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HEARINGS BEGUN ON MILLER BILL Canadian Live Stock Commissioner Speaks for Thor ¬ oughbred and Advocates PariMutuel Betting Ottawa Out January 10 The special committee of parliament on II H Millers antibetting lull l egm hearing evidence yesterday when counsel ap ¬ peared for seven parties interested in the melisure W B Raney appeared in support of the bill L McCarthy for the Ontario Jockey Club F Meredith anil Aime Gcofrion for the Montreal Jockey Club J L Coursell for the Hamilton Jockey Club John Moss for the Thoroughbred Breeders Association G Powell for the British Columbia Thoroughbred Association and C A Wilson M P for the Mon ¬ treal Driving Association though not as counsel The Winnipeg Jockey Club will also he represented by counsel night at the outset there was an argu ¬ ment as to who should get u hearing first Mr Raney had asked permission to call certain wit ¬ nesses and have their books produced F D Monk insisted however that Mr Uaney should first pro ¬ duce witnesses in defense of the bill and so he consented But to this Mr McCarthy for the On ¬ tario Jockey Club objected as this would give Mr Uaney the conduct of the case So at the request of Chairman Miller Mr Raney stated how he pro ¬ posed to proceed proceedDr Dr Huthcrford veterinary directorgeneral and live stock commissioner of Canada was first called and testified that the thoroughbred was the basis of all light horsebreeding European governments he said bought thoroughbreds witli which to breed horses for military purposes Russia and Germany had paid as high as 105100 for a single horse while France had paid 180000 In England the same object had been attained by private enterprise through the fostering of racing through centuries by the crown During the South African war he went on the British remount officers had been much dis ¬ appointed in the quality of Canadian horses We raise he said many useless nondescripts owing to lack breedingWhat of attention to breeding What do you say as to the influence of racing on the thoroughbred horse asked Mr Moss MossYou You cannot have the thoroughbred horse as he is today without racing replied Dr Rutherford RutherfordUnless Unless he is submitted to keen competition the thoroughbred would lose his speed his courage that nameless something which we call quality Committeeman McCall asked if betting was neces ¬ sary meetingI to the conduct of a race meeting I think was the reply if people were not al ¬ lowed to make their bets thcuattendauce would fall n nDo off Do you think Itookmaking necessary to racing questioned Mr Raney Dr Rutherford Well no Not bookmaklng but some form of betting The parluuituel has been successful in France FranceMr Mr Miller As a matter of fact are many thor ¬ oughbreds used In breeding horses In Canada CanadaDr Dr Rutherford Not as much as they should be beThe ImportedA The majority of racing horses are Imported A fair sprinkling of horses at Montreal and other tracks are Canadian bred bredThe The point 1 wisli to make said Mr Miller is that racing lias been in progress since 1SGO and there breedingYou has not been much improvement in breeding You could not expect it was the reply Three four meetingTo or five liorses used to form a meeting To Mr McCarthy Dr Rutherford stated that there had beeu much improvement In the breeding of liorses in the last twenty years but not as much as he thought there should be beIn In reply to Mr McCall Dr Rutherford gave the French parlmutucl as his remedy for conditions to quartersDr which objection is made In certain quarters Dr Qulnn of Brampton breeder of horses con ¬ firmed Dr Rutherfords view as to the necessity of thoroughbred sires In breeding
