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Hokitika Guardian, 15 July 1918, Page 2

Tub lack of railway facilities for the race-going public was mentioned at the annual meeting of the Country Racing Clubs’ Association in Wellington. Ihe executive repeated that 'the Railway Department has continued the policy of refusing during the war to cater in any way for the public attending rare meetings, and judging by the railway returns for the last, financial year, the revenue the Dominion had suffered greatly in consequence. “The shortage in the staff,’’ added the report,"“may be to a certain extent a fair excuse for not running special trains, but it is no excuse for not making the ordinary train service fit in with the requirements of the public who in large numbers desire to attrwiu sports gatherings. The cutting out of a. station nearing a racecourse on a race day because perforce more people may turn up than can be carried,, is an insufficient excuse. If the rolling stock is limited, why not advertise the fact that only a certain number of peoplo extra to the ordinary can be carried, and that tickets to the stations near the racecourse will he issued the day previous to the day of racing between, say 12 and 4 o’clock. When the tickets to the limit had been sold, no more would be issued. This would prevent congestion on the race morning. However, officials bound hand and foot with red tape cannot, get out of a groove, and act as an ordinary prudent business man would act in an emergency. Fancy bow business man would laugh in his sleeve at any person who would believe that ho could only open his store during a limited number of hours because, there were more customers than he could attend to promptly 1” The president of‘the conference '(Mr. A. Bruce) said that the executive had made representations to the Minister of Railways and the General Manager regarding race trains, but had got no satisfaction.. The Minister and bis officers would not consent to make full use of the ordinary trains in the interests of the racing clubs.

FlEI.n-MAUHIIAI. VON HINDKNBtmc, Chief of the General Staff and Cowman dor-in-Chief' of the German At my, whose death is recorded in this . issue was in his 71st year. He 'gained great, popularity at the beginning of the war by driving out the Russians from East Prussia. He commanded the German i’daoes from 'the Baltic to* the Pnpot marshes. His scheme for involving the Russians in the Masurian Lakes marshes met with success, having been specially studied bv him for several years. From Juno, 1916, his command was extended. .to the Galician front, with the Austrian forces added to the German forces. At the end of August, 1916, lie was appointed Oommander-iu Chief in succession to Goncral von Fnlkenhayn. When war broke out. General von Iliudenbrg was living hi retirement in Hanover. He was summoned suddenly by the Kaiser to the command of the Eastern army. “He only had time to buy some woollen underclothing. and have his old uniform altered before setting out for East

a special train, like a

Prince,” said the National Zeitung. He celebrated his military jubilee in April 1916, when the Kaiser, presented him with his portrait. In June the Kaiser said: “You have become the national, hero of the German people. The name of Ilindonburg is' already of legendary fame. Wherever it is spoken, all eyes flash, all faces of young aiid old beam.” A great statuo of wood was erected to ilindonburg in Berlin and gold nails were driven into it by members of the Imperial Family, and thousands of the admirers of Hindeuburg. But with the scarcity of metal and nails, this ugly form of decorating ceased.