STIPENDIARY STEWARDS NOT TO BE APPOINTED.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2202, 15 July 1914, Page 4

STIPENDIARY STEWARDS NOT TO BE APPOINTED.

DECISION OF THE CONFERENCE. Stipendiary stewards and the question of their appointment to control trotting meetings in the Dominion' wero the subject of a good deal of discussion at the conference of delegates of New Zealand Trotting Clubs yesterday. Tho president (Jlr. John It-owe) made lengthy reference to the matter in liis annual address in tho course of which, after reviewing tho position up to tho present, he said:— "The need for paid officials appears to he regularly urged, and during the presont season there have been occasions when it has heen forcibly brought home to those who have a genuine interest in tho sport that steps in this direction must bo taken sooner or later. It is of the utmost importance that the racing should be under control of capable and reliable stewards, who take the trouble to acquaint themselves with the duties appertaining to . office, arid givo tho requisite study to tho rules and the protection of tho public. It is unfortunately tho case that stoisards sometimes know little or nothing of tho rules, and however anxious tlioy may "bo to do what they think to ho right, are prono to'err.. "To my mind one of the greatest advantages of the stipendiary system—and there aro many—would bo that there would be continuity of supervision. As ■ tho case stands at the present time, when the meeting of a club has 'concluded, the stewards havo finished their duties, and any notes, records, or observations which they may have made are not available for the stewards of the next club at which the same competitor may bo starting. Another advantage would be to entirely abolish tlio most dangerous practice of:foul driving, ! "Men who are not versed in trotting law,'or. who do not take the , trouble to make '.themselves conversant . with, it, are the ones who, as frequently'as-.not, are responsible for wrong decisions, . which land their clubs in difficulties with the powers that be, thus showing how desirablo it is that tho stewardship of clubs should be in the hands of men not only of probity, but of experience. ' "Tho betting steward, I trust, has been almost eliminated. Where he has not, I would say to members of clubs in which ho still exists, take care that he bo not again placed in authority. ."There is very often a difficult matter in. which to provo fraud. I am sure that if tlie stewards more''often took advantage .of Rule 284 it would be more satisfactory to everybody, particularly our 'patrons,'to; whom. it. is our duty "to provide races- as free from abuse as possible. "Such cases as I havo mentioned would afford tho stipendiary .stewards a'wido scopo for their activities. The result of •their work should not be judged so much by the number of disqualifications or lessor, punishments imposed, or the number of matters reported, but by the all-round general improvement of meetings. The, stipendiary would keep a stricter supervision on the doings of the competitors,' particularly the'wrong-doers, who, with the fear instilled into them.by the knowledge that. they were being shadowed' by the stipendiaries, would refrain from carrying out their evil designs. ' 'I-. think that our sport has in 1 recent years made such, rapid .progress that it has, to a great extent, outgrown the pre-, sent system of control. If ; 'we are to 1 have stipendiaries,-. they , must - :be . experts, thoroughly capable and strong-minded.-llpn'whose integrity is at all doubted, and' who cannot command respect and obedience, should not receive the slightest consideration. I- consider that-as'fchis-'iflatter is one arising out of last year's business, sufficient notice has been giver, to proceed; with it under tho rules, should the principle be affirmed." . , A report, which had been prepared by the executive, on the subject, stated that during the year the Australian Jockey Club, tjie Victoria. Bacing Club, the Victoria Amateur Turf Club, and the New Zealand Bacing Conference, had been communicated with in regard to tho employment of stipendiary stewards, and had • furnished full particulars of the systems in vogue and the regulations connected therewith. (Particulars- were sot out for tho information of clubs.) With respect to racing in .New .South Wales, the Australian Jockey Club stated, without fear of contradiction, tbat the_ciubs for which,, .'stipendiary 'steiiards -.irefe"strongly. in favour. of;, the, system;- and "it was not ; likely that a'Tetnrn to : the honorary steward svstem would be tolerated. The Vic-' torin Racing Club, in some supplementary remarks, said that the system had been operating in. Victoria for twelve months, and had worked well. The New Zealand Racing Conferenco stated. that the appointed officers have given satisfaction to the Stipendiary Committee, and as far as the oarrying out of their duties under the regulations is ooncerned, the executive of' the conferenco finds everything is working harmoniously." The executive made the following recom-. mendation,"in tl\e event of the conference affirming the principle of. appointing stir; pendiary stewards:—"Tho estimated totali-' sator turnover of trotting clubs during the present- season is «fißoo,ooo .(being, of coursc, investments repeated many times over). A levy of, say, l-Bth per cent, on such gross amount, for. the purposo of re-! muneration and expenses would be .£looo,' and, together with as fees from racing clubs, as suggested later, would make ; an estimated total of .E1225... Such levy ; could bo made on all totalisator clubs iii - proportion to. tho respective investments; at their meetings during the previous year, but so that no club shall pay less than, say, ,£lO 10s. per day for each day it uses the machino during the year. If two permanent stipendiary stewards bo appointed at a salary' of .£350 per annum •each, and an amount to cover travelling expenses, they could attend all the Trotting Clubs' meetings with tho exception of two, and in some cases they would bo f | able to attend together. Deputy stewards would be required for tho two Trotting Clubs' meetings referred to, and also on 20 days of Racing Clubs' meetings, the programmes of w-hic'lr include trotting events. This would ensure a stipendiary steward attending all trotting events at both trotting , and racing clubs' meetings.. Wo estimate this would work out as follows:—Salaries of two permanent stewards, .£700; their travelling.expenses (not including hotel or board), and two transferable annual railway passes, ,£300; deputy stewards for 22 days, at .£5 ss. per (lay and travelling expenses, .£175; total, .£1175. This would probably leave a credit balance of, say, .£SO. "With respect, to the trotting events on Bacing Clubs' programmes, wo aro of the opinion that this is a matter which may require to bo mutually discussed with tho Basing Conference. Begariling the remuneration paid to stipendiary stewards, under their rules wo understand the position at present is that a levy is made on the gross totalisator revenue of each club, -including the amount invested on the trotting events controlled by Racing Clubs. At present, their stipendiary stewards do not act officially in respect of the trotting . events on racing programmes unless requested by local stewards. As a certain proportion of such levy is derived from the trotting events, and as the racing stipendiary rtewards arc paid out of that levy, why are thoso officers not engaged to supervise tho trotting Events? Should' the Trotting Conference decido to bring them within the jurisdiction of stipendiary stewards uudor tho Bules of Trotting, we would suggest that the revenue obtained in the manner referred to, bo applied to the trotting authorities. Such revenue, representing the minimum amount of fees payable by Bacing Clubs of, say, JES ss. per day, we estimate, would return rougli[ly a further sum of ,E25. This would allow stipendiary stewards to attend all non-totalisator clubs' meetings without any charge, and would also allow both tho permanent stewards to be at the most important meetings of the Trotting Clubs throughout the year." The report gave rise to considerable discussion, but eventually, on the motion of Mr. A. M. Samuel (Hutt Valley), it was nocided that stipendiary stewards should not be appointed at present.