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HOSTILE TO MORE CANADIAN TRACKS. Unless the authorities of Canada put the lid on i the granting, of charters for new race tracks and the issuing of licenses for the operation of old charters, at once, thoroughbred racing in Canada will shortly be stamped out entirely. Old charters are being ; dug up and new tracks bobbing up over night of late, particularly in the vicinity of .Montreal. How long will this last? It seems to be only a question or time until the public in general will demand that the gates be barred. In Illinois, Tennessee. Missouri. New Jersey and other sections of the United States, where the sport was over done, this was the outcome. Montreal now has practically continuous racing from May until October. The opening of another new track near the Royal City today will bring the number up to seven, giving over a hundred days of racing in Montreal. This is entirely too much for any city of its size. Another charter has been resurrected, and an eighth track, it is said, will be in operation there next year. A night track has also been proposed for Montreal, but the hotter- is unlikely to materialize. Horsemen, horses end riders would be outlawed, no doubt, if they took part at any such meeting. Night racing put an end to the sport at East St. Ijouis. Too much racing has brought the "sport of kings" into disfavor everywheie that it was ever stopped. Figuring that -Montreal is now well supplied in the matter of tracks, the would-be promoters are looking for new fields in which to operate. Windsor has been selected as a likely spot, and although there are already two tracks there efforts are being made to increase that number. The people of that community an- naturally opposed, to any more tracks being built, and are not backward in voicing their disapproval. Evidently fearing that they might not be granted a license, the promoters of the third course at Windsor only leased a section of land ami dumped some lumber upon it. awaiting developments. Their judgment is likely to be correct. Provincial Secretary McGarry could hardly issue a license to these invaders. In Windsor it is said the choif promoter is Charles T. Heushall. a German, who has been active in promoting race tracks in Montreal and in similar concessions in Cuba. He is said to have secured a charter from Barney Hepburn of Pictnn, and which is declared bv competent lawyers to be invalid. Henshall, it is declared, docs not come out in the open and he was not one of those who made application to the provincial secretary .on Saturday. A New York promoter, Grant Hugh Browne also interested at Montreal was one r the deputation. Mr. Mi-Garrv said he could not take up the matter of grsnting a license until the track was built and the license applied for. This was tantamount to a refusal, hut in fairness to the city of Windsor there would have been a positive answer that no matter what happens a third license would not be granted in that vicinity. Far too many race track promoters are busying themselves in tiiis country of late years from across the line. Thev have no regard for the future of the turf in Canada. Many of them are men of questionable repute, crooks who have "done time." and others that should be. They succeed in connecting themselves with grafting politicians and others who are prominent in public life, thereby securing charters "and licenses to operate race tracks. It has been minted out that the racing at A indoor is supported by Detroit and other American capital and that the racing at that point brings considerable revenue into this country. The same might be said of Fort Erie. Unfortunately, how-i ever, too much of said revenue leaves the country almost as rauidly as it comes in with the exception of the daily license for operation and the war tax tiiis season. . ... Next vear i is understood that a provincial tax in Quebec of at least ,000 a day will be levied i on all rr-co tracks in that province. This will surely put some of them out of existence around Montreal lu anv event, the time has arrived to protect the sport and it. should be done at once. There should I ie no more charters or licenses granted for tracks i at any points ;vhere racing is already established. - Toronto Daily Star.
