MORALITY OF RACING.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 567, 23 July 1909, Page 7

MORALITY OF RACING.

■ '■ : ,:'.- STIPENDIARY .. ; PREVENTION OF -"CROOK" 1 ; RUNNING. .The Conference' yesterday discussed some" interesting "proposals'in regard to maintaining .the purity ;ofsport. ;.,' Mr.- Vavasour .moved the North Canterbury»Temitto amend Part I, Rule 1, so as to' make it compulsory to appoint a committee Of ' five .stewards to ; adjudicate on appeals, .questions ias -to running, -etc. ■. The mover said--the',practice had, in his ..,experience, eliminated a lot of '"crooked" running, and enhanced'the purfeness:©f 'the sport.'. ■' It was, the custom'among some country dubs to appoint a number «of stewards. ,for,; compli.mentaryreasons,'; and these" men kriewvtob 1 little, and/were tew soft-hearted"to'disquallfy' ■jockeys.' : :--;v'.:-; :■'.:.'' - : -.- : .v ■.The president- strongly supported "the motion, which, was.. for.', want -.pf...'■ ,a three-fourths, majority voting being' 26 for and'l2 a'gaiiist'.'' ■ ; ,Mr. R. H.■ Nolan ■ (Hawera):,isoye<l 'a.Tara-] ■naki;- recommendation tin 'favour ' ; <jf tfho.'''-ap-f' ■pointmeht of'/'stipendiary ''.stewards!' \ The mover said ho could see no objection,to the, principle involved.;-Anta-tourlStewards ;-w'ould) be'-glad to bo reliayed of much -of their'prCf, sent responsibilities by professional' men who travelled :from meeting, to; meeting; .When, visiting Australia, he found that, the ' at-" tendance \ of : stipendiary : stewards- wa5 ..... re'gairded as having, greatly reduced the pre-. I valence of improper practices. ••.: / ■.-■ -.Mr. H.vSpeed (Wanganui) was allowed.to 'withdraw, a 'Wanganui;. remit on.the' same • subject.- He then- supported the motioi. The/public should have more protection than at '.present,, and v the appointment "of stipen-: diary stewards would be the,best way of pro- ■ vacauji '•-■ ■' : ... , ;'„■'.■•.;.' -... ■■>'.. Mr. W.;E, ; ;.Bidwill''said,h6 had; formerly! .been . against, appointing stipendiary, stewards,: but during the.last:year or.so he-had quite,/ehanged his opinion.:,Amateur stewards, at',some- jtnec'tings, : were too 'ready...to eongratulate 'themselves' on getting '.through. i a without ;a protest.. He: differed I from those, who held '-'that. there was' ■ ,]ess .I'cfrook"';running 'at.'metropolitan.:- meetings than ..'at.'.local; meetings. ,;.;Tho'.v knowledge" gained, by the stipendiary stewards in going round: th© would!■: be very. useful. They should not be appointed by the metropolitan elubs. , Before the licensing >f bookmakers,- racing was going on very: well; but change hadmade stipendiary stewards requisite.. '(-::'■"''-"'.'■.(.:', , ':>■.'•'.'"' .-..Mr-.Goodbeh'Sre, moved!an amendment:—. ■'■■;"That this. meetirig ; affirms: the pnn-' 'triplo'ef: appointing ' stipendiary. ..stewr . ,; ards for'ali.the.totah'sator'clubs:in.New - _'. Zealand;', and .the; *: said..-■ appointments-. :. made by the conference, and with i; ,a. ' of..givm.g .effect: to this a'commit--' '"'tee' he "set. up to: draft .regulations for . ! such; appomtments;: the .committee to ''■'■■bring' down a -report -oh the whole'.mat-':, . toir.'at'the"next ..conference.". '.-

..- Mr.. Friedlancler opposed 'the principle''-of the appointment- of 'stipendiary .stewards, axul strongly, objected to the-reflections cast upon tbo stewards.of.'country dibs. weie, iahJS experience,".'always- ready to make inquiries. Hehoped that ifthe mover '.wjshed .'to press'his motion) he would consont to .having it referred to a.committee:' T Mr.' J.- M'Vny,supported '.the motion. It would'greatly-strengthen,-thevhands;of tthe .stewards.'..The motion,was no reflection on the .present, stewards. : If stipendiary stewards were appointed, many, -practices that wero now attempted would not be attempted. The Country clubs which he: represented had asked him to support the motion. • Mri Nolan and liis seconder were allowed to withdraw their motion in-favour of: Mr. GpodbehereY amendment. ■'.. ■ "•:?'••.-'

The president said that before putting the jnotion, it should be pointed out that 99 out of every 100 owners were sportsmen whose great aim-was to win a race. There wero others—ono, two, or three per cent.— who wanted to win tho race and win money improperly got as an adjunct to the raco. The object of the motion was to check that sort of thing. _ It would- be as wrong to judge the morality of racing from such practices as to judge of a nation's character, from its police court reports. Mr. B. VV.',AJison endorsed tho president's remarks, and supported the motion. Mr. D. Buick also spoke in support. The stipendiary stewards should bo paid enough to enablo them to visit all the meetings in the Dominion; The licensing of bookmakers on the courses had made the stipendiary steward a necessity. Mr. J. F. Hartland (Auckland) supported tho proposal. He said the value of the stipendiary stewards would be very great, quite apart from their actual work on tho course. Mr. Goodbehere's motion was carried on tho yoiccs. Tho president explained that a three-fourths majority was not required for such a resolution, but would be necessary whon the committee reported to the next conference. _ , l

Tho following committee was set up:—The president, and Messrs. Friedlander, Bjdwill, Nolan, and Goodbehere.