The Ashburton Guardian. Magna Est Veritas et Prævalbit. FRIDAY, AUGUST 20, 1886. The Two Racing Clubs.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1320, 20 August 1886, Page 2

The Ashburton Guardian. Magna Est Veritas et Prævalbit. FRIDAY, AUGUST 20, 1886. The Two Racing Clubs.

At a special meeting of the Tradesmen’s Racing Club, held on Wednesday evening, several of the speakers urged that steps should be taken to form a new racecourse in the neighborhood and strike out a line of action entirely independent of the senior local Club. We have not a single word to say against the proposal to form a new racecourse, tho* present reserve is totally unfit for the purpose, nor have we any desire to specially uphold the policy or position of the Ashburton Racing Club ; but we do hope, in the interests of local sport, that before any radical departure is taken by either Club an effort will be made to amalgamate the forces of the two institutions. No one acquainted with the facts will deny that the management of the senior Club has done very much to foster legitimate sport and provide wholesome recreation for the public; it has undertaken a great deal of very hard work and incurred some serious responsibilities in the zealous discharge of its self-imposed duties, and it would

be an exhibition of the grossest ingra titude should any local sportsman seek to bring about its discomfiture. Fortunately, such an attempt would, beyond a doubt, prove abortive. The Club is supported by the sympathy of influential racing men, is in a sound financial position, and, above all, has a fund of dearly bought experience which is likely to prove a safeguard against any serious blunders in the future. True, the independent, somewhat reticent, attitude assumed by the Committee has res r'etediits number of members, but there is* no valid reason why it should not become a thoroughly popular and representative institution. We presume that the objects sought by the two local

Clubs are the same—the promotion ol healthy sport and and having perused the rules,and regulatioi i of both we fail to see why these objects should not.’ be sorght under one management. Too often gambling and “ public-house” interests are allowed to over-ride the more legitimate purposes for which racing is established, but with these interests no sportsman —as we understand the term —will have the slightest sympathy. Men who regard racing solely as a means to an immoral end, should not be admitted to the management of any race meeting, and we trust the local Club or Clubs—whichever it may be—will steadily set their faces against the degradation of the sport they are formed to promote. The Tradesmen’s Club was established for a perfectly legitimate purpose the encouragement of what is called local sport; its efforts have been attended by l i considerable messure of success, and he energy it has displayed might be inhaled with advantage by some of its :ontemporaries. We are not prepared o lay down the lines upon which the wo local Clubs might be amalgamated, >ut surely this should be a matter of 10 great difficulty. Were .the junior :iub to approach the senior with any easonable suggestions, we feel confilent they would be considered in a iberal and sportsmanlike manner. The esult, we trust, would be the consolida.ion of local means and influence and he constitution of one powerful Club, rorthy of the sporting community it rould represent.]

The following p rticulara of the A hburton water supply are taken 'rora the report furnished by Mr H. A. Gordon to the Hon W. J. M, Larnach, and by that Minister laid on the table of the House of Representatives:—The length of ait fioial water races in this county is 800 miles, of which there is a length of thirty miles of main channels and 770 miles of dfstributlng-ohinnela ; the main channel shaving various carrying capacities from 10,000 gal. to 15,000ga1. of water per minute, having a width at the bottom from 6ft to 15ft, and a depth of from 12in to 18in They are constructed with a fall cr inclination, varying according to the natural slope of the gre uod, of from 12ft to 40ft per mile ; bat in all cases in the main channels velocity of the current is reduced by a fall, at Intervals, to such an extent as to prevent a scour taking place. There are seven sources from which water is taken. These supply, In the aggregate, about 55,000ga1. per minute. Head-works, where the supplies are lift id, generally consist of concrete weirs, constructed across the beds of the streams in the gorges near the base of the mountains ; bat in some instances the supply is taken direct from the rivers, and where this is done protection works of a simple kind are constructed. The distributing-races are at distances apart varying from threequarters of a mile t) a mile and a half, and so placed as to pars through almost evlJry property ou the pla ; ns. These dis-tributing-races'fare generally about Din deep, and from 15in to 18in at the bottom with aide-slope of 2to 1. They run on gradients approximating to the natual declivity of the ground (about 50ft pe r mile near the mountains, and 20ft per mile near the so ). The total cost of construction is £22.500, and the land benefited by this'supply comprises an area of about half a million acres. The rate charged the owners and occupiers of the land is merely ar mileage-rate, to cover the cost of maintenance. Where sites are suitable the occupiers are allowed, under the Council's .direction, to utJizi the races for water power, ou a small scale, for ohaff-entt ng purposes «&c. : without charge.

Tho following are the immigration and emigration returns for tho month of July :

Arrivals.' Departures. United Kindom ... 330 259 Queensland 0 9 New South' Wales... 286 534 Victoria 130 476 South Australia ... O 0 Western Australia... 0 250 Tasmania ... 41 33 Other places 111 109 Totals 900 1694 Ports of Arrivals. Departures, Russell 0 2 Auckland ... 501 416 Wellington 127 460 Napier 1 6 Grey mouth 0 3 Lyttelton ... 3 203 Dunedin 98 2 Invercargill 169 593 Totals 9C0 1684