Evening Republican, Volume 18, Number 290, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 December 1914 — NAY BE RACING AT MINERAL SPRINGS [ARTICLE]

NAY BE RACING AT MINERAL SPRINGS

Promoters Will Propose Law Legalising “Pari Mutual” System ol Operating Races. . % Gary Trifittne. Plans aTe now being laid by the promoters of the Mineral Springs Jockey club, owners of the track, to present to the legislature a bfll legalizing the “pan mutual” system of operating race tracks in this state. Members of the jockey club are confident that the bill will pass and that she old track which 1 had such a stormy existence will once more come to life.

At the legislative session two years ago the race track men backed a bill legalizing racing meets in Indiana and loosening up the present act. The bill failed when the governor did not sigfi the measure after it had passed. Undaunted, however, an attempt was made to operate the track without betting, hut the harvest reaped by the bookmakers led the governor to ©all out the militia and stop the ponies after the track has been in operation a few days. Heavy suits then were filed against the track owners, threatening to wreck the racing plant (forever, hut there has been a renewal of hope and an attempt will be made to pass the “pari mutual” law. This would countenance betting by “machine” and the state would receive a portion of all wagers for the benefit of its charitable institutions. The system is now operated in Kentucky, where racing is more successful than in any other state. Bookmakers are eliminated by this system. It was reported some time ago that the old track would he reopened in the spring under the county fait law, under which racing meets would be run as “county fair*.” Track followers declare that throughout the middle west coun-

ty affairs this year resumed running races and that they were well received. They poiht so this as an indication that the turf game is coming back into its own. jkl