OCR Text |
Show TURF EXCHANGES BARRED, The City Council of Salt Lake is much to be com mended for its prompt; work in passing tho anti-gambling ordinance which will drivo from this city the turf exchanges,' pool rooms, and the various gambling devices which aro so ingeniously contrived and which arc designed de-signed to prey upon tho unwary. This city has had a season of horse racing in which crookedness and put-up jobs were freely charged. The "bookies" "book-ies" and rout's at thoso races were very bold, active, nnd unscrupulous; they put up all sorts of efforts to part men and women from their money whether the race was honestly run or not. As a matter of fact, we suppose some of the races were honestly run, .but a good many more were not. A voice was raised when this ordi-nance ordi-nance came to vote, against barring honest horse races and racing at tho State Fair. The ordinance as passed, however, is not aimed at these at all. Tho only thing that would bring them within its purview is that they should become crooked and gambling dovicos pursued by the ordinary gamblers ' means of book-making, putting up jobs, and fleecing the public, especially those not skilled in the game. If they should degenerate de-generate into gambling games or swindling swind-ling devices, there is no reason why thoy should not be barred and stopped under this ordinance; so that the voice raised in favor of honest rncing and of horse contests at the State Fair ought not to apply to an' of such contests, and will not do so as long as they arc honostly conducted. The turf exchanges of this city havo from small and uncertain beginnings developed into a public menace and nuisance. There was absolutely no way for anyone to be sure of his own knowledge knowl-edge whether he won or lost; and if ho found that he had boon cheated there was no practical remedy for him. The operations of these exchanges had come to be not only shoer gambling, .but prac tically sure thing schemes in which the one who put up the money had no show whatever. The council, therefore, deserves well of the public when it" takes hold of a matter like this and acts with the certainty and promptness that it did in this case. |