Sporting Review. . . AND .. LICENSED VICTUALLERS’ GAZETTE. WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE WEEKLY STANDARD. THURSDAY, JUNE 20, 1895.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume V, Issue 256, 20 June 1895, Page 4

Sporting Review. . . AND .. LICENSED VICTUALLERS’ GAZETTE. WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE WEEKLY STANDARD. THURSDAY, JUNE 20, 1895.

The Americans are about to try an experiment, the result of which will be watched with interest all over the globe where the see-saw game of racing is played. There is no use trying to shut' our eyes to the fact that in both the Old and New World the purity section of the people are fighting in determined fashion to stamp out the speculation which appears to be the inevitable companion of sport, and as they know that where sport exists there also will betting continue, they are cheerfully endeavouring to cut down both the Sporting as well as the Betting tree. From England the spirit of this rabid crusade has crossed to America,. and the race game has been, attacked in the U.S.A, with the fiery energy that makes the people of the States so difficult to check, once they set their desires on any object. Englishmen move more slowly, and there they are contenting themselves with fightinginch by inchjagainst the would-be turf exterminators. Butin America the people are taking the bull by the horns. They have been told that betting must stop, and apparently recognising that an endeavour to continue the punting game will wreck the sport of h >rse-racing they have determined to try the novel experiment of racing without betting. The anti-bettors of New York were cunning in fighting the racing men and the layers of odds. Their legislative friends knew certain amendments in the Constitution were imperatively necessary, so they cunningly tacked on clauses which vetoed betting,and called upon the people to vote for twentyseven amendments en bloc, and of course carried the day, for those prepared to tolerate racing and betting could not do so without delaying the bringing into being of certain enactments which were necessary to the welfare of the State. This crusade against the ring was apparently foreseen by the racing authorities some time back, for at the inception of the Jockey Club it was announced that every effort would be made to take vigourous measures to clear the atmosphere of racing from the unpleasant mists which had arisen as a result of betting scandals. The club intended that bookmakers should not be allowed to own racehorses, and they were to be otherwise reformed, but the promised reforms were delayed too long. The opponents of racing had their forces well drilled and had their blow struck before the friends of racing could come to its aid with the reforms which were to make the sport clean even to the standard required by the most chaste. Although it appeared to be too late the racing men rallied and now they are endeavouring to re-gain some of the old racing life by having the Percy Bill made law. Should they carry their

measure seccessfully through the Senate the New York courses will again be thrown open, but all betting and poolselling will be sternly forbidden. The forbidden fruit will be fenced beyond reach, and as a further guarantee the Jockey Club binds itself that the restrictive measures will not be violated. The racing party merely asks that racing for prizes shall be allowed, and that sweepstakes and purses shall not be considered illegal. Late files from the scene of action bring word that the Bill will in all probability be carried, and if it does we shall have a settlement of the question of whether racing can exist without the cry of “2 to 1 the fee-aid ” or the ting-ting of the totalisator bell. Of course, the wealthy men of the American turf will be able to race, for they can afford to carry on the game for pleasure even though it entails a loss But what of the small men ? What of the man who must make his horses earn oats, nomination and acceptance fees, etc. ? The answer is simple. He must go to the wall.