The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-08-07
NO RACING GRAFT.FOR 0DELL.
CAN'T DICTATE TIE NAMING OF
THE NEW COMMISSIONERS.

Higgins Put His Foot Down on tho FIX
Governors Demand and the Latter's
visit Was All I'm vain-Three New Menu
hers OF the Board Soon to BE Named.
SARATOGA, Aug. 8.-For just week
the visit OF Chairman Odell OF the Republi-
can State committee to this beautiful VII
lage has been hidden mystery. A week
mo last night Mr.. Odell doomed into town
and was soon In consultation with Bouquet
Billy Halpin and Stenographer Mcknight.
Wherever Mr.. Odell goes Bouquet Billy
Halpin and Mcknight are awaiting him.
They are, as it we're, the two scouts Tor
the Odell Fuglemcn's Own.
When Mr.. Odell arrived In this village,
and after his talk with alpin and Mcknight.
the amusing yarn was hoisted out that
Odel and Halpin and Mcknight were giving
serious consideration as to whether the
.lid" was on or of in Saratoga Springs.
Those arc the usual Odell tactics. The
question of the "lid- was not even discussed
by the three worthless, Odell, Halpin and
Mcknight. The handing out Of the "lid'
warn was for the purpose Of hiding the real
purpose Of Chairman Odell's visit here.
The real reason why Chairman Odell came
to Saratoga Springs a week ago was for the
State Racing Commission ring. The State
Racing Commissioners are August Bel
mont. John Sanford and Edwin D. Morgan,
all of whose terms as Commissioners have
expired. In fact the terms Of these three
Commissioners expired some time ago and
Chairman Odell has endeavored in every
way possible to compel Gov. Higgins to
name three Racing Commissioners who shall
be under the thumb OF Odell. There are
vast opportunities In the State Racing
Commission.
More opportunities, said Bouquet Billy
Halpin. and Mcknight chimed in Athan In
Wall Street"
The first step that Odell took on arriving
here little over a week ago was to send
Halpin down to Albany to ask Gov Higgins
what he intended to do about selections for
the successors Of Belmont, Sanford and
Morgan. Halpin got little satisfaction from
Gov. Higgins
Halpin returned here and reported to
Odell: Higgins said he's got three men,
but he won't tell who they are"
Gov. Higgins, 1t was ascertained, intends
to make change in the State Racing Com
mission, but he does not intend to turn the
commission over to Odell's control. 1t is
doubtful however. ii Gov. Higgins makes
change In the commission before No
vember. Gov. Higgins, according to the
best information has received many COM
plants against the State Racing Commits
sion, as composed Of Belmont, Sanford and
Morgan. All OF these complaints tell
OF monopoly, which, under the leader
ship OF August Belmont, has been created
In racing matters in the State.
The State Racing Commission, Of which
Mr. Belmont is president is absolute In
powers to name the dates for meetings and
has also full authority to favor ono
track over another and to extend all sorts
OF kindnesses to those in the Belmont ring.
It Ia said that Mr.. Belmont and his friends.
in carrying out the great monopoly OF racing
In the State, practically control the Queens
County, the Metropolitan, the Westchester,
the Brooklyn and the Coney Island jockey
clubs, and the Brighton Beach and the
Saratoga racing associations From 1895,
when the Percy Gray law became operative,
the total receipts from all Of the tracks in
the State " ere 3544,414 while in 1903 the
total receipts were S3,SO5, i25, an increase
in ten years OF 100 per cent.
The anomalous position the State occupies
Is illustrated In the fact that while the Con-
stitution declares that there shall be no
gambling in the State" the State receives
per cent. Of all money received at the
tracks, so that the State received last year
nearly s2OO, 900 az its share from the income
Of racing in the State.
Gov. Higgins, it ia understood, has re-
ceived complaints to the effect that the
Belmont monopoly racing ring stands in the
way Of building additional racing tracks
in the State, and in other ways the Belmont
ring is criticized as hostile to the best
interests Of racing. To hold stock in any
of the jockey clubs and racing associa-
tions in the State and the tracks repre-
sented by them means additional income,
and Mr.. Odell is we'll aware of the oppor-
tunites in that direction. Heis not opposed |
to the Belmont ring, as a ring. He Is OPP
posed to the Belmont ring because he Ia an |
outsider. Mr.. Odell represents to the life |
the philosophical remark made q number |
Of years ago by q well known financier:
Young man, stop kick king against the |
trusts and brea k into them"
Gov. Higgins is to appoint three new !
It Is understood, who, II |
need be, are to allow new people to build |
new tracks in the State. The three COM
missioners Gov. Higgins is to name will
not be under the Odell control. Gov.
Higgins has no quarrel with Odell, 1t Is said,
only Gov. Higgins is bound to show to the
people Of the State that he at least Is doing |
his level best with his environment, for the
people, and that he will not receive orders
from Odell when those orders consist Of
the came old style Of doing things for
Odell's pocket. Gov. Higgins, 1t was
added, cares little about Odell speaking of
him as "a chump' and as "a nice little man.
but Gov. Higgins, It was asserted, does
very seriously object to Mr.. Odell's state
ment: Higgins? why, own him, body,
boots and breeches.'
Chairman Odell as quickly as Halpin
reported to him the result OF his mission
to Gov. Higgins at Albany, saw that the
Jig was up, that he could not break into the
State Racing Commission, and he quickly
eft town. and nothing more has been heard