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+ + KENTUCKIANS GATHERING PARI-MUTUEL DATA FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD Confidence Expressed That System of Speculation in Vogue in Blue Crass State, with Schedule of Short Meetings, Will Prove Salvation of American Turf + — Lexington. Ky.. September 24. — The Kentucky Association was unfortunate in having to postpone the opening of its fall meeting from Monday until Tuesday becaase of an unprocedentedly heavy rain -term which left the track heavy for the succeeding two days Bad probably dampened the ardor of a number of persons who had planned for an outing under fair skies on the original date. It was, tinder the circumstances, quite proper that there should not have been racing on such a day, and the officials of the association have had the approval of the horsemen and the public alike in their action. Thus far the meeting lias been a pronouueed success from very point of view and the prospects are that when it comes to a close next Thursday afternoon every prediction made for it will have been fulfilled. This meeting is finding more local patronage than any of its autumn t line predecessors, and the people who are attending are. generally speaking, of a much better class than were wont to go to the races heretofore in the fall. She betting riug has been a lively lurality everyday, yet there has bees no heavy gambling of the sort that has militated to the detriment of racing in other localities. The visitors from the east are fascinated with the pari-nnituel system as operated here and they will go back to New York with expressions of regret that the lawmakers of the Empire State were not wise enough to have authorized its employment on the tracks of the metropolis and convinced that this system is the salvation of the turf in this country. Speaking of the pari-mutuels. the question of percentage to tie charged and breaks to he taken by the association, which has l een before the Kentucky State Racing Commission since the spring meeting here, will be definitely settled at a meeting of the commission late in November or early in December. At a meeting of the directors of the Kentucky Association early in April it was proposed that the commission be asked to sanction a charge of 7 per cent, instead of 5. This created a stir, many who had been in the habit of betting regularly contending that tin increase would prove excessive and would result in driving more money from the tracks and to the rapport of handbooks and in the end would tiring no more revenue to the associations. The track officials, on the other hand, advanced the argument that they would not be able to give stakes and purses sufficiently large to attract the best horses at ."i per cent, and that they are willing to assume the risk of a greater volume of money going into handbook* if the commission will sanction the increase. The commission has been studying the problem all summer and his decided to take no action until the fan season is ended. Racing men in all parts of this country, and some la other countries, have been asked to express their views on the subject and the track officials have directed Col. Matt Winn, general manager of the New Louisville Jockey Crab, to gather data from every country on the globe now using the pari-mutuel system. Much of this has already been received by Colonel Winn and he has placed if in the hands of Johnson N. Camden, owner of Hatf land Stud and one of the racing commissioners. The latest received was that from Buenos Ayres. covering the operation of the system in South America a countries. There is data from France. Russia and New Zealand, and there is to come some , 4, from Germany, Japan. Italy and Austria. S. S. I low land, of New York. who has iust returned from an extended trip abroad, made an exhaustive study of the system iu France, ttermnny. Austria and Italy and he has been asked by the Kentucky State Racing Commission to give expression to his views. When the commission comes to act upon the question the representatives of the Kentucky tracks will be asked to be present and present figures showing financial transactions for the year. Col. Matt Winn said while here this week that the associations will gladly show their books to the commission and will abide by any ruling that is made in the matter. "Tke associations will not be able to give the highest-class racing that they desire under the 5 tier cent, commission." said he. "and if the increase Is not granted we will have to cut our cloth accordingly. The breaks do not amount to as much as the public has been led to believe, and since coming here I have found that even the memtiers of the commission have been misinformed in this matter. Some one. evidently Unacquainted with the system of figuring, started the report that at Louisville and La-tonia all fractions of ten cents were taken and the commission accepted it as true. At no meeting in this state has there at any time been a break on more than four cents. Such misinformation has put us in the light of attempting to take advantage of the public and has caused us to be suspected, probably, by skeptical iiersons of doing underhanded things in the handling of the publics money. However, the people who have attended the races day by day know different. We are eager to give the peo-ple who bet the money at our tracks every penny and all information concerning the betting that is coining to them. We are not Cheaters and have nothing to conceal. At every track we are displaying the number of tickets sold on each horse, straight, place and show, in each race, together with the totals. The public has an opportunity to check this against the machines if they desire to take the trouble to do it. and many of them do. If we should make a mistake it would be quicklv detected. "As I have said, we are willing to show the state racing commissioners our figures for every dollar taken in commissions, breaks, at the gate and for privileges and let them decide whether or not we will be able to increase our stakes and pursea without an increase in the amount to be charged for commission. If we are able to give more money we will get the best horses and when the best horses come together it means better racing and better attendance, whereupon the tracks can be properly maintained. "We. the track owners and the commission, are working to the same general end. tiie betterment of the sport of racing and there should he. and doubtless will be. the fullest study and discussion of these vital matters before there is a decision that will mean mere existence or the complete upbuilding of the sport in this state.* Speaking of the turf situation in general and in New York particularly. Colonel Winn was optimistic. "I believe." he said, "that the pendulum of public sentiment, so long swinging unnaturally in many localities, is now dropping gradually to evenness and that we will soon see the restoration of racing where it has been hard hit by alleged reformers. Short meetings and the pari-m attic] system will he the salvation of racing iu this country."
