REPORT DENIED

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30592, 7 November 1964, Page 7

REPORT DENIED

Mr Roche’s Statement A denial that remarks attributed to him in a report published in “The Press” last Saturday of the annual meeting of the Westport Trotting Club held on October 29 had in fact been made by him was issued yesterday by the president of the Westport Trotting Club (Mr W. H. Roche). “There is no doubt that I did speak on the question of centralisation at that meeting and did in fact emphasise that where certain clubs had centralised on to the one course, through the resultant economies effected, those clubs had been able to increase their stakes,” said Mr Roche.

Mr Roche also took exception to a statement by the secretary of the three Christchurch trotting clubs (Mr D. C. Parker) criticising the statement attributed to Mr Roche. Mr Parker’s statement was published last Wednesday. “I wish to assure those responsible for the press release that I am in possession of the full facts and feel most strongly that those persons should have taken more care to verify the true facts of the original press statement before rushing into print,” said Mr Roche. “I say this in sincerity for the sake of harmony, which should and must prevail throughout our sport,” he concluded. Mr Roche signed his statement as president of the Westport club and president of the New Zealand Trotting Conference.

The remarks attributed to Mr Roche should have been attributed to Mr W. A. Craddock, says the Westport reporter of “The Press.”