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ILLINOIS RACING POSSIBILITIES POSSIBILITIESFrom Possibilities From every nook and corner outside those of the local racing factions come news of a desire for a 1897 racing bill for the state of Illinois One would have been passed two years ago but for the machinations and complications gro grog ing King out of the damaging methods of fighting which usually comes out of racing bitterness in all sections As it was the Washington Park Club North Western Breeders Association and the general trotting interests of the state in ¬ fluential fluent factors grew more bitter after failure to agree These influences used against the bill on parade enabled the direct and interested agents of an antiChicago anticipator racing confederacy lo beat the measure As Illinois law stands to ¬ day race track betting is merely gambling under the criminal code The SwigertGarfield Park case nullified the old and badly framed state law which aimed to regulate betting and did not Unless the influences of 1895 are again used to sharpen the effect of the same war of interests Illinois will have a law through the legislature which is to meet next month The proposed racing bill provides for thirty days racing probably between May 15 and Nov 1 on each racetrack in Chicago The main points of the measure will follow Western racing law lawLocal Local betting on races run upon such race tracks will be permitted A keenly drawn clause in the bill will seek to prohibit the operation of more than one track by the same interest In other words the Washington Park Club the Chicago Racing Association Hawthorne and the Chicago Fair Grounds Association Harlem will each be assigned thirty days racing racingNew racing New tracks if built and operated by the own ¬ ers or interests of the three present groups of Chicago track owners will be illegal Book ¬ ing King on foreign racing is also prohited profited This prohibition the turn of racing and the preven prevent ¬ tion ion of track interest combinations are to be the new bills feature The final draft of the measure its general conditions are already on figures is likely to nominate May 15th and November 1 five and onehalf Neal months as the annual term of legal racing within the state of Illinois This gives 105 racing days per year to the Chicago tracks already in existence existenceAnother existence Another course may be built by new men to racing but of the highest class If it is equipped its offerings will be some 7500 per day includ include ¬ ing King stakes for a thirty days meeting or 225COO The insertion of such a factor into the Chicago field would not disturb the general idea of harmony in the local field Its thirty days turn would not usurp the dates equitably considered as due the three Indiana tracks and Ideal Park In addition to the ninety days for three tracks devoted to thoroughbreds fifteen days can be modestly calculated as belonging to the annual meeting of trotters and pacers held at Washing ¬ ton Park under the auspices of the NorthWest ¬ ern Bern Association of Trotting and Pacing Horse Breeders BreedersWestern Breeders Western racing law gives seven mouths for racing action above the geographical line of legislation This assigns the local field all tracks in Chicago Indiana and Wisconsin considered seventyfive seventy days more on top of the 135 racing days calculated under the prob probe ¬ able bill a total 210 days of which thirty are set aside for a probably new course is thus reached reachedFortyfive reached Fortyfive Fortified days is the naturally yearly due of the Indiana tracks The Sellers law and the decisons decisions out of it make terms of fifteen days per annum the right of Roby Robby Forsyth Forsythia and Shef Sheaf ¬ field Ideal Park is a natural racing factor It is entitled to and will be given a place in a schedule of Chicago dates which must natur nature ¬ ally be made by a general and impartial com ¬ mission should the proposed racing bill be passed passedThe passed The bill in preparation does not contemplate a Racing Board of Control or the taxation of race tracks It should do so A board of three commissioners appointed by Gov Go Tanner might well be created to rule the racing of the State of Illinois pass in a final way on the character and completion of all its tracks and recognize them by license In addition to these qualifications a tax on gross daily receipts from 1 to 2 per cent might well be imposed for the benefit or a license fee of the State Agricul Agric ¬ tural ural fund on the plan of the Ives Wives law of Now York YorkThis Worthies This tax should be levied on all racing cor coir ¬ porations orations within the state A license fee is most definite and reasonable If such is chosen it should be graded from 25 to 2500 per annum according to lucrative possibilities and be based on population andgeographical radiographic position The former sura supra is not a burden to rural associations and the latter sum a moderate one fcr facer Chicago tracks tracksThe tracks The new bill when finished will go to a high class legislator and be offered on its merits as a measure for the benefit of the breeding interests and general business of Illinois Unless the fac face ¬ tions ions make scandal and trouble the bill will pass If it does the local tracks will profit nearly as much by their short meetings necessarily of high class on the ground of attraction as they profited in the past by long meetings and less sharp daily doings doingsA doings A glance at the Chicago date angle of 1896 should the proposed bill become a law would give this sort of a schedule Tracks Meetings Days Roby Robby Ind Indo Spring 15 15Forsyth April 1 Apr 17 Forsyth Forsythia Ind Indo Spring 15 15Sheffield April 19 May 5 Sheffield Ind Indo Spring 15 15Hawthorne May6 My22 Hawthorne 111 Spring 15 15Harlem May 24 June 9 Harlem 111 Spring 15 15Wash June 10 Jne26 Wash Park 111 Summer 30 30New June 28 Aug Au 4 New Trackpos Crackpots Summer 15 15Harlem Aug Au 5 Aug21 Harlem 111 Summer 15 15N Aug Au 23 Sep 3 N W Breeders Summer 15 15Hawthorne Sept 4 Sep21 Hawthorne 111 Fall 15 15New Sept 22 Oct 8 New Trackpos Crackpots Fall 15 15Ideal Oct 9 Oct26 Ideal Park Wis Wigs Fall Oct 27 Nov30
