The Washington times., 1919-11-14
SCHEME TO LIMIT
. MARYLAND RACING
Democratic Leaders Consider
10 Days a Year and Tax
of $4,000 Daily.

BALTIMORE, Nov. 14.-In the hope
of preventing the people from over
playing the game, and at the same
time preserve a robust, out-of-doors
sport, Democratic leaders are plan
ming to introduce a bill into the leg
islature this session limiting racing
in Maryland to 10 days each year,
and taxing each track $4,000 a day.
In support of the plan it is argued
that the racing game, reasonably re-
stricted. is not necessarily an evil
| Thousands of people derive pleasure
| from the races, Ii is contended, with
out suffering evil. They are many
times the number of those who are
| injured by racing, according to the
advocates of the plan, who reason
that the percentage. of those injured
by the races is no greater than in
most human activities.
Complete wiping out of racing, 1t is
argued, would mean the end of a
robust, colorful. out sport
of the character which really adds to
life. The thing to do, so the argu-
ment goes, is to prevent the sport
being swamped by the gambling
feature, which it is hoped to do by
the people of the State overplaying
the game. which 1t Is hoped to do by
limiting the number of racing days to
11O.
Sees Chance for Revenue.
Those who feel this way about
racing in itself see IN the popularity
of the game a legitimate source of
large revenue for the State. Feeling
that racing not only is permissible
but is desirable, they regard the great
prosperity of the Maryland tracks as
a fortunate circumstance In this time
of financial stress in the conduct of
government. A tax of $40, 900 a day,
with 110 racing days, would yield
s1.1o0,000. The amount of money go
ing into the States Golfers would be
equivalent to a gold mine to the in
coming administration.
1t is estimated that 81 100000 is
approximately the amount of money
now spent by the State annually in
/ the upkeep OF State and State-aid
| hospitals and other Institutions. If
that estimate is correct, the racing
| revenues provided under the proposed
bill would care for all of this expense,
assuming that Governor Ritchie is
able to hold the appropriations for
these purposes down to figures set by
4
ful, for the expenses of the institu-
tfons have jumped in the last year
and one-half, as have all other ex-
penses.
Even so, the advocates of the plan
say the new revenue would more than
take care of the increase in. expenses
of institutions. 1t would do that, 1t
is claimed. and also would take care
of the cost of increasing the salaries
of the county school teachers, to
I which the new administration is
/ pledged, and probably would take care
of other increases such as those for
! State-aided roads, to the extension of
which the new administration>also is
pledged.
| SMALL Tracks Would Suffer.
The limiting of racing to 11o days
in the year would just about cover
the racing periods of the four one-
mile tracks which have been running
in Maryland. The exact number of
racing days at some of the tracks
| varies from year to year. This year
Havre de Grace has 80 days, Pimlico
has 20 days. Laurel has 81 days, and
/ Bowie. which expects to open today
under the terms of an act of 1892, de-
spite recent adverse decision of the
court of appeals, has 81 days. The
total number of days is Ito. The two
principal half-mile tracks, Gentle
mems Driving Park and Timonium,
have five days EACH Hagerstown also
has had ten days -this year. The Up
per Marlboro track has not been in
operation this year, and the Prospect
/ Park track has closed.
/ II goes without saying that the
plan to regulate racing. and tax it
heavily for the bene1t of the State
finances, will meet strong opposition.
! Hitherto, the fight of the tracks has
been to prevent annihilation. They
have been willing and axious to pay
a tax, although they hardly would
grow cheerful over the prospect of
$4,000 per day. Those who have con-
Quoted the anti-racing fights, and
! have had the racing men desperate
with their backs to the wall a num-
! Der OF times. have secuted tho sugees