RACING CONFERENCE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 52, 19 July 1912, Page 7

RACING CONFERENCE.

ANNUAL MEETING. By Telegraph—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. The annual meeting of the Racing Conference was held to-day. Sir George Clifford, the president, said that he felt it his duty to enter a respectful protest at the way in which successive Governments had ignored the Racing Conference when dealing with matters of the greatest moment to those whose interests the conference was appointed to guard. Before decisions in the readjustment of racing days and permits were come to, it would have been but courteous to formally, or informally, ascertain the views of the conference. The matter of the removal of S. Darragh's disqualification was referred to by the president. The conference has a credit balance of £Bl7, and the accident fund has a credit of £12,890.

The dates and permits committee regretted that, as no days were available, it could not consider the applications for additional or new permits from the Northern Wairoa, Takapuna, Thames, Christchurch, North Canterbury, Westport, Waipawa County, llawke's Bay Hunt. Taieri, Palmerston, Riccarton, Patea, Rangitikei, A.shhurst. Lower Valley, Pahiatua, and Wairarapa Clubs.

It was recommended that the dates of racing meetings be approved subject to the following exceptions and amendments: —Danncvirke Club, to be allowed September 11, Avondale September 20 and 28, Marlborough to be allowed to change from October l(i and 17 to November 20 and 21, Masterton to be allowed October 17, South Canterbury to be allowed to change from October 21 and 22 to November 20 and 21, Auckland to be allowed November 8 and !), Taratahi-Carterton December 2G, North Otago January 2 and 3, Takapuna January 29 and February 1, Te Kuiti February (i, Canterbury February 6 and 8, Rotorua February 12, Gisborne February 13 and 14, Tologa Bay February 22, Auckland March 22 and' 24, Kumara March 24, Westland March 20, Reefton April 2, South Canterbury Jockey Club April 10 and 17 in lieu of April 9 and 10. The objection of the Napier Club to the Masterton Club's March 13 and 14 dates was sustained, and Masterton was granted April 24 and 25. The committee's report as above was referred back, as it had been compiled before the announcement was made that , the Rangitikei Club was to get one day's I racing.

The report re dates of race meetings was adopted, and the conference authorised the president, with or without the assistance of the dates committee, to adjust and settle a list of dates, in so far as any alterations might be rendered necessary through any determination of the Minister of Internal Affairs, the president having regard for a resolution passed last year, affirming the right of clubs which have, their permits restored to their original dates where they were reinstated, as in the case of Rangitikei.

The conference referred back to the committee a recommendation that the Wellington Club race on October 23 and 24, thus leaving a week between that meeting and the Canterbury Jockey Club's meeting. The committee recommended the registration of the Ota-go Hunt Club, but declined the application of the Forh'ose Hack Racing Club. Mr. Abbott made an appeal for the consideration of the application by the Wellington Club for permission to race on October 20 and 28, instead of October 23 and 20, as recommended by the commit tee. He moved that October 20 and 1 28 lie granted to Wellington—Mr. Ab--1 holt's amendment was carried bv 21 to

Tile report of tho special committee affirming the advisability of assisting recognised limit Clubs was adopted. 011 the understanding that the Dominion would be divided into districts, racing clubs within which should contribute to the support of local hunt clubs. The president said that already rac- | ing clubs were assisting Hunt clubs to | the extent of £IBOO a year. I The annual report of the president, as follows, was adopted: We have now had one complete season's test of the ill-advised legislation, which so unduly restricted the days of racing within the Dominion. Even if we admit that some few of the many racing clubs abused their trust, or failed to justify their existence, or were in undue proximity to neighboring courses, 110 justification existed in this widely distributed and growing community, for a cast-iron, legislation, curtailing the recreations of the people and preventing , their legitimate expansion in proportion

