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; 1 1 1 1 1 1 • , . • I ; FAVOR RACING COMMISSION Bill to Be Introduced for State Control of Sport in Louisiana. Ni:W ROADS. Lai., March 19.— Strict regulation of racing by a commission operating under state authority, with full power to grant or refuse |iermits to racing associations and to supervise race tracks, will be proposed in a bill that will be introduced at the next session of the legislature by Representative Ferd P. Claiborne of Pointe Coupee Parish. Mr. Claiboine. who always has been an advocate of clean racing, is of the opinion that the control of racing organizations and of race tracks through a stale commission is the best solution of the situation that exists in New Orleans. Citizens who favor racing, he says, should welcome a commission. for it would place the sport on a high plane and eliminate all abuses. Crooked racing, he believes, would be impossible under a commission like the one he proposes to create in his bill. "I believe." said Mr. Claiborne, "that a ma - Jerity of the people of New Orleans want clean racing. It would bring many visitors to the city and it would encourage the breeding of fine horse-. Brery man with red blood in his veins admires fine horses an 1 likes to see them run. "There is nothing immoral or wrong in horse racing. It is only the abuses that have crept into the sport that are wrong. The way to eliminate the abuses is to place racing under the supervision and centred of a commission. "I am preparing a bill that will provide for a state racing commission to be composed of three men appointive by the governor, clothed with full authority to grant or refuse permits to racing aaaa- ciations: and from the rulings and orders of the commission there will be no appeal. "The commission not only will be giveu authority to grant or refmee permits to racing organizations, but it will have the right to rule any horse owner, jockey or anyone else off the track and prevent him from entering any racing iuclosure within the state. "The governor would not have any difficulty in finding three honest men to serve on the commission. There ahe plenty of men in Louisiana capable of filling places on the racing l oard. With a board of this kind the conditions that are alleged to exist in New Orleans would be impossible. There would be no crooked racing and the sport would be on a high plane. "I have always stood for clean racing and 1 stand for it now. There is no Use in talking about abolishing or prohibiting a clean sport because a few-crooks have gotten into the sport. The right course to pursue is to create a racing commission, throw the crooks out and have the sport conducted on a sound, clean, business basis. "The commission that I propose to create in my bill would have absolute supervision and control over all race tracks in the state. Any race track that refused to obey the orders of the board would have to close and remain closed. "I am preparing the bill with great care and will have it ready for introduction wheu the legislature convenes."
