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ABOUT RACING DATES. The annual .meeting of the American Turf J Congress will ba held in this city Wednesdiy, September 20. Outside of the usual routine buaine s of such meetings no intimation of important measures to be consdered conducive to -the welfare of the western turf has been given publicity by any one competent to speak con corning probable legislation. A dispatch from Detroit to the Cincinnati ZEoquirer of Wednesday gives, however, tome information, alleged to have been tocured from gentbmeu who represent two associations that are members of the congress, to the effect that at the coming meeting a move will be made o have the congress allot dat?s for next ypar to the vuri us tracks that make up that organization. Not only will such a proposition come Tip for ci nsideration at the mseting of the con-.j;reB8, but mora, it will have earnest and vigorous support. There is every reason to believe that a majority of the members of the organization will favor a return to the circuit arrangement of rase meetings." This is. interesting if true and it is to be .hoped that it is trne. The crowding out of the Nashville, Lexington and Oakley tracks is one of the dhagrettble features incicent to the conditions tbat have governed racing in the west of latoytars, and their practical extinction is a direct blow to the general welfare of the western turf. If the reiresentatives of tho organizations composing the American Turf Congress could ba brought to consent to the allotment of racing date3 by a committee of the congress the consequences could hardly fail to be highly beneficial. The person who sent the dispatch in question, iowever, unwarrantably assumed a good deal -when he said: "Under the circumstances it could hardly be -wondeied at if the St. Louis club sh; uld fight against any measure that would necessitate a considerable reduction in their racing season in m the ninety days now allowed by the state laws. With the proposed circuit arrangement St. Louis, while racini?, would have the field to itself as far as the west is concerned, instead of having, as ib now the ose, opposition throughout its entire eason. All the good stables and all the western bookmakers would be at the Fair Grounds meeting instead of being scat-teied asunder existing conditions. With, say thirty books in line each day of racing instead of a dozen or fourteen, and with the still greater crowds that it is ri asonable to snppoee would be drawn to the track, when all the good horses in the west would take part in the racing, the average daily profits of tie association would . be even greater than at present. It would prob- ably be a difficult matter, though, to convince j the St. Louis people that they could do as well ; on the teason aB now, and .unless they can be j made to believe that, their opposition to any j legitlution in the Turf Congress lo king to a change in txisting arrangements, as far as they are concerned, is to bo expecied. "What baa bsen said with reference to the probable attitude cf the St. Louis Club as to an allotment of dates by the Turf Congress may be applied to ttie Chicago bssociati.ms. The immt di te profits of the associ .lious m the two big wetein citio3 might be lessened if ihoir raciiiK 60ton were tin rtened, as would necos-eaiily be the case with ttie propoced circuit arrangement, hnd though the betterment of the game at otLer po nts might anJ doubtless -would eventually ioud to th ir benefit, it ned n.tbdtx ectod that thtir repnsontativts will look beyond the present if the matter of taking turtb ever comes up for consideration by tno Congress." J When the question comes up, if it does, the St. Louis Club and the Chicago Clubs, through their representatives, will probably ba found ready to go as far as any of their associates in-the direction of unselfish legislation for the general goad of the turf. It will not be necessary for them to sacrifice any important material interests in order to brin? about an equitably arranged order of dates. Concessions here and there would doubtless have tob3 made, but they would have thoir compensations. A committee of competent men, given time to consider the situation of each club, vested with the full authority of the" Turf Congress, and assured of the cordial co-operation of tbe clubs, great and small, can easily make up a schedule that will cover- the legal racing season in a way to give all a fair show and to certainly increase the profits and prosperity of each and every member.
