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COMMENT ON CANADIAN SITUATION The first heat in the race for the maintenance of the right of personal liberty including that of put ¬ ting down a bet on a race course in Canada was trotted last week over the course on Parliament Hill and was won handily by the liberty lovers comments the Canadian Sportsman The struggle is far from decided though and every man who is Jiot prepared to have his rights and his reasonable recreations either abridged or obliterated must con ¬ tinue or strengthen his efforts The case for breed ¬ ing and racing made a tremendously good show at the hearings before the committee on Mr Millers bill Beginning with the authoritative evidence of Dr Ilutherfonl the Dominion live stock commis ¬ sioner and veterinary directorgeneral it was sup ¬ ported by the testimony of breeders in Ontario and Ouebef anil by a powerful array of men prominent in business finance anil public affairs They spoke whereof thev knw anil the views of such sound tiroclical men all of them successful in important importantfairs fairs could not fail to make a deep impression on the committee They were unanimous and clear cut in tin declaration that these three propositions ar interwoven and inseparable First thoroughbred blood Is absolutely fssiintlil to the breeding inter ¬ ests Second racing is absolutely necessary to im ¬ prove and maintain the high standard of the light horse Third that racing has reached its present state if prosperity in Canada because of valuable purses mid public interest both of which would dis ¬ appear if then were no revenue from the speculative portion of the attendance That has been made verv Hear and the committee realizes it Ottawa ad ¬ vices say that while it mav be early to forecast the result the passage of a bill making betting legal bevond all question on race courses but prohibiting it on the streets and in handbooks as well as sun prrssing advertisements of swindling touts and making n reasonable limitation for the duration of race meetings is probable
