New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-05-29
l0CKEY CLUB MAKES
APPEAL TO HUGHES
,sks Governor for Hearing
Before He Signs the Anti
Betting Bills.
CALLS THEM AMBIGUOUS
arrust Belmont Declares il
Measures Become Laws
Racing in State May
Be Stopped.


.,r,st Belmont, speaking for the
,...sv Club. OF which he is chairman.
- Yesterday az Belmont Park that
..,.rrarn had been sent to Governor
.,rghes al Albany in the morning, ask
- fer g hearing before he signs the
.-new-perkins bills passed by the Leg
.,,,,ure within TIE last two or three
a.vs The hearing is requested on the
--.und that TIE measures as passed are
.-,hirnous and open the way TO perse-
,,r,,on in the efl'-rt TO enforce them.
The bills in question aim to prevent
o-sl bookmaking. with or without writ
,,r" and make the owners and man
,ra-s f racing associations criminally
-esnonsible fer any gambling on their
PREMISES. Mr.. Belmont said:
.-rbe ambiguity OF language OF the
,.ue against bookmaking has opened
.he way in the past TO a certain amount
# persecution in the effort to enforce
her. and this is particularly true Of
.se hills uassed rv The Legislature on
-tursdtv and Friday. This ambiguity
tss been the burden Of protest on the
-s-. Of counsel fc1 the Jockey Club at
Albany, and ever effort was made TO
have the Hills worded in a way 80 that
.bere could i,e no misunderstanding As
N their enforcement.
For Legal Sport or None.
an view Of tie fact that the bills as
MISSED open the cuCr once m. re to a
nance for porse alton, and in any case
:, long litigation. tho Jockey Cluo has
-eouested the Governor to grant a
hearing before he signs the measures
The Owners and managers of The va
s r5us associations 90 not Gaze TO ex-
pgse themselves TO indictment and
rrosecution, as il is their purpose to
cnnduct The sport under de law or not
all
.'The stewards Of the Jockex Club
fec. that they osve il TO themselves, to
tie various sssociations and TO the rae
!ng public to make every effort to have
The laws 80 clear that there can be no
Misunderstanding or wrong interpreta-
lol VI TIC ldl VI N1fOSS NAAOSt IN
Is to enforce them It is our hope that
We can convince the Governor that the
ambiguity Of the measures just passed
viii open the way TO unfair persecution,
tnd that he viii see fit TO withhold his
Signature ana recommend that they be
MADE more clear and explicit at the
extraordinary session of the Legislat-
r-e which has been called and will con-
yene On June 20.
1t has been claimed from time TO time
That the laws were not aimed against
racing or betting between individuals;
n fact, racing is sanctioned by the state
under the control of the State Racing
Commission, but now we are confronted
with a law against gambling on the
premises which we do not understand
and which il viii be hard for US to en-
force, SO far as our patrons are con-
Vsrned.
AS matter Of fact, the owners and
managers Of the various associations
az between two fires. They are open
70 Indictment and prosecution if gam
N---e lcllll4LAtAs DINSAllo ~
tween individuals is not crime. and If
men who are suspected of bookmaking.
gambling under the law, are removed
noM the grounds the owners open the
say tc prosecution if these men can
Prove Or show that they were making in
GTidUal bets between themselves.
May Be No More Racing.
The law does not say that man
onnot bet, but that ne cannot gamble
q make d book on the races, and II is
NE purpose of the stewards of the
'0ekey Club to appeal TO the Governor
o. The ground that the law should
tltoify clearly and distinctly what the
'efos gambling and 'bookma king mean.
90 mat IN conducting race meetings the
eNhers Of the tracks can protect them
HlTes by seeing that the law is enforced
s-a not expose Themselves TO indictment
o. the charge Of violating the statutes OF
lie state.
Governor Hughes is an accomplished
@*yer, and it seems to US that he VIII
si4Feciate the position in which the
oNheFs OF the racing associations find
themselves in their desire to continue
'euns and encourage the development
NE thoroughbred horse. which has
N'die to be a great industry, without
''llhg under the ban OF the law
Would not seem wise for the own
va and directors to expose themselves
1Auef statute that is so hard to under
'ano' and unless the bills are made
1-e Gear il may not be possible to open
Gates after September /.
me question Of racing after the laws
e INTO effect has not been considered as
~ as II viii be tine enough 10 cross
s's' bridge when We get to il. put it viii
Ae some time for the courts 10 inter
the new measures, and this. IL
Ills TO US, could be avoided and long
legation saved if the bills could be
eiaed So that there can be no CUES
about their enforcement"