FORWARD MARCH

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 933, 28 March 1930, Page 13

FORWARD MARCH

TROTTING PROGRESS AT THAMES PIONEERS WIN THROUGH Only ten years aoo the Thames Trotting Club held its first race meeting, and after Snaking good headway for five years without the aid of the totahsator a permit was granted. Five years ago the club staged its initial fixture Linder the improved conditions, and so great has been the advancement made that today a Thames trotting function is looked upon as one of the most important in the North Island. Although the early enthusiasts and associates of the movement found the spade work difficult and the ground hard to break, they stuck to the task tenaciously and today they can lean on the handle, as it' were, and view the resuit of their labours with utmost satisfaction. The light harness stalwarts who launched the barque a decade ago. were of the “never say die” type, and despite the hard row to hoe in the earlier period of the venture, they won through with flying colours. When it was seen that the promoters of the sport at Thames were earnest, enthusiastic and ambitious, the Auckland Club gave a helping hand over the initial stile, by providing the prize for an event at the 1920 meeting. To further popularise the game and show the goldfields public something unuusual' in the trotting line for that territory, Mr. Tom Roe took his great mare Gold Girl to the opening function and gave an exhibition of trotting that excited keen interest and admiration among the spectators. The Helping Hand A few years later, another Auckland sportsman, Mr. Geo. McMillan, assisted with the club's fixture bv producing Man-o’-War for exhibition purposes, and the black pacer startled the natives at Parawai by reeling off a. mile in 2.11 1-5. This outside support and encouragement convinced Thamesites that there was something decidedly interesting and exciting about the trotting sport, and the public backed up the movement, sponsored by the pioneering management, for a totalisator permit. The sincerity of the promoters, and their keenness to raise the trotting .standard to a high degree, finally impressed the “powers that be,” who were also guided by the fact that the Thames executive knew just how to conduct a meeting as well as their more favoured brethren in other centres, and a permit was accordingly granted. Having gained the end for which they had laboured persistently and indefatigably, the promoters lost no time in putting the trotting business on a sound footing. Close atten-

tion to every detail of small and great irn P° r tance, saw rapid advancement recorded, and year by year further progress was noted. The March of Progress The management early became imbued with the idea that any profits accruing should be spent for the benefit of owners and trainers who helped to make the annual racing function so enjoyable and successful. This was given effect to by the erection of up-to-date and commodious stables, and these are available for visiting horses tree of charge. The club also arranges for transport and general accommodation, and everything is done with a view to the comfort and convenience of patrons. It is no wonder then that tho Thames trotting fixture is the most popular in this part of the Dominion, and that the club has, and is, making such fine progress. To such an extent is this country organisation advancing, it is only a question of a spare permit being afloat for Thames to secure a second string to its bow. President James Twohill and Secretary E. O. Brownlee are a happv combination, and with the co-operation of other members of the executive, have placed the club on a high pedestal. That the Thames trotting organisation will continue to flourish and prosper is the best wish “Abaydos” can tender.

“SPIN-PROOF” PLANE

NEW GERMAN INVENTION TESTED remarkable results Germany has developed an airplane that is “spin-proof.” The machine is a Focke-Wulf singleengined monoplane for six passengers, which is in regular commercial use between Wilhelmshaven and Rustringen. Its unusual qualities of lateral ! stability were noticed when it was j tested for its licence by the Ex peri- j mental Aircraft Institute. With the! consent of the owners the chief test I pilot of the institute, Herr von Koppen, made three further test flights. ' The centre of gravity was shifted by the disposition of loads as far for- : ward and as far aft as possible for ' the first and last flights. The pilot reports that this made no difference I to the stability of the machine and ; that he found it impossible to spiu it : in any of the flights. During Herr von Koppen’s demon- ■ stration of the airplane he stalled it ! several times with the engine full out j or throttled back, and each time it i appeared to return in a narrow curve i to a normal flying position. He stood ; it vertically on the wings with the same result. He then flew it low across the airdrome with the airscrew little more than sticking over the nose well up, but in this position it showed no tendency to spin and answered readily to the lateral controls. He landed at not much more than walking j speed, again with the engine throttled right back. The owners do not give details ofj the manner in which the stability off the machine is achieved, beyond that } it is connected with the form of the j: wing section, which is reminiscent off that of the old Taube, one of the!! earliest types of German war aircraft. 1