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PROPOSED RACING MEASURE ♦ Sponsored by Chicago Washington Park Club Reaches Capitol. . 4 . Bill Outlined by Bradley Wilson Before Senate Agricultural Committee — Expect Favorable Action. SPRINGFIELD. 111.. May 10.— The racing bill sponsored by the Washington Park Club of Chicago was laid before the assembly late yesterday. Bradley Wilson, geneial manager of the club, explained the features of the proposed law to the agricultural committee of the senate and was given a respectful hearing. Although there are but twenty-four working days of the present session left plans are afoot to get the measure to the roll call stage in both houses before the adjournment. The present program is to have the senate committee prepare a committee bill and ask the upper house to pass it. If it should pass the upper house there is said to be a fair chance of it getting through the lower branch. So far no one has been able to say with any degree of certainty what Governor Small might do if such a measure was presented to him for approval. Several of the downstate agriculturists who are interested in county fair and live stock exhibits are said to be favorably impressed with the proposition, although it would legalize pari-mutuel betting at the races. The bill as outlined by Bradley Wilson to the agricultural committee of the state senate is the proposed racing law sponsored by the Chicago Washington Park Club, the full text of which appeared in Daily Racing Form of1 March 30. The principal features of this measure are: 1 — A racing commission of three members to be appointed by the governor. 2 — Betting legalized under the pari-mutuel system of wagering; bookmaking and auction pool selling prohibited. 3 — Minimum of 2 per cent and maximum of 4 per cent returns from mutuels to racing associations. 4 — Limit in race track earnings to 10 per cent of the investment. 5— License fee of ,000 daily for each days racing to be paid in advance of meeting. 0 — Not more than one racing meeting for each 2.000.000 of population of the state. 7 -Dates for running races shall not exceed 100 days in the aggregate for any one year. 8— Special exceptions for harness racing and county fairs. I — License fees and surplus profits to go into the county and agricultural fair funds, to he distributed by these organizations as awards for livestock breeding. Mr. Wilson returned to Chicago Thursday morning and was enthusiastic over the way the agricultural committee of the senate received the proposed racing measure. He said the committee would take it under consideration and give it another hearing. The prospects are that the bill will be presented to the senate as an agricultural committee bill, and as such would stand an excellant chance to pass the upper house. It was pointed out to the committee that with such a racing law on the statutes the fair funds would be enriched more than ,000,000 annually. The directors of the Chicago Washington Park Club will meet today and hear Mr. Wilr.ons report of his trip to Springfield and the interest manifested by our lawmakers in the proposed bill. «
