The San Francisco call., 1903-01-15
BROOKS MEETING
UNDER THE BAN
The Los Angeles Racing
Ordinance Proves
Far Reaching.
Mayor Snyder Will Sign the
Measure Upon His
Return South.

Los ANGELES, Jan. H.-Sporting men
are distressed over the passage by the
Los Angeles City Council of an ordinance
prohibiting hookmaking on local and for
eign races, as it practically Will put an
end to racing here. With no hope of q
change Of front by the Council, the sport
ing men have been counting on a veto of
the ordinance by Mayor Synder, who is
in Sacramento. Snyder has stilled this
hope, however, by announcing in an in
terview that he expects to sign the ordl-
nance on his return to Los Angeles. The
Mayor said to-day:
Il have always recognized the Council
as the legislative body of the municipal
gle measure involving the actual govern
ment of the city. | have disapproved of
ordinances granting privileges creating
offices, regulating salaries and awarding
contracts, and do not understand why
question should be raised as to my inten
tiOns in the present instance. l shall take
up this subject on my return home by the
end of the week. l was not aware this
new legislation was to be enacted and
know of no reason why L should disap-
prove this new ordinance"
D.
geles Racing Association attributes the
passage of the ordinance to the influence
Of northern racing men, who realize. that
if there is a big race meeting at Los An
geles they will have to come here against
their wishes.
1T all ought TO depend upon the peo-
pie" says Brooks, "and 1 believe they
want the racing. The small meeting held
here last fall speaks best for the sport as
we conduct it. Before and since that
meeting L have received every encourage
ment from many of the best people in
Los Angeles. The forty-six-day meeting
planned to open on the 3lSt inst. would
have Heen superior in every way to the
other /and far surpass the racing now go
ing on at the northern tracks. l had just
received word by wire that Durnell &
Herr, one of the strongest stables in the
country, would send the great McChesney
and twenty-siX other runners here. l was
also about to arrange to bring Arthur
Redfern, one of the highest salaried jock
eys now riding, from New Orleans.
'By the prohibition of racing l stand to
lose between $4,000 and $4,000. 1 have al
ready expended about $500 in bringing
horses and making improvements The
$4,000 for the lease of the park will have to
be paid. All the stables here and on the
way will have to be sent to the point,
where they We're secured at my expense.
The cost of this is problematical. Wheth-
er the action of the Council is finally sus-
tanned and carried out not, it is rather
| damaging. 1 had no intimation of such
thing, and the time is so short that all 1
can do is to await results. The stake
events close on the 18th, and this causes
dangerous uncertainty.
IF it We're not that the time
for the meeting is right at hand,
1 would simply go outside of the
city limits, buy tract of land
and build a race track may do that yet
but unless this meeting can be brought off
| it is doubtful whether the enterprise
would succeed. The horsemen who are
here, or who planned to come would prob
ably refuse TO cross he continent at the
risk of being fooled again