"SOUKAE IN REPLY."

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XXIV, Issue 9662, 3 November 1882, Page 3

" SOUKAE IN REPLY."

TO THE EDITOR. Sib, — I as your late sporting, contributor must take exception' to the un-called-for insinuations of a writer in your evening contemporary, who signs himself "Legislator," and who commences his extremely illogical effusion by" taking sporting writers to task for showing np the mistakes of, '^our handicapper." 1 presume he alludes to the gentleman who acts for. the W.J.C.' I certainly deemed it my duty in the interests of the public as your sporting contributor, •to point out the W.J.C.handicapper's errors, and also those of other handicappers. And I may add that I was not the only sporting scribe in New Zealand, who found it his duty to criticise unfavourably Mr Hately's productions. "Legislator " would have the public believe that all sporting writers are bookmakers and betting ■' men, and he tells his readers that he has had some experience with them, and that they will write anything to suit their own ends. " Legislator " niust have overlooked the fact that showing up handicappers' errors, suits the ends of the public more than it does the sporting scribe,' as the former are thereby warned ' against backing animals that arc handicapped unfairly, and consequently' debarred from having a show to win. That lam identical with a bookmaker it is needless for me to deny. I have certainly backed my " tips '', as they appeared in your columns ; but that must be evidence that they were genuine, and my identity was well enough, known to refute "the asse r tion that I follow the calling of a bookmaker. " Legislator " states that " Soukar " had a deal to say about the Wanganui Stakes Handicap. That part of his letter is absolutely untrue. By referring to your files, anyone can find that ", Soukar " never wrote one line for or against the handicap for the Wanganui Stakes Handicap. " Legislator " also says that the public relies a. great deal on ."tips" in the papers. There he is right; the public of Wanganui have reason to be thankful to sporting writers for the trouble they have taken to put the best of information before them, and I fearlessly assert now, as I have done on previous occasions, that, had the W.J.C adopted , the suggestions of sporting writers, all the present ill-feeling and suspicion of unfair handicapping would have been unheard of. "Legislator" finds fault with sporting writers for pointing ■ out the.mistakes of " our haudicapper," and in the same article goes in strongly for abusing Mr A. Higgie (a handicapper who at least has the confidence of the public) because he handicaps his brother's filly, The Gem, leniently at "Waverley. If " Legislator " had looked into the two handicaps he would have discovered that The Gem meets the top weights on from 21b to 41b worse terms than she did in the Wanganui Stakes, so that, if Sir Hately was right, Mr Higgie has treated his brother's mare badly. The remainder of " Legislator's " letter can he left to those to whom it refers, with the exception of the portion that says that "it is wrong to allow the owner of horses to handicap their own auimals, and that we must have gontlomen above suspicion.'.!. 1 quite agree with ' ' Legislator " about that part of his letter, and would conclude by pointing out that the handicapper for the W.J.C. is the only I owner 1 know of that ia allowed to handicap, a;;.c! several owners have d.s-

-termined to withdraw their support from the clubs that retain him as handicapper. It may perhaps be said that he only fixes the weights for all the horses in the race except his own, and that he leaves to the committee ; but that does not mend matters, because if he is determined to crush certain horses with, weight he can do so, and the committee would, as a matter of course, have to treat his horse fairly, but they have not the power to alter the weights allotted to the others. I shall now leave the subject to those who choose to pursue it, by asking the W. J.C. if there is not some grounds for the reports that are going the rounds of the New Zealand Press re the W.J C. and its handicap'per. — I am, &c, ; " SoUKAR," late' Sporting contributor "Wanganui Chronicle.