Hokitika Guardian & Evening Star SATURDAY, JANUARY” 31st, 1920, THE WEEK.

Hokitika Guardian, 31 January 1920, Page 2

Hokitika Guardian & Evening Star SATURDAY, JANUARY” 31st, 1920, THE WEEK.

A peculiar case appears to have arisen in regard to the approval of the West, land Racing Club’.? autumn programme. The programme prepared for the meeting on Easter Wednesday wag djray/j up on precisely the ft ame lines .as last year, the only difference being an increase in stakes of £IOO. Last season the Club included three trotting events, and this year the same number wag proposed. TK- District Racing Committee passed the programme last year without question, but on jthis aeQipJjj#. it was notified the Oommitjtee would not ap.pKpyo any

programme which contained more .hluiu two ixoithig <?v,en ( ts. The executive of the local Cl oh took exception to this ns being arbitrary and unfair, and relying on the rules of racing and trotting pressed for the passing of the programme. At a special meeting called for the purpose, the position was fully discussed, and the reasons given why the three trotting races were required. Jt was pointed out that not more than five gallops would bo held in any case, and the Club was entitled under the rules to add three- trotting events to complete the legal limit under the total isa to r law. Ultimately it was agreed to rescind the embargo resolution, and pass the programme for the reasons given. It was resolved, however, to notify all Racing Clubs within tile district that for the future it was not desirable to include more than two trotting events in one day, ns Clubs tverc constituted primarily to promote racing, and not trotting. There the matter now rests.

Tim Westland Club’s meeting on Easter I Wednesday will therefore consist of five I galloping races and three trotting events, and ,iio doubt the meeting will I be as popular ns ■heretofore. The difficulty with the Coast' AJhibe at | autumn is to secure enough horses to make the racing events interesting for the public. The experience has been that the fields are small, and the racing not. so attractive. With a programme limited to five events, the racing fields aro larger, and there is better racing

st . and interest for the public. For revenue purposes a Club may hold eight events in one day, and by adding trot, ting races the position is very well met. Trotting is growing in popular favour and the patrons of both form of sport are drawn to a. meeting where racing and trotting is mixed. With- the inere.ised cost of feed and transport, trotting owners require an inducement as well as any other owner, to travel, and the three events on the card gives the horse-owner more inducement to travel, and by that means success is more assured. The local Club has catered well for trotting. It has provided a. good track, special paddock accommodation and separate sheds, apart from the. gallopers. Having gone to that expense, it is entitled to eater for the sport in such a way as to earn a return for its outlay’. With the past privileges retained, the Club will have this oportunity of doing so for this season at all events. The programme for the meeting is now being circulated.

Cables in the Sydney “ Sun ” throw j some light on what, to most of us, was | an affair—the defeat of AT. Clemenceau in the election for the , French Presidency. According to the ; Paris correspondent of “The Times,” ; the sudden change in the Presidential . prospects was due to Clemenceau’s prolonged refusal to announce definitely his candidature. He was never very anxious for the post of President, and did not desire it all unless it came to him by general consent, hence his withdrawal after the first ballot failed to give him the necessary majority. His delay gave M. Briand an opportunity, with other powerful personages, to settle old scores with “the Tiger,” who has never throughout his long political career pursued what might be regarded as a conciliatory policy towards his opponents. Briand, therefore, with the Socialists! whom Clemenceau had beaten in the general election), and the Extreme Right, organised a strong movement in favour of M. Deschanel, who had always, desired to heroine President, - '

The success of the movement was made easier by the fact that Clemenceau’s popularity, as remarked by the correspondent we have quoted, .lay with the public, and not with the members of Parliament. A number of Deputies are said to have feared that Clemenceau wouldl interfere with the Chamber’s liberties, a fear which possibly had some ground, for Clemenceau was a strong autocratic man, and there is a traditional sentiment in France, especially in Parliamentary circles, against a [strong masterful President. He wa s tolerated as Premier because he was clearly the man to win the war, hut when the danger had passed, thanks in measure, the extent of which only history’ can judge, to his indomitable, courage, the politicians turned against him. Nevertheless, when the results of the voting became known, the Deputies are reported to have received it with stupefied and silent astonishment. As for Clepipjicpau, he was philosophically cheerful about it, >i My part has been played,” he said. “There is no reason for ill-will or annoyance. I ain going to Vendee into retirement-. I will do no more work for the newspapers. I am going to write a hook.”

