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: . j I I , i ; ! WHAT RACING DOES FOR NEW YORK, i Splendid Revenue Annually Produced for the Support of Agriculture. : It is- no wonder the farmers of New York are opposed to the repeal of the Percy-Cray law. In an effort to placate them and secure the support of their representatives in the legislature for Governor Hughes campaign to secure the repeal of that law. Senator Agnew has introduced a bill appropriating .0OO for distribution in aid of county and town fairs of New York. This is to take the place of the revenue now derived for that purpose from racing. But that sum is nearly 0,000 short of the amount paid by the tracks for 1!M7, and the latter is sure to continue and increase, while there is no certainty that successive legislatures would continue to make appropriations for fairs equivalent to the great amounts now annually received from the racing tax. Of that tax. its product, uses and benefits the report lo the state comptroller of John S. Shea, supervisor of racing accounts of New York state, presents some striking figures. In part it says: "Thai money comes from the special tax of five |kt cent, which is levied upon the gross receipts of all racing associations holding licenses under Ihe Percy-Gray law. Last season this tax amounted to the unprecedented sum of 41.420.16, or 5,375.45 greater than it was in l!K6. which, up to that time, was the year contributing the largest annual sum to the encouragement of agriculture in that state. "Fig.ires taken from the annual reports of the state comptroller are. in themselves, the most striking epitome of the history of racing in New York, its popularity and the benefits which inei-dontallv come from it. At the present time the only source of revenue which the associations have are the gate money and the cafe privilege, so that their revenues represent with unerring accuracy the measure of the puhlie patronage. Increasing receipts mean increased attendance and it is not to be assumed that the public extends its support and countenance to that which it does not approve. "The following tax table, the figures in which arc official, illustrates the growth of New York state racing since 1895. the year of the passage of the present law: UK $ 27.220.74 lf 02 $ 170.085.8S 1S90 50.60S.10 1903 200.741.67 1897 64.0:54.64 1904 190,256.30 ISPS 80,48.1.85 1005 193.740.00 1890 00,791.74 UN 201,053.70 1000 98.671.53 1907 246.429.16 l.Hil 128.581.50 _ Total . 742,695. S7 I "This sum so paid by the racing associations goes , to the county and town fairs and is used exclusively as premiums for excellence in agricultural 1 and nochauicai products. Not a farthing of it is ■ spent in speed premiums or balloon ascensions or i any similar attractions. Every dollar goes to the i farmer iu prizes for the best corn or other cereal, • the choicest dairy products, tie- finest butter and such like products of the farm or of the ingenuity of the farmer in having constructed some useful article of value to him in his calliug. The tax was s designed as an encouragement to agriculture aud • that idea has been and will lie adhered to rigidly. • "In another way it is safeguarded, too, so that it may attain its purpose. It is allotted by the state - comptroller under the direction of the legislature e to cadi regularly constituted fair in exact proportion to the sums offered by these fairs as premiums s for three years preceding the allotment. It will thus be seen that no fake fair nor anything masquerading under the guise of an institute can possibly • be a participant. "Not only does this tax which comes directly v from racing ludp most materially to pay the premium ■ list, but the manner of its allotment is an incentive ■ to each separate fair management to enlarge e its scope, and along the right lines, too. because the e larger the premium list the more they receive the e succeeding year. There are at present fifty-nine e fairs which are the beneficiaries of the tax — some e of them receiving as much as ,000 and all getting ? in proportion to what they give. These fairs are • scattered all over the Empire State, New York k County and Kings County being practically the only F two that have no such organizations. "The tax has practically relieved New York for r the past half-dozen years of any levy for the support - of these institutions which so greatly benefit the e farmer. About the only appropriation now for the e management of agriculture that Is necessary is the e trifling cost of the state department. It is a tax x which the racing associations pay cheerfully aud loyally and which the farmer appreciates, for he no o longer has to worry about what any legislature will 11 do or what paring might happen an appropriation in a year when some record-breaking party might want to go i. the people with a low tax rate. "For 1907 the tax amounted to 46,420.16. and, as illustrating the continued growth of the sport in popularity, a comparison with 1906, the next inosl successful year, is Interesting. It follows: 1906. 1907. Coney Island Jockey Club. . .5,389.40 4,001.36 • Brooklyn Jockey flub 34.863.07 41,312.23 Brighton Beach Racing Association 32.773.51 40,623.73 ;. Westchester Racing Association 29.932.77 32.80fl.36 ■ Saratoga Racing Association. 20.2S2.fi.; 17.S76.9.". .! Queens County Jockey Club.. 15.742.12 20.111.7:; Metropolitan Jockey Club... 16. 450. 43 19.461.7.". - Buffalo Racing Association. . 5.61::.s:: 7,420.52 2 - Continued on second page.
