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CANADIAN RACING AND BETTING. All the Turf Clubs in the Dominion Benefited by the Decision. Canadian racing and the betting incident to It is most intelligently discussed in the Toronto Globe, as follows: "Racing is taking a strong hold in the new provinces of the northwest and a regular circuit is to be established in Saskatchewan and Alberta. It is natural that the sport should be popular among these vigorous and enterprising communities, and It is satisfactory to note that everywhere it Is being taken over by strong and well organized clubs, likely to conduct it along proper and progressive lines to ultimate success. The latest to be reported is from southern Alberta, where the Lethbridge Turf Association has been formed, with these oflicors: president, George M. Hatch; vice-president, A. E. Keys; .secretary-treasurer, A. E. Humphries. All the turf clubs In Canada will bo benefited by the permanence assured to the present status of affairs as a result of the recent decision of the Court of Appeals on the betting cases originating in this city. The provision in the law whereby patrons of racing were declared free to back their opinions on the course is a Dominion statute. It has no particular reference or application to Toronto, though one might have been led to believe that it was a special privilege used only In Toronto that was the subject of attack. The situation is the same in Wetaskiwin, Lethbridge, Halifax and Vancouver and all the other five hundred places in this broad Dominion at which organized racing is carried on. Curiously enough, and with what must be characterized as far from good generalship, those who -oppose betting under any and all circumstances made the tactical mistake of directing their forces at the enemys strongest position instead of the weakest. The disposition to interfere with the present state of the law cannot be fairly, said to have been supported by the public sentiment of the locality in which that disposition was made manifest. A like absence of public opinion in support of a change can be anticipated everywhere else throughout Canada, and therein lies the basic reason for the failure of the effort. The people are apparently of the opinion of the legislators who put their view into legal enactment that the state of affairs created by the restriction of betting to race courses and race days is preferable to that which existed many years ago and which would return if an attempt were made at total prohibition. As a former Minister of Justice pointed out to a Toronto deputation which asked for this thing, that law was a dead letter rind it is not. desirable that there should be on the statute book laws that arc not supported by, or are antagonistic to public opinion. T.he case is vastly stronger for a maintenance of the present status than when this reply was made twelve years ago. Racing has not developed tho evils which it was prophesied were sure to result unless parliament could see eye to eye with the spokesmen of that deputation. It has made vast progress lu public esteem and confidence and is every way in a more desirable condition. It has improved, not retrograded, and being largely in the control of men who are quite as desirous of the welfare of their fellow-citizens as any who oppose it, there seems no reason why its continuance should not be a continuance of improvement. "To all intents and purposes the opposition has been abandoned on account of the practical impossibility of bringing about a change that Is not in accord with public opinion. The recent request made at Ottawa was an admission to achieve the prohibition of individual speculation on the race course, coupled with an expression of desire that some method might be found to extirpate the professional bettor, or, in other words, the bookmaker. When the Minister of Justice comes to consider this request he will find himself confronted with the fact that the bookmaker is, to all Intents and purposes, the Intermediary for the individuals, who if "they are restrained from doing business through this human clearing house are practically prevented from exercising a right under the law, -which is not itself attacked. In such case the bookmaker will probably, remain. He is now part of the system at present, though it Is not beyond the hopes of many wli6 take a deep Interest in the turf that tho time will conic when the bookmaker will vacate the field In favor of the mechanical go-between, the totalisator, or parl-mutucl."
