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SHREVEPORT ON HIGH PLANE Racing at Louisiana Track Attracts Support of Real Sportsmen -Current Meeting Successful. SHREVEPORT, La., Nov. 11. The local businessmen who formed the State Jockey Club, a division of the Louisiana State Fair, have done much to restore racing to this community on a high plane can be seen in the success of the meeting now in progress at the Shreveport Fair Grounds track. The twenty-five day season, the first under its present direction, will come to a close on November 19, and the progress shown thus far seems to assure that when that time comes, the track will be able to balance its ledgers in black instead of red ink. It was not the idea of the State Jockey Club to make a profit this year. This principal aim was to instill public confidence in racing here, and it has succeeded, for since the season opened on October 22, attendance has been showing a steady increase, and there has been a gratifying increase in mutuel play. The group of men sponsoring racing here went to considerable expense to make this one of the sportiest little half-mile courses in the country, all the appointments being the most modern and complete. That this meeting is not only an overnight venture can be seen in a recent announcement that the association plans many new improvements to the plant and grounds before next years meeting. PERMANENT ORGANIZATION. E. Bernard Weiss, a vice-president of the organization and director in charge of racing, sounded the sentiments of his associates when he said: "We are in racing to stay. The people of this community will support racing on a high plane and we intend to give it to them." The State Jockey Club engaged competent and well-known officials to handle the racing itself, and under their direction the sport has been conducted on a plane comparable to that offered anywhere. The sport has been conducted on a plane comparable to that offered anywhere. The sport has been formful, rough riding here has been almost entirely suppressed through the caution and vigilance of the officials, and there have been a surprising number of close finishes to stir the excitement of patrons. With the mounting interest of racing devotees in this sector, the State Jockey Club looks for the final week to put the meeting over with a bang, far exceeding expectations when plans for the restoration of the sport in Shreveport were being made.
