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* + j MOVEMENT TO REVIVE RACING IN LOUISIANA ~~~~ ~~ — -— — , Member of Legislature from New Orleans Drafts Bill to Legalize Meetings Employing Pari-Mutuel System of Betting T" New Orleans. La., April 12, — lu response to the niuMuieut which is under way looking to the restoration of racing as one of the attraetious of the winter season iu this city. E. J. Reichardt. who represents the parish of Orleans in the legislature, lias prepared for introduction during the forfheonjiug session of the General Assembly a bill to provide fur the establishment of a state racing commissiou under whose authority and jurisdiction properly organised racing associations will be permitted to conduct, race meetings. The salicut features of the bill are that pari-niiiiucl betting shall be legalized, but that all other inhibitions of the law in respect tu liookiuaking and other forms of speculation shall remain in force; that the commission shall be supported by a euotributlon of fifteen por-eent. of the gross admission receipts of all race meetings and that the residue after the expenses id the commission, which are l" be limited to 17.500 per annum, are met, shall lie distributed among various charitable institutions. Tin- text of the bill iu full is as follows; "An Act to allow running race meetings by corporations formed for the purpose: to establish a stale Racing Commission and provide oancera of same: to designate its powers and duties: to provide a m malty for violations of the provisions of this Act: lo exempt trotting races and other races; t" designate the domicile of the commission: to provide bow its meetings shall be called and where held: to provide a revenue; to limit the expenditure: to distribute the balance to its credit: to repeal Act 57 of I.mjk in so far as the same prohibits ami penalises ilk operation of French tnutuel pooling devices and to repeal all laws or parts of laws iu eon diet witli this Act. "Seetiun 1. He it enacted by the General Assem bij of the State of Louisiana. That any corporation luriued for the purpose of racing and breeding or impro ing the breed of horses and conducting races and contests of speed, shall have the power and ii-lit. subject lo tiie provisions of this Act. to bold an or more running race meetings in each year, ami lu hold, maintain and Conduct running races at such meetings. At «dch meetings the corporation at the owners of the horses engaged in such races, or oth-rs who are not participants in the racing, may uiiiribute purses, prizes, premiums or stakes to be cunteste.1 for; but no person or persons other than the owner or owners of a horse or horses contesting in a race shall lane any pecuniary interest in a purse, prise, premium or siake contested for in such race, or be entitled to. or receive any portion thereof after such race shall have been finished; and the wli. le of such purse, prise, premium or stake shall be allotted in accordance with the terms and conditions of such race. No running races are authorized or shall be permitted on Sundays apt except between sunrise and suiisel "Sec. :_. Be it further enacted, etc. That a Slate Racing Commission is hereby established, to consist of seven persons to be appointed by the governor from the Supreme Court districts of the state, -viz: -turn l rum ibe first district, one from tie- second ilis trict. one from the third district and one form i he fourth district: and two from the slate at large: four of whom shall be breeders or raisers of stock, and no two oT whom shall be members of the Wf racing association. "Ihe members of said commission shall hold their "dices for a term of four years, and the first coin-mlsslon shall be appointed within thirty days after this ad shall go into eBeet. Such commission shall eict a chairman and a rice-chairman from among their own number and appoint a secretary, who shall serve during il~ pleasure, but who shall nut be a member of the commissiou and whose duty it shell be tu keep a full and faithful record of iis pre c --.lings, and preserve at its general osnee ali books, maps, documents ami papers intrusted tu its ..ii" and perform such otlier duties as the com mission may prescribe, lie shall be paid a salary to be fixed by the commission, which salary shall be paid out of the revenues received by the commission. •Said commission shall have full pomM and authority to make contracts and do everything that may be necessary for the proper conduct of its business. "The Commissiou shall, biennially, make » full report tu the genera] assembly of its proceedings for the two-year period ending with the thirtieth da.. of April preceding the meeting of the general assembly and shall embody therein such suggestions ami recommendations a- ir sbaii deem desirable. "Sec. :.. ]•« it further emu-ted. etc.. That said commissi, -ii shall have the power to prescribe the rules, regulations and conditions under which running races shall be conducted iu this state, and no such races shall be conducted except by a corporation or association duly lit-eosed by said commission, as herein provided. Any corporation or assoetethm desiring to conduct such racing may an-nuallv apply to tin- state racing eommismou fur U-cense so to do. If in the judgment of the commission a proper case for the issuance of such license is shown, it may grant the same for a term of one year: and everj such license shall contain a condition that all races or race meetings conducted thereunder