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Benefits to Turf Set Forth at NARC Lady Liberty Returns in Winning Form Seeks to Further War Relief Funds FundsCharles Charles F Connors Elected To Presidency as TwoDay Convention Comes to End EndNEW NEW YORK N Yt May 12 The Na ¬ tional Association of State Racing Com ¬ missioners convened in Gothams swank WaldorfAstoria today for the second final and busiest session of its belated annual winters conference conferenceIn In addition to being productive of nu ¬ merous constructive recommendations cal ¬ culated to improve the thoroughbred industry and to increase its service to War Relief the proceedings included the elec ¬ tion of a new president Massachusetts energetic graying Charles F Connors ConnorsConnors Connors chairman of the Bay States turf solons succeeds West Virginias Bever ley Broun who served two oneyear terms In addition the commissioners skirted the bylaws to elect three vicepresidents from widely separated sections of the country abandoning the old order of electing firsb and second vicepresidents vicepresidentsFor For example the new president of the NARC was its first vicepresident and Marylands Chester Hockley the second vicepresident Now the vicepresidents are Hockley Major Ednyfed Williams Illi ¬ nois and Jerry Giesler California The terms of the vicepresidents also are one year yearTom Tom Underwood ReElected to Post PostTom Tom Underwood of Kentucky was re elected as the representative organizations secretarytreasurer in which capacity he long has served so ably and indefatigably indefatigablyThe The principal speakers today were James C Stone head of the Thoroughbred Club of America Major Tom McCreery prexy of the Horsemens Benevolent and Protec ¬ tive Association and Alex Robb of the Thoroughbred Racing Associations of the United States In addition Underwood read a message from Commissioner Giesler GieslerStone Stone was forceful lucid and profound in making out a case for more opportuni ¬ ties for fillies and mares to pay their way in racing and in urging that New York tracks program of breeders awards be adopted at tracks in the 21 other racing states of the Union UnionThe The Kentuckian began by pointing out that 50 per cent a conservative estimate of thoroughbred foals are fillies that 40 per cent of the yearlings annually offered at auction are fillies and that out of a total of some 15000 races last year only about four per cent were exclusively for members of that sex sexThis This disproportion of production and op portunities he pointed out makes for a aContinued Continued on Page Three Benefits to Thoroughbred Sport Set Forth at NARC Convention Further Aid to War Relief Is Sought Charles F Connors Succeeds Broun as President PresidentContinued Continued from Paae One Onediscouraging discouraging situation in the field of thor ¬ oughbred breeding breedingStone Stone noted that the vast majority of the Blue Grass states thoroughbred out ¬ put is being bred and reared by small breeders He estimated that 60 per cent of the foals are grown by those who combine agriculture with thoroughbred breeding on comparatively little acreage per farm farmWhile While prices paid for farm products are increasing the sums realized for yearlings are decreasing Stone observed shrewdly if there is no method devised of relieving the situation production inevitably will be greatly reduced for breeders cannot stand such losses for ong ongIn In addition to lauding the breeders awards provided in purse disbursement at New York tracks and advocating the adop ¬ tion of this policy in other racing states Stone suggested that these awards and the overnight purses be graduated in value to be commensurate with the worth of the horses This would encourage breeders to strive to produce higher grade animals he concluded concludedStone Stone took occasion to commend Col Matt Winn for the position the dean of the American turf took in the presentation of this years Kentucky Derby declaring this continuity of the Derby runnings was an immeasurable service to thoroughbred racing and breeding breedingLicense License Committee Suggestion SuggestionObserving Observing that owners and breeders of thoroughbreds are paying more taxes than any other group he urged that racing de ¬ fend its ights Major McCreery suggested that in each racing state a committee comprising two experienced trainers and a steward pass on license applications as in Florida in an effort to minimize the number of pseudo horsemen granted licenses licensesMcCreery McCreery submitted it would benefit rac ¬ ing also were committees of two trainers and a steward appointed to serve in a sort of advisory capacity in the care of race tracks proper with the objective of dimin ¬ ishing the proportion of unsound horses horsesTom Tom Healey who officiates at New Or ¬ leans Fair Grounds Pimlico and Garden State Park is a shining example of the experienced horseman