The Daily News. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 22, 1904. PURGING THE TURF.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVI, Issue 144, 22 June 1904, Page 2

The Daily News. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 22, 1904. PURGING THE TURF.

The action of the officials of the Tarunaki Jockey Club in conducting the inquiry concluded on Monday night, ami silting to the Uittom the whole of the circumstances attaching to what has been known generally as,the "Pharos incident' at live Christmas meeting, will be \iewed on all hands with feelings of satisfaction. In the result arrived at there cannot be any division of opinion ; on tire evidence the committee could not find otherwise. At the time of the "incident" popular opinion on the matter ran high, and it was felt that the Taranaki Jockey Club, which held a superficial inquiry and subsequently one rider for a term of two years, had not gone far enough, and had stultified itself in the eyes of the lacing public. It was freely stated that unless some more thorough measures were taken *the reputation of the meeting, which had already acquired an unenviable notoriety on account of certain untoward happenings, would suffer very seriously over t his latest scandal ; for though apparently the mutter was closed there still remained in the public mind an impression that it had bwn

"had"—how, or by whom, was not clear. The Hritish public—ami more particularly, perhaps, the racing portion of it—is not inclined to cry out every time it finds that all is not as it seemed. Hut when the impression is borne in upon intelligent individuals that in some inexplicable manner they have been—not to put too fine a point upon it.—intentionally and palpably swindled, then feeling is likely to find vent in a manner the import of which is not to be mistaken. The demonstration that occurred on the Taranwki, .Jockey Club's course when the horses came in from the Second Handicap Hurdles was such as should havi warn»-d the ollicials that a most searching injury was not tied and had that been instituted at once much kudos would have accrued to them, and their expressed desire to uphold thu purity of racing woulo have»i*een practically shown and readily recognised. The inquiry held on Monday last was the result of long and careful efforts on the part of the officials, and more particularly the president. Mr 0. Samuel, whose zeal in exposing the whole alTair lias earned for lvim the thanks of all well-wish-ers of the Taranaki Jockey Clubland of tho turf generally. In attaining this end the committee was greatly aided by the action of tho rider of one of the horses in making certain allegations against his whilom employer. The question of the motive which prompted these allegations, and which resulted in the up of the incident, is not at presurt under consideration. It is sufficient that the Jockey Club's oflicials have taken firm—though belated—measures and dealt in a thorough manner with a difficulty that thuuUned seriously to impair tlie club's standing in the eyes of all lovers of true sport, and we congratulate the members of the committee on the sue* cessful conclusion of their most unpleasant 'duty. Tho decision arrived at should prove a salutary lesson to those concerned, and should act as a deterrent in the future. There are doubtless in all sports certain individuals whose chief aim ir to circumvent their competitors—and the pul>lic—by unlicensed means ; but we hope it may never bo said again that such as these can find scope for the exercise of their peculiar and nefarious schemes on a course under the jurisdiction of the Taraiwki Joekey Club.