RACING IN WAR TIME

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3050, 11 April 1917, Page 6

RACING IN WAR TIME

QUESTION OF CURTAILMENT POSITION OF TROTTING, CLUBS By Telejp-aph—Pres3 Assooiatitpn. Christchurch, April 10. At a meeting of the Executive of the New Zealand Trotting Conference tonight a discussion took ■ place in regard to the possible curtailment of the sport during the war. The president (Mr. John Rowe) said that he felt rather disappointed with the action of several clubs. They were all anxious to do what they could to assist to/ win the war, and he felt certain that there was not a man in New Zealand, connected with racing, who would not be prepared to clean racing right out if it would help to win thewar by even one day. Clubs had been expressing their individual opinions, and he thought it would have been much better if the Racing and Trotting Conferences could have held a combined meeting in Wellington, , and discussed the question fully, and then submitted to the Government a scheme on which they would have been unanimous, and which would have given the Government something tangible to work on.

As they wore aware, the president of the Racing.Conference had issued circulars which had been published, and the olubs had been asked a series of questions in regard to the continuance of racing under present conditions. Replies to' those questions would in many cases be matters of personal opinion." Some clubs had expressed themselves as. anxious to carry on, while others favoured a reduotion, and it would have been munh better if arrangements could have been made for their views to hare been expressed through the conferences. The season was not well advanced, and in any case both the Racing and Trotting Conferences would be meeting in July. A discontinuance of the sport would affect some clubs very seriously. He knew of several clubs that had given every shilling of their profits to patriotic funds, and in the event of a curtailment of the sport the interest on borrowed money would have to be paid or guaranteed by tfie stewards and committee personally. It would not be wise for them to actWtil they ascertained what the racing authorities proposed to do. He had airanged for an interview with Sir Geo. Clifford, president of the Racing Conference, at 9.30 the following morning.

Mr. W. J. Gore said that' a discontinuance of the sport would have a very serious effect on clubs which had 'borrowed money for the purchase of property and the carrying out of improvements.

Mr. D. H. Roberts said that he understood that arrangements were being made for a meeting of the Racing Con'ference to be held in Wellington during the present month, and on his suggestion it was agreed that the Trotting Conference should adjourn its "' conj sideration of the question until the following morning, in order to enable j the r members of the executive to discuss the matter with Sir Geo. Clifford.