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[ SYRACUSE DECISION MONDAY Attorney General Expected to Pass on Legality of "Option System" -— Swope Not Antagonistic. ALBANY, N. Y., July 6.— Attorney General John J. Bennett, Jr., at his office in the state capitol today, said that he expects to render a decision early Monday on the question of the legality of the so-called "option system" now being conducted at the running I [ horse race meeting in progress at Syra- cuse, N. Y. Although Bennett has received no formal request from chairman Herbert Bayard Swope of the state commission for an opinion on the subject the attorney general feels that this is a matter that must be decided and that a definite interpretation of the new state law legalizing open betting at the race tracks of th.2 state be defined and at the same time determine if the form of betting being conducted at the Syracuse meeting comes within the provisions of the Crawford-Breitenbach law enacted at the last regular session of the legislature. The attorney general expects to receive a report tomorrow from his deputy attorney general, Irving H. Lessen, who has been in Syracuse the past few days making a complete study of the optional form of betting. As soon as this report is received Attorney General Bennett will give it his immediate attention and will probably render his decision Monday. NEW YORK, N. Y., July 6.— In a telephonic discussion last night between Frank J. Bryan, representative of the New York State Racing Commission, and Herbert Bayard Swope, chairman of that body, the latter said: "We are in no way antagonistic to the racing of the Onondaga Racing Association. The only question is if their method is legal. This we will not attempt to decide. The proper legal authorities of the state have before them now the question at issue, and we will be guided entirely by their decision. Should it be adverse, naturally, we will be forced to take drastic steps. If the decision is that the form of betting is within the- law, we will endeavor to aid them in every way in the general interest of racing." •
