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i j i « , i i , j , , , I I I I i i ; i i i I i I I . 1 1 1 , 1 ! ! , i i . i , i . i , i , i ■ , i . LOCAL VIEW OF LOUISIANA RACING. Text af Report Formulated by Special Committee of the New Orleans Progressive Union. New Orleans. La.. June 7. — Iiiillp Werleiu. at tat dent of the Progressive Iuinn, has forwHided to all ill.- liieiiiliers of that onranizatlon the reaarl of the Kpeetal loniinitiii . eoaaUtlag pt Albert GodeJatax, A. Iiiuns.-r. B. . asanas. S. .1. BchwaiM and I.tsm Pt-iink. appointed for the ntnaaae of invest Igattaft the lariipaaithiB for the reslnralion of raeiiiK in New url.-iins. On Tlnirsilny the ineiiil..-rs of I he Progn-s sive Inion will vole on the ipieslioii. The reaarl of the i-ommillee. signed hy iill live Siu-uiheis. is .oui-heil in the following language: "To the President and Meinlnrs of the New Orleans Progressive Inion: Your eoininiltee appointed lo ilioioiighlv investigate the claim that a practical amendment of the Locke bill, which will result ii .-lean lining, devoid of the objectionable features existing under tl Id system, can he drawn for presentation to the legislature, and present same to the president in willing. begs to Bppaft as follows: •lnim our investigations il appears that there has never been any serious objection to winter racing in New Orleans .-is such, nor to individual bet ling. The objection appears to have related to the class of men under whos.- domination racing had fallen and who had uirneil a I ime-lionor.-d and what was for many reara in New Orleans a popular amusement Into coni-ni.-ri ializ.-d gambling. Willi all the civic evils inei-ih-nt to iMiokuiaking. joint ownership of Imus.s and betting iM.oks, touting, etc. Inder such conditions mam undesirables came to New Orleans each winter who became a menace lo the peace of the community. Tin-so conditions wont from bad to worse until the people of New Orleans demanded their suppression. "c timl that many leading merclianls and represent at ive rlttaeaa, in their desire lo upbuild our winler attractions, particularly favor the rehabilitation of winter racing freed from the Imokinaker, from outside control and from all of the evils that alieiuk-d racing as in recent years conducted in New iirhans. ".Many hading merchants ami business men tell us they desire an opportunity to conduct winter racing under the pari inutile! system: that they believe Unit iinib-r local control this system will give New Orleans a very valuable and at the same time a clean winter attracliou. and lliat Ihrough this altraclion thousands of de-irable visitors from the north, east .-iiul wesl. who now spend their winters elsewhere. Brill be induced to spend some weeks or months each aaaaaa in the city of New Orleans. ••Willi a desire to understand the plans proposed hv these men hauls and business men, we have investigated the present law. the operations of the pari iuutiii-l syslein in France and in Kentucky, and he effect of a properly organized racing i-oinmission in I In- latter stale, and we liml: ••llial Hie UBMBBBBBaj law does not prohibit indi idiial or mutual wagers on racing evenls; thai the pari iiiuluel system is wholly mutual and in principle does not rtetate the intent of the law. In operation il does nit open the way to the li.mkiuaker, nor docs il provide any profitable Held of operalion for hang-i is -on ami other undesirables, as was the case under lire now prohibited Uiokinaking system, but it does piovido a svsteiualic method by which the racing association can collect a fixed portion for operating pinsis. amounting in Kentucky to live per cent, from each and eveiy individual wager made by the paiioiis. • We are told that lack of information as lo the n.ilur.- of the pari inutuel system and the fear that the ra.-e track opeiiiiois of thai day might find some loophole Ihrough wlinh lo escape the true intent of the law. whicii appears lo be not the proliihitiou of i..cing and individual or inutuel belling at the city race nn-.-ting or the country fair, but the prohibition of Hie bookmaker, the tout and all of the very uu-d.sir.i,ble elements that contributed to the discredit of the aport, resulted in the inclusion of a prohibition ..I HUE pari -uiut.iel system. "The committee learns that the movement looking lo the resioi-alion of winler raring in New Orleans bad its inception with the New ilrleans uierchaiits and bur.iiicss men. and under these auspices this commitei i-an s«-e no objection to the enactment of such b-gislalion as would iiermit properly-conducted racing. "We would therefore recommend that, he members of the New Orleans Progressive Iliion vote on this ipieslion: ■■ -Kisolv.-d. That the members of the New Orleans Progressive I niou see no reason why the members of the I isiana Legislature should not favorably consider an amendment to the present law which will opi-u I he way lor New Orleans business men to conduct winter raring under the pari inutuel system and under a racing coininission of live representative men. sav three irotu the city of New Orleans and two fn.in i he slate, with authorily lo grant and rescind permits iu the interest of the public, said commission lo be aapehatai by the governor. Iioin our investigation we learn that the pari mul.iel svstem of race rack operalion is Hie simplest ami i-lii si melliod known in racing. The public ab.ne makes ll,e favorite. The horse owner, the jockev and olln is interested iu tin- race have no way of knowing or of learning in advauii- which bene »vill be lie favoriie iu each event, nor is there auv way for aaj to BiIiibjiIii before the la ; wager is BHMte ami the machine closed what the odds of the various horses are to be. although Hie number of li.k.ls sold on each and every race la nieclianic-allv recoribil in plain figures as Ihey are sold, thus enabling the individual lo follow closely ami with al. solute accuracy Hie progression of the specula-I ion. The pari inutuel machine admits of no fraud. Il is i donation of a cash register and an adding machine which Hashes each transaction on an indicator. The machine is locked securely the moment the start is effected, thus pn-venllng any change in Hie record created. Imineilialely after the race the amount of money is totalized and prorated among the holders of tickils on the winning horse, less liv.