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HORSEMENS BENEVOLENT FUND Michigan Racing Commission and Officials Confer on Plan to Take Care of Sick and Needy. DETROIT, Mich., June 24 At a conference held today between Joseph D. Frost, racing commissioner, Clarence E. Lehr, president, . and Joseph A. Murphy, director of racing of the Detroit Racing Association, plans were laid for the building up of a big fund for the purpose not only of taking care of injured riders and exercise boys, but also to look after sick and indigent stable help who may have no means of support and no funds to give them the proper medical attention in case of sickness. The license money derived from jockeys, trainers and others has been kept intact in a fund in the commissioners office, but it has been used largely for injured riders whether exercise boys or jockeys and no method has been devised for distributing it for any benevolent purposes among those connected with racing. It is now proposed at each meeting of the Detroit Racing Association to give a charity day, the proceeds of which will be diverted into a fund in charge of five trustees, who will employ some one not only to look actively after those who need help, but to make a careful inspection of the stables and see that sick or disabled persons are given the proper attention. In addition to this it is probable that the form of license will be changed so that it will be specifically assigned to this fund instead of remaining in the hands of the racing commissioner. If the fund grows to a large amount, as it probably will, with successive charity days, it may be that the trustees will incorporate themselves under the non-profit corporation act, and work out a practical insurance method which will take care of the various activities which may come under the jurisdiction of the trustees. The first of these charity days will be held on Friday, August 21, the day preceed-ing the opening of the Detroit Fall meeting. It is believed that the horsemen will be glad to run for reduced purses for such a cause, particularly as the racing commissioner has agreed to promulgate a ruling exempting all winners on charity days from penalties except as to maidens. Full details of the new plan and the selection of proper trustees will be accomplished before the close of the present meeting. Another charity day may be held at the close of the fall meeting and next year one day will be set aside at each meeting.
