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____ DAMPER ON RACING IN FRANCE. Considerable surprise has been evinced by breeders and owners at the result of the interview between the minister of agriculture and the reprosentalivcs of the Societe dEncourageineut on the subject of a prompt resumption of racing in France. This society, the Jockey Club of France, has. through one of its stewards. Count de Quincy. expressed its firm intention of taking no steps to alleviate the legitimate complaints of those interested in the horse industry. Such a declaration on Ihe pari of a body which has as its "raison detre" the amelioration and development of the thoroughbred puts a stop to all the hopes raised by tlie publication of conditions of races to come. This decision was arrived at by the thirteen members of the committee who hold the fate of racing in their hands, and my excellent colleague. "Bend Or." remarks that seven of this "Council of Thirteen" do not own even a hair of the tail of a race horse, while the remaining six were in 1914 owners or part owners of eighty six broodmares and took no active part in racing. save as regards the Deauville yearling sales. Consequently the minister of agriculture, who has implied his assent to the race meetings projected at. Nice and elsewhere outside the military Bones, has been disarmed. As "Rend Or" says. l. Meline is well acquainted with the position of breeders and owners, and must deeply regret that while I m theaters, cinemas and places of amusement in Paris and tlie provinces are open to the public, the government and the leading race societies have refused to adopl any measures enabling owners and breeders to obtain some slight return foe the lenses sustained during the past eighteen months of enforced inactivity. The reserve funds in the hands of the Societe dKncouragement were computed ir seven millions of francs at the commencement of the war. The depreciation of securities may have reduced that amount by a million of francs, but there still remains a sum of six millions for racing. Not a inurmr.r was raised at the suggestion to reduce the value of the richer events under its rules. Promises are made as to the future, but as breeders and owners declare if is a poor answer to the man who asks for immediate relief to I ell him that If he will only wait another year he will have Bi] lie wants. The grass is no doubt growing, but the steed is starving, and the title of tlie Societe dKn-couragement from a breeders point of view seems little justified at the moment. — Paris Letter to London Sportsman.
