THE DEMNITION BOW-WOWS.

Taranaki Daily News, 21 August 1920, Page 3

THE DEMNITION BOW-WOWS.

(To the Editor.) Sir,—Under the above heading "Old Bushie" in Tuesday's News rails against extravagance, and, with the characteristic narrow-mindedness of class, lays the whole blame on racing. If his tirade was intended to be amusing it was a successful effort. In fact, the whole conglomeration of tangled Ideas and twisted logic would have secured • front page in any reputable comic paper. Apparently '-Old Bushie ' has been too long in the bush, and he wants to como to town to get a better grasp of things before he airs his antiquated notions in r-lnt. (One cannot always judge the world by tho outpourings of such biassed persons as Isitt, North, and company). That the curse of the age is admitted, but that racing is the root of the evil is false and ridiculous. The fact that totalisator figures have increased proves that racing is a growing sport, and under hetter conduct attendances have increased enormously. and the public has increased confidence in the flport, In short, more people bet more. But can the same be said of other and greater extravagances? Take dress, for instance A decade ago Brother Bill was- content with n twelve and sixpenny hat. Decent looking headgear may still be procured ftt that price, but the age demands a six guinea Stetson. Ma and Sister Sue no longer wear Ave guinea top coats. Nothing but a. hideous rabbit skin affair costing fifty or a hundred guineas is good enough. The fact that they look more like teddy-bears than human beings doesn't count. Sister Liz, just out of boarding schoc\ won't hare a strong, serviceable twenty-five shilling boot any longer. High, lace-up things at a fiver, more like leggings than footwear are required. And so on. Granting that dress has advanced 100 or, perhaps, 200 per cent., that does not explain why Brother Bill's wardrobe has jumped from a tenner to fifty, while our women-folk go about arrayed in toggery costing anything tram fifty to a hundred and fifty. At one time a fiver would have covered the cost. Yet 'Old Bushie" rails about racing oitravagance!

Getting back to our friend's strictures on racing. Why all these inaccuracies? Rnrelv everyone knows that (Tie sport is' increasing m popularity. Then why not keep totnlisntor permits up to public demand? Also, why should not Taranaki have the extra permits which, on a population basis alone, it has a perfect right to? Also, why should not Government employees have lite right, to pursue the pleasures enjoyed by their fellow-men and women P

Then as regards the disposition of the Wanganui racecourse, Does our friend really neliere that these beautiful grounds would, from it health point of view, bo better cut up into building sites than remain as at present—an open space, and a benutiful park open to the nubile? Or would he back the so-called racecourse shifters" in their plans to ruin " anpanul s beautiful suburb by placing In its midst a dusty, smoky railway station and shunting yards? Does he wani: us to believe that the smoke and dust will benefit the babies of GonviJle, and that the noise and whistling of engines at all hours will be appreciated by the inmates of the neaiuy public hospital. "Old Bushie" shows a lamentable lack of knowledge of Wanganui and its requirements The Wanganui Jockey Club has already purchased a new property at Westmere heforo the "kill-joys" rushed in with the Tailway station scheme, which scheme, by the w ®y» fa roundly condemned by the leading citizens of the town. Wanganui can only expand in one direction. That is towardS'Oonville and Mosstown, and the need of an open space and a public park i 3 an urgent one for residents of these rapidly populating suburbs As regards the development of industries, Wanganui has conducted its affairs on much sounder principles than New Plymouth. The iocai oil wells and the disastrous gambling that has ever cursed their existence is a case in point.

Our friend, of course, drags in the soldiers and here again he blunders badly. "Sports" did their share in (hp war. and those that were. fortunate enough to return showed in ?i? J), n .'( 118 , taif eable manner their opinion of the kill-joys" by fche way they voted on the licensing question. The war taught them many things, opening their c.vcs to the narrowmindedness of the "wind bags" of little New Zealand, and though many "bow-wows"' went away, few came back as "how-wows." ~ ) 10 ''Old Bushie" that jockeys were slU'fii reared freaks?" Few jockeys an? city bred, the majority, if not all, being country lads. Take the Reeds, the Youngs, the 0 Connells, the Morrises, etc. In what slum city was Hector Gray, born? Does Old Bushie ,p still believe the old superstition that jockeys' si:ntur6 is the product of gindoped baby food, and that the poor mites are plied with strong fags about the time that younestrrs usually struggle with the "dumIf "Old Bnshle" is so keen on a referendum to sduash gambling on the tote, perhaps he will be prepared to extend his "cure all" to *he suppression of gambling in stocks, land gambles, "art: unions" and church raffles (in which the "work of art" is often a bullflek or a homely pig), and other things?—l am, etc. "MOTUIIOA."