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CANADIAN RACING INQUIRY PROCEEDS Army Officers and Others Testify That Racing Is Essential to Breeding Industry. TORONTO, Ont October 1. The Canadian Racing Commission, which held sessions last week at Ottawa and Montreal, opened a session at the city hall today. Dr. J. D. Rutherford, the commissioner, is empowered to inquire into the entire subject of racing in Canada, with all its ramifications; W. E. Raney, K. C, represented the social service commission; D. L. McCarthy, K. C, the Canadian Racing Association; Adam Itallantyno the Ontario Jockey Club, and A. H. Bcatoa the Thorncliffe Jockey Club. Sir John S. Hendrie, lieutenant governor of Ontario, was among the spectators, and there was a large attendance of racing men, all the Toronto tracks. Fort Erie, Hamilton and Windsor being represented. The morning session was largely devoted to the taking of evidence relative to the breeding industry and racing. Major General Lessard, Lieut. Col. K. R. Marshall, Joseph Kilgour, Thomas Roulstou and James McFarlane gave testimony showing that racing was essential to the breeding industry. General Lessard, until recently inspector general of the Canadian military force, said that the thoroughbred was responsible for the improvement in the breeds of hunters and saddle horses, giving them stamina, courage and endurance. The only test of the thoroughbred was in racing. Canadian horses, especially those from Toronto with thoroughbred blood in their veins, had stood up best under the strain of war in France. Colonel Marshall, who has been overseas since the beginning of the Avar in 1014, said that under his observation in France the hunter type derived from thoroughbred blood proved tlie best. British officers were of the opinion that the defeat of Germany was in a large measure due to their lack of suitable horses. In the winter of 1910-17 in France hundreds of horses died from the severe weather, but the thoroughbred type stood up. better than any other horses. The same applies to polo, where the thoroughbred type is predominant. In answer to Mr. Raney, Colonel Marshall said that there had leen depression in the breeding industry in Canada since about 1007, due, lie said, to the so-called uplift opposition to what they term money grubbing and speculation, which is not the object of racing at all. Since the armistice he had the opiKirtunity of seeing racing in a number of ithcr countries, and found they all encouraged racing as a national industry. He favored the French controh-.md -partniutuels. " -system- -of -government Sam Mcltride, president of the Toronto Driving Club, and a city controller, gave evidence .regarding Hillcrest track. During tlie running races at Hill-Test from 1911 to 1917 the receipts were 1,658.74, md the expenses 2,504.94. leaving a balnnceof ,003.80, of which the club has left ,360.01 cash in bank and ,000 in Victory bonds. This did not include the betting privileges, which were leased to Thos. Hare, who paid the expenses of the horsemen and took the profits of the bookmakers. Tlie driving clubs subleased the track from A. M. Orpen for ,500 per year. Mr. McBride said that Toronto was the home of the standard-bred horse, and that fifteen or twenty stables of horses are being educated and trained on tlie local half mile tracks for competition in the United States. Mr. Mcltride put in a plea for the half-mile tracks, asking that no discrimination be made against them in so far as Toronto was -oneerned. They were absolutely necessary for the furtherance of the breeding of botli trotting and running horses. At the afternoon session of the racing inquiry a number of prominent Canadian breeders, including Harry Giddings of Oakville. George Iteardmore. master of the Toronto Hunt; Aemileus Jarvis of Toronto, and E. B. Clancy of Guelph, testified as to the necessity of the test of raeing in connection with the breeding industry and amplified the evi-lence of the morning witnesses as to betting being essential to racing. They related their own personal experiences in connection with the operation of their stock farms to emphasize the point.
