SHOULD SPORT STOP

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2633, 2 December 1915, Page 7

SHOULD SPORT STOP

, THE QUESTION DISCUSSED

A STRONG PLEA SPEECH BY MR F. NICOLL (Bj Teleeranh—Pr«» Assoclatlon.l Christohurch, Decembor 1. Tlio question of whether sport should bo continued during tho progress of tlio war was discussed at a meeting of tho Now Zealand Trotting Association this afternoon. The president (Mr. P. Selig) enid 6ome time after the war broke out ho had brought lip the question as to whether there sliould bo so much trotting and racing as usual. Ho. had submitted that it was a matter for discussion, and the question had been considered by' tho board. Tliero had been sonio discussion 111 the public Press, and. tho subject had received some prominence by an address given on the Riccarton racecourse by a returned officer. They found that much racing had been curtailed, in England; it was largely due to the fact that the railways had been unable to cope with- the traffic. They, found, moreover, that the King, who had been prominent in connection with another reform dealing with the drink traffic, was still racing his horses, anil that racing was also going on in Russia, Germany, and otlior places. Could it bo said that the faot that racing was still .being carried on was preventing men from recruiting? Ho did not think that such . was ,tho. case. He thought that if racing , were to be stopped they would find that there were still nien who would not go except under compulsion, lnen, again, they had to take into consideration the number of mon connected with the sport who had enlisted, and tho sport had contributed very largo sums towards various funds. Ho found th*jt trotting clubs had given in direct contributions something like £12,000, in addition to tho war tax on dividends and othdr contributions to the Consolidated Revenue; moreover, several clubs were giving their profits for tho season to patriotic funds. In addition, there were so. many people dependent on sport as a living, elderly men and elderly women as-well, that it seemed the whole machinery was too complicated i 1 } tortere unnecessarily. • i Nicoll, in endorsing the presidents remarks, said thero have been one or two irresponsible attacks made recently in connection with the carrying on of sports' at tho present 'time, and more particularly upon' racing, and -upon the older men who arc conducting sport. When attacking sport, and sporting ' men one cannot individualise in New Zealand, for New Zealand is only a very small portion or the British Empire, and it is.necessary dnd right to consider first what is. being done 'at headquarters, that is, in Britain, and wliat responsible men who are conducting tho war and business of the Empire think about the matter, for they are tho people whoso opinions couut, and ivhnse lead' we must follow. Take up - the London limes, then, of September Id last, and wo find in the sporting columns the prospects for the fifth oxt-ra. Newmarkot meeting discusscd, and amongst owners whose horses were engaged were the following:—His Majesty the King, the Duke of Westminster, Lord Lonsdale, Lord Zetland, . Colonel Hall-Walker, Major Astor, Major Roberts, Captain I'orester,- the Duke of Portland, and last, but not least Lord Derby, Minister in charge of recruiting in Great Britain. Can it be said'that any of these, men do not realise the-war, that, they are apathetic or careless of the Empire's interests, and yet; reflection on Now. Zealand sportsmen must also bo a reflection on His Majesty the King and other leading Britons, whose patriotism is beyond reproach. A visitor amongst us or scolding critic might perhaps say, ",Yes, these men are racing, but they are all doing their bit for the Empire too. What are the -New Zealand sportsmen doiilgp" And that very question could.have been well :.nswered had one analysed the little group of New'-Zea-land sporting men and politicians who stood within the saddling paddock at lliceartoir on the last day of the races there this month. . First, there were two Cabinet Ministers, who were thankful to be able to enjoy a short respito from the heavy burden of anxiety and Work which they are carrying at present in their endeavour to do tlieir little bit towards helping the Empire. Do they realise the war? Who amongst us would have the effrontery to challenge the patriotism and good sense of these two men P .Then we note a leading tracing man in New Zealand. Does he realise the war? Well, he has given the only son ho has .to fight for tho Empire. Can any ; man do more? Does any man dare criticise him?' We next note a .steward talking to .him, and whose horse is just entering the paddock,. Does he realise the war? . He has two sons in Flanders, and the third, standing at his side, is in training to go. Another little group of men consists of the presidents of a country club >aiid of a northern club. Theio'rmer has lqst his eldest son fighting for the Empire, and has his second son with him, returned from the Dardanelles severely wounded. The other man has his two sons away to the war.

