The Daily News MONDAY, FEBRUARY 5. TO SAVE SPORT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 8044, 5 February 1906, Page 2

The Daily News MONDAY, FEBRUARY 5. TO SAVE SPORT.

Fuom one end of Tar.uiiiki to the other, at the present time, conies the cry of the decadence of sport athletic sport—the reason in each and every ease being tlio same - the malignant influence of the bookmaker. Probably in no province in New Zealand have the people in general accotded the same measure of support to athletic sports meetings as in Tu.ra.iaki. Here every town and village has of late years been running registered sports meetings, to such an extent, unfortunately, as to provide a magnificent field for the travelling " professional" to exploit during several months of the year, Along with these so-called athletes, we have been invaded by a perfect horde of initerant bookmakers, the two working conjointly towards one common object • exploiting the public. There have been many glaring instances afforded of the bond of kinship existing beween these two classes of undesirables. At Eltbam, on a recent occasion, the local Caledonian Society made a praiseworthy effort to exclude bookmakers from its gathering, with the result that the so-called athletes, almost to a man, announced that they would not compete unless their compatriots, the bookmakers, were allowed to ply their calling. It would not be su bad—the betting we mean - if its influence were kept out of the arena. Hut so4'ur from that being the case, in the great majority of instances the " bookies " run the race, and might as well hoist the numbers of the winners before the races coinniuuce, for all the genuine contest that takes place

Or course, there are times when even the bookmakers, to use a colloquialism, " fall in," hoisted on their own petard, but in the majority of such eases it is only by an extension of the same evil practices, the competitors acting in collusion to fleece their " friends of the bag," as well as the public. Just another instance in proof of the old adage, l: .Sat a thief to catch a thief." The inevitable result of such a slate of affairs is as aurally within measurable distance of realisation, unless .some means are speedily found of ridding sports of the obnoxious inlliiences that at present are hurling them on to oblivion. We recently oll'ered one suggestion which we believed might assist in securing a more healthy state of athleticism -the encouragement of amateur sports. This, we are please 1 to learn, has been recognised by at least one athletic bo r ly, for we are informed that the InglewooJ Caledonian Society, disgusted at the state of affairs that has ruled at their late gatherings, have resolved this year to include none but amateur events on their programme. It will no doubt be asked : " How is it that sports promoters cannot suppress the bookmakers as is done by many of the racing clubs throughout the colony ?" For the same reason that others' of the racing clubs have found themselves unable to exclude bookmakers —because they were not holding their meetings on freehold property. In the great majoi ifcy of instances, sports gatherings throughout Taranaki are

held on public recreation grounds and domains. It lias been generally understood that there was no legal power existent to keep bookmakers or anyone else oil' such property, but if we interpret aright, the judgment delivered by Mr Hutchison, S.M., -it, New Plymouth (if upheld) a day or two ago, convicting n number of bookmakers for betting on a reserve adjoining the New Plymouth racecourse, contrary to the provisions of borough by-laws, furnishes the power for which almost every athletic organisation in Tiittiuuki has been look-

ing in vain. * * # (/ The S.M. held that the borough bylaw, under which the ii.formations were laid, and which extends the deliiiition of the phrase '• public plate '' to include, amongst other places, recreation grounds, was a valid one. Speaking generally, it would therefore eppear to beheld that power is given, muter the "Municipal Corporations Act 1000," to boroughs, in framing by-laws for the. good government of their territory, to constitute betting an oU'encc in such as the above mentioned public places, provided, of course, the ground is within the boundaries over which the local body exercises jurisdiction, From this standpoint the matter is certainly one that is worthy the consideration of ]Ocal bodies.

While we oiler no opinion at present on the wisdom or otherwise of the New Plymouth by-law, we are in thorough sympathy with the application of such by-laws to the conduct of public grounds whereon sports are conducted, and if the judgment of the iS.M. in the case above referred to is sustained—should there bean appeal —we expect to hear of almost every borough in the province copyin" a leaf from the Now Plymouth boromdi by-laws. Only by suppressing this influence, that is surely wrecking genuine sport throughout the colony, (loos it seem possible to re-habilitato [athletic sport in public favor, and the sooner means of achieving that em! are seemed, the better will it be lor the atmosphere surrounding .sport in every connection.