mayor-I will give the order my
best attention. I do not hesitate to say
| that 1 approve of it, and have no objec-
tion to signing it now.
The Mayor then attached his signature,
the crowded lobby applduding heartily.
At the conclusion of the meeting
Mayor Phelan and every member of the
board were interviewed in reference to
tn great public duty which they had
| performed Supervisor Phelps was not
present at the meeting, did not vote
and consequently was not interviewed.
In what follows the people of San Fran
cisco may see clearly how deeply the
Mayor and the Supervisors felt the re-
sponsibility of their position.
MAYOR JAMES ID. PHELAN-T
signed the ordinance of the Super
vfsors. having been requested to do
SO by Supervisor PerrauIt I'm open
board. and because 1 was familiar
with the order and needed time
to consider 1T.
There was attempt made last
year to limit the racing season in
this city to n certain number of
weeks-I forget the exact period,
six or eight weeks-and 1T was then,
with Il certain amount of reason,
| objected to by the managers OF
IngIeside track, that as the regula-
ton would only apply to them 1T
would give the Oakland track all
! the business without renewing
peopIe of San Francisco, on account
of the proximity of Oakland, of any
of the evils of which complaint is
made 1t was tacitIy understood at
that time that the Legislature
would be asked to regulate the sea-
son SO 1T would apply to all tracks
alike. This, said, appeared
reasonable, but when the bills were
| 81 % mr.
were opposed and failed to pass.
| Therefore the Board of Supervisors
had to begin the regulation of the
evil on their own account.
1t Is true that the passage of this
order will not in any way interfere
with the selling of pools in other
counties adjacent to San Francisco,
but 1T may serve an example and
an object lesson. Certainly If the
selling of pools is a detriment to the
morals and business of San Fran
cisco. 1T is equally Injurious to the
business and morals of other places.
In New York and other Eastern
| States the Legislature has limited
the period of racing to a certain
number of weeks, which 1 think is
the true solution of the question,
and If our Legislature had done SO
and the managers of the rnce tracks
co-operated, as they promised last
year. there might not have been any
| necessity for this stringent order.
The length of the season encOur-
aged people to make a regular BUSH
ness of attendance ON the races, and
the snort degenerated into gam
bling, and ms n result we find the
r-a.@asf decentralization. Vast mum.
bers of people made business of
gambling, and L suppose that 80 per
cent of them lost their earnings and
their savings. The practice discour-
aged honest toll, prevented the
smaller merchants from collecting
their bills for the necessities of life
supplied to families, and was NO
doubt the cause of poverty, suicide
| and crime.
The breeding and the racing of
horses can be carried on without
the bookmakers. If there were a
short season the people would pat
ronfze literally the track for the
sake of the sport; and prizes could
be offered as nn incentive to the
owners to enter their horses. The
fees for entry and n percentage OF
the gate receipts would be ample
Il for the prizes, and when the Park
i Panhandle is extended and other
bouIevards laid out our people Will
purchase weII-bred horses for their
own pleasure, thus making a mar
ket where none now exists.
1t is not only a matter of morals,
but is a matter of businesss The