New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-05-24


The old scale of prices was 81 for patrons
of the grandstand, 81 for the women patrons and
rs cents admission TO the so-called free field.
The only inclosure that is not affected is the
clubhouse admission which will be $5 daily, as
before The customary charge of so cents ad-
ditional for paddock tickets will still be made.
This new tariff is the result Of the four-hour
conference between the owners and stockholders
of the various Long Island tracks held at the
town house of August Belmont on Monday night.
The plan was agreed upon as the most prac-
ticable method of offsetting the deficit caused
by the voluntary abandonment Of the revenues
from the betting ring.
Beyond contradicting emphatically the rumor
that the conference on Monday night was a
stormy one between the advocates of different
plans for meeting this deficit, those who at
tended it had nothing tc say yesterday. and the
public was left to draw It's own conclusions.
For a measure so essentially radical 1T ex-
cited a surprisingly small amount of un-
favorable comment yesterday. and the reg
uIar." who. of course. will feel the in
crease keenest was inclined to look upon it
phllosophically, admitting that racing Is not
compulsory although in cases hopelessly
chronic habit, and those who do not like 1t can
stav at home. The racetrack owners it may be
said. have no fear on this score, although it was
Brooklyn Jockey Club, and other prominent
racing men that the attendance would probably
be affected to d certain extent.
The advance in the price of admission they
also admit will not overcome the loss in revenue
from the betting ring. which, under the old plan
of assessing each member of the Metropolitan
Turf Association $57 day and the outside lay
ers $50 a day, yielded approximately $1,000
daily It will be sufficient, however. they be
/ tl,a
they have been doing in the past and as far as
can be seen the public and the associations
themselves will be the only losers
Just what course will be adopted at Saratoga,
where admission to the grandstand is already
So has not been decided upon, but it has been
suggested that the club membership fee be
advanced.
In taking the present step the track owners
have shifted the entire responsibility for the
gambling part of racing to the shoulders of
the bookmakers They have entirely washed
! their hands OF any attitude that would raise
suspicion that there might be collusion between
the bookmakers' fraternity and the track own
ers. In other words the track owners have
| made their position practically impregnable
! from attack on the part of the enemies of the
! sport who anxious to have the constitution
! ality of the Percy-Gray law, under which racing
! is conducted in New-York State tested in the
| higher courts and who for years have been en-
deavoring to show that there colluson be-
| tween the track owners and the gamblers.
Until last Saturday. and practically since the
! beginning of racing under the present law gov
! erning il. the various racing associations re-
! ceived indirectly contributions from the book
/ makers. For years it has been customary for
! the members OF the Metropolitan Turf Associa-
| ton the bookmakers' syndicate, il is better
| known TO racing folks. TO purchase each day
! S5T worth of admission badges. The badges
! we're deposited in the boxes the entrance. and
! the money was paid through the secretary of
! the bookmakers' organization 10 John q. Cava-
| nagh who had charge OF things in the betting
! ring The layers who did business on what is
| known as the back line bought SSI worth Of
| badges while in the free field the men who
! made prices for the public each bought 500
! worth The revenue from all this upward
| of 81, ,00000O annually