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FARMERS PREPARE TO ACT AGRICULTURAL SOCIETIES DEMAND REPEAL OF DIRECTORS LIABILITY LAW. Allege That Success of Their Fairs Depends Upon Removal of Embargo Against Racing in the Empire State. Albany. . Y.. February 1.— The agricultural societies 1. 1 ihis state canard aa announcement t l» Issued tndaj that they find the Perktaa law, which i riuuii -i suspension of raciag on the tracks of tbi Jockey Club. In an Intolerable measure and luimica o tin Interests pf the fair associations. The up atatc legislators are deteratlned t make every effort duriag the present session to kill the Perkins act, nun- generally known as the Directors Llabilitj law, which was Introduced in the spring of 1910 and went into effect on September 1 of thai year. Proponed : Intents to the Directors Liabilit; law. wbicb have been t-mativoiy considered by the agricultural societies, are regarded as too feeble ■ remedy, and ii Is Intended to aiake a tight in the open to wipe this measure frotn the- statute bo ks. Willi this "Ii.jm-i ii view, the two official organisa lions representing the county and towa fair assoefc tlons, will soon Introdnce in the Legislature bllh which "ill be of the same purport a- that of Senator Bobetrt Gitthts, which the Senate last year passed and which v.i defeated in the Assembly. The Ktcte Association of Agricultural Societies has passed ■ resolution indorsing the repeal of the Per l.ins law, and the State Association of Union Agricultural Societies lias appointed George I. Wither oi Oneonta, Garrj Willard of BoouTille, .1. P. Clark of Binghamton, .1. M. Walton of Palmyra, Fred Church • ■■ Afton, Herbert Bernard of Scbnenectady and K l . Cbapnius of Drydea a special legislative com inittee to lobby for the passage of the new aaeasurv. This ruoimittee will appoint a Bub committee to at tend the sessions of the Legislature and eoavtncc the members that the repeal of the Directors Liability law is necessary for the success of the county fairs and that the movement is not backed by the racing Interests, but by the moat powerful agricultural societ les of the state. It is not known in just what form the bill wil! a. lie presented to i !w Legislature, bad ii is unlikely ™ Unit Senator ;it,ins will be asked io Introduce the measure, as the members of the county fair associa !i"li- desire t" make it dear that this i- tleir ligiit. and tliut the racing aaaociationn bare nothing to do with the matt r. A- the result of the Perkins law there has sees no racing on the eastern tracks controlled by the .Teek j i lub, for the reason thai the owners and dl rectors were unwilling to assume responsibility for violation of the ami belting laws by natrons whose conduct in this direction the directors were powerless to regulate. Although the track owner- might take ci I; pr« caution ami although they were thorough h Willing to co-operate with the forces M the iaw snd order It was plainly manifest that they could not undertake the large order imposed by the Legists tare. Being unwilling to be held liable for anj and everj illegal act committed by others there was nothing else !•• be done but dose the tracks. Coder the Perkins law the fair assoeiatloas are held Josl as liaide as the owners and directors of iiiee tracks it there Is any attempt at betting. And now the managers of these institutions, which are the especial delight of the rural pooalatloB, have awakened to the fact that a fair without raciag cannot attract •■■ crowd and is Impossible of success. Ever] "lie wants to bet at "the county fair." and without betting the prise pumpkin may wither on Ike rlne for all any une may care. Tin- agricultural societies are just as liable under the Perkins law as are the directors of race tracks over which thoroughbreds perform. And equaOj with the race track owner- the farmers are now an posed to bearing the blame of violations committed by persons within their galea, rii i - d termination of the agricultural societies to have the Directors Liability law abolished, coming as it does inimedlatelj after the dcctuli n of the Court of Appeals in the Lambrix case, when it was ruled that wagers even when made on memorandum ■re perfectly legal, is of rast Importance la the sport of racing. There have been but few trotting meetings in New York state since the Directors Liability law went into effect, except small events at county fairs nab about twenty meetings, as against 108 daring t ue j i ar previous.