shall be subject to the rules, regulations and conditions from time to lime prescribed by the commission, and shall Ik- revocable by the I + commission for any violation thereof, or whenever the continuance of such license shall lie deemed by the commission not conducive lo the interest of le gitintate racing. But if said license is refused or revoked said commission shall publicly state its reasons for so doiug. and said reasons shall Is- written in full in the minute book of said commission, which shall at all times be subject to inspection upon appli- ! cation of anyone desiring so to do. Said finding of t said commission shall be subject to the review of tin courts of competent jurisdiction. Provided, J that Hie refusal of the commission to grant any ■ racing association a license, or to assign a racing association at least thirty days in each year, if I desired for racing at such association, and the df Chios of such commission revoking any license of : any association shall lie subject to review of the I courts of the state. "See. 1. Be it further enacted, etc.. That every running race meeting at which racing shall be per- united for any stake, purse or reward, except as al lowed by tbis act, is hereby declared to be a public ; nuisance, and every person acting or aiding therein shall lie deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and pun- ished by a line of not less than five hundred dollars nor mess than one thousand dollars, for each day of such meeting or racing: and iu addition thereto, in a suit brought for the purpose by the state racing commissiou in a court of comi»otent jurisdiction In the pariuh where it may be nrmmuud to conduct such unauthorized racing, an injunction may be obtained against die same. "See. ."i. Be it further enacted, etc.. That tbis act shall not apply to trotting meetings, or races, nor to races conducted by any state, parish or other fair association holding not more than one meeting annually, and for a period not exceeding six days for such meeting, nor to races at festivals, picnics or fairs given by and for the benefit of any fraternal, benevolent or religious organization. "Sec. d. Be it furl her enacted, etc.. That the general ollice and domicile of the slate racing com mission shall be iu the parish of Orleans. Meetings ol the commission, sluill he held at its domicile or in any other parish of this state on the call of the chairman, or of the vice chairman in the absence, inability or refusal of the chairman, or of f mt members of the comntinsioq la the absence, inability or refusal of lioth the cliarman and vie- chairman. "Kadi member when attending meetings shall be paid by the commission ten dollars per day and ai lual traveling expenses. "A majority of the members of the couiniission at all meetings shall constitulc a ipiorum for the transaction of business. "Sec. T. Be it further enacied. etc, la That a corporathm or association holding a race meeting licensed by the csaamissfoa shall pay to the coin-inissiun daily fifteen per-eent. of its gross admission receipts; b that all trainers and jockeys traiuing or riding horses at any race meeting licensed by the commission shall apply to the commission for a license, and When issued shall pay to the commission ten dollars for such license, and said license shall remain in force and effect for one year from date of issuance, unless revoked by the commission or by the officials of a race meeting licensed by the commission: ci that all tines assessed against trainers, jockeys or any other person or persons by the commission, or by officials of a race meeting liceuseil by the commission, shall be paid to the commission; nil that all horses tunning at a race meeting licensed by the couiniission shall be registered with the commission, and the couiniission shall be paid two dollars for each horse so registered. Whenever a borse is sold or transferred "i claimed in a selling race. ih,. person or persons acquiring the ownership shall register the bene with the commissiou, for which the commission shall be paid two dollars for such registration, and all registrations shall remaiu in force and effect for one year from date of registering. "See. .X. Be it further enacied. etc.. That after tin- payment of all salaries, expenses and fixed expenditures of the state racing commission to December ;jl of each year, which shall not exceed be sum of seven thousand rive hundred dollars, the amount remaining to the credit of the commission on pril 1 af each year shall be distributed as follows, lo wit: to the Lepers Home, five per-cellt.: to the Asylum for the Insane, thirty three per-eent: to Ihe Charity Bojpite] in the parish of Caddo, eight percent.: to the Louisiana Hospital for the Insane, twenty percent.; and to the Charity Hospital iu the parish of Orleans, thirly four per-eeut. ■ Sec. ! . Be it further enacted, etc.. Thai Act .".7 of IfMts be and the same is hereby repealed and amended in so far as the said act prohibits and penalizes the operation of French mtttuel pooling devices, but all otlier provisious of said act .77 of 1908 are to remain in full force and effect as if the sain-"- were embodied herein and made part hereof. "See. 10. Be it further enacted, etc.. That all laws or parts of laws in conflict herewith be aud the same are hereby repealed." Mr. Bernhardt, who represents the ninth ward of his city in the legislature, has had his bill printed in pamphlet form and is circulating it freely among Id- constituents.
