The St. Louis Republic., 1902-12-07

WRITTEN FOR THE SUNDAY REPUBLIC.
With the assignment Of oates for the
racing season of 1858 II Is to be assumed
that the turf situation in the West is set
tied. al least settled as TAR as Missouri IS
concerned; Though it has been said that
there might be an attempt made to secure
thirty days on each track in Missouri. It is
scarce probable that there will be any
Missouri breeders express themselves
very mich satisfied with existing turf laws.
II was the fIrming and breeding interest
th:t was showed to the front when tho
breeders law vas passed, and that interest
feels thai the law has accomplished lot
i is fact that since the passage Of the
law in question some eight or ten breeding
farms haze been established in Missouri
and Illinois. contiguous TO St Louis. Msssrs.
Schroeder. .McAllster. Lucas. Nolan. Huff
nIai, Arnold aud Cook. an! other owners of
hr. ding stud farms in both Missouri and
Iliaois are much taken with the Breeders
Law, which gi:es them conveniert and
really market for their stock in St. Louis.
The writer believes in the racing accord
ican circus way. From two days TO one
Week in a town. a general holiday. every
one going fo' pleasure. certain amounts Of
spent in the side shows, booths etc no
harm done because Of circumscribed meet
Ing. ana AWAY again
II does not seem. however. that racing on
such basis can ever hope to exist In
America: where racing Is business. not a
II.
tracks laid out on the pasture of town
In2ors or commons. crowd mostly the
fed; small and incommodious stands. no
Stabiing on the track, horses stabing
around among. neighboring farmers and liv-
eri.ss no % naid a., judges no gate--save to
stands. stables. tracks, ETC. imperative In
America. The small American towns do not
want and will not support a race meeting
as they do in England. Hence racing must
depend upon the larger cities for support,
and protracted meetings are necessity.
cach track-aa England two days is
pienteous sgfficiency-the result would he
ch"ap, !&mshackie tracks would be built 10
run thirty days. that the existing sri-rldiS
structures wnuii he neglected and allowed
keep them going. and that the surrounding
AMI tone OF racing would he grieviouslv in
cheap tracks we're built to get ia, around u .p the he
fifteen-day racing law, which existed in that
State.
The writer Is not ardent supporter of
racing. He does not believe that horse
racing ant betting thereon 10 essential to
puhlc health or happiness. or that It's total
abolition would greatly embarrass the ra-
ti"n. But if it is to eXist-and its career of
4oa years would indicate that it is to do so
it is better that it he conducted under such
n law the breeders law than under al
most any other statute known to the writer
tra Ks nanase to give highly profta bic
thirty Gays' meetings the writer deems
i
fy the erection of a handsome plant large
purses. the proper maintenance Of the con-
Germ. well paid officials etc
While as before stated the writer haIjsvee
that the IDEAL way to Conduc; race meet
ing in St Louis would he track in Forest
Park. with stands. etc. built by public
subscription. 4 free field. a charge for adj
mission TO the betting ring. amateur Cit
Zenn for officials. taken from among the
leading citizens. n three-days' meeting
where there would not be much chance for
talk of fraud 1t seems that II is impossibIa
to conduct such a scheme of racing in Ame--
lea In this eventuaIity the present law is
probably about as good a one as ran be.
devised While it may be susceptible of
amendment. the writer does not eainsay
but there is no doubt whatever that racing
IN Missouri Is at present in a rar more
satisfactory condition than II is anyWhera
in America. That is not saying any too
much for racing in Missouri Ii may be
susceptible of much Improvement, NAV he
all wrong. in poor hands. etc but from the
point of cleanliness and FORM compared
with racing as it exists in Chicago and