The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, March 14, 1899, Page 1

The VOLUME LXXXV- 103, N FRANCISCO, TUESDAY, MARCH 14, 1899. PRICE FIVE CENTS. INGLESIDE'S EVIL REIGN IS ENDED BY THE SUPERVISORS The reign of the race-track gamblers has closed in Sa the Board of Supervisors and bookmaking and poolselling wit brought in their train to San Francisco the manifold evils of vice, must ply their trade elsewhere. Ingleside may keep open its gates, of a fine and an imprisonment. The Supervisors were true to their trust. nine votes made the great mecasure a law. The Board won a most unusual tribute of commendation from Mayor Phelan, but the hazard of a doliar on a horse race to-day means the commission of a misd They were proof against the allurements of the gamblers and by a majority of who signed the ordinance the jnstant that it had rececived the official sanction of the Supervisors. Through their official representatives the people of San Francisco have won a v comamunity. The pulpit, the press, agents of good and men and women of every reputable class will welcome th reform. @+ e e e b eie ervisors d limited to d painfully. what The Call predicted he would want —delay. He said that great property interests were invol at Ingleside, that much money was invested there and that many people earned their dally bread in their service to the track. Mr. Green declared, with absolute truth, that he was a poor pleader and that in jus to Ingleside the Super- visors ought to postpone action until the president of the Pacific Coast | Jockey Club, e tate Senator And could be heard. Mr. Androus, so the secretary said, was unavoidably out of town. “But,” interjected Supervisor Per- rault, “doesn’t Sam Rainey look after | ation in the | the interests of the a absence of the president?” “I don’t know about that,” was the | reply. | “Well, T do,” said Supervisor Per- | rault, and that ended the discussion. As a matter of fact Mr. Androus was out of town. He went away, he said, to think, and it is believed that he is thinking yet. While he was away Sam Rainey and Phil Crimmins were also | thinking in a prominent Market street resort. They were thinking of a new | éra in municipal politics and of the dawn of decency in public affairs. | 'hen Secretary Green concluded his | o the members of the board there zain an awkward silence. It was t that the gamblers would fight more stubbornly. But no one spoke for giant evil and the vote of the Su- I s was called and taken. ite silence fell upon the great n the meeting chamber as Su- Holland, the first called, arose 1in his vote. When he voted aye 4s a murmur of gratification. r Kalben asked to be ex- e said he did not dare offend s or the enemfes of the gam- voting either way. He was| Supervisor Black voted no. was a series of eight votes | of the law and adoption was a Certainty. The Supervisors had vindi- ve>e@® . * o . . . - . - : : . : O R S S S S SR Geoe e * P+ I+ O e e @ P o Thue I?EEAP5 R R e e o e S * cated their right to be called the offi- cials of decent men and women. The assembly chamber rang with applause that no one cared to silence. Supervisor Perrault asked Mayor Phelan tc sign the ordinance. The Mayor motioned to the clerk and grasped a pen. In an instant the signa- ture of the city’s chief executive was on the ordinance, and the city’'s great battle had been won. It was little won- der that the clergymen in the audience were perhaps thé¢ most demonstrative in their tribute, for the signature. of Mayor Phelan means much to the homes of San Francisco. The proceedings were of such im- portance that a given, as follow Mr. Perrault—I now move that we sus- pend all other matters and take up the race and poolroom order out of regular tenographic report is | order. The Mayor—Is that motion seconded? Mr. Aigeltinger—I second the motion. The Mayor—Is any objection? Hearing none the motion is carried, the | rules are suspended and the clerk will > CLERK FARQUAHRSON SOLUTION. 4 & NP AP D SO SO P SR DA D S S S S B e e e o ol o o g NEeDED 55»4;\.\6»41’//1 a reason for it. R e o S S S R Y ‘ . & read the order on its final passage. (Order read by the clerk.) The Mayor—The order is on its final passage. Who moves that it be finally passed? Mr. Aigeltinger—T do. Mr. Perrault—I second the motion. The Mayor—The question is now before the board on final passage. Is there any objection? Mr. Black—I move that we hear from Mr. Green, the secretary of the Pacific Coast Jockey Club. Mr. Perrault—I move to amend that we limit all talk on this subject to about five minutes. Mr. Holland—I move that the gentleman be allowed to speak as long as he pleases. This is a serious question—one that af- fects all classes of society, and we cannot perhaps have all the light needed on this