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AS TO A NEW JOCKEY CLUB. The result of the call of the Kentucky breeders for a meeting to discuss the formation of a govern- ing body for the western turf, to absorb and take the place of the Western Jockey Club and American Turf Association, will be awaited with interest. It is pertinent to wonder if the consent of the persons composing those now somewhat superfluous bodies has been gained. Probably to their own way of thinking, they now fill the bill. To outsiders it appears they do, with a painful vacuum left over. If any body is at a loss to locate this feature, a survey of the silent race tracks of Chicago, St. Louis, Kansas City and Tennessee will bring enlightenment. This vacuum being largely due to the factional warfare, greed, lack of sagacity and illiberality of the- two organizations, but more particularly of the Western Jockey Club when it had the field to itself, it seems that the formation of a new governing body is more than timely, provided it can measurably carry out its avowed purpose of bringing about the restoration of racing in the places where it flourished so prosperously but a few years back. But could it do so? Satisfactory assurances on this point would be extremely valuable and comforting. How can It be done? Resolutions as to its desirability will not do it. Something concrete must be shown. The people who have suppressed racing in Illinois are not greatly concerned as to the views of the excellent gentlemen who have issued the call. Nor are the persons who suppressed racing in Missouri and Tennessee. This is not said in unfriendliness, but as a practical statement of a condition that must be considered gravely. In fact, it is all there is to be considered. Take Chicago, for Instance. But a few years back it was only second to New York as a racing field. Now it Is obliterated from the racing map for the simple reason that States Attorney Healey had hardly warmed his official chair before he stated that he would use all the powers of his office to prevent and punish betting on the local race tracks. Forthwith racing was abandoned here. Mr. Ilcaley is an honorable gentleman and a man of Ills word. It can be set down as an absolute certainty that so long as he remains in office, the Chicago tracks will remain idle. Now, in what way will the new body set about curing this situation. Of the desirability of a cure, many thousands of good citizens of Chicago need no convincing arguments. In fact, they hunger and thirst for it, as do the breeders of Kentucky and the horse owners of all the west, without exception. But for the present, at least, they seem doomed to remain hungered and athirst. New jockey clubs or old jockey clubs can bring no cure. It might be said that the legislatures of the various states may be effectively appealed to for the enactment of laws that would permit conservatively regulated racing. This may. be, probably is, true of Missouri and Tennessee, but not of, Illinois. No better or more carefully considered law legalizing betting on racing, that being what a legalizing statute in this state would be, could be enacted than the law of 1SS7. That statute was declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court of this state, and in view of that decision all talk of a racing law in Illinois is idle whistling against the wind. Racing will be carried on in Chicago at some time in the future, but, as in the past, it will be through kindly tolerance on the part of the authorities. The grtvernment of racing in the middle west is now an absurdity, nere are two toplofty bodies with racing at New Orleans, Louisville and La-tonia, all there is for both to govern. Then, as to the latter two tracks comes in the Kentucky State Racing Commission to render their authority a mere pretense. In effect, this leaves them New Orleans alone completely under their undivided control. It Is no wonder the breeders of Kentucky feel something should be done to change such a truly ludicrous state of affairs. They have the hearty sympathy of Daily Racing Form in their effort, and if the outcome of their deliberations is something practical and effective for the betterment of racing they will be deserving of all praise.
