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NO INTERFERENCE AT ST. LOUIS. State Authorities Will Take No Action Unless Gambling Laws are Violated. It -svont be necessary to go to the expense of staging the meeting at Maxwelton August 20 to September S to "feel out" the attitude of the state and county oilicials as to horse racing, says the St. Louis Kepuulic in its issue of Saturday, August 11. That attitude, so far as the State is concerned, was made clear in Jefferson City last night by Gov. Gardner. The attitude, simply stated, is that there will no horse racing if it violates the State statutes against gambling in connection witli it. That Maxwelton meeting is one of a series of race programs over the country to test out the sentiment of officials and the public as to the possibility of-reviving horse racing, was the statement yesterday of Joseph A. Murphy, who is promoting the meeting. He declared, however, that no bookmaking nor odd-lading and general betting will be countenanced. All horsemen, he says, will be warned not to violate the Missouri statutes. A great many bets will be made between individuals, he said, but that is a matter which the Missouri Dreeders Convention and Race Meeting, the title of the body sponsoring the meeting cannot govern. The horse races will be for cash stakes, the winners taking the purses. Should there be an effort made tJ revive m racing at Maxwelton Park or elsewhere Jn the state and i loqal authorities are unable to cope with the situation, the governor will direct Attorney General McAllister to take whatever steps are necessary to suppress any violations of the statute. Governors Attitude on Resumption of Kacing "My attitude toward any proposed resumption of horse racing in Missouri would simply be that of enforcing the laws on the statute books," said the governor. "I did not make the laws restricting horse racing and I am not commenting upon them one way or the other, but so long as they are there and I am the chief executive of the state, they will be enforced. "If unlawful racing should be attempted at Maxwelton. the authorities of St. Loins County would be called upon to take care of the situation, and it they showed any inability to take care of it. Attorney General McAllister would be promptly directed to take charge." The governor added that he had no intimation from any source that there is to be an effort made to resume horse racing, in Missouri. Attorney General McAllister is not in Jefferson City tonight. He is at his home in Paris, Monroe "prosecuting Attorney Richard F. Ralph of St. Louis County, last night declared that he had not heard of the alleged reviving of horse racing in the county. He did not say whether an attempt to stop it would be made, but declared that if any violations of the law were found he would have the violators arrested and would prosecute them.
