RACING SHOULD STOP.

Taranaki Daily News, 3 April 1917, Page 2

RACING SHOULD STOP.

LEADING SPORTSMAN'S VIEW. Christchurch, March 29. The following letter lias been addressed to the Minister for Internal Affairs, the Hon. G. W. Russell, by Mr K R, Guinness, the Mayor of Tima'ru, who has been a member of the' Now Zealand Rating Conference almost since its inception:—' "I feel it my duty to inform you what happened on March 10—the day of the Waimate races. The freezing works here were working ,at high pressure, and thousands of sheep and lambs waiting to be alav.alitered had to be held over because the butchers took a whole holiday to attend the races. I consider this sinful. I hope the Government will seriously tako into consideration the advisuiilcness of stopping racing altogether, or reducing it bv two-thirds during the currency of the war. If racing, which ] consider is not essential, were stopped, hundreds of men, such as bookmakers, "guessera," punters, trainers, jockeys, and others, would be available for essential work, of which the country is so much in present." "I have been a lover of sport all my life, and a member of the Racing Conference very nearly since its inception. Still I am of opinion that on account of the, crisis through which the British Empire is passing, all pleasures should be prohibited. Hoping the Government will give this urgent matter its immediate consideration."

When the Hon. W. D. S. Mac Donald was in Timaru this wedk, Mr. Guinness nlso impressed upon him the desirableness of prohibiting, or substantially curtailing, racing for the period of the war. The Minister said he held similar views to those of Mr Guinness. Mr MaeDonald added that he had two horses, but he would prefer to turn them out to grass rather than see racing continued.