The Waterbury Democrat., 1943-01-11
By JOE WILLIAMS

New York, Jan. 11.-Putting one little word after another, and what ever became of that radio fellow who used to sing out so cheerfully: Happy nlotoringl2" Victims of back seat drivers will be quick to insist thete never was any such thing as pleasure driving. Maybe the old pappy guys were right when they Scoffed at Henry Ford'S horseless carriage and said the dern thing was just a crazy invention.
 Is 1t news that Brother Rickey's making Ray Blades manager of the Montreal farm? The American league office reveals attendance fell of about half a million from 1941; but when you consider the inroads the military made on potential cus- toners this probably represents a relative increase. In any event, the total draw, 4,415,922, was anything but discouraging. It will be con- siderably less this year, our armed forces having practically doubled in the last six months.
 Corp. T. c. L. of Ft. Dix writes: Sure Grove and Cochrane made a great battery, but how did you, Of all persons, overlook Bagby and ONeill of the Indians? Bagby was 8 30-game winner that year, and O'Neill was as good catcher as anybody would ever want to see. Where is your Cleveland loyalty?" The Corporal's point is well taken, but as he himself says, this was one-year performance. In dicussing great batterie the other day we were considering the long haul, overall contributions. On this basis, Bagby and ONeill, as a battery, don't qualify.
 No Races Today
 It must be admitted Butch La- guardia is consistent: He won't go for horse players or horse meat, either. For the first time since the mind of man runneth not to the. trary, there is no horse racing in America today. The New Orleans track doesn't operate on Mondays, and all the others are closed. To the average citizens this is matter of total disinterest, but to the incurable horse player it is a fate worse than death. This strange species lives in a world made up of odd, jockeys, workouts, weather conditions and track variants. To be deprived of this fascinating existence even for a day is 8 blow of brutal dimensions. As if coming Johnny SO aptly put 1t: "A fellow might as well be a working man."
 The suddenly imposed blackout of Florida racing left hundreds strand- ed in the Sunshine State; most of them are small operators with nm- tied funds. They supply the cheaper horses which compose 90 per cent of the racing fields. In their own way they are as important to rac- ing stability as the WhitneyS and the Wideners. Their plight stresses the need of a sinking fund to meet just such an emergency. The big money in racing goes to the track owners. They can't operate without the horsemen. Hence, they would serve only their selfish interests If thy moved to protect them.
 We have a suggestion: Turn over all that breakage swag to such a fund. This is the odd change the tracks literally pilfer from the ad- diets on the ground 1t takes too much trouble to make exact pay. offs. The addIctS would be less in- clined to protest if unselfish use was made of this money. It amount Cd to more than ee0.O00 here last season. not including the state take,
 Meeting on the same day. the ten. his fathers and the golf fathers ar- rived at two different and distinct decisions with respect to their war time programs: The tennis fathers moved Co carry on with the fullest possible program; the golf fathers moved in precisely the opposite de rection. banning all championships for the duration.
 This was consistent with their att. tade of . year ago, when. immedi' ateiy after Pearl HaTbor. they re. tired from the competitive field. We didn't agree with the golf fathers a year ago. It seemed to us they acted too hastily and with some. thing approaching panic. AS It turn. ed out they could have gone through with their entire program and In doing SO made even moro substan- tai contributions to the war nia- chine. As a matter of fact they enmrranuined their all-out war po-