The decision of the Supreme Council to lift the blockade from Russia has revived the waiiikp resentment in many circles against the resumption of trade with former enemy countries in Europe. The resentment is not quite equal in heart to the fever of old patriotism. Here and there the prospect of great profit is soothing. There are a few patriotic commercial men who assert their resolute determination not to trade with either the Germans or the Bolsheviks. Such patriotism is admirable, and is to be commended for its sentiment, hut how is their determination to be put into practice? An interesting story that is going the rounds will illustrate the diffienty of re.

listing (trade with Germany comments an exchange. It is said that a cargo of naiis, obviously from Germany priginally though ostensibly shipped from Sweden was bought from the manufacturers at six marks per cwt at a time when the value of the mark was about 3d, and subsequently landed -at San Francisco, where the nails were repacked into 141 h bags and consigned to the Australasian market at 35s per i>vt, plus the extra charges to importers, owing to the adverse exchange rate against the sovereign ip the United states. The retail price in Australasia must, of course, bp w'-ll over £2 P CI cwt. Not even the .’Hoard of Trade, with all their acclaimed alertness and wisdom, could prove any exploitation jof /ho public by the Australasian merchants, y.'jho are obviously paying through the nose, AS .the saying goes, for the glorious genciipeiß against resuming open trade with Germany. Ji is clear that' such patriotism will only yield colossal profits to midway cosmppoii’tan merchants who will eagerly tradp with Germany when the mark is worth ;i. .penny, and then patriotically repack the goods in honest allied cases for the simple sentimentalists <in the British Dominions. The whole business is an immoral joke. !

It wii he quite impossible for average honest, men and women in British communities ever to regain their pre-war respect for Germany; hut it should bo recognised that less sentimental people will not hesitate to take full advantage of the prevailing sentiment, apd will grow exceedingly fat on the profits from camouflaged German goods bought cheaply and sold at exorbitant prices because of the patriotic restrictions upon Germany. That is the position in many countries wear Germany to-day, and iit is certain that it will be extended

very t,o f »n, notwithstanding the innumerable “resolntops” got tp trade with the Huns. The time bps crime for the i smothering of cant and humbug in ryypect to the resumption of trade with European countries. The allied communities who are restive under scandalous profiteering should accept the fact that the terms of the Treaty of Versailles inevitably sanctioned a resumption of trade and economic relations with the former enemy countries. No other way could be taken if tbo Allies expected reparation for Germany’s gross misdeeds. .There can lie no peace until all the factor? of warfare have been eliminated. Those who do not see that truth do not understand the real meaning of victory- The lifting of the. Russian blockade is in itself a signifi-

cant lesson. No one knows exactly '• what is the Allied policy towards the Bolshevik Russia, but it is at least clear that the surest way to peace with the Bolsheviks is to trade with the people of Russia.. The (British authorities have seen the folly of shutting their markets to Russian products and paying enormous prices for raw material from other countries. An end had to come to British sacrifices because of ill-informed public opinion and sentiment. If all j the allied countries had agreed in perfect honesty to put into practice the stern ideas of the Economic Allied Conference in 1917, when the universal j mood almost was wholly against resuming trade with unprinciped enemies, j there would be wisdom in refusing to support Germany’s economic efforts; but in the light of the fact that sever al of the Allies are purchasing German goods without restriction at all, and are exploiting distant communities in respect to the disposal ol such goods, the exercise of patriotic sentiment is . farcical.