The New York herald., 1922-01-29
Oppose Soviet Rule"
In Harness Racing
Eastern Trotting Tracks Back
Up Their Representatives.

Members of the National Trotting AS.
sociation are backing up the action OF
their officers at Columbus. Ohio, on
January Is. in refusing to permit unin-
vited representatives of the Harness
Horse Association to butt in at the reg.
ular biennial meeting of the joint rule
committee of the National, and Amer
ican trotting associatiops.-,yR Resolutions
commencing the course of the N. 7. A.
officials have been passed by the New
York Association of County and Tow,
Agricultural Societies, the New England
Agricultural Fairs Association and the
Maine Association of Agricultural Fairs,
and other associations of the same kind
are yet to be heard from.
From the outset of It's career the
II. ii. A. has pursued the methods of a
labor union with Bolshevist proclivities.
urging horse owners to boycott trotting
meetings which refused to let the II. IT.
A. tell them how to conduct their races.
II has accomplished much that is good.
inducing many Western fairs to adopt
a moro liberal policy in offering purses
and stakes for harness racing, but its
processes are those indicated by the
recent brazen attempt to take hand
in a meeting at which it had no stand
ing whatever. and without first obtain
ing-perhaps without even asking-an
invitation from the y. T. A. and the
a. T.. A..
NThe matter is we'll put in tho resolu-
tions adopted by the Maine fairs, which
are worth printing:
Resolved, That the Maine Associa-
ton of Agricultural Fairs approves the
action OF the Joint rule committee or
the National Trotting Association IN
deferring its meeting with the Joint rule
co,,rnitfeo OF the American Trotting AS
sociation until the latter Is willing 70
meet with the committee of the Ma
tional Trotting Association. as 1t has
in she past. -
..Tbe Joint rule committee of the Ma
tional and American trotting associa-
tions have met biennially since 1900.
In 1917 they were given the power 10
mako the rules OF the two associations
uniform. This has been maintained 10
date. the uniform rules being a great
convenience to those interested in light
harness racing.
each member OF the National and
American trotting associations either
owns or controls race track on which
they give one OF lnoiC hicteihbo NsA~''
wear. These members annually assume
liabilities for the payment of premiums
amounting to over A.000.0O0. Without
them iiaht harness racing would not
command the respect or support OF the
public.
FOR over fifty years delegates or
committees appointed by these associa-
tions have enacted rules and rcgula-
tions 20 maintain discipline. prevent
fraud and establish uniformity in the
government OF trotting and pacing. The
integrity of the turf requires that this
status continue and furthermore that
the power and authority remain vested
in the organizations which adopt and
publish rules and regulations to govern
the performances on their courses"
There has long been a suspicion that
the II. III. A. was In the nature of a
political and commercial sideshow OF
the A. II. A.. and the course of the lat
ter in walking out with the soviet
when the ~. T. A. declined to recog-
nize its representatives at the Columbus
conference gives color 10 the suspicion.
Some horsemen begin 10 think. how
ever. that Il indicates the II. II. A. has
swallowed up the A. T. A. In every
thing hut name; in other words. that
the tail has become strong enough 10
wag the dog or get its commands
obeyed.