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RACING IN THE DOMINION Propaganda Used at Ottawa by Band of Tricky Reformers Sport with Betting to Be Re ¬ stored but with Future Healthy Regulation BY FRANCIS NELSON To lovers of racing and all other forms of sport the proceedings of tliis weeks government caucus at Ottawa an l tho subsequent announcement on the subject by Sir Thomas White in the House are gratifying evidences of the prevalence of the prin ¬ ciple of rational consideration rather than hysterical action The power to stampede legislators with a shower of prepared telegrams petitions and resolu ¬ tions all originating in the office of professional propagandists and all part of the program of earn ¬ ing the daily bread of the propagandists under the guise of unselfish work for humanity has disap ¬ peared with the spread of the knowledge of mami raptured character of the material poured out in floods on the desks of members They are not humbugged nor deceived hy smug pretensions as easily as before the war They have learned that they have been imposed on by much misrepresenta ¬ tion all the more reprehensible because of its as ¬ sumption of a superior moral foundation foundationThe The statement of the acting premier that it was the intention to frame certain regulative measures for tin cjonduct of racing with betting in Canada following an inquiry to be made into conditions should be not only satisfactory but welcome to those who desire the welfare of the sport It will not be so to those who seek its destruction and who nrt aiot candid enough to say so but would themselves behind fhfTsTipefficial plea that they are not opposed to but rather favor racing aiifl are antagonistic only to betting There was concrete evidence last year of the insincerity of such a plea Racing without letting was held at Woodbine on Victoria day and the Kings Plate the most interesting turf eve t for Canadians and brimming over with local flavor flavorThe The JocUey club did not conduct the days busi ¬ ness and received no part of the funds though it contributed 3000 as the purse to be raced for in addition to the Kings guineas The receipts went to the Red Cross fund and there was a complete divorce of the usual and professional side of racing from the affair The attendance did not demon ¬ strate that there was any person in Toronto Who keeps away from regular racing but would go to Woodbine to see the Plate if there was not betting I have had dozens of hypocrites tell me that though they knew they were not believed Diligent search of the fine crowd that provided such a gen ¬ erous contribution to the Red Cross funds on that day failed to find a single one They were not there everybody knew they would not be there The average mans contempt for the class remains it could not well be increased 1919 RACING AND THE FUTURE FUTUREThat That racing is to be restored eventually under such regulation as will constitute a basis of perma ¬ nence is the essential matter of Sir Thomas Whites statement and one is left to suppose that such racing as goes on this year will be under the old conditions following the close of the present session of parliament the new regulations being promised for next session For such opportunity some may IKJ grateful and others may feel that it is time something was done to lighten a burden which they consider should never have been imposed Only imposedOnly racing people were harried one of them said in a letter to his M P by wartime restric ¬ tions and prohibitions in Canada among affairs con ¬ cerned with the entertainment of the people No other form of sport was interfered with and such a tiling was done in no other country in the world If racing could be continued in England in every part of the British Empire except Canada and in nvcry allied country I dont see how anyone could have the hardihood to declare the shutting off a war necessity in Canada Time has proved the fal ¬ sity of the claim anyway anywayThe The writer of that letter is certainly on solid ground when he denies that there was any com ¬ pelling motive of national value for the action taken to close racing racingNor Nor are those who have given conditions inquiry and consideration inclined to agree that the respon ¬ sibility for the development of undesirable condi ¬ tions in connection with racing in certain Ontario and Quebec localities is wholly at the doors of rac ¬ ing people They have simply taken advantage of opportunities and situations created by pernicious political influences influencesThe The real grounds of complaint are the multiplica ¬ tion of race courses at various points beyond the natural requirements of the communities and tho in ¬ ordinate profits of some of the racing organizations It is Iwyond question that the multiplication of courses is due to the laxity of the authorities in the matter of recognizing charters and the de ¬ parture both in Ontario and Quebec from the policy of Sir James Whitneys government which refused to allow the use of mossgrown charters for pur ¬ poses for which they were never intended when granted grantedMILLER MILLER BILL LACKED ENFORCEMENT ENFORCEMENTThat That the associations should endeavor to make all the money they could eacli season was the natural result of the failure of the authorities to take ac ¬ tion that would give the clubs any assurance that oach season was not their last So far as the federal authority has power it may be taken for granted such a state of affairs will be dealt with in a niiinner to remedy known evils and provide against new ones At the same time it is well to remember that these evils arise not from the Miller bill but from the failure to enforce the Miller bill billlx lx pse talk and lack of serious consideration are responsible for most of the confusion of thought concerning most of the affairs of life and there is much of it in connection witli the present subject Racing of men animals or machines is not illegal and no authority exists to make it so Betting is not illegal and no authority exists to make it so The maintenance of a place where betting is carried on regularly is illegal except that in Canada as in every other civilized country the maintenance of such a place Is either legalized or tolerated on race courses under varying limitations limitationsThat That there must be good and sufficient reasons for this exception must IKJ evident to any unbiased mind from the universality of this condition It is the unanimous result of legislative action in every coun tryoh the face of the globe Nor Is it desirable that governments should go much farther in this connection than to establish reasonable regulations or restrictions calculated to prevent excess or abuse The proper function Is to hold the balance evenly between those who would ruin a sport from different motives and in different ways the overriBhtcous and the greedy sharper Every sport racing most of all is the better for freedom from government which cannot be other than political interference or control however much it may benefit from government support or encouragement