to increasing population. This hysteric law-making must finally result in depriving many country districts of an ininual holiday, or in seriously injuring those greater meetings which are chiefly instrumental in encouraging the breeding of the best class of horses. Let us hope that saner counsels will prevail, and that our legislators may learn in the near future that an ample supply of high-class thoroughbred sires is essential for breeding good cavalry and general utility horses. The restrictive enactments have been based on want of knowledge and false analogies. The average inhabitant of New Zealand, with its many centres of population, cannot attend one-tenth of the race meetings available to the Englishman with his perfect system of race trains, or to the dwellers in the principal Australian cities whose opportunities recur almost every week. I maintain that we need more racing and weight-for-age contests of the best class. Crush down abuses with the firmest of hands, but do not involve in one common ruin the imperfections of a great industry and its undeniable advantages to the State. This Conference has now met for 25 years, and I believe that it is not itself conscious of the extent of the reform it has, during that period, gradually nut surely effected. Its early career was a strenuous struggle against almost forfotton evils of long standing, while it had to smooth over jealousies which sprang from the inevitable surrender of local privileges. In time the advantages of concentrated control became too manifest for resistance. Small differences gave way to large aims, and delegates lent cordial co-operation in the fight against the influences most detrimental to pure sport. The two parasites so attacked were the bookmakers, with their antagonistic interests, and the proprietary clubs, draining into private pockets the profits of what should be public institutions. Tho merest suspicion of proprietary interest would now be regarded as shameful by any racing club in the Dominion. The bookmaker, formerly predominant on the Turf, is no longer one of its supports, but lurks illegally on its outskirts, banished from our enclosures and plying a surreptitious trade to which can bo traced the occasional downfall of an eminent jockey, or the suspicion which grows round an owner who is known to patronise it. Nowhere exists such freedom from the fundamental causes of decadence. Elsewhere the sport is almost invariably exploited by proprietary clubs or their equivalents, and vested interests have become rooted which strangle reforms, and perpetuate abuses. These obstructions no longer retard us from devoting our energies and our funds wholly to the provision of pure and healthy recreation. Therefore, I say, and I say it with the utmost emphasis, that your hands in New Zealand grasp an opportunity unique in the history of the world for regulating your sports, and primarily that of horse-racing, in such fashion as may satisfy the most sensitive conscience, and tho most subtle code of bonor. Two classes of offence stand j out' for repression—(1) Attempts by owners or trainers to cheat handicap- i pers and the public; (2) conspiracies between jockeys and others to defraud. Not a tithe of the innuendoes spread broadcast by tongue and pen have truth in then; but when they exist the first and most efficient preventative will spring from the effective suppression of the already illicit source of temptation. A second remedy, which is only a palliative, is suggested in the appointment of stipendiary stewards; and these police-} men of the Turf, if possessing the requisite knowledge and force of character, may be a secondary help towards purging us of the perilous stuff which we so earnestly strive to ■eliminate. As to the second class of offence, resulting from dishonest combinations of jockeys and others, its suspected existence is in a great measure attributable to the false mercy which has granted another and yet another chance to offenders and so wrought mischief to them and to the | reputation of the entire body of deserving horsemen. For conclusive victory over these accusations against us we appeal, first, to the authorities to en- [ force the law by stopping its systematic defiance by bookmakers; and, secondly, to our friends to refrain from'so dubious a method of speculation as they afford. Attack the poisonous fruit at the very root of the tree. In passing, I may protest against the senseless prohibition of the publication of totalisator figures and dividends after the race. This serves no purpose except to abet the schemes of the professional trickster as against the straightforward sportsman, and reaches its climax of absurdity when applied to such races as the Epsom lhrby. The diminution of racing consequent upon th?, naming Amendment Act, lit 10, is shown as follows: —81 clubs held 127 meetings (242 days racing) in 1010-11; 6G clubs held 108 meetings (190 days racing) in 1911-12. During the year the fifth volume of the New Zealand Stud Book has been published. I earnestly beg all owners of thoroughbred mares to correct errors and to send in accurate details annually. The work is indispensable to them, its compilation is an arduous task, and the co-operation of those benefited ought not to be in so many cases thoughtlessly withheld. A difficulty often arises on change of ownership where a buyer who has not previous!}' paid an accident fee on another horse imagines that in purchasing a horse on which the fee has been paid, he also purchases the advantages of the Insurance Fund. The right to these advantages is personal to the individual .subscriber, and attaches against all the prescribed accidents on his payment of a single fee, but no such right passes to a purchaser. If he has not already paid a fee on another horse, he must qualify oy payment on the purchased horse. I cannot conclude without a word of commendation for the Sports Protection League. It promises, with its huge membership, to be a bulwark of defence for all our sports and .pastimes, against that surging intolerance which spies evil in the innocent recreations which are its best antidote. The members' subscriptions to the League will probably supply it with ample funds, but if more should be needed I. will ask your authority for a special levy for the purpose. Lovers of all legitimate sports must combine to defend themselves both by aisummit nnd by a bold political treat, for in swli a contest union is strength. It is a truism that the recreation- of a nation are the making of its manhood, and no statesman worthy of the name would fail to foster racing as one of them. Not only is it a healthy outdoor relaxation, but it is the centre of a. large industry, employing about jOOO oi our fellow citizens, it is a source of considerable revenue directly in taxation, and indirectly through the railways; the export of'horses to Australia and India for racing and for military use is a colonial asset; and, above all, if our defence scheme is to be duly organised the blood of the thoroughbred must supply the essential endurance to our cavalry remounts. In combating the opponents of racing we are challenging the most unpatriotic and short-sighted of our fellow citizens, and playing no ignoble part in the service of a united British Empire.