The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1909-06-24
Usurped Authority.

Without any meeting of the board or
as far as 7 know, any consultation with
its members, Mr.. Mcdonald announced.
speaking for the board, that the board
would decide to terminate the lease on
the fair grounds track. When 1 learned
of this 1 telephOned Mr.. Mcdonald at his
residence. He promised to meet me the
next afternoon at his factory. In COM
pany with Mr.. Parsons / went to keep
the appointment. We saw his machine
in front Of the door, but were met with
the announcement that he was out of
the city. Later l was told by reputable
persons that he was in town all after
noon.
when we finally did see him, he sug-
gested seeing the governor. We acqui-
esced, and said we would go with him
He declined TO go with US, insisting that
ne see the governor alone We asked
him to lay the matter before the execu-
tive committee. He declined on the
ground that Mr.. Hewlett. a member. was
in Japan We asked that he call a meet
ing Of the board. He at first declined to
do so. but finally consented.
Mr.. MCDOnald's motives in acting as
he has done I do not presume to cues
ton. He says that he was swayed by
public sentiment, that he, himself, ia.
vored racing, but that he would bow to
the will of the public If such were the
case, l cannot understand his actions in
, dominating the board so thoroughly and
insisting that the action of the board
be made unanimous.
announced that there vas to be no book
making This action was after fashion
ratified by the board. Shortly after the
meeting Mr.. Mcdonald called me up and
told me that there was boOkmaking going
on at the track, and asked that / see
that II was properly conducted He said
that he did not wish to appear in the
matter.
Mr.. Mcdonald last evening said that
an agreement had been made that
/ nothing be said about the proceedings
of the meeting. He said:
In view of this promise, I do not care
to discuss the meeting I am sorry that
Mr.. Freed has said anything His 20
sitiOn in the matter Is an undesira bic one
and were the whole story of Mr. Freed
I fight on this question told it would not
reflect credit on him Lester is a good
fellow and / dislike TO see him placed
in such an Unfavorable light For that
reason I shall endeav0r TO protect him.
I OF course, # he wishes the whole story
I told, there are things 10 be said"
In explaining his vote favoring the con-
tinuatiOn of the meet Mr.. Parsons said.
Il favor horse racing and believe it to
/ be one of the best Of sports But when
/ the board decided to permit a race meet
/ of forty days 7 vas opposed to IL he
| cause I thought it too long a time. After
/ the contract had been let. however. and
/ the agreement made that the Utah Jock
| ey club was to have a meet for forty
| days-and this was certainly the arree-
| ment. whether implied or expressad-i
/ believed in carrying out the contract TO
] the letter. I have been making contracts
I all my life and were this a matter OF
/ private business ! could not have taken
I any other stand than I took TODAY
] ". n. Gleason, treasurer and PRINCIPAL
/ stOckholder OF the Utah Jockey club. took
| his defeat with uOnchaiance
/ we thought the people of Salt Lake
I wanted some real fast racing" he said
/ If they didn't, We viii concede our mis-
I take. If il IS any satisfaction to the
public to know that the Utah Jockey
l club made no money out of the meet
[ ing, / viii make that announcement and
/ viii submit my books to any conn etent
person in verification of that fact"