The Washington herald., 1908-04-19
TIRED OF THE RACE TRACKS.
II Looks as IL Louisiana would Pass
Anti-betting Bills.

Ii Looks as 81 Louisiana would Pass
Anti-bettins Bills.
From the New York Tribune.
The legislature OF Louisiana is soon TO
wrestle with anti-race-track betting. ac-
cording to Joseph W. Hyams, speaker of
the assembly Of that State, who is In
New York for a few days in relation TO
his duties as chairman Of the policy
holders committee of the Mutual Re-
serve Life Insurance Company. 1t appears,
however, from Mr.. Hyams' observation
Of the situation that the outcome in Lou
isiana may be the reverse of that in the
New York legislature, for both Henry n.
Pharr, the Republican candidate for gov
ernor and J. Y. Sanders, the Democratic
candidate. have denounced race-traek
gambling.
Mr.. Hyams did not give his personal
views of the anti-betting campaign, but
smoke generally of what he has noted as
a legislator and man OF affairs Down
our way" he said. you viii find most
Of the opponents of the race-traek evil
have not taken that stand from any re-
ugious or ideaiistic impulse. They are
considering facts, and they say so In
the first place there Is safety Of life and
| limb and purse that is concerned In
New Orleans It was found that with the
| opening Of tte race-track season crooks
and thugs and 'strong-arm' men came In
as hangers-on and touts OF the race fol-
| lowers. Crimes OF all sorts increased dur
| ing the racing season and dropped back
| to normal when the horses went away.
The police force was not large enough or
| familiar enough with metropolitan silk
stocking criminals to cope with them.
Therefore there are great many OPP
pOnents of betting who simply want
safety. They feel that Il betting Is stop
ped racing will end, and therefore there
will not be the regular influx Of undesir-
able citizens.
Besides this. New Workers do not have
racing raised to the nth power as we
| do. Up TO a year or two ago we had
about 100 days of racing each season.
| beginning in November, Now we have
three OF four tracks, with summer racing
| following winter racing. But the climax
came when the management Of one OF
| the tracks entered into a contract with
an electric lighting company 10 have the
track wired and lighted, so that there
could be night racing as well as day
racing. This was the last straw, and
the mayor OF New Orleans announced
that the city would not stand for it, He
made his position so plain that the racing
| people managed 10 be released from their
contract by the lighting company.
For several years, too, there has been
| a trend Of feeling against racing. In 1904
| a bin was passed that made the keeping
of a poolroom a felony. The poolroom
men fought il up 10 the State Supreme
Court. and the law was declared valid
Since then ne have had no poolrooms OF
| handbooks.
Even more plainly was public opinion
gauged by the defeat in 1896 OF bill that
aimed to create a State racing commits
sion I understand that New York has
such a body, and that its members are
estimable men who are true lovers OF the
horse. On the other hand. In LouisIana
! the. persons who argued against creating
such a commission said that they did not
want the State thus to recognize racing
and they said, besides, that they were
dubious about finding the right sort oi
men TO serve on such a commission and
make il a benefit instead of a menace So
the bill did not pass"
| Mr. Hyams said he was not a prophet
and would not attempt TO foretell The fate
OF the anti-betting bills which will be In
troduced when the legislature meets or
May l2 IT is not party measure ne
| explained. "and I have teld merely the
| things that have occurred In Louisiana
and that show how great many persons
feel on the subject"