54 RACING. 



We have said that there may be other causes for the paucity 

 of jockeys of superior worth. It is sufficient to point out one 

 which is patent to all persons who thoroughly understand the 

 matter, the great increase of Welter handicaps. The racing 

 authorities, whilst attributing to the interference of Parliament 

 the whole mischief, have gone far to meet its ignorant views by 

 closing the various schools for forming young jockeys. Now- 

 adays the races which were originally instituted for refractory 

 horses only, have become the commonest of all races, and this 

 is to be attributed to the influence of the gambling jockeys and 

 owners who at one time were ever applying for such races, and 

 have now established them to such an extent that it may be 

 said that they and selling races constitute the principal part of 

 the programme of meetings, whether at Newmarket or else- 

 where. We are glad to see that some of the older turf legis- 

 lators are now turning their attention to this fact. 



In 1879 Mr. Anderson succeeded in passing the Metro- 

 politan Racecourse Bill, the object of which was to prohibit 

 racing within a radius of fifteen miles from London, Kings- 

 bury, Bromley, and West Drayton being the chief culprits at 

 whom this bolt was hurled, and they met with but little sym- 

 pathy in their well-deserved fate. Nevertheless, it is a some- 

 what ridiculous fact that in this instance the time of Parliament 

 was devoted to animated and angry discussion on a Bill which 

 at best can only be regarded as a posthumous Act ; the Jockey 

 Club having already, with a view to the abolition of these very 

 meetings, passed certain laws, fixing the minimum of added 

 money to be given to a day's racing, so that before Mr. Ander- 

 son's Bill came into operation, the above-mentioned meetings, 

 with others of like character all over the country, had actually 

 been smothered out of existence. 



Temperance societies, eager to have a finger in every pie, 

 are now constantly urging individual members of both Houses 

 of Parliament to place racing, or the licensing of racecourses, 

 under the control of some local authority, though whether that 

 local authority is to be wielded by magistrates in quarter 



