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| , I i ; i | j I | ■ ■ 1 [ • I " • :* 1 ■ ■ J I ■ J * - * 4 J ? LOSE REVENUE OF 00,000 State of Maryland Will Lose That Amount if Anti-Racing Measure Becomes a Law. BALTIMORE. Mil.. March 1.— Governor Bitchie must consider new budget problems since th* passage through the second readiug of the house Ike bill to abolish betting at the Maryland race tracks. Granting that the bill passes the third reading aud then is passed by the senate, the state will lose about 00,000. Some slicing will have to be done on the appropriations, which werr figured on the lmsis of the state receiving its revenue from racing. The tax rate is down to % 30 cent ley. but this will be increased with the passage of the anti-betting bill. The attitude of the opponents of the bill is one of the chief topics of conversation among follower* of the sport. None connected with the various? racing associations has opposed it openly. It is intimated that they figure on taking a chance oo some other method of operation after the Burke law has been repealed aud rhe new law put Into effect. On the other hand, they may stand up aud fight in the senate. It is believed that proponents of the anti-bettiu«r bill contemplate more drastic action. Flushed with their initial success, it would not be at all snr- prising if they tried to stop the giving of priz. s for hor-e racing. They realize that if they kilt the pari mutuel wagering the tnn-ks may frf t- operate under the oral or stakeholder systems. Not a little surprised at the ease with which th«. |/roponents of the anti-race track betting bill pin their measure across in the house, some of the uplifters in the senate began askiug fheiu»elve«- today whether or not the bill accomplishes what its friends believe it will. Would the bill eliminate the bookmaking syndicate which does business outside the racing area? And if not. would it not be well to strike at the very root of what thiy term the gambling evil by prohibiting all raolny in the state except such as is tolerated at county fairs. These quest ions are to the fore. It is therefore more than probable that when the anti-race track bill comes to the senate itf passage through the house being conceded, am amendment will be offered substituting auotheu bill not unlike that introduced in the seuate two yean- ago. limiting racing to county fairs, and then only while the fair is iu progress. Such a meusut* would undoubtedly meet the strenuous opposition of racing devotees who do not want the sport eit- tlrely killed, while those hack of it insist that If race" track gambling is to be stopped the handbook as well as pari-muluels must be put ont of bnsi- UCS5,