subject in five minutes. The Mayor—Do you object to amendment for a five minutes’ limit? Mr. Holland—Yes, sir. The Mayor—It has been moved and reg- ularly seconded that the remarks of Mr. Greerr and others who may be invited to address the board be limited to five min- &tesqeuch. Are you ready for the ques- on? the A S —~t < THE MfiYOQ AfrFIXES TS SiaNATURE" s ing and pool-selling ordinance. .jo—@—o@—Wm-’e R e o o ] WELL patronized season of.racing in a great city of pleas= ure-loving people would be acceptable to all liberal=-minded men, but they will not accept the pillage of a community even if the legitimate sport and breeding of horses are urged as In- other words, we are asked to pay too high a price for good sport. Can we not have zood sl\JoEt without pay- ing so deariy for it? I believe we can ’—Extract irom *Mayor Phelan’s justification of his action in signing the anti-bookmak- | @ 4000404040000 00000 0"0+0+0+000+0 +MHWWM+WMMM4M‘« B e e R e SRCo Mr. Aigeltinger—I don’t think we ought | ple are dependent for their daily bread to restrict this to five minutes. Give everybody a fair and impartial hearing, and then let us judge for ourselves. Mr. Lackmann—I also object to that motion to limit to five minutes: This is a very serious question to these gentlemen, and I believe in giving them all the time | they want. If thelr talk extends over five minutes, ten minutes or fifteen minutes I am perfectly satisfied to hear all they have to say. Mr. Perrault—I withdraw the amend- ment. Mr. Green—I appear before you, gen- tlemen, to-day on behalf of the Pacific Coast Jockey Club to ask that this mat- ter be laid over for a sufficient length of time to enable us to present our side of the case. Mr. Crocker, our vice president, unfortunately is {ll and unable to be here. Mr. Androus, our president, is not in the city, and they are unable to appear be- fore you at this time. There are large interests at stake, and it is no more than right that more time should be given to the consideration of this matter. The Pacific Coast Jockey Club has 'a large amount of money invested in this prop- erty at Ingleside, and a great many peo- { upon the salaries that they are now draw- | ing there. All we ask and all we have | | asked from this board is an anflrlunnyi of presenting our side of the case. Mr. Lackmgnn—Mr. Green, can’'t you or | rour association have the opportunity to | do that here to-day? This was passed to | print a week ago, and it seems to me | that provision could have been made to | present this to-day, or to appear before the board with any arguments that you may have to present. Mr. Green—As I say, our president is out of town, and Mr. Crocker, our vice president, who is largely interested in the property, has been too ill to attend to the matter. They have asked me to appear before you and ask for a postponement of this matter. I, see no necessity of rushing the matter through. It seems no | more than right that we should be given an opportunity for a hearing. Mr. Lackmann—Could not your presi- dent have been here to-day? Mr. Green—No, sir. Mr. Lackmann—He had a whole week to | get ready to appear here. | Mr. Perrault—In_ his absence, were noti‘ his interests looked after well and active- ly by Mr. Sam Rainey? &=z . | stake, here, and so has the public large ¢ doom of the gam o + PeRRAULT Rases THe GHOST OF SAM RANEY N o7 T orns 13 rave -6 -6 -+ 4 B o g o S JORR SO B 2l o AR A S D o T i S S S T S S e SR O e Y | Mr. Green—I don’t know about that. Mr. Perrault—Well, I say yes; I know it. Question. The Mayor—Are you ready for the ques- tion on final passage of the order? The clerk will call the roll The clerk then called the name of Mr. Holland, who said: “This is a very seri- ous question, and I think we should hear both sides. They have large interests at interests at stake. I am ready to vote for the resolution, but at the same time 1 am in favor of all kinds of legitimate | sport. There is no one who will deny that horse racing, as carried on at pres- ent, has deteriorated from the purpose of encouraging the industry of raising fine horses in this State. I consider the lat- ter is as great and legitimate an industry as the making of raisins or wine. It is one of our great industries, and has beemr so recognized by .our Legislature in mak- ing provision for the State fair. I hope the Legislature will continue to recognize it by devoting a week each year to speed contests between California-bred horses alone, so that we can show to the worid by the records they make that we have in California the best country in the | clude bo; | on race | and Mes: | ton, Collins, | lobt | that | would be asked to regulate the sea- n Francisco. The solemn protest of every decent clement of the city has been answered