Moving South

NZ Truth, Issue 1212, 21 February 1929, Page 6

Moving South

A LILTING, melody tells us 'that Henry's made a Lady out of Lizzie, which is certainly no mean achievement. But there tire other Henrys who, if they have not been required to look "after the conversion of Lizzie, have at least "made the grade"! This is not an inapposite time and place to introduce to you Henry G. Lakeman, of the- P. and T. staff of engineers at Auckland, who has recently been told, to start packing his grips for Wellington! .■■'.'■'''■'. ! To quite a number of people m the Hot Springs (Bay of Plenty) terrain ho introduction is necessary, for during the past- six , years it has been Lakeman's job ,to see that folk- m this part of the Auckland territory were not on short rations as regards telephones and long-distance lines. Over thirty apricot seasons have slipped by since H.G.L. joined up with his department m Otago Central and: slung a modest, satchel over his shoulder.

NOW and again there are growls that the control of racing is too autocratic; that there is a tendency to regard much too lightly the rights of those' who cash m, wet or fine, to keep the game alive. ' " But the management of racing is no job for a* meek believer m the sweet guilelessness of human nature. , It requires men of shrewd, .mature judgment, able to discern the crooked schemes and devious ways of those who would batten on the sport. There is nothing meek and mild about Sir George Clifford, president of the New Zealand Racing Conference. His rule is stern, and justj and if his hand is heavy, at any rate it suits the folk m control, and' through them the people who love the game and want it kept bright and clean. Gone is the prestige of the Cathedral City as the hub of New Zealand racing, but it is the home of ..many famous racing stables. Not- the least, famous is the highclass training establishment of Sir George Clifford.

Something would be radically wrong at Riccarton if the wellknown blue and, gold chequers were absent from a meeting.. 'Not only m the flat city, but much further afield, are the baronet's racing colors a welcome sight to turf patrons. Difficult, perhaps, to believe it so, but racing, after all, is a recreation and not the serious business of life for the multitude. Even the uncrowned king of racing has a calling m life. Sir George is a barrister, and also a squatter, but his heart is m the sleek outline of the thoroughbred. He knows every delicate point of a blood animal. ; , Aloof he is from public life, but more secure m the world m whichhe moves than seekers of the bubble reputation m many another sphere. . ' ' „ He is the Grand Old Man of the turf m New Zealand, and old age is apparently powerless to wither the infinite spell he has laid upon the engrossing sport of horseracing.