Again, we note the next group—all stewards of the club, all with close relatives fighting, and themselves, though busy men of affairs, giving freely of their time and substance to the! assistance of patriotic and charitable work, and doing this with a total lack of selfadvertisement, but conscientiously find with the same thoroughness and application that has gained them thoir' present position as successful business mem Only last week I received a circular letter front, these same men concerning a private subscription they wore arranging to .assist our wounded soldiers in England:' Yet once again we look and seoi two secretaries 'of racing clubs, both with two boys away at the war, and it is this body of men who are being lectured and criticised. I was reading m a recent number of a London paper an article by'a wounded soldier upon Mb experiences in a quiet country place in England, and how anxious and interested the people of the villago were about the war, though on tho surface life was moving oil, and he winds up his tale in this maimer: "Wise, men who know everything declare that the people of Great Britain do not realise, the wav. It may be that some of us have taken long to realise the war, but to comprehend in our common indictment fathers

and mothers who havo given their sons, and sisters who have given their brothers, is a against justico and tho simple promptings of humanity. Yet the wise men go oil in their extravagant' obtiisity, slandering tho common folk of England to tho Allies' enemy, and a complacent American journalist' writes home that England is living much as usual, and you could not tell from tho fanes and the behaviour of Englishmen that there was any war at all. As

though Englishmen over did wear their hearts on their sleeves for wise men to peck_at." It would appear that wo havo wise men in New Zealand also. What about the mon in tho t'renches, what do they think of it? Here is a

letter from Corporal Willis, Ist Manchester Regiment, recently awarded tho D.C.M. for gallantry. Ho writes on September 20 (vide Christchurch •Tress"): "Out here we aro fed up of the stuff the papers aro full of. Wo would much rather read about tho Derby, or the St. Leger, than what tlio correspondent has to say about Neuvo cn.u't sqjiic»lkicl_v print

a paper for lis fellows at the front with :ill tlio war nows loft' out?" Sonic ol tho "wise men" advocate the closing of sport, theatres, pictures, and our ordinary occupations. Why sliould we do so in New Zealand when it is not considered necessary in Great Britain, in Russia, Italy, or Germany? According to tho Lonclon "Sportsman" (vide Christchufch "Press"), the jumping • season was inaugurated in September at Berlin Karlshorst most successfully, and over 2300 people were present. Do they realise the war? I was talking to two ladies last week who keep a boardinghoiise. They have 110 help, and it is taking them* all their timo 'to struggle along. I asked them if thtfy bad been to tile-races. "Oh, yes," one replied, "and if it was not for a break like that occasionally I think I would go mad," These two women are doing their bit for the Red Cross work, and in keeping their ilag flying with cheer- 1 fill faces, despite their weary hearts. Two of their boarders have' gono to tho war, and they only have threo left at present. The samo with tho women at Riccarton. I know a gßod many of tliom who were thero this month. Some had their sons, some their brothers, and somo their husbands with thom in khaki, hut all are doing their bit. One girl I know who was there spent tho week; prior to tho races at sewing and knitting without any. recreation, and 011 one day spent ten consecutive hours at the sewing-machine at work for the Red Cross. Aro, these the women -to .slander? They would do more if they could. Many of these women are willing to go anywhere and to do anything they can to help, and not only willing, but anxious' and eager to do so. If tho sportsmen of Now Zealand could help the Empire to beat Germany by ceasing from racing, I can answer for it, we would gladly stop tlio races tomorrow; but no one has ever yet serattempted to show that it would help in any way. Mr. Asquitli said recently: "Recriminating is of all forms of moral self-indulgenco at once the cheapest and the least fruitful." Until the King, Lord Derby, or Lord Kitchener tell us that the continuing of racing is not conducive to the welfare of tho Empire, wo in New Zealand can continue our daily life endeavouring to do our duty, each according to his own power, without any advertisement. Under tho leadership of the politicians, the Press, and the older portion of tho community, who, seeing the esteem ill whioh New Zealand is held throughout tho British Empire, may bo allowed to know their duty and their own business best. Personally, my opinion counts for little, hut I do not see, and no one has endeavoured to prove to me, that racing is in any way interfering with tho war. In my stables I employ four hien, two havo enlisted, and the other two are ineligible. One has a young family and tho. other relatives entirel.v dependent upon him. It would hinder, not help, New Zealand, if men such as I closed down. I s would joyfully go myself, but am barred by a broken wrist, not to speak of my unfortunate age. Wo have our duty here at home, mon of Now Zealand, who aro unable t.) take any aot-lvo part at tho front, and our duty is to keep tho trade and business of the country going, and to seo that lve do all that wo are able to help those at- the front, and to make thorn and theirs comfortable in afterdays, and not to sit at homo in gloom with long faoes depressing ourselves and those around us. The racing liion must assist in the great battlo of the Empire with our whole heart and mind, and by every means in our power after that. Then keep tho race flags flying for tho sake' or the many; hundreds of families dependent for their -living upon tho continuance of the sport and for the recreation it affords to those workers who take a dolight in seeing good horses compete, and in this last category can ba included all the returned troopers to vhom a day at tllie races is a tonic worth a. dozen prescriptions. I havo spoken at some length, but have said but little of -\vlmt.caii bo said for racing, but if I know the racing men of NewZealand they will bo content to stand or fall npon the of the "men who know," viz., His Majesty the King, Mr. Asqinth, or Lord Kitchener. On the motion of Mr. Mark it was decided that tho remarks of tho president and Mr. F. Nicoll should be printed and copies forwarded to both trotting and raoing clubs.