view raw text
NARG Covers 2 5 State Commissions Founded at Miami Fifteen Years Ago Canada, Mexico, Cuba Are Associated in Membership Of Turf Governing Bodies NEW YORK, N. Y., May 14.— The National Association of State Racing Commissioners, convening here Monday at the Hotel Commodore, is holding its fifteenth annual convention. Twenty-one of the 25 state commissions throughout the country will be represented by their full membership, or in part. About 60 commissioners will be in attendance to weigh and discuss in forum the problems and situations, major and minor, affecting the sport in their respective states. In addition to the commissioners, many others vitally interested in racing will be present at the convention. It is expected that about 200 will attend the four-day congress. The National Association of State Racing Commissioners was founded at Miami 15 years ago, in January, 1934. Only seven states were represented at that initial gathering. The delegates were from Kentucky and Maryland, which in 1906 became the pioneers in state-controlled racing under constituted commission authority; Florida, whose first and newly appointed board acted as hosts; New Hampshire, Ohio, Michigan and New Jersey. In the case of the latter state, a commission was existent before there was modern-day racing within its boundaries. I From that modest beginning, the NARC grew as steadily as the sport expanded. Two years later, in 1936, the membership had increased to 19, which included the states of Arkansas, California, Florida, Illinois, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Texas, Washington and West Virginia. Texas No Longer Member Of those states, only Texas is no longer a member. In 1937, its racing law was repealed. It is believed that the Lone Star State, sooner or later, again will be numbered in the racing fold— that the sport there is merely dormant and not dead. Soon after the defection of Texas, other state commissions were created, and they became members of the national organization. They were Delaware, Maine, Nevada, Louisiana and New Mexico. The present membership of the association consists of all the states enumerated above, with the exception of Texas, and the addition of Arizona and Colorado. Associate members are the Havana Racing Commission, Incorporated Canadian Racing Associations and the National Racing Commission of Mexico. The active and associate members cooperate in the exchange of rulings and all other information in a close and effective working arrangement which has grown stronger each year. The association was the first turf organization established on a country-wide scope that still exists. It was formed originally for the following fundamental purposes: 1 — To discuss and study the problems of state supervision of racing. 2 — To promulgate and recommend to state boards and commissions rules and regulations for the effective conduct of race tracks under state control. 3 — To encourage the adoption by state boards and commissions of uniform procedure and reciprocity in enforcing rules, regulations and penalties imposed by the authority of the various state boards and commissions. 4— To assist all state boards and commissions, members and non-members of the organization, in the performance of their several duties. 5 — To encourage forceful and honest nation-wide control of racing for the protection of the public. 6 — To do generally whatever may be necessary to achieve and maintain public confidence in racing. Last year the following was incorporated in the aims and purposes of the NARC: "To assemble and disseminate information and data concerning racing for the improvement of the service rendered the public by the association and for the benefit and guidance of state boards and commissions." Executing the latter policy, the association has regularly kept its membership informed of every development pertaining to racing in the various states. Bulletins are distributed as occasion arises, from its central office at Lexington, Ky., which has been maintained since 1934. This central office has been particularly valuable because, for one thing, it keeps the racing commissions throughout the country immediately informed of the changing personnel of the individual boards due to political or other reasons. This is an important detail. In January, 1949, no less than 20 changes were effected in the memberships of state commissions. In some instances entire new commissions were appointed because of a change in political administration. The bulletin service goes to all state commissions, track officials and other national bodies in racing. The Lexington bureau keeps a card file of all rulings reported from official sources. The bulletin also gives the names of claimed horses, with the amount, the text of new rules, statistical data on state revenue, methods of taxation, legislative actions, etc. Since the formation of the national association 15 years ago, 10 commissioners from various states have served as presidents. In order, with their terms of office, they were: Mark R. Hanha, Michigan, 1934; Walter H. Donovan, Florida, 1935-36; Edwin J. Brown, Washington, 1937-38; John Sloan, New York, 1939-40; Beverley Broun, West Virginia, 1941-42; Charles F. Connors, Massachusetts, 1943; Maj. Ednyfed Williams, Illinois, 1944-45; Leslie Combs n., Kentucky, 1946; Loyd Wright, California, 1947, and Ashley T. Cole, New York, 1948. Following are the current officers of the National Association of State facing Commissioners, all chairmen of their respective boards: President, Ashley T. Cole, New York; first vice-president, Earl J. Moyer, Nebraska; second vice - president, A. S. Drew, Louisiana; third vice-president, Leo A. Edwards, Florida, and chairman of the advisory committee, Loyd Wright, California. The acting secretary is Mrs. A. E. Smith of Lexington, Ky., who succeeded the original secretary, the Hon. Tom R. Underwood, when he was elected a member of Congress from Kentucky last year.
