view raw text
PROVISIONS OF THE MARYLAND BILL The Burke Measure Now Before Legislature Because of Amendments The Hurke bill for the government of racing in Maryland is an exceedingly drastic and compre ¬ hensive measure It provides for the appointment of a Maryland racing commission of three mem ¬ bers who shall be appointed by the governor the chairman to receive flOOO salary per annum and the other two members ijiJOOO each with a limita ¬ tion of l0000 of its annual expenses other than these salaries It is the extraordinary supervisory executive and even punitive powers vested in thfs commission that is the quite remarkable feature of the law This is set forth in the following excerpt 11 Said racing commission shall have full power to prescribe rules regulations and condi tinos under which nil hjrse races shall be con ¬ ducted within the State of Maryland Said com ¬ mission may make rules governing restricting or regulating betting on such races and may fix or regulate the rate of charge by the licenses for ad ¬ mission or for the performance of any service or the sale of any article on the premises of such licensee and may regulate the size of the purse stake or reward to be offered for the conduct of such races racesAll All contracts and agreement for the payment of money and all salaries fees and compensation paid by any person or persons association or corpora ¬ tion licensed as hereinbefore provided ami all pro ¬ posed extensions additions or Improvements to the buildings stables Improvements or tracks upon property owned or leased by such licensee shall be subject to the approval of the commission Said commission shall have power to compel the produc ¬ tion of any and all books memoranda or documents showiiig the receipts and disbursements of any person corporation or association licensed under the provisions of this act to conduct race meetings meetingsThe The commission may at any time require the removal of any employe or official employed by any licensee hereunder The commission shall also have the power to require that the books and financial or other statements of any person corpo ¬ ration or a oojat011 li jifit undfr the provisions of this act shall be kept in jjny manner which to the commission may seem best and that the commission shall also be authorized to visit to investigate and to place expert accountants and such other persons as it may deem necessary in the offices tracks or places of business of any such person corpora ¬ tion or association for the purpose of satisfying itself that the commissions rules and regulations are strictly complied with and the salaries and expenses of such expert accountants or other per ¬ son corporation or association to whom they are asiigned The said commission shall have power to sum ¬ mon witnesses before it and to administer oaths or ullirmaUons to such witnesses whenever in the judgment of the said commission it may be nec ¬ essary for the effectual discharge of their duties and any iverson failing to appear before said com ¬ mission at the time and place specified in answer to said summons or refusing to testify shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and upon indict ¬ ment and conviction in a court of competent juris ¬ diction shall be punishable by a line of not more than iOH or by sentence to jail for not more than six months or by sentence to both tine and im ¬ prisonment in the judgment of the court False swearing on tin part of any witnesscss shall be deemed perjury and shall be punished as such suchOther Other provisions call for a license fee of tfliOOO per day to be paid Infore the issuance of n license to race In addition the state exacts fifteen per cent of each racing associations net revenue As the bill was drawn it called for 11 racing days for the major organizations An amendment cut tin number to loo Last year the racing at Pimlico Laurel and Havre de Grace covered 11O days so the reduction amounts to ten days Fairs may be li ¬ censed to conduct racing for five days at a fee of 50 pur day The Agricultural and Mechanical As ¬ sociation of Washington County may have two meet ¬ ings of five days each However the heart of the proposed new law is in the sections quoted
