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RACING COMMISSION FOR MISSOURI. Joseph Murphy Will Attempt to Obtain New Law at Coming Session of Legislature. St. Louis, Mo., September IS. Judge Joseph A. Murphy has returned from his trip to New York. While there he had a long talk with Barney Old-liehl. and received many ideas for the construction of the proposed track here. While in New York Mr. Murphy also studied the racing situation carefully. Speaking of it he says: "The most optimistic feeling prevails in all quarters, and 1 am sure from what 1 saw that racing in New York is on a firm basis again. Not only the tracks are drawing good crowds of high-class people, but Governor Hughes, a most exacting reformer, seems satisfied. He is on record at one of the fairs lately as saying that he is not opposed to racing, onlv to tin? abuses that has crept into it. "That seems to be the keynote of the whole situation, and on that same theory I base my local hopes. 1 was .at the magnificent Sheepshead Bay track Saturday, and saw 15,000 of the classiest people in New York, men and women, rise to their feet and lender Barney Schreibers Jack Atkin an, ovation after his victory in the Flight Stakes. It did one good to hear the hearty, ring ;of applause: Winners and losers alike applauded, and It demonstrated- to me that a sport that can awake sucli unselfish,- genuine enthusiasm was never meant to die. Standing back in the shadow, too, a silent observer, it struck me as n sad state of affairs that a horse bred right at ones threshhold at home, not only the greatest racer that Missouri has ever produced, but the equine king up to his distance of America today, has never been seen in action in his birthplace. "My plans for a big amusement park to replace the Fair Grounds here have met with such unusual commendation that I feel that success is assured. Some of the gentlemen who are deeply Interested are up to their eyes In Centennial work, and have asked me to proceed slowly, so as not to confuse the two propositions. I am well satisfied with the progress I am making. "I shall present to the next legislature a bill for the regulation of racing. It will provide for a limited season spring and fall, not to exceed .fifteen days each, with a gap of at least sixty days between them. The number of racing days will be graded In each community, according to population. My bill will" provide for the creation of a state racing commission, appointed by the governor, which will have absolute power to grant and revoke licenses and to see that no evils creep into the racing. "It has been customary for race tracks to take all and give nothing. My bill will provide that five per cent of the gate receipts shall go into the treasury of the commission, to bo used in purchasing and placing stallions in each county of the state for the free use of the farmers. Most breeding bureaus are for thoroughbreds only. My purpose is to place both a thoroughbred and standard-bred stallion 111 each county, as many farmers might prefer to breed to a harness horse. I shall offer my services as secretary to the commission without pay and help in selecting the stallions. "I have been In East St. Louis recently studying conditions at the stock yards. 1 find that horses are higher than they have ever been. All the dealers tell mo that but for the trolleys and automobiles they would be totally unable to supply the demand. No matter what progress is made with steam and gasoline, the horse and mule will always be the necessary adjunct to the farm. It does not cost any more to feed a good horse than a bad one. and a high-bred mare will produce a mule worth twice the money that a common mare will. In ten years we could have the best young stock in the world. "Fnder the conditions I have named the legislature would no doubt permit some system under which the public might back its judgment, such as the pari-mutuel or auction pools, where the bookmaker would be eliminated entirely. This would insure clean racing, the public would make its own odds and the association would not and could not have any interest direct or indirect in the matter, except possibly to act as stakeholder. This is the system In France, where racing is run successfully under governmental supervision. "However, -these things are all in the future. The present need which I hope to supply is a park where every branch of sport can have a home."
