STIPENDIARY STEWARDS.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 3151, 31 March 1909, Page 5

STIPENDIARY STEWARDS.

To the Editor. Sir,—A good deal of conjecture is •evinced by the sporting public in view of the Masterton Raciing Club's meeting to be held oil Thui*sday and Friday next, whether stipendiary stewards are to be appointed. Should'lhe Racing Club have this matter in hand, then I say it will be step in the right direction, as there is not the slightest doubt, judging from th« instances that are constantly cropping up in regard to '"crook running," it is imperative in the interests of racing. Such tactics should be promptly checked without fear or favour. This Masterton Racing Club is in this position: A great number ot the leading officials connected with the Club, and I may say -Jtß prosperity, are the actual owners of many of the horses that compete at their fixture, and it gpems ratner a •one-sided arrangement for a stcwar® •or owner to sit in jjdgment on his •own horse's rjnning should an enquiry be held. In the best interests of the Masterton Racing Club I maintain that the appointment of stipendiary stewards would meet with 'the best approval of the sporting public. Two gentlemen could easily be * .selected in this town who thoroughly understand racing, and who would •express an unbiassed opinion. It ■would entirely be out of the question appointing officials of the Club to act in this capacity. The .presence of stipendiary stewards at trie startling post and other pprfcs of the field would undoubtedly have a salutary--effect should a breach of the laws of racing be contomplatsd. In penning these remarks I may state that there ia a growing consensus of opinion •amongst patrons of the turf that unless some stringent measures are . -adopted —not particularly by this -club, but all over the Dominion—that a decided checK may set in at any time in racing-in fact, to call a spade a spade, the public, who are the of racing, may cry "psccavi" at any time, and drop their support like a "hot spud." It really Appears to me and many more, that the purity of racing, to use a farfetched expression, lies in the ot the racing clubs themselves. As « rule the officials are those pretty well up in turf lore, and growing ■evils they can check if they have th? Jboldness to do it.—l am, ect., C.A.P. Masterton, March 30th.