-per peat, deducted by the racing association for I he Used charge* a ad uuraiw. This system cuts mil the bookmaker. Hie tout, the lx-lling commissioner, the lived price, the parasite and avoids, by ninoving tin-..ppoilunitios lor Illicit gain, all the evils Incident lo Hie iHH.kmakiiig s.vsl.ni against which New Orleans rebelled twa .Mars ago. "I nilcr the pari iiiuluel system racing in prance. which is carried on under the direct supervision wi. the goverimn nt. is n cognized not only lo be a vb-au ■pawl and the beat racing in the world, but lo be without i|iieslion the leading social function during I be m ier months iu the country, the presides! of the republic all.-niling iu stale w believer a special feature is carded. "In KeatuehJ the same sysiini has changed ruling Ir.ini an opea air gambling house into a refilled innus. n out of a high order which attracts thousands at wealth pi ople from all pails af the continent. In the published report* of the Kenlmky llerliy. run al Louisville early in May. IBM, appear the names of iidiii v prominent men anil women residing iu Can ada. Mexico and iu fifteen or twenty stales of the I niou. II is shown thai a tremimlius crowd, over °n ihiii eiubra hiv. the besl class of pi-ople in the social and eivic life of He Blue Crass State, galh ered lo witness this on.- event, thus demonstrating the hold thai racing properly eiindmled has on the .ill., lions of the people. ITotn Ibis il will he seen that Kearuehj has in I practical way solved the .im-siiou that Louisiana might Iiim usletd two rears a|to had scaled dlsi aaalisss, plus strong public feeling, not clouded the real issue involved. "Iu Keatwcky I km.iking. nsrl-rauruH and am lion |Miols are all leua li/.eil. bill the Slat- Ita.-ing Commission, which is eiNUpaaed ol genlleinen who have the b.-sl interests ol the spoil al heart, under Hie powers -.rallied I em by I he stale, have tilled b. ■i.kinal.liig "ill . i it. I p.-iiiiit oniy pari niulmls and I lion pools. In. Ier this ruling racing in Ken tuck has i, .■,,. me v.. astlsfscfory that al the session ol the 1 cgi-l.iiure just cb.M-d not a bill was inlro dined alle. ling racing in any milliner. "In Ilance. where the pari iiiuluel system has been in operaUua abaul two generations, racing baa iieMr .hv. loped aa oifensive phsses, sat has i, l..e, me ii legislative issue. This is SO bee ins.- from the mi.v nature of the par! iiiuluel system racial under il has not and eannnl because coniuiei .lair/id I.ettiiiL. The syateai hi completely mutual iu imiv Bra and is nothing more than individual bottin-. which is permissible iiii.l. r the Locke bill. but sin.-.- the wolds pat i iiiuluel device were aa fortunai.lv iu bided in the Leeke law. the staehine which plae.-s iudivi.liial belli. ig "ii a practical basis. li. .1 the belling, is haired. •The auilion pool i- also mutual. It is operated in this win: Onlv one ticket is sold on each same in each pool, ami thai ink.l ssea to the blghesl bidder When sll the horses are -old. the anal is flnai il sad saother one started. The balder of the ti..:.t on the wlaulaa horse taken the eat Ire amount on the tool except live per cent, which goes to the : hitios. This system also clhuiaatea the beta im !:•■! and the taut, since the odds are governed hy tie .pinion of the public itself. The ailcliou |i Ml ; iced priiicipallv in harness ;.niug. • P.H.kmakini. is i,-,l mutual in :inv way. It is .•oiiimei. iallz. d betting. The iHtokassker is a pro ,iiil gambler. Why? By payliil a Baad price i,, , ii,,e track b.- is permitted to ply his rocs ii,n on .i thirty or I irtj per cut. basis prlactimlly .• ,,n, i fraut .-s and practically ssaorlna , j. i iii .i bettars will lose. s the aoob , laurlas iiis v iis against the whole .ell!, seen that whatever Basse? i-, -,|. Information might be w.n i| i,. I,,, iinioiii:- of lie- public. In oilier , .en how niu.-li more in ■ • t,,i 1 1 ami there is iimler the . . . . I. i l! il del the IlllllUel s.Vstelll. ,,i i Ho i.iii.i Hi.- puhli" is simply ..■lieu j.. .in i II ,,,,|iv i, hulls, vvilh the pro • .. • li iiin.ii. d ..r. if he wants In i.;, pari si all i.i i m- In aa the same bai-ls an II,, put, IP and vvllholll llll.V .el .1 II I llgi- wliut- Illi. "Ka.-h bookinaker reuiroR live or sjx clerks. Tliese clerks draw $.". lo Ifltl a day. con.sei|ueutlv men of no particular ability or special avocation come from all parts of the c itry seeking these clerkships. At all linns Hie applicants ontnuiiiber tin- jobs several-fold. Kiiiling lo get steady work, they deteriorate into what are commonly known as touts, betting commissioners, professional elockers. etc.. becoming a menace to the city. As there will Barer be any prospect for people of Ibis class under the pari-mntuej svstem. and as a verv few local clerks can handle the machine, then- will he no inc. m ive for these people to come In New Orleans. Neither will there be any work for the professional elockers. wb.He pay conies from the bookmaker, nor for the -o called outside man who runs to the jockey and oadilock for inside information to be used against the public "We believe that if Hie people of New Orleans be given an opporl unity to operate winter racing free from liooknnikers and professional gambler*, a splendid winler attraction will be created, ami that the stale at large, as well as the city of New Orleans, will have nothing lo regrei." The reporl concludes with an extract from the last reporl of the Kentucky State Kacing Pounnis sion lo the Legislature.
