New-York tribune., 1908-01-27
FIGHTING THE TRACKS.
Poolroom Mem Supporting the Anti-
Betting Bills.

well known racing man issued statement
yesterday concerning the part that the poolroom
interests playing in supporting the anti-bettins
bills introduced at Albany. He points out that the
racing associations have earned the i'll will of
men who own poorooms on account of Withholding
information from the tracks and interfering with
their business and says that many OF the letters
received by Governor Hughes in support OF the
measures ernanate from the same source and con-
sequenty are bona fde. His statement follows:
During the season Of 1907 there We're 1877 races
ii TfH on a. IoceH Cb 'Ben"rts from undoIbt-
ed authority show that information whatever
Nil o tba tbars the oceys and OTHER data
so necessary the conduct of the poolroom trade
belated that not more than five minutes
for a time, but finally had to acknowledge defeat
they could not operate under the handlcap,
This condition prevailed until the close OF t tLIe
racing season in the East, but since the sport
and San Francisco where there are no restrc-
tions the information, many OF the poolroomS
racing bodies would join the Jockey Club in its
crusade against the evil the poolrnoms would soon
In recent talk the Governor said that he was
in receipt of many letters daily from persons who
told him Of young men who had been ruined
through the medium of the racetrack-. II Wouio
probably be source OF much t su[prlSe 10 otng ttg
Governor if he knew that those letters enlanated
largely from one source +5i ana he '3a5 6d get cer
tain number each day Governor Hughes OF
cointI IN ne which there Was racing There were
no coors too dark In which TO paint the evils In
cident to racing, and among otner E s{aIeIneI1S 7
vouchsafed was one TO fhe ] eTecI ns eS sf Jbo had
been RESPONSIBLE for the outlaw meetings many
AT night and the Course was lighted by electricity;
1t was TO stop such abuses as ngne gafg Prr anu
Gray law was drawn, and one OF the prqvlslohS L45
of that measure was that no races could De heiu
It was represented also that the racing associa5
tions had a direct connection with betting, ana
tns fRst tne r recf from the revenue derived from
4na bod
about the sport conducted under present condi-
betting and the associations. and that no revenue
is derived therefrom in fact speculation is uls5
into the state treasury is derived exclusively from
the gate recepIs + anu "a 5iT 9{Ers5ts Prior to 1895
there toll for the telegraph privilege but 1t
was discontinued and all messages from the tracks
are now under strict censorship; -oeo--os % ad-
misstaements that he had only been at at
track on a Few occasions and that most of his
report was hearsay. Not very tangible evidence
of racing property in the Empire State, to say
nothing of the other millions in other localities ,i IN
hut little beyond common horse value If racing
sufficient for the reformers. who would apparently
Kill first and then Investigate:
list Of the horses in training owned BY the king t
turf and no meeting of importance is considered
complete without his presence On Derby Day all
iourns In 4 word the turf is one Of Englands
most fOndy cherished institutions.
The Emperor OF Germany is another good sports
man who maintains his racing stable and has
bought the best English thoroughbreds and placed
them at the service of his people with view o.
improving the breed of horses throughout his enc
pire He has had for some time agents In America
making selections of stock best adapted to cavalry
service. 1t is this demand for our horses with
dash of pure blood which has made export
trade large.
The breeding bureau OF the Jockey Club recog-
nized the profit which the farmer would derive
from this industry and the members of the COM
mission have lost time in placing stations of
the right kind OF service through tAe state and for
a fee so nominal 10 enable all to patronize them.
This work has challenged not merely the attention,
but the commendation Of the Agricultural De-
partment of Washington All of this good work
would be at an end if the reformers should have
their way and il certainly would be incongruous
situation 10 find legislature destroying work