SHIPPING RACEHORSES.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1892, 29 October 1913, Page 8

SHIPPING RACEHORSES.

o SPLIT IN THE RANKS. Seventeen racehorses which had engagements to fulfil at tho Now Zealand Cup Meeting caused troublo yesterday. It was' ' only after many deliberations that the strikers allowed the horses to bo shipped, and not without first having held a united kororo. Early in tho day the racehorses wero up for discussion. Allow them to go or not? That was tho question. Opinions were divided, but many of tho strikers were emphatic tlat tho horses should bo blocked.

Permitted to Depart,

It was evident, however, that there was a split in the ranks, and it was finally decided that a mass meeting ni the union should bo held at 1 n.m. Notices were sent out and, at tho hour appointed, fully 3500 .men attended. The meeting was held in the waitingroom, and the press were not admitted. Jtuch cheering could bo heard outside during tho progress of their deliberations, and presently a scout- descended the stairs and requested the little group of reporters outside to movo away.

Tho upsli'ot of tho meeting was that a member of the Strike Committee announced to Mr. J. H. Pollock (handicapper to tho Wellington Racing Club,who was waiting) that the meeting had dccided to allow tho horses to be shipped. But not Unanimously. As the crowd of strikers began to leavo tho meeting-room' warm arguments ensued. _ It was then plain enough that the decision had not been unanimous. One man remarked: "1 have been a ringleader in this strike, and I have stood firm up till now, but I will have no more to do with it.. If they can ship live cargo they can snip dead cargo for all I care. I've done with them." Flying from mouth' to mouth the decision became speedily known. In some quarters it was received with enthusiasm, but in others the men plainly showed that they felt otherwise. Shipping Them. The seventeen racehorses wero brought down to tho Maori later in the afternoon, and a small demonstration was made by d section of- the crowd. The' horses 'were not taken through the Queen's Wharf gates, hut were led along the waterfront in tho vicinity of •Custom House Quay. When the crowd noticed them a rush was made through tho gates, but ended- at that-, for pickets, Harbour Board officials, and the polico at once quelled tho incipient disturbance. Thero was certainly a good deal of talk, but at the hnish the talkers made their way back to tho square, and quiescently re-assumed the status quo. Then, without molestation, the horses wero brought down to the Maori. A portion of the wharf in the vicinity was roped off, and the horses with their attendants were placed inside. Meanwhile a fair number of tho public- remained to witness the loading Pickets were busy in this littlo orowd also, and if any striker evoncing a desire to interfere was observed, he was quickly told to " clerir out." Ho invariably obeyed.