The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-11-26
GOSSIP OF The RACETRACK.
English BETTING SYSTEM NOT
~ PiRTICULAR FAVOR.
Nethods That HaV wade the Turf a Won
derfml success In New York state Are
coed enough. say HOrsemen II Law
should BE Repealed. Then whats

an Ter trial AZ the warrington track, Ia COM
inc in for much unfavorable comment on
the part Of both layers and players. Yester-
day several Of these.racetrack regulars came
10 town 10 get a much needed change OF
atmosphere, and naturally the betting prob
lem al Jennings was generally discussed.
Rscaus, Of threatened assaults upon the
racing law in New York this winter there
has been some talk Of establishing the English
.vstem here next season anyway. But IL the
nresent law, which has been tested success
Culv IN the courts. il not repealed. horsemen
declare that IL would be a suicidal move to
tamper with the popular arrangements in
the betting ring which have won completely
the confidence and patronagesof the public.
Al Washington, because OF the attitude
q Of me authorities OF the District OF Columbia,
she LAYERS cannot sit on stools in a fixed place
and cannot display the prices on the usual
dates. They must keep constantly on the
move. attended by their clerks. When
wsgers are made with them they receive
'he cash. make a memorandum in a small
notebook and paw the winners Immediately
after each race or as soon as the successful
nlavcrs can find them. This system il severely
criticised because of the trouble the players
must experience in finding and identifying
the hookmakers with whom they may do
hu.!uos, also because there is no chance to
watch tho market, no comparison OF prices.
'or the reason that each layer quotes his
Own Odds. Il being possible to get 10 to |
against a horse that Is offered by a layer
rpyt door at only ). Furthermore there is
rdhiug 20 prevent irresponsible aud I'M
scrupulou- persons from playing the role
Of b%odkmaker. handling a bunch of cash
and then taking II on the run for the tall
trlbcrs.
Those who have experienced the incon-
veuiences and confusion at Bennings say that
# the plan should he tried on the metropolitan
racks there would he = riot. The crowd at
Washington each day does not number more
rhsn o. SN. which makes IL comparatively easy
10 bet even under such trying circumstances.
Bn' with the usual metropolitan crowd of
7,ppn or -. ooN and the 10000 and ~, 900 that
urn ont on big handicap days the layers
acting under the keep rowing plan would
No In all sorts of hot water, IL is believed.
II would no decidedly unpleasant, say the
sdvocites Of old methods, 10 make a winning
hot on the first race and then spend the rest
: a. the afternoon hunting all over such a track
as Belmont Park to find the cashier. Under
such adverse conditions the bottom would
soon drop ont OF the sport.
\, Ter the u-American scheme Of having
an enclosure exclusively for betting. which
Nould call for an extra high rate of admission.
~ NAV he said that racegoers, big and small.
are opposed to il for various reasons. In the
frsr place the 81 tarlN il too much of a charge
nov. without going Ip the scale to 81. In
the second place. argue turfmen. racing il
supported by the masses. not the classes. and
The moment the Jockey Club decides to draw
the line by Curtailing the masses the turf
viii receive a staggering blow from which IL
will take many years to recover. without
trying 10 conceal anything men identified
With the racing game say that the system
which has worked so successfully on the
metropolitan tracks for more than ten years
should be allowed to remain az It is. As
9 matter OF fact it Is the English system,
with the American notifications which per-
Unit the use Of stools and states and the han
d,ing OF cash. Under strict discipline the
'ocal betting rings have been model places for
order and deuOrum. with no defaulters, no
friction OF any kind and the public always
.ar." treated.
Tho public has received a square deal
lom the Jockey Club" said a well known
hors'r1an Yesterday. The betting has been
,onIucted strictly in accordance with the
.4g in tabs State and thousands OF persons
klr" INDUCED in healthful outdoor amusc-
rnent as q = suit. Betting OH horse racing
Is As much OF + business nowadays as betting
pl stocks In Wall Street. You can get a
fal N'rt-r run for your money, too, when you
see the nor ses leave the post. 10 is a scientific
study also which requires time and thought,
A.vl men steady and away from dissIpa-
ton an rducates them in other ways. II
some Of the persons who want to kill racing
could 90 70 the track on a Suburban day
and sa how orderly a crowd OF 10000 per
IONS can be. they might change their minds.
The cry that thieves, burglars and murderers
are at tra rack is absurd, There are just
rs man. IN the theatres and swell restaurants
about town. A Tacetrack crowd Is not tough.
II contains Americas best people. Business
men, lawyers. doctors and professional 20 To
Hh- a. WnA Ih.aH
raturally.iEe to make a bet on their favorite
horses. 80. them run and take part in the
demonstration that follows the success Of a
public Idol. Any real man loves a good
horse and he also loves to speculate. or rather
10 back his own Judgment. The bet on ones
opinion is not "A crime, and when other people,
who do not have to 40 10 the track unless
they want 10, try to deprive thousands Of a
rastime that is popular in France. England,
australia and in other parts OF the United
states, II is a shame. Faro. roulette. stuss.
klondyke. dice. bsccarat, shells. three card
monte and other gambling games are pro-
hibited by law. but does any sane maNt ry TO
pWt these often crooked games In the same
categCry with betting on races. ball games.
fights, stocks. elections and suchI'
The Jockey Club has kept faith with the
public and with the lawmakers. It has re-
spect ed a court order in the District of Colum-
ha aud. as usual, intends TO act wholly
within the requirements of the law. But
racing men say that the Jockey Club. acting
IN good faith. will not stand idly by when re-
rewed att ernpts are made to kill racing in
this State. The enemies Of racing say that
they viii have q forceful movement under
way before the Legislature c%onvenes in jan
uary. They seek to combine the church
element with the Jerome crusade. with posi-
BILE backing from Gov. Hughes. and they
predict an easy victory. The legislators,
however. know probably what the repeal
OF The Percy-Gray Law means. While IL
could not close the ncetracks, II would
hamper the betting public to such a degree
that the attendance would be cut down mate
rally. But even then a way would soon
he devised by which betting would thrive
again under new conditions. In fact, "A
prominent lawyer the other day outlined a
new scheme TO THE SUNS turf writer on these
lines
Suppose the Percy-Gray law is repealed.
What will happen then. Why. therell be a
' new shift IN the cardsi The tracks will re-
main open. the horses will run and the public
bet Just the same but under an entirely new
Plan, Players will have TO establish credit
with layers away from the tracks. That is
70 say. man before going to the races can
. hlnt up Sol Lichtenstein at an advertis ed