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FAIL TO MAKE OUT A CASE ADVOCATES OF MILLER BILL MAKE POOR SHOWING AT OTTAWA Hcv Mr Shearer Chief Agitator of AntiRacing AntiRacingPropaganda Propaganda Destroys His Own Case at Final FinalSession Session of Investigating Committee Ottawa Out February IS The taking of evi klicc by the Commons committee on the Milkr anti l ookmaking bill closed todav and next week argu ¬ ments will be made by the opirosing counsel It is ilie general opinion alx ut the House of Commons that the promoters of the bill have failed to make out si case Rev Mr Shearer of Toronto vvas shown by Ills admissions on the witness stand last night to be the chief agitator of tho antiracing propaganda lint lie refused to state who paid the expenses He said he never saw races except one day on tho ice here two weeks ago that neither he iior any of his associates had any knowledge of racing conditions in Canada nor had they made any investigation or inquiry No case of evil results from race course letting had ever come under his observation He admitted preparing and circulating petitions and then unloading them on members of Parliament in liatcbes effectiveMr whenever lie thought it would Ite effective Mr Monk BL I1 one of the committee remarked that it was singular that Dr Shearer had copied New York State legislation in his bill rather than the English act governing betting It was not the practice here to model after United Slates legisla ¬ tion tionDr Dr Shearers own testimony is considered to have destroyed his case so far as nice course lietting is funcerncd but there will undoubtedly l e legislation agaiirst handbooks advertising touts and unduly long meetings meetingsDr Dr Itnutledgo formerly a member of Parliament for East Middlesex and Judge Francis Nelson of Toronto were the witnesses today Dr Koutledge Is president of the London Turf Club and an exten ¬ sive dealer and breeder as well as a practicing phy ¬ sician He said racing was necessary for the stan Ianl bred and the revenue from betting witli the attendance that would not IK there without the liberty to bet wns necessary to the holding of such suchmeetings meetings Judge Nclsouscl forth the different differentmethods methods of betting and favored the mutuel machine as against the bookmaking system on economic and other grounds Public opinion wherever there was organized racing in Canada supported it No coun ¬ try in the world prohibited letting on race courses Some states did it but not the United States gov ¬ ernment
