Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-03-22

ure alone his car fare. should he choose
to travel in that manner. would be 81
cents. admission fee to the grand stand
and paddock. s.: luncheon and incidental
expenses. 81: total OF $3.50 or perhaps 50
20 enjoy the sport
Many. WHO are more luxurious in their
manner OF travel. or less thrifty in the
amount they spend for personal enjoy
ment, will easily double that sum or spend
three times the amount. but the track by
no means obtains the benefit OF Its dis
tribution. for the caterer. who usually is
the recipient OF the greater amount OF IL.
pays fixed sum for tn privlcgs OF con-
Quoting his business and is permitted Ia
derive what profit he may from the sale
of his food and drinks.
Earnings of owners.
II is not denied that the various assoc
Citations which conduct racing throughout
the east have profted by the holding oc
meetings. bat it is assert d. with proof to
ciinch the argument. that breeders and
owners OF horses have Drofited in Ike
ra ito. as II has been the steady custom OF
the associations TO increase the size Uf
purses and gL arantend stakes their
own receipts have been augmented.
| Thousands and thousands of dollars are
10 be earned by the owners OF horses N
1908. There are half dozen stakes with
a guarant led value OF 1000. The breed
erS and owners contribute in partSfo these
Dy the t2cS WHICH are necessary To IL
aUgurate them. but til" associations sup
plement these payments by the positive
assertion that when the race is contested
its absolute value will be fixed hgur..
which the successful owner shall surely
receive.
The presumption is that aholt eight
Thousand thoroughbreds will bn in train
ing for the racing season OF 1908 tnroUgi-
out the east The cost for the man
tenance of these horses viii be not tar
from s90Go,0GO. OF his amount a least
half will revert to the agricultural indus
tries, through payments for oats. bran.
hay straw and other essentials wiich ara
a part OF racing. Another hrga sum will
go to the help which is necessary to care
for these animals. The pay roll OF 4 lars.
stabl. is no small item.
| Trainers receive liberal npeasatIou
FOR their work, and jockeys ere paid
handsomely for their ability To ride
well. W alter Miller one OF the most
successful jockeys OF recent years will
probably be able to retire with snug
fortune of about Snn0O0o whea he is
ready to abandon racing.
transportation Is great factor OF
cost, and through the movement OF
horses to and fro from track % track
and tire travel of the thousands VINO at
! tend the races. the railroads ana their
employees share in the benefit Of money
| which is constantly in circulation. II is
one OF the principal contentious of the
race track owners that racing. il il
does nothing else. at least tends TO
!
that from the humblest track Iaborer
to the highest paid Official opportunity
is given to obtain a competence. (which
shall keep him in the necessaries OF life
as lie demands them
Dependent on the Sport.
1t may be of interest to note just how
many classes benefit directly ard indi-
rectly from the sport. Beginning with
the breeder, one finds large establish
ments covering acres of valuable ground
and requiring a large force of farm
hands, expert stablemen and men who
are conversant with the necessary in
formation to raise horses successfully.
These farms are distributed from orc
= coast of the United States to the other.
p AS before related the railroads are
the next beneficiares. for they must
transport the horses to market and
I after the market has been made again
benefit In transporting thorouShbreds
+ from city to city and by carrying pas
sengers to and from the race courses
q There is a large force of track en-
e ployes steadily employed and depend
ent upon the tracks for their livelihood.
Every stable organized for racing pur-
O poses has its trainer. it's grooms, its
. jockey and its exercise boys. While the
, horses are in training the farmers find
. Il demand for their supplies. which as
sists in maintaining the produce mar
! ket at remunerative figure. the har-
a ness makers derive benefit. and even
: pensated to some extent by the hum
a dreds of blankets which are sold
Another body of men who thrive upon
the existence of the race track the
large forces which are hired by the ca
terers to attend the body wants Of Tho
: race track patrons. There is force OF
special police which receives employment
> for the greater part Of the year. A bard
of skilled musicians lives in New York
= almost wholly upon its race track engage
ments Hundreds of drivers Of public
vehicles are enriched temporarily by tie
demand in the summer for conveyances
U to the race courses.
z In New York's suburbs there are two
small cities winch a part and parcel
. of the sport, and which would suffer ire
mendous loss were it TO be abandoned.
G These ape Sheepshead Bay and Graves
o end. Sc the count might be continued,
v for it has not necessarily been exhausted.
r but there appears to be no reason why
:. 1t should go further.
d For all these reasons it is maintained,
n outside of the mere fact that racing has
r an existence. to which it is as much en- =
/ titled as any other sport that legislation
v which threatens it's extinction in reality
t strikes at the existence of more than a
million of persons. Eventually they
e might find occupation in other sources.
n but for a duration of time they would be
: subject to great privation.
;. Value of the Race Tracks.
e The race tracks i'll New York and VI
the standpoint of being available for
sport. AS real estate holdings they are
worth millions
Belmont Park. one of the costliest
courses in the world, is one Of the spring
and autumn beauties of the metropolis.
5 The attractions of Sheepshead Bay haze
been stated. The track of the Brooklyn
Jockey Club is In the heart Of one of the
I most desirable portions of Brocklyn's out
G lying district and it is question wheth
er it will be able to survive much longe-
the trend of city life to move toward
the ocean.
( JamaiGe and Aqueduct are not so VAL
= liable. dor are they SO fortunately 10
, Gated. and even at that they are assessed
for no small sum because of the improve
ments which have been made upon the
} land.
The Coney Island Jockey Club has spent
/ more than 100000 upon its property this
, year to increase the length of its track
and to improve ii in such a manner that
l The sport shall be more satisfying to the
public than it has been IN the past.
1t is certain that none of the ASSOC
Citations would have undertaken to make
such costly Investments wsra 1t not for
the fact that the owners have more in
their plans for the future and better
opinion in their minds of racing than