Appears Scary for Maryland Racing, Daily Racing Form, 1916-03-05

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APPEARS SCARY FOR MARYLAND RACING. Bntthmore, Mel.. March 4. Race tracks premise-to share- the legislative stage with prohibition at 1 Annapolis next week. There will be lively debates s before either house ilee-ieh-s whether the race tracks 8 are to pay a high lax or - ill of business alto gel her. The- Williams anti-betting bill is due to be reported by the Judiciary committee of the seaate. [j The committee baa already roted to repeert the bill favorably with an amendment, tin- amendment being the Randall •uebstltute. Just why the bill, ; after having been voted on favorably is being held ,l in the 1 ommit lee- is not plan. on Tneadaj next the bouse judiciary committee ,- is expected to r -port the ilall bill, Which is aK.e 0 an anti-botiiiig bill, but stronger and more far r reaching. .Inst what tin- committee will decide to „ do is a question, but the prediction is that the re-]M rt. .. while not unanimous, will be- favorable. With this there is another bill prohibiting news- 1 pape m from publishing racing results, but it is not likely that such a drastic- measure will he enacted into law. The- senate committee on tinance will make a report next week on the stale racing commission bill. Introduced by Senator Prick. The committee has converted it into a revenue measure. It will pro- 1 vide, among other things, that all racing associations must pay a license fee of 00 per day. It has been suggested that a tax be placed upon the gross receipts, but this js not acceptable to the 1,-u makers for two reasons. It would have made the state a partner in the business, which many b.-lie-ve- undesirable, and wonld not have prohibited . 1 gnnizatie ns operating a small track for gain only from conducting racing. It was therefore deemed best to impose a license- fe-e. which at the rate-adopted will net the state- fBO.OOO a year. Senator Irh-k regards the- license fee as too low and he Is considering an amendment increasing the fea to .0110. The big associations probably would not object to this tax. but the smaller ones would hardly be in a position lo stand such an imposition. Still, if the gross amount at the higher rate will equal the total that c-ould be derived from a greater number, tin- ,000 license may be substituted. The bill will provide for an unpaid commission of three, ansa whom is conferred the authority to pass upon all applications. They may. in their discretion, turn down those who in then? judgment are not boaande, or whose fairm-ss is questioned. Fair associations will be excepted from the provisions of the- law. but the e-oinuiissiem must be satisfied that the- organizations are legitimate. These may conduct running and trotting race* under a normal license fee-. It is more than probable that the bill will provide- lhat the belting be- confined to the pari-nuituel system.


Persistent Link: https://drf.uky.edu/catalog/1910s/drf1916030501/drf1916030501_2_6
Local Identifier: drf1916030501_2_6
Library of Congress Record: https://lccn.loc.gov/unk82075800