The Unjust Commiss ioners.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 19 July 1911, Page 4

The Unjust Commiss ioners.

ANOTHER DEPUTATION TO MINISTERS.

Sir James Carroll, Acting Premier in replying to a deputation representative of country racing clubs which waited upon h'iin in Wellington on Monday said he had nothing to set off against the complaints ol the deputation. No dou'bt there had been a general outcry throughout the Dominion that 'there wus too mucJli racing— not that the number of permits had: increased, but that the clubs had increased tiho number of days on which racing was held. That led to public comment and dissatisfaction, and the feeling grew .so intense that Parliament had to deal with it by legislation. Now, up t.» that period, "all yon gentlemen, and several -others interested in racing cared not for the ■danger W'bich threatened racing; in fact, t'hoy all acquiesced 'by their silence! As long as they were safe in the enjoyment of their privileges til my did not care, what was coining about. On many occasions, ho (Sir James Unrroll) Jiad warned some of the sporting people of the imminence of disaster, but they were satisfied with their position at. the time. Fjven in the^House, on many occasions the gambling question can'io up. and the most ardent supporters of sport did not find' it convenient to face it ■J. hey were discussing .martors in tlu> lobby.

lhero has always boon a sh,irki uiff of this question," he went on to ■J say. and it is only ivow you realise p that the other .side .luavo" kicked a - goal I nave had to figlit for years tor the retention of the totalizator i and engineer it the best way I could, but my difficulty was to get others to como out into tho Oi)en. riioro was always some ton iblo over'hanging fear that bbere was a kind of impropriety attached to personal action in regard to any resolution or Bill that was introduced, in the House on the subject. The sports could have taken a bold stand long ago, and that would have been a huge wall behind whic-h a largo 'body of public opinion could have sheltered. Well, Parliament, representative of you all. dealt with tin's legislntion. (T may toil you that T took no part in it, 'because on account of the viows 1 .hat] publicly expressed, I was at a discount. 1 left it to others who were equally interested. 1 did say T would certainly vote for the retention of the totahsator. On the question of racing. I thought there were other ways of putting it under control to the gonernl benefit of the commu- , mty." , Parlianiput placed the l?ill on the Statute-book, but ilie bore out the deputation in this, that tho House intended that the country clubs should have some special consideration. The commission was carefully selected, and was representative of the whole of the dominion of racing, a-nrl of ra<-iiig officialdom, and its chairman, Sin- Geo. Clifford, had been president of tbc Racing Conference for years. •'! am glad," Ire added, "that this question has come up. .and tlimt it has como up in an acute, form. I have for years been trying .to impress on the sporting world the dangers that Were ahlead, and T could never strike a note of response. It is only when it comes home to you that there is any spirit roused at all. And it is well to discuss this question publicly, because you have to rely on pwblic opinion." There was no provision .made in the Act for any court of appeal. It would, ho thought, have been wi.se if there had beip.n such a -provision. But the public mind 'hiadi 'bemi tflujrht to look upon the Goverrnnent with suspicion, and it would not bo entrusted with any responsibility of tho kind. GOVERNMENT CANNOT STULTIFY ITSELF. Nkw it seeinej that the report of the coiiuuissionors wa.s not entirely satisfactory. ''What," h.e askocl, "are \yq to do? A^'e cannot stultify ourselves by going to Parliament (and ask it to destroy the work of tbo commission ov to bang it up. No Governanent would c'o that. But any private member can take action, and we can afford every opportunity for fair discussion. "Because it is a public question, and I am prepared to assist you by -having a, conference with Sir George Clifford on the subject, because it might in some cases be possible for adjoining clubs to make arrangements among themselves. .For 3ms own part he did not thinik there was too much racing in New Zealand; there were not too many meetings when the Act was passed fixing the number of permits, and it could not be argued that there arc too many aiow, considering that tho population had increased to over a million, and th© number of new centres that had been formed. He had always boen in favour of increasing the number of permits. Racing was a sport that 90 per cent, of the British people loved. The reduction of permits did not cure the disease—if it was a disease. What they wanted was regulation, proper control to remove tine vices whiich .attached to the sport, and to give every guarantee to the public that when they went to a meeting to enjoy th'e 1 sport everything should be safo and a'bove-boa.rd. Further, in a country like this, where settlement was spreading out, country people were entitled to every consideration. "I am glad you have been hnrd hit," he said, in conclusion, "because I •want you to take a, livelier interest in this question of sport than yoai have done before. The pu'blic lias on.lv .heard ono side, and as Ions: as ' nothing is said in reply there "can only be one result. 'Why people have been afraid to come out I don't know. Personally, "I have incurred , about as maic'h odium as any public man through! my connec- -' turn with Turf matters, and the ex- \ pression of my views. But I have I had to stand alone." %