Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-02-05
PAR|- MUTUEL DESIRED
GOTHAM RACING FOLLOWERS
SEEK NEW BETTING STATUTE
h"pc FcrNrntlr That IcEisIa.urc VIII
Enact Wore Generous Sporting Law.
oct Slight announcement.


NEW YORK. February t-Ev far
tn" h'Ig"st move made IN hchulf az
racing iu The St,te "r New York in re-
cent years Was The recent announce
nont by III" state Racing Commission
ihat II favored ;hc rari.ImuturI system
OF betting. which. !; is contcndcd. has
resulted I'm tho Improvement of cOndi-
'ohs Tor IN" sport in Maryland and
Nthtnchy. Tho adverse comment from
legislators at Albany has rather weak
"ncd ia" hope Of tur!inc- ,hat mis- farm
81 speculation "ill be lcRaiixod within
Tow |carS, hut on ,he other hand II
pointed ont that Tho State Racing
commission must have good grounds
'"' Wishing {" max. such 81 drastic
";,a'=c
Til" criticism tina, tho nronos,.I
change would sanction aud Ier;,liz..
open Eamblin" IS tho greatest obstacle
mat III" racing powers have to over
como before they can houe to establish
ia" nc" system. i; always has been
T''''Ii'@ab mat ract-c w3S 10" "Hpcn-
So" Z" SPORT !" flourish u!tnort h",tiitl,
o: som" -or;. AMI the cunycuu.r, l,,rrn
2h-'$ that follow when the public hns
- Gimme I" speculate Those WHO ARC.
ANXIOUS !" sec raging as popul:,. as -,
"n> h'i"re the Agn"w-li:,rt nill. ., &c
'l'h' ''''''N Ilf!i l4ltt - i4ltrg mus, he
speculation il might a. wolf To-. con-
Quoted under a plan approved by law
ard especially when such q plan VIII
tend largely 10 increase tho revenues
Of the Sta,c
They contend tina, the amour, ot
money won AMI lost i'm Il day a; tn.
rnccrachS * rot nearly as largo as
appears a, first sight when judged by
the money tia. passes through tho
mutucl machines in Tho course Of a
day. The explanation given is tina, tho
money wagcrcd ON on" race is ,v;.ycrcd
again on tho second aud 50 on through
the card. f!ut every time the money
passes through the machines tho state
receives its percentages This pcrccnt-
aSe. OF course. comes out OF tho pockets
ot the winners w.io. III reality. receive
better prices as rule than they can
obtain under the system az credit brt-
ting at present in vogue.
The major argument Of the mon in
'arcsted in racing i. that the question
is Il much hroad"~ one than the mere
matter of gambling; that tn" life Of
on" Of tho greatest sports OF all times
is at stake, and that racing ON e hi.:h
plane with generous purses is abSo-
iutclN necessary for tho pre- s"r,at ion
Cf highly bred horses 1" stimulate tho
breeding industry Of til" country. Fol
ears the Jockey Club has been work
ing along these lines through it's Lrccd-
81
bred horses 1T the disposal Of the farm
crs 50 thar h"i ses suitable for rcmoui;s
and for genera! purposes could b. bred
at small expense. Tho elimination OF
:acinG. il is commended. would mean tho
deterioration Of the horse. considered
10y many persons "a vital matter at this
time. when preparedness advocates call
for the acquiring OF high grade horses
for use in possible var.
Racing men derive cncoura cement
from tho fact that this now plan has
been submitted by the T;acinr Com
mission, which is compose, OF men who
arc by no means addicted To gambling
Two members OF the commission own
racing stables One is II * knapp
who for years has raced under the
name Of tho Oncck stable. and withou,
doubt has spent thousands OF dollars
every year for his enjoyment OF the
sport. and the pleasure az seeing his
other is John Sanford. a member OF tho
breeding industry. II is contcndcd that
IL there must be betting IL is better to
have the state aud various charities
profit from its conduct than TO have
tho money lost b. tho public go into
tho Golfers OF hookmakcrS or profess
sional layers OF odds.
Another argument in favor Of tho
IA ri-mutuel advanced BY the racing
men is that in the States and countries
wh.rc the plan has been introduced tho
sport has been sinsularly free from
OF the kind that has almost
invariably followed ia the wake ~
meetings in which bookrnkcrs were
..ctivc.