by hin the limits of the city are prohibited by authority of law. The blackleg invaders, who emeanor and the penaity ictory that means much to the most sacred interests of the blers as the dawn of RPN D S O U U A SO S S SB D SR S A e e aan s aa s o as sl e e ae ae an an world for raising fast horses. At any time, if an order be framed here that will legalize horse-racing to be.carried on le- gitimately and in such a way as to ex- and girls from attendance up- , and will honestly stimulate and | encourage the raising of such horses, I shall be in favor of it and will vote for it, even If it is next Monday. for the present resolution. I will vote z . Mayor : entl studied this thing up a little bit and I find that I cannot vote for the resolution. My only reason is—and I can explain it to vou here—that my business does not allow me to do so; therefore I would | rather not vote at all than to be recorded as voting."” Black voted no without remark, Perrault, Lackmann, Bying- Heyer, Deasy, Attridge and Afgeltinger aye. The Mayor declared the result—9 ayes, |1 no, 1 excused, 1 (Mr. Phelps) absent, and olution finally passed, whereat the 2pplauded. Mr. Perrault—On behalf of this commu- nity I now request the Mayor to attach his signature to that order and have it become a law at once. The Mayor—I will give the order my best attention. I do not hesitate to say that I approve of it, and have no objec- tion to signing it now. vor then attached his signature, the crowded lobby applduding heartily. At the conclusion of the meeting Mayor Phelan and every member qf the board were interviewed in reference to th great public duty which they had performed. Supervisor Phelps was not present at the meeting, did not vote and consequently was not interviewed. In what follows the people of San Fran- cisco may see clearly how deeply the Mayor and the Supervisers felt the re- sponsibility of their position. MAYOR JAMES D. PHELAN—I signed the ordinance of the Super= visors, having been requested to do %0 by Supervisor Perrault in open board, and because I was familiar with the order and needed no time to consider it. There was an attempt made last year to limit the racing season in the r | this city to a certain number of weeks—I forget the exact period, aix or eight weeks—and it was then, with = certain amount of reason, objected to by the managers of Ingleside track, that as the regula- tion would only apply to them it would give the Oakland track all the business without relieving the people of San Francisco, on account of the proximity of Oakland, of any of the evils of which complaint is made. It was tacitly understood at time that the Legislature son o it would apply to all tracks alike. This, as I saild, appeared reasonable, but when the bills were submitted to the Leglislature they were opposed’ and failed to pass. Therefore the Board of Supervisors had to begin the regulation of the evil on their own account. It is true that the passage of this order will not in any way interfere with the selling of pools in other counties adjacent to San Francisco, but it may serve as an example and an object lesson. Certainly if the selling of pools is a detriment to the morals and business of San Fran- cisco, it is equally injurious to the business and morals of other places. In New York and other Eastera States the Legislature has limited the period of racing to a certaim number of weeks, which I think is the true solution of the questiom, and if our Legislature had dome so and the managers of the race tracks co-operated, as they promised last year, there might not have been any necessity for this stringent order. The length of the season encour= aged people to make a regular busi- ness of attendance on the races, and the sport degenerated into gam- bling, and as a result we find the greatest demoralization. Vast num- | bers of people made a business of zambling, and I suppose that 99 per cent of them lost their earnings and their savings. The practice discour~ aged honest toil, prevented the smaller merchants from collecting their bills for the necessities of life supplied to families, and was no doubt the cause of poverty, sui¢lde and crime. The breeding and the racing of horses can be carried on without the bookmakers. If there were a short season the people would pat= ronize liberally the track for the sake of the sport; and prizes could be offered an incentive to the owners to enter their hors The fees for emtry and a percentage of the gate receipts would be ample for the prizes, and when the Park Panhandle is extended and other boulevards laid out our people will purchase well-bred horses for their own pleasure, thus making a mar- ket where none now exists. It is not only a matter of morals, but is a matter of business. The