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NO , INTERRUPTION - .... - , fiH TO . ST. A JOHNS PARK MEETING Florida Jockey Club Decides to Continue Racing Until March 31 Horsemen Agree to Accept Reduction in Purses to Aid Association in Completing- Schedule Jockeys Also Do Their Bit. BAYARD, Fla., March 25. After a night of conference and a numerously signed petition, presented by the horsemen, the Florida Jockey Club has decided to continue its meeting at St. Johns Park to its regular closing day, March 31. The horsemen unanimously agreed that the purses be cut to 00 to reduce the loss that has been sustained and make a continuation of the meeting possible. And the jockeys added their bit to the plea for a continuation of the meeting when they agreed to accept for losing mounts and 5 for winning ones, instead of the regular fee of 0 and 5. This cut in the purses amounts to about ,400 daily and such a reduction of the overhead is a big relief 3 to the Florida Jockey Club, which under the old purse arrangement required four days of racing to have its share of the pari-mutuel percentage take care of the purses for one day of sport. It was that condition that brought the announcement of Thursday that the meeting would be brought to a conclusion Saturday. This caused consternation among the horsemen and immediately a petition was circulated requesting that the meeting go on to its regular close with a purse reduction. As a matter of fact, many of the horsemen suggested a cut to 00. The club agreed readily to pay the 00 purses and the petition was signed by all the horsemen racing at St. Johns Park. Regret was expressed that any threat of the discontinuing of the meeting should have been forced by reason of the lack of patronage, but as a matter of fact other winter courses were also forced to cut their purses with the exception of the Miami Jockey Club at Hialeah Park. Business men and hotel men of both Jacksonville and St. Augustine added their plea for the extension of the meeting, and in Jacksonville there was the promise that the final day of the meeting would be a half-holiday, with most of them present that the crowd might be swelled on that afternoon. In spite of the lack of attendance from both cities, there was an evidence of the appreciation of the sport in the appeals that the racing be continued. It was realized that the closing of the meeting Saturday would seriously affect the business in both cities. The cut in the purses will go into effect with the racing Monday.
