WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Taranaki Daily News, 15 July 1919, Page 7

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

, TURF MORALS. |, SIR GEORGE CLIFFORD SPEAKS. (From Our Special Corerspondent.) Wellington, July 11. ■ The meeting of the Racing Conference [\held on Wednesday was marked by a very eloquent and fervid appeal by Sir George Clifford, the president, for an amendment ol the rules that would transfer the responsibility of issuing trainers' and jockeys' licenses from; the District Committee to. a committee of the Conference. Sir George stated frankly, almost brutally, the reasons that induced him to seek this change. "This is a critical moment in the his-tory-of the Turf," he said. "There are rumors about which would do infinite harm to the sport if they were untrue and must he disastrous to it if they are true. This is the one thing necessary to purge us from suspicion." The president did Hot impute improper motives to the Dis-trict-Committees, nor even impugn their capacity. He simply contended they were not in such a strong and secure position as a committee of the Conference would be to deal with the evil. REFORM REFUSED.

The case for reform seemed unanswerable, but on being put to the Confer-, ence the president's motion—which, by the way waß strongly supported by the stipendiary stew ards was rejected, twenty-one delegates voting for it and twelve against it, and the provision requiring a three-fourths majority to effect an alteratipn in the rules giving the victory to the minority. Later in the afternoon, after the members of .the Conference had acknowledged the splendid services rendered to racing by Sir George Clifford over a long period of years, the president again alluded to the subject. He said he was deeply pained by what had happened and he Implored the delegates to give the subject their most earnest consideration before the next meeting of the Conference. With himself it was a question If he could remain in the sport under present conditions. Other owners had gone out in despair, but he hoped that that course would not be forced upon bim. THE WELFARE "LEAGUE. 1 The Welfare League held its ffrpt "open" meeting on Wednesday, and mjade,;!. much* better impiessita upejn >ths ;litt]e audience* of .feMSptical visitor? thin wis generally- expected] Some if the prominent figures in the organisation obviously have a great deal to forget a^out'the political economy of thejr schtibl days;'but a majority of the meflibera*of:the League* appear, .anxious to take a,broad,view- of public affairs arid to render some tangible service to the}! fellows. One of the main obstacles jiri their';path is afinntyvrootad. impressicH in the minds of the public that thejij new found zeal fy the welfare of the by a desire to help ore or the other of the existing partiis agMnSt its! opponents.'' -The newspapers are not assisting in dissipating this iip•p'ression: i>y;takingt sides, and at tsa |np;ment,,Jitlp ( >%. ftS if the promoters 6} "would have some difflcul|y In' fltidlng 1 a -wiay'- round. " |'■ OTHER ACTIVITIES, i The Labor Party is the only one of ,tbe_po)itical..organisations..that as proceeding with' well-oi'dered preparations for the approaching elections. : It has selected its candidates for many of the constituencies and will have completed .this part of its work'before the end of next month. The other parties ,of course, are handicapped in this respect by the absence of their leaders and, still more seriously, by the fact that they are by no means united among themselves, JTo one knows what the disgruntled members of the rank and file of the Reform Party and the Liberal Party are doing, but it' is common talk that there is a serious breach between the Prime Minister and the Minister of Defence, and that the Minister of Finance is not on the best of terms with nome of his Liberal colleagues. In these circumstances anything may hap* pen, but the most unlikely thing t« occur is a renewal of the party truce.