The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-11-19
GoSSIp or THE RACETRACE.
vTEWS or 4 THURMAN AS TO
future LOCAL CONDITIONS.
We. BETTING Methods That Are Expected
10 safeguard the Sport From Attack
Credit Speculation BY Members Of
- One representative OrganIza ton.

he,ier that when racing begins on the Jockey
rph's metropolitan trhcks next April an
s,tirelv new arrangement as TO the ring will
;. placed in effect. The fact that District
Attorney Jerome has just announced that
IA intends to try to have the Percy-Gray
1,r repealed at Albany when the next Legis-
I,turr convenes lends color to the belief
,b,t the turf authorities, forewarned a year
.go. " IN adopt the English system OF specula-
ion with some notifications and a few i'm
movements.
There are laws against bookmaking and
rooIselling. said a prominent turfman yes
tsriay. in the course of a discussion of the
nres,n, situation. but when il comes down
:, hel- on any proposition between individ-
usls there can be no ground for criminal
rrospcuticn or adverse legislation. 4 bet Is a
bst no matter how II il framed. Just after
the recent election in This State Charley Ma
s,nev a. The Hoffman House paid over $500. 900
4, yarrrS won on the success of Hughes.
This money was put mp with him as a stake
hol Ter on either Hearst or Hughes. It was
yayered in good faith and was paid out to
he winners without a murmur. Could any
body accuse Mahoney of making a book on
the election. even when he took a percentage
of the NaGers TO repay him for his trouble?
We're the citl2ens who bet on Hearst or
Hughes guHly Oh VIOLATING tho snti-sanhoilnR
laws?
e football game between two big cole e
teams WIS played on saturday. In Wall
Street on Friday there was open betting on
The result. with one team a ~favorite at 5 to 4.
Thousands OF dollars we're wagered. won and
los. Vas this a violation OF the law! Then
lst vs. not forget the betting on the baseball
games. the billiard matches. the big prize
sights. the bowling contests and, in fact. all
sorts Of things that al ord an opportunity to
rlmhl openly and without molestation. Is
there any difference between such wagers
anithc bets made on horse races? II Roseben
u a starter in a race can two men be pre-
vented from making a wager on his chances?
One Of them who feels sure that Roseben will
win offers to bet $50 o his judgment. The
other man. positive that Roseben cannot win.
laws against this proposition. either with a
So wager or with $50. say. showing odds Of
ITO >, based upon public form and the con-
dtlons which may govern the race. These
two men meet on the lawn at the track. No
money passes between them when the wage r
Is made and each iots down in a little note
hook the amount Of the transaction for fut ure
reference. Is there any difference between
this VA ger and those made upon elections.
IA seball and football games, fights and other
sporting events? If there is what is IL? II
such racetrack speculation il illegal then all
forms Of betting are contrary to the criminal
law and IL all offenders are prosecuted with
out discrimination the courts will have so
msny cases to attend to that no other business
ran be transacted. But nobody behaves that
such extremes will be resorted to.
For some time the turf authorities have
been thinking OF establishing a new system
based upon the arrangement that is in rogue
on the English racetracks. The doing away
With stools and states in the betting ring at
Benning O. and the enforcement of a rule that
compels layers to keep moving is the be-
ginning Of q revolution in betting affairs on
the metropolitan tracks. Unless l am greatly
mistaken you will see the same plan. with
some improvements. in vogue here next year.
You can depend upon the statement that if
certain influential persons nave their way
there will be an enclosure at the track where
persons who are responsible financially will
be permitted TO wager among themselves
with no outward display of odds or cash.
furthermore, It would not surprise me at all
II an organizations on the lines of Tattersalfs
of London should be formed here which would
embrace as members both layers and the
players who would first pass muster after
being elected to membership. This organiza-
ton could have as many as 5000 members.
each Of whom would have to pay an annual
fee of s.. Each member. whether layer or
player. would then be eligible TO speculate
with other member privately at the track.
all settlements to be made at a private clear
ING house or club located in this city. A
layer or a player who failed to make good
a wager inside of the next twenty-four hours
would lose his standing in the organization.
% that il would be impossible for him to make
further wagers with anybody OF the track.
1t would not be surprising. either, if the ad-
mission rates TO the grand stand next year
we're raised to IS instead OF 81, with a 81 charge
for entrance to the field enclosure. This
would keep those who could not anoTd TO
lose away from the races and at the same
time would prevent the receipts from falling
below the average. The racing authorities
when they severed all financia relations with
the layers made a wise move, for the reason
that the tracks cannot he held responsible
FOR even bets bet ween indiv iduals.
Mindful OF the threatened crusade, the
turf authorities have been siren gthening
their position all the year. They ha We
waged u sincere fight against the pool
rooms and have furthered the breeding in
dustry by assigning valuable stations TO
various parts of the State OF New York at
nominal fees, a move that has created a great
deal Of enthusiasm among the agricultural
societies, which. as usual. have also received
benefits from the State racing tax. When
il liz remembered that racing here is in the
'"'NH W HhNh lNBhAdOlC Ahch bo V0AH'' W.
heene, August Belmont, II. p. whitney, W.
X. Vanderbilt, II. X. Knapp, +. r. Hitchcock.
j. w.. Bradford and others. IL would seem TO
he a most difficult matter to suppress the turf
entirely. Racing is backed up by all sorts of
powerful financial and political elements. IL
Is immensely popular. as shown by the fact
That probably 5000 900 persons passed into
the Jockey Clubs tracks during the season
which ended last week. When IL il realized
That thousands Of persons would be indirectly
deprived Of a means OF livelihood should a
crusade against the sport in this State become
successful. it Is hard to believe that the Legis-
ature, after weighing the facts. will decide to
repeal the present law under which the sport
Kings has enjoyed unheard OF prosperity. "
From the standpoint Of poolrOom keepers
smother important point Ii made. One OF
these individuals sets forth the fact that. even
hthere was no racing in this State, the rooms
could flourish Just the same because OF the
Iaces run at Western and Southern tracks
Ia fact. during the recent fight conducted
against the rooms by the Jockey Club. In
accordance with an agreement with the Rev.
II. Slicer. 1t In an undenia BILE fact that the
rooms did the buIk OF their business on the
mces run at Toronto. Latonia. Windsor.
hmhco and other places where IL was an easy
matter to receive the desired Information.
le room keepeTs-thOse who did business
on Satirda v-DrapticaIl DaRspd mn the