New-York tribune., 1908-01-12
FARMERS OPPOSE BILL?
MONEY NATTER TO THEM
n gricultural Bodies SAID to BE
against Rdcetrack Measure.
TBy Telegraph to The Tribune ]


Albany Jan. u-Indications are multiplying rap
idly here that the county fair organizations and
agricultural societies throughout the state VIII De
lined up strongly against Governor Hushes's s
recommendation that racetrack gambling be aool-
ished- They consider it question OF dollars and
cents-of having solvent, fourishing organizations
where before the tax racing receipts was
handed over TO them there struggling, semi
bankrupt fair association, which meant nothing
to the farmer the general public
Legislators from the purely rural districts de-
clare frankly that they have not the slightest
doubt the position their constituents Will com
pei them take irrespective of their own personal
views the gambling question involved These
men, who any other question making a similar
appeal to the moral of a comrnunlty-say
the license local option problem-wouid be lined
up by their farmer friends on what they call the
Church side in short order, maintain tnat IN
this the agricultural portion of the voters
will force them to take the position directly op-
posed to that of the clergy, who ordinarily nave
such great weight In shaping the district sentl-
ment such matters.
The various county fair associations receive
from the state about 100000 a year as the result
of the tax on gate receipts of racing associations
In most instances the fair was a pretty poor
representation of the work OF the farmers IL nad
no decent buildings for exhbito purposes and no
money to encourage good exhibits by Offering
prizes and premiums. Attendance consequently
was not large Now legislators tell of fair asso-
Citations in their counties which put up Ne"
buildings each year through the money received
from the state tax racing and OF record break
ing attendance. One legislator. who comes from d
county of somewhat more than thirty thousano
population said to-day that on the pig day the
day by the way, on which the trotcng meets are
held the attendance more than twenty thoU-
sand while companion added that in his county,
of seventeen thousand population the ols udS
attendance twelve thousand
1.-The people in my district" said Senator from
one Of the agricultural counties, ARE just as op-
uosed to gambling the people IN New YORK.
There is not poolroom in the county. Most OF
the fellows up there, a matter OF fact Wouidh
xnouy what a poolroom was; they'd probably think
it was place with pool and billiard taDies- Ihey
go TO the trotting meets at the fairs Dut there
no gambling at them; ii wouldn't De aAo"eo ior IL
minnie But the fair association in my county
builds a new building every year or So II Keeps
the buildings in excellent repair and II pays lIs
bills lust as they fall due 1t escapes having d
little surplus because It keeps its buildings ana
grounds in such good shape Do you suppose iof
a minute that that organization won't fight any
a++a-,r+ 70 denrive II of it's income? 1 know, of
course that an appropriation bill has been intro
duced in conjunction with the others aOoIsnihe
racetrack gambling. but the farmers 1eel
of that at least. they argue that such an appro-
priation is always subject 10 tne oahsVi VI O0iie
cut off at any time"
last wear when Senator Agnew introduced the
Jerome bills abolish racerack gambling with
an accompanying appropriation TO make up 10 the
farmers the money now received from gaze IL
GENTS the AGRICULTURAL societies. under the leader
sbtr NJ z 2 Durl<ee of Sandy HILL used precisely
+hst argument The heads of some OF the or
ganizatfons are to have been extremely ousy
with few legislators this session along tnat hhe'
THOSE legislators who Will advocate the passage
IF the anti-racetrack gambling measure declare
that the farmers, If they make too big a hght VIII
raise the question OF the propriety OF state SUD-
sidy for farmers any more than for stonenasons
or Iaborers on the states canal. This question In
fart has been raised here to considerable extent
whenever the anti gambling proposition is under
discussion and is likely &c play large part in the
deba es over the bills. The consttutionality of this
payment of taxes to the agricultural socie-
ties has never been tested. Governor Hugnes
position on this is that in recommending that
money be paid to them in place Of that now col
lected from the racing associations he is leaving
the law exactly where ne found 1t. 1t would not
surprise some of legislators If In the bitterness
which seems inevitable when this gambling ques-
ton is fought out. side or the other took this
problem of the constitutionaty OF such payment
to the courts.
Nobody here expects very sudden action on the
racing bills Senator Agnew ard Assemblyma
Hart will probably come to some sort of agree
ment on the penalty this week. making their bills
uniform. Legislators IN private declare that the
measures probably will be reported by the
Assembly committee unless the Speaker and the
Governor take strong hand in the situation.
The fact that the bills repeating the Percy-Gray
law and changing the penalty for gambling at
racetracks have been sent TO committee and
the bills making the appropriation for the farm
ers TO another may render easy the accomplish
rnent of one of the legislative tricks by which
undesirable" measures delayed or killed
ManifestIy it would be improper to report the
appropriation bill until the others were reported
by the other committee. while plausible argu-
ment for not reporting those bills would be that
there was no certainty that the appropriation bills
would be reported, and it would be improper to
report bills deprving the farmers of their pres
ent income without providing substitute. So the
responsibility may be divided between the two
committees in each house.
Informally legislators discussing the chances
for an extra session of the Legislature this
question and perhaps the Massachusetts ballot
They take it for granted that the anti-gambling
bills will be killed at this present session; equally
for granted that Governor Hughes will recon-
mend again their consideration, and extraOr-
binary session Of the Legislature has come to be
considered one Of his methods of fighting. In the
racetrack parlance nobody here is laying odds
that the bills will not be passed eventually, but
the sentiment is unanimous that the fight to de-
feat them will be monumental. gigantic.