Los Angeles herald., 1908-02-29
ANTI-RACE TIP LAW

NHE anti-race tip ordinance will be
sent back to the city council on
Monday vetoed. The mayor in
the message that will accompany his
veto will say that the ordinance "is so
drastic as to be unreasonable and un-
fair to local newspapers and calculat-
ed to inhibit the legitimate functions
of the medium of publicity" The
mayor adds that, while he sympa-
thizes with and has supported the or
dinance adopted to prevent the sale
and dissemination of so-called tips on
horse races, under the provisions of
this latest ordinance local publications
will mot be prohibited from publish
ing what are deemed proper references
to legitimate events of the turf world
here and abroad, overturning and In
juring their private business and their
safe functions, but they may be sac
rificed to their rivals of outside cities
The mayor intimates that if the or
dinance were to be adopted either tho
circulation of San Francisco, Chicago
and other newspapers in this city
would be prohibited, or the home pa
pers would suffer the loss of sporting
information in favor of foreign pub
lications. AS the sporting pages of all
papers in the country carry this news
home papers should be allowed the
same latitude and freedom. For these
reasons he pronounces the ordinance
improper, and suggests that if another
be drawn these drastic features be
eliminated.
While the spirit and intention of an
ordinance intended to abate the race
gambling evil will no doubt be appre-
ciated by all good citizens, there are
few that will not realize the force OF
the contention that reform that VIII
be a positive business detriment to
local concerns will have to be modi-
fed and reshaped until this difficulty
is overcome before it can become ac-
ceptable to the community or before 1t
can be characterized as a judicious
measure. 1t would appear that it is
not possible TO regulate" or suppress
the sporting pages of home publiea-
tions without giving an undue ad-
vantage to outside publications sold IN
competition with them. There are cit
izens who would like TO see what they
/ term "all gambling news eliminated
ruthlessly from local papers, but
! without laying an embargo on san
Francisco and other papers furnishing
TIPS or news that is in the nature OF
| tins this could not fairly be done.
Surely some method may be found
without interfering with legitimate
newspapers of reaching the predatory
hawks that issue and sell fake dope
sheets" and other catchpenny contrl-
vances prepared for the purpose Oh
tricking the gullible and promoting
"skin' or reckless gambling without
the least reference to sport 1t is easy
enough for citizens to discriminate be-
tween the shark or shyster tipster,
with the horsey bulletin that he sells
for ten cents, fifteen cents, a quarter
or any price he can obtain for his "su-
nerior inside information" and the
newspaper that reports sporting events
and publishes statements and comment
and gossip concerning them, treating
them as matters of news or informa-
ton.
1t should be equally easy for the law
to avoid confounding the legitimate
newspaper with the piratical card or
the sheet that initiates the newspaper
in it's general appearance. but is not
bona fide vehicle of information, and
is nothing more nor less than an ad-
tunct to gambling.