The Washington herald., 1912-03-10
TROTTER AND PAGER
Sloppy Weather Keeps Impatient Horsemen and
Nags Inside-Stansbury to Hold
Harness Meeting.

write horse notes in this particular baill-
wick have done their full share, and
even more. to keep alive public inter-
est. for which they generally receive
more criticism than thanks
The men who favor hobbies met their
enemies. the antI-hobbIers, at the recent
turf congress in New York. and routed
them foot, horse. and dragons. Tha
result, however, was not unexpected
Then rfley should meet. There are two
broad sides to the hobble question II Is
not fair, Just, or right 10 compel an
owner OF a free-Iegged PAGER TO compete
against horse that cannot race with
out his four legs being tied Every fair
man agrees to this proposition The re-
verse side OF the question is that IL Is
neither just nor fair to destroy the
earning capacity OF a horse simply
becauEe OF one defect or another
he is not able to perform at his best
without his legs being tied. Under the
circumstances, there is but one sane So
luton Of the important subject. and that
IL for track associations to put the hob
bled PAGERS in class by themselves and
rot compel, as is now the case. free
legged PAGERS 20 go against them. To
this VIII the subject come at last for
fnal settlement. and II woul1 be well for
IdGh- dfsSoCldtlOuS 10 DtSln lne EGlOEi-l
at the earliest possible period
The congress inaugurated at its ses-
sion some experimental reforms. which
time only can try out. For instance,
rule ;. section l, was amended so as to
allow a horse with a record made on a
mile track three seconds when entering
on a half mile track. providing the class
10 which he would be eligible under
this allowance is not slower than his
record on a half mile track One of the
great evils that has crept into harness
racing is the suppression OF time. In
order to stamp It out. additional duties
are given to starters First. he must
file with the secretary OF the v. 7. A.
a special report Of the races decided,
giving the starters, their position in
every heat, as announced, and the Off
cial time made in each heat, together
with a notice of all penalties imposed
and announced from the judges stand.
Second. the penalty for not doing this
Is that the starters license shall be re-
voked. Third. il there IS any suppress
sion OF misrepresentation of time at
meeting at which he oficiates, together
with the facts in connection with the
same. and in the event OF there being
time. and the starter fails to report II.
he shall be expelled. Rule - section ?.
was struck out and the following sub
stituted: "Iu races exclusively for two,
three, and four year olds, hobbies shall
not be used The congress, at the close
Of its session, passed a motion to CO.
operate with the United States govern
ment in breeding standard horses for
cavalry service. The motion was favor
ably considered because OF the recent
letter from Gen. Wood on the subject.
Followers OF turf topics frequently see
printed from time to time how Jim
Smith or Bill Jones Is a pillar Of the
turf" The term is too frequently mis-
applied. A pillar Of anything in human
life Is one who supports, sustains. As
applied to matters pertaining to the
turf II is a man who unsenshly tolls for
the good Of the cause. He will not shift
burdens he should bear upon his fel-
lows. He will not desert a cause 10
which he Is pledged because. perchance
Il would separate himself from a few
paltry cents or dollars.
lies awake at night scheminR how he
can give his fellow-men the hot end Of
everything. On the contrary, he is a
man willing to help a good cause along
without hope OF any pecuniary consid-
Grafton. He stands four square on every
proposition and Is a man In whom every
rne has confidence. and whom every
one RESPECTS. II Is men Of this descrip-
ton who are the bulwark OF racing sport
and without whom II would long since
have perished from the earth.