RACE CLUB AFFAIRS.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXXV, Issue 9178, 29 June 1915, Page 3

RACE CLUB AFFAIRS.

To THE EdITOB " GUAKDUN.''

I Sir,—l feel that Mr H. .Friedlander's :carefully-prepared letter, read at last week's' meeting of the Racing Club, needs some answer in addition to those jfiven impromptu at that meeting. In the first place, Mr Friedlander labels as untrue tho statement niado in the circular to the Country Racing Clubs, that the committee meeting of May 21 was fully attended, stating that " the gentlemen who signed must have known that this assertion was untrue, as several members of the committeo were not present" .... If ■Mr Friedlander were more regular in his attendance at these meetings (he has attended three out of 13 held between Juno 23, 1914, and June 22, 1915), he would know that seven or eight is quite an average attendance, and that on this particular occasion 11 out of the 14 members were present, and it is mere playing with the English language to say that this was not a "fully attended meeting." With regard to the unanimity of the meeting— one of those present certainly raised it few words of protest, but the fact remains that tho resolution was passed unanimously, no negative vote being recorded.

Further on in his letter Mr Friedlander says that v some of the statements in the circular are nntrue." The value of this vague generality can be judged by the strength of the only definite charge made, which 1 have just dealt with.

Mr 1 Friedlander is fond of dragging in the Harbour Board election and the name of my brother, Mr H. F. Nicoll, and, without actually saying so, leaves the inference that any supposed action of my brother in this unpleasant business is tho result of the Harbour Board election, wherein .Mr Friedlander topped the poll. No one who knows my brother can justly accuse him of being petty-minded; it is only one who is himself petty-minded who would make such an insinuation.

Now let mo. counter-attack. And in charging Air Friedlander with non-re-cognition of facts, I, will be definite and not vague. He. mentions the "cut and dried resolutions which were moved by Mr H. F. Nicoll, etc." This statement is untrue. In tho first place, neither resolution was moved by Mr H. F. Nicoll; and secondly, until the committee met, it did not know that Mr Friedlander had already been elected to the Racing Conference, and therefore the resolution could not have been " cut and dried." Referring to the meeting of the committee when the question of the nomination to the Conference was first considered, Mr Friedlander says that I and Mr E. F. J. Grigg spoke strongly against his nomination, "not because of my birth or/of the barbarous outrages by the German nation, but because Mr H. F. Nicoll was considered a better man for the position." This is absolutely untrue. I probably do consider my brother to be a better man for the position, but my sole reason for opposing Mr Friedlander's nomination (and. I believe, Mr Grigg's also), was his Gorman origin. Surely this is sufficient reason in these critical,times. :

j Finally, alloW me to say that* had IMr Friedlander withdrawn i from his i various public positions during the period of this dreadful struggle between the country of his birth and .our beloved Empire, he would have earned, the respect «nd sympathy^ of the whole community. By. :■ confirming to hold those positions he is, in the words of the Amherley Racing Club,.an authority already quoted by Mr Friedlander, "wounding the fee'Hngß of a large number of people," a w. nicoll. To TUB El)ITOH "Gli.rt.nOUN." Sir, —As the question of the Ashbur-' ton -Racing Club's rules became a matter of dispute at the -time.'of the election of members to the Harbour Board, and became a semi-public question—as no doubt the votes were more or less influenced by the statements then; made—may I ask what lias become of the stakes of £1000 and £100 held by you in connection' with this matter? I am anxious, of course, for the welfaro of the funds to which- the loser's money was promised. I suggest that the Racing Club's rules bo published, so that the public can decide a« to which has to pay up. Mi- Friedlander has now '■ been back from his trip for some time, and., the public cannot afford to allow this mat^ ter to drop. W. H. COLLINS. [We still hold the two cheques.— Ed. " Guardian."]