Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1908-06-22
RACING MUST BE ABSOLUTELY
DIVORCED FROM BOOkMAkING
SPORT CANNOT SURVIVE OFFENSIVE ALLIANCE
of Popular Paste Gambling Interests
Opponents with Only Effective Weapon-Substtu
ton of ParMutuel System Offers Surest Solution of
Embarrassing Situation in California
By JAY DAVIDSON

til the bookmakers took charge OF the
sport there never was heard any
charges of dishonest combinations for
gambling purposes, yet the present day
system of betting on the results of
races has encouraged dishonesty IN
horsemen and unformful racing at all
tracks.
When the public confidence in the
sport Is restored there will be no cause
for worry as to the future prosperity or
the sport. No legislation has been not
ed th.t seeks to prohibit or hinder in
any way the real sport of racing. On
the contrary, all legislation of an ad-
verse nature upon the subject OF rae
ing has been directed particularly and
exclusively against the gambling feat
ure, and 1t always will be SO. AL ad-
NIT that the present day betting sys-
tenn is wrong, radically so, and there Is
no controversy regarding the evil infiu-
ence of the booking interests upon the
real sport.
Books Oppose Machines
Naturally, bookmakers unanimously
are opposed to the machines. They
make greater profits individually than
the machines could produce, as the bulk
of public money bet upon any race IS
kept In the strong box Of the books,
while all the money bet with the ma
chimes, except the per cent fee, goes
back into the pockets of the public. In
stead of the bookies getting all the
money and taking 1t out of the COM
munity, the public money bet with the
machines is kept in circulation In the
community, and when this money is
bet with the machines So per cent OF II
Is returned. -.
Unfortunately for the sport in Cali
fornia bookmakers are In high author
ity and practically in control. They
will fight the installation of the mutual
machines and seek to continue the
present day system of turf speculating,
although to do SO inevitably means that
the public hue and cry against the
snort will wipe it out. Rather than be
contented with the big profits that the
machines would render the association
in which they are stockholders, they
will risk the destruction or the sport
by adverse legislation so radical and
sweeping against bookmaking that the
real sport is killed absolutely.
Now Is Time to Act
| It would seem that the experience
of the millionaire promoters or racing
| In New York, where wealth ana po-
liticaI influence failed to defeat the OPP
position, would be sufficient to warn
| the California promoters of the danger
In procrastination. Now is the time
for them to act, and IL they are alive
to their own interests they will not
hesitate. The sport had fearfully
close call in the last legislature, and
the opposition Is not asleep, as their
activities are being exploited orally and
in the press of the state every day. The
movement against racing in California
has been given great impetus by the
success of the fight in New York and
the encouragement received in that
victory has strengthened the opposition
In this state in material degree.
The fact that George Rose, Barney
Schrieber and ]. L. Holland, a trio of
the most extensive booking operators
in America, are the principal stock
holders in the Santa Anita track Is
commented upon and cited by the op-
position as an argument against fur
Their liberation of the sport In Calffor-
mia. A sport that is dominated by the
gambling branch of the game assuredly
is not a sport-it Smacks so much of
the professionalism that 1t becomes q
game of chance, rather than a clean
sport These men are wealthy and
their characters are above reproach,
yet these facts do not enter into the
consideration Of the opposition.
Bookmakers Lost Money
Rose, Schneider and Holland have
done much for racing In Southern Cali
fornia and the unprecedented mind will
their money in an enterprise that pro-
notes their business. They are of the
high type of operators who do not en-
ter into unfair combinations to defraud
the betting public at their race track,
being game enough to take chance in
the guessing game. Because this Is
true they lost heavily last season at
Santa Anita. Proof that they dealt
fairly with the public Is found in this
fact of their losses. The trio sustained
an aggregate loss of close, to $150,000 In
the four months of racing.
Even these facts, however, hardly
can be urged as an argument in favor
of the continuation of the present
system of turf speculation. Many who
do not object to the bookmaking fea-
ture, preferring to know in advance of
betting just what odds they will re-
ceive in the event they are SO fortu-
nate as to bet on the winner, Will ia
yor the return to the pari-mutual
system because 1t seems to be the only
loophole of escape from total annihila-
ton of the sport. 1t must be admit
ted that the sport would not be robbed
of one degree Of its popularity by the
change in systems, while, on the con-
trary, 1t is believed that the change
would serve materially to increase the
popularity of the sport and. conse-
uuently, increase the attendance and
thereby swell the recelptS OF the assoc
citation.
Danger In Procrastination
There yet is time in which the ones
directly interested in racing In the
state-those now in charge of the sport
at San Francisco, Oakland and Los
Angeles-may act to forestall all OPP
position, minimize the influence against
racing and guarantee the future of the
sport in California. Many hundreds of
thousands of dollars are invested d.
rectly and Indirectly In racing and
breeding interests in the state and adj
verse legislation would entail almost
a total loss. The only danger to rae
ing and breeding interests In the state
now lies in the possible selfishness of
those most directly interested in the
conduct of the racing game and the
buck has been passed up to them.
BY way of conclusion 1t is appropri-
ate to say that the situation has been
presented herein from motives OF sim
cerest friendship for the real sport Of
4 AZ, q n VIZ IN luf