THE “TIN HARES”

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 559, 11 January 1929, Page 7

THE “TIN HARES”

POSITION IN N.S.W. GOVERNMENT AGAINST SPORT LIVES HARES SUBSTITUTED Although tliQ Bavin Government frowned heavily on “tin hare” racing in Sydney when it took office, there seems to have been plenty of money in the sport last year. With a paid-up capital of £75,000, the Australasian Coursing Club, Ltd., reports a profit for the year ended November 30 last of £18,373. \ year ago, night betting was prohibited by law, and six months ago another heavy blow was struck at dog racing when the High Court held that the pursuit of the mechanical hare was not coursing within the meaning of the Betting and Gaming Act. This looked like the finish of the "dogs,” but the substitution of hares enabled the sport to be carried out in the daytime within the law, trials without betting and with the mechanical liar-e being run at night. LIVE HARE RACING Although many say that as a result of Government action in Mew feoutu Wales, the "tin hares” are gone for ever, the Coursing Club takes the view that the substitution of live hare track ■ •nursing has been successful, and it points to the fact that it lias been adopted by other bodies interested m *'* | n September last, an attempt was made to block the new form of cours2fbV preventing the keeping the lFfe hares at Mascot and Kpping

under the Pastures Protection Act. It was found, however, in the absence of a Pastures Protection Board in the metropolis, that the Government was powerless to interfere. There was then talk of amending the Gaming and 'Betting Act to block the live hare track racing, but. the Bavin Government, occupied with bigger problems, decided to leave such a contentious business severely alone.