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MOVE FOR PARIMTJTtTELS OK COAST A united effort on the part of the followers of harness racing will be made at next winters session of the California legislature to have a bill put through legalizing parimutuels and auction pools oil borse races says the San Francisco Call The barnessmeh have come to the front during the last season and the sport gives promise of a bright fu ¬ ture There are about 25 clubs throughout the state and they arc all working in harmony The matter of affiliation has been discussed thoroughly and it is probable that a convention of the representatives of the various clubs will be held The matter of Retting such a bill as outlined above through the legislature will be onu of the chief topics for con ¬ sideration While harness racing has gained in popularity during the last few years the associa ¬ tions that have promoted various meetings have found it hard to put up good purses and break even without the betting feature of the sport While oral betting is being resorted to for the running races at Oakland track it is the belief of the haniessmen that parimutuels and auction pools would benefit the running sport as well as harness racing It is the general belief that Thomas II Williams presi ¬ dent of the Pacific Jockey Club would welcome tliis form of betting in preference to the oral system now in vogue It is believed that Mr Williams will lend his supW rt to the harnessmen in their efforts to put the bill through the legislature The pari inutuel system is the form of betting that is con ¬ ducted on the race tracks of France and it has been also tried in this country with success It eliminates the bookmaker who seems to have been the object of attack when the present hiw was framed There is considerable criticism hoard among the followers of harness racing and other forms of sport that the WalkerOtis bill has failed to accomplish its purpose They insist that the Itookmakers are still in the ring while other lines of sport are the sufferers
