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NEW ORLEANS BUSINESS MEN STIRRED UP OVER PLANS FOR RACING AT CITY PARK f New Orleans, La., August 12. Announcement by the owners of the City Park race track that plans for a winter race meeting at their plant are under way has created a sensation in New Orleans business circles. Many commercial organizations of the city are shareholders in the Business Mens Racing Association, and the business men who represent these firms or who own individual stock in the association make no attempt to hide the fact that it is believed by them that the operation of a rival race meeting here, conducted by a private corporation, most probably will undo all the hard work they had done in reviving racing. Months ago, when it became known that outside local interests contemplated organizing rival racing corporations, stockholders of the Business Mens Racing Association met and decided that every effort should be made to prevent any private syndicate conducting an opposition meeting. It was argued that the Business Mens Racing Association represented New Orleans commercial interests, and the charter of the organization was such that the city of New Orleans and the state of Louisiana would be the beneficiaries in the event the race meetings proved financially successful, which the two held so far have been. The entrance of a private corporation, prominent stockholders of the association contend, will place the Hport in the light of a purely money-making proposition, and as racing was revived to promote the commercial welfare of the city ami state, all idea of monetary gain by private individuals or corporations should be eliminated until the original purposes of the organization had been served, launching the Live Stock Show is the first step the Business Mens Racing Association has taken to turn its proceeds to the public good, and this, it is agreed, will accomplish much for Louisiana. Other movements also are on foot to utilize the earnings of the association for the public benefit. AVith the idea of putting on foot another plan to utilize the profits of racing for municipal improvement, as well as with the intention of making it reasonably sure that no private corporations would start rival meetings here, directors of the Business Mens Racing-Association some time ago decided to make an effort to purchase the City Park property. An offer of 350,000 was made to the owners of the plant, and terms were asked as follows: All the profits of racing from December 15, opening day, to December 31, to be turned over to the City Park owners and enough to make that sum 50,000 to be paid at the end of the coming meeting, this 50,000 to go as first payment on the property, with bonds given for the payment of 25,000 with interest annually. Owners of the City Park race track responded, fixing the price at 375,000, 50,000 of which was to be paid in cash. This proposition, according to I. 1$. Rennyson, was declined by the directors of the Business Mens Racing Association. "For good reasons we cannot accede to the demand made by the City Park track people," said Mr. Rennyson in discussing the matter. "Our association wanted to buy the track. We saw the opportunity of keeping racing alive, and on a clean and paying basis, by not allowing it to get into other hands, through the purchase of the only other available plant in the city, and. at the same time, we saw where future profits of our association could be turned to the public good by giving the big tract to the City Park Commission as an addition to City Park. "Our idea was to give the race track to City Park for tlse purpose of development as public playgrounds, sites for the Public School Athletic League sports and as an enlargement to City Park, which is none too big. "We submitted our offer, which is the best our board of directors can make. There are ample reasons why we cannot pay out 50,000 cash as first payment on the tract. Stockholders of our association must be protected, for they represent our lending business interests." Stockholders of the Business Mens Racing Association interviewed are one and all of the opinion that their organization should remain in control of racing here, as they believe that only under joint commercial interests can the sport live and prosper.