steward he htfs in mind McCreery said saidJerry Jerry Gieslers message had for its main theme an increased yield to War Relief agencies and a shifting of the onus of blame for any public infringement on gas rationing from the racing associations to the autoists abandoning attempts made in some racing locales to police the public publicGiesler Giesler began by writing First while horse racing with wagering may not be essential in and of itself in these times in my opinion when it is permitted and is conducted as an allout war effort in aid ¬ ing in keeping up the morale of the people and in making available substantial finan ¬ cial contributions to the various war agen ¬ cies then I am satisfied that it is vital and essential essentialI I do not believe in depriving people who conduct racing of their right to a fair profit but I do believe that when they are being permitted to operate by the consent of the state and permitted to preserve and main ¬ tain their properties and receive a fair re ¬ turn on their investment that they should be not only satisfied but happy happyHuge Huge Sum Held for War Agencies AgenciesI I might say that California when we granted the fall meeting of 1942 for Bay Meadows which is a small track in com ¬ parison with any of those in the eastern states and the smallest metropolitan track in California but the only one available at present provided that the larger portion of the profits after the deduction of all costs expenses taxes maintenance depreciation and the like was to be placed in trust for the benefit of the war agencies and that our right to do so has been upheld by our attorney generals office in this state only within the past few days in line with our contentions which were as above outlined and which the opinion of the highest legal department in this state and our legal adviser has confirmed and supported and as a result of which the 225000 now held in trust by Bay Meadows for the war agen ¬ cies will ultimately reach its proper goal goalGiesler Giesler was equally thorough about trans ¬ portation writing Another subject upon which I would like to make a suggestion is that after due reflection I have personally come to the conclusion that where horse racing is conducted the auto parks of the tracks should be opened to the use of all cards not only A but B and C leaving it to the holder of the card to be responsible for the fact that he is using his basic pleasure mileage properly properlyAt At first I was of the opinion that the parks should not be opened as they might act as an invitation to holders of automo ¬ bile cards to unnecessarily use rubber but upon reflection and study I am satisfied today that the only American way to con ¬ duct the business of racing if it is to be conducted at ail is right gut in the open and above board the same as any jther legitimate business for racing is legitimate if it is permitted by the properly consti ¬ tuted authorities as it is in all instances instancesOtherwise Otherwise all that we are doing I am satisfied is to cause our citizens who have a right to come to the tracks and who may have the proper Amount of mileage avail ¬ able legitimately to them under their ra ¬ tion books to feel like culprits in sneaking and pussyfooting around alleys and cor ¬ ners and hideouts in as close proximity to the tracks as they can get and making them have a feeling of guilt within them ¬ selves in theirv every action actionFavors Favors American Way of Life LifeI I therefore now suggest and recommend to this honorable body of commissioners that it be the sense of the meeting that the racing commissioners throughout the country should go on record in favor of the American way of life in regard to racing as well as in regard to the patrons of other forms of amusement sports and businesses businessesThe The policy of the government of Can ¬ ada as stated in Ottawa as expressed in the turf reports is that we must do every ¬ thing in our power to make racing con ¬ tinue If you cant race in town race in the country if you cant race in the coun try race in town Racing its revenue its relaxation must be considered an integral part of the war effort effortPresent Present for this bustling NARC con ¬ clave were Commissioners J C Hail Arkansas Leonard Richards and W S Potter Delaware Frank Mandel Clement Nance and Harry Potter Illinois Tom Un ¬ derwood Kentucky Allen Mehle Louis ¬ iana Frank Small and George Mahoney Maryland William J Dowling Michigan George W Conway and Charles A Allen New Hampshire Ashley Cole and John Shevlin New York I J Collins arid Wal ¬ ter Michael Ohio Raymond P McElroy Rhode Island Paul F Pickette Washing ¬ ton Beverley Broun and Carl Schmidt West Virginia VirginiaTwo Two former presidents of the National Association of State Racing Commission ¬ ers Walter Donovan and John Sloan were in attendance attendanceNo No time or place was designated for the next session of the organization
