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NO MORE FREE BADGES Illinois Racing Commission Rules Against Complimentary Tickets General Public Must Pay Admission AdmissionFee Fee at All Illinois Race Tracks Tracksin in the Future HOMEWOOD 111 June 13 Complimen ¬ tary badges to race tracks in Illinois will become a thing of the past beginning with the meeting that opens at Arlington Park on June 25 25Such Such was the decree handed down this afternoon by the Illinois State Racing Com ¬ mission following a fourhour secret meet ing with representatives of the various Illi ¬ nois tracks on Tuesday night The only tickets of admission free of any charge tax or otherwise will be those issued to stockholders officials horse owners trainers riders stable employes the work ¬ ing press and any such other persons whose duties require their presence on the track The Aurora and Fairmount tracks were not represented at the meeting but it was reported that they agreed with the move moveThe The object of the rule of course is to provide more revenue for the tracks but since badges have become more and more easy to obtain in Chicago in recent years there was a sharp difference of opinion as to the effect of the new edict edictMINIMUM MINIMUM ADMISSION CHARGE CHARGEThe The various track representatives also agreed to a minimum admission charge of 1 which would include both state and fed ¬ eral taxes A track may charge more than that figure if it so desires If a track charges the 1 minimum it would realize only sev ¬ entytwo cents net with twenty cents going to the state and eight cents or ten per cent governmentBecause going to the federal government Because the Fairmount meeting does not end until July 4 and its badges already are issued for the entire meeting the Collins ville track was granted special dispensation to honor complimentary badges until its meeting closes closesThe The five tracks represented by Roy Car ruthers Arlington Park Col M J Winn Lincoln Fields and Washington Park Albert J Sabath Hawthorne and Edward J O Hara Sportsmans Park made the followim recommendations recommendationsWe We beg to call to your attention the menace to the successful operation of race ¬ tracks which threatens to endanger the fu ¬ ture success of the sport and ask that you adopt suitable rules to counteract its effect effectThe The custom of promiscuously issuing free and complimentary badges has become so prevalent in the last few years that today it has reached gigantic proportions This custom does not prevail in other great rac ¬ ing centers and if the racing of thorough ¬ bred horses is to remain on a high standard in Illinois steps must be taken immediately to abolish this practice practiceWe We therefore commend your ruling and action under the power vested in you to pass such regulations as will effectively meet this situation situationINTENT INTENT OF LEGISLATURE LEGISLATUREWe We believe the legislature of this state had this in mind when it adopted the pre ¬ sent statute and eliminated only those di ¬ rectly connected with racing from the pay ment of the state tax on admissions We all concur in this request and believe that such action on your part will greatly bene ¬ fit the great sport of thoroughbred horse racing The official reply from the commission read readThe The racing associations by petition in writing have called the attention of the commission to the complimentary pass evil which they state threatens to destroy the sport of horse racing in the state of Illinois unless this evil is eliminated eliminatedThe The commission is in sympathy with their position in respect to this matter and feels that the issuance of complimentary passes is highly detrimental to the sport of horse racing and is unfair to those mem ¬ bers of the public who are not recipients of such gratituities and have accordingly Continued on ihii tysecond page NO MORE FREE BADGES BADGESContinued Continued from first page at the request of the associations adopted the following rule ruleNo No association licensed hereunder shall issue complimentary badges or tickets of admission to its grounds at any race meet ¬ ing commencing on and after June 25 1934 excepting to those persons exempted from the payment of the state admission tax under section 5 of the Act of the Legisla ¬ ture as amended July 5 and 8 1933 entitled An Act to Provide for Regulate and Li ¬ cense Horse Racing in the state of Illinois etc
