"WHY HOLD RACES?"

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVIII, Issue 65, 16 November 1915, Page 3

"WHY HOLD RACES?"

A SOLDIER HITS OUT. SPEECH ON RACECOURSE AT RICCARTON. After the third race .at Riccarton on Saturday, something in the nature of a sensation wa s caused by the fiery and straight from the shoulder speech, backed up by a parade of returned soldiers, delivered in the bird-cage by Captain Donald Simson, who fought in the South African campaign and at the Dardanelles. Captain Simson paraded all the returned men he could get, and with the permission of the officers of the club, delivered Ids address. The Star reports as follows:—He said that he wished first to address his remarks to the stewards, who included many of the most prominent men in the Dominion. He wished to ask them if they had considered whether tJiey should have run the meeting responsible for the large gathering. The stewards were not only trustees of racing, but were also trustees of the young men and women in the country who were present at the races, while the Empire was at the point of a crisis. But for the headlines in the newspapers it would be impossible to know that there *as a war on. The stewards who held the racing meetings were responsible for the gathering, and they could not call on any eligible man in the crowd to go, since they were the causes of his presence. New Zealand was not tnkjing the war seriously while racing was allowed to continue.

"There fire men here, who have undergone the-trials of battle," said the captain. "I know what they hare s one through. There are men here with one leg, men who.have lost an arm, or an eye. or have had their health mined fighting for yon. If you think yon. are running these races for patriotic purposes, and in the interests of "funds for soldiers' comforts or of the wounded, you are making a mistake. (Cheers.) There are members of Parliament here. You have not taken the war seriously. Yon make excuses: you are always making excuses; yon blame the Defence authorities; you wanfc a change of doctors : the Hon. Mr Allen is making mistakes. You do all these things, hut you hold races. W e are not go ing to' fight for you for five hob n jjny:, no money could pay us for our ruined health: but we have the right to come hack—and these men will come iback in thousands—and take a hand in running this'country." Turning to the outside enclosure he said: "You men who are there are all shirkers." A Yoice : What do the men say ? Captain Sim'son: "They hack me up. Yon are absolutely indifferent to the call of your King. You are r.bfOlute rotters. (A Yoice: Give it to them.) You are'rotters, and I don't altogether blame you. The older men in thV (population should give'you a lead, and tell the Government «:f today that racing should stop, and that ■Hwitof-all-classe^should" be "sent oi-t.

You have ignored the call of.youv >ppear-of the prevs; yon have'ignored your dead and wounded in Gallipoli; you have ignored the appeals of ■Parliament. These, men here, who have done their bit and (done it well, are the hist vobe to ap[peal to you." To the inside enclosure |he made a similar appeal, and urged 'that men "who, were too old to. go,-but ihad more of .the world's goods than 'the men outside, should take up 'the duty of providing for the wives |and children of the men who did go. It was no use trying to shelter behind J the fact that they were too old. They 'had a duty. They should take the 'places of the young men who could go 'and help keep their dependents. I At this stage Mr Buckley approachled Captain Simson to remind him of 'the approach of Ehe starting time of 'the.next. race. The crowd hooted {vigorously, but Captain Simson again 'remarked that it was by the invitation 'of Mr Buckley that he was able to 'speak, and he thanked him. He would 'say what he had to say as briefly as possible. I The speaker then turned to the ladies and said that their presence at. [the races showed that they had noE 'considered the position seriously. iThey brought out men with them. If | they thought of the men killed and wounded, the outrages in Serbia, the. sinking of the Marquette with its ! brave New Zealand nurses, they could 'not with decency be present that day. i"lt is no good sheltering behind those men in mufti. They won't protect you from outrage. It is the "ion in uniform who will protect you, and them only." ! In conclusion he addressed himself again to the stewards of the club, and asked them publicly to seriously consider the question of such meetings. "I ask you again if you will consider this appeal at a meeting call'ed promptly. If you ignore this appeal you will tell these men that they have fought for nothing." The me" and Captain Simson were enthusiastically cheered; and someone in the crowd called for groans for tlii> men who sent the horses out for the races. These were given, and the incident. closed.