THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 1911. SPORTS PROTECTION.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10411, 4 September 1911, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 1911. SPORTS PROTECTION.

'line sporting fraternity of New Zealand' pretends aiaaim at the oontempllationi of further restricting and harnasisdng l/egislattfik>n, amd is raising a isuibstantiial fund' with which to protect itself agadnist Jsuch a . contingency. A "Sports Protection! 'League'' has; beenv formed, and it.is ; hoped jto'. intoke this sufficiently strong to exercise an iimfluence in the combing ejections. It is ■ extremely imprbbaibille, however, that the> .titaie at (the disposal of the. promoters will permit of effective organisation between; now and November. • Those connected wdlth-sporting dnslbitutaons other than- racing and trotting clubs wil natunally ask how far their interests have been, or aire likely to be, afieoted .by "restricting and harrasising legisSlation." It is- true thalfc a "Daylight Saving BSH" wais imtraduced, but sporting and athletic- bodies wffll hardily 'regard this ' as- restrictive or hlarraisising. Practically tthe. loniliy legisilatioin, which has had a resttiriotuiig effect; upon, /sport ds that ■wihSdh hats. limited the operations of the igaomibJaing machine. It would appear, itJhemefoTe, that itihe priimfary object of ifche League ds to return to Barliaimenit mien, who are pledged to cretaini /the totalisator ais an adjunct to the sport tof racing. -No person wtbk> is acquainted w&th the ramifications' of the isport can imagine it possible for. small race meetings to exist without the totafeaftor or the ibaokmlaiker. It comes to this, that a v seotioni of the community claims the right to gamlble, and asks anoither sedtion to assist it in- .maintaining that right. This opens- up a very wide questioni—the question of whether the haibits of the people should be reguflated by legislation, and, if (So, to what extent. It is erroneous" to suppose fthat, by curtailing the number of mace meetings, or centralising the sport as the Racing Oommisisdionersi suggest, the betting opertationis of the people iwiiE'be irestrioted. Equally erroneous is it to suppose thlat one form of heltting is imiore banefiul thnm anoither. The totaflisiator is only as essentia! to the Cliuihs for .the provision of stake money as the bookmaker is to the owiner for the provision- of training feesi and other expenses. Remove eaJtlher, or both, and somebody must suffer. The Legislature-, im its wisdom, has' made bookmaking an illegal

form of batting, but has legalised tlie totalisaitor. It has thus placed its imprimatur upon- a oartaini form of gamlbHiing. There is a. section of the community wtecih, dearly loves its gamble', and (this section has every right ibo seek till© protection of the forms of .spiort \dndi permit that gamble. Whether it willl .secure tQi-e eo-operatioiu of other sections of the sporting community w'hiiah ar© not provided with the facilities for gatnibling, is anoitlber quelsitiom Thie memibeirs of Racing Clubs sfliiouM be lioneat in this matter. TTliey should state clearly that they are out to prortcdt ifc machine, which iis essential to the ldi'e of the racing eciir.imamiity, .and they .sJiouifcl not end&a.rour to confuse the issues. If racing, as at present conducted, is a legLtimiaite form of sport, its patrons ,moy be quite justified in seeking the cooperation of kindred ©ports. Whether itibey wild secure that cooperation, Ihioiwevei', remains to be .seem.' At •anynate, no Inarm can be. dome by seeking at.