TATTERSALLS CLUB.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 605, 7 September 1909, Page 6

TATTERSALLS CLUB.

SPEECHES BY MINISTERS, • : ETHICS OP THE TURF. The Now Zealand Tattersrills Club was! formally opened last night, when about gentlemen gat down to dinner at the invitation, of.the conveners of the club, at : its roorhs in tho Exchange Buildings."Colonel Hume, president of .tho club, was in the ho was supported by , the Hon. J. Carroll (ActingPremier), tho Hon. J. A.' Millar (Minister for Railways), and Sir. P. Jf. B. Fisher, M.P. Mr. J. B. Harcourt, in proposing "Success ( to N.Z. Tattcrsalls Club,", soon, raised a hearty laugh ,by tellings how tho Rev. J? j' North called on him to ask-him to form one of., a deputation, to, a Minister, on. the subject of tho club, aud ho\v he gradually l discovered that his visitor amHie wero at cross-purposes, but mushed by lnvitiug him to tho races, so that tho tcv. gentlemau might acquire iirst-hand knowledge of proceedings "which he condemned. Harcourt also spoke appreciatively of the comfort and luxury of'tho club's premises, forecasted a successful career for it. ' i responding, compared the ?lub- with a Dreadnought, and said it was.going to bo attacked from the east and tho west. (A vojcfl:, 'Aiid tho North!— Laughter,) The club was going to defend itself by.keeping its armament -clean and bright, its guns loaded, its ammunition dry and a shot in the locker. J. here were bookmakers and bookmakers, and tho club would hold out tho right hand of'feK, .10 wship .* to tho bookmakers, but not to the and bookmakers." They, rare determined to run it straight lines, arid - it would then be of; immensej benefit to the-racing .clubs'. hear.) If they succeeded, the illetropolitan and other racing clubs would make .membership of-Tattersalls Club a condition 1 of granting licenses to. bookmakers.:- He hoped' the- dub : would reciprocate with tho Sydney TatUrsaJPs Club. . (Applause.) . < / _ in© Hofl. J. . A.'_Milfar, in proposing '"The Racing Cjubs of .New' Zealand, "■ said no had' for. many years held that the best way to regulate .. a; very difficult matter was such an enterprise as they were starting that night. V'Ould always hd different opinions about betting, ,but, -it seemed to him there was no difference- between taking to 10s. on the .risk of his house being burned down, and taking .£IOO. to, lfls. on the result of a horse race. The . racing clubs of New Zealand had done very -much. to'benefit sport in New Zealand, and under their control,one could take'any lady :to a race meeting, and she would hear' nothing that would bring a blush .to her cheek. If certain _people would go and; see the races for themselves they would not find'so much to condemn. He thought the: Tattersalls Club should become the headquarters of'all forms of sport, including football, cricket, h'oekey, lawn tennis, and bowls.. There.ought to be room for' fl ll those, and the club should enable them to settle disputes, by reference to information, going br.ck tor Ye/trp. It should be the sporting club of the Dominion. - While acknowledging the great amount* of good done- by the racing clubs ,of_ New Zealand, .he thought. 1 they ought toi takeTa broader, view .than many of them .were.taking to-day.:; There were some of them -whose ;only aim'seemed to be connected -with the totalisator. They knew' the totalisator. Was a life-giving'fountain so far as tho racing dabs were 'concerned, .but : they'.should give' facilities for those who believed in investing money with a human machine as : well as, a dead, machine,. Tlie history; of the last 18 months-showed that, the clubs had not ,had the" great enemies. that; they anticipated,.'when' the : Act'was .passed.' The result had proved that/facing had' been put-on a better footing.. -Before the Act was .passed there were those' acting-;as bookmakers' who subscribed nothing to the funds 'of the clubs, but now. they, subscribed ho would "not like to'say how much. They had materially assisted tlie clubs. Tho clubs ought to take a hand in clearing out all who would bring discredit on racing. ,It was ono' 'of- the proper functions, of the clubs to try to prevent-the -spieling element having a place, .and -that Wolild. make.the. courses better:-than they wero -DOSV- He knew that'evil; could be found everywhere, but; some, people -only, lobled -for it in 'certain places. He hoped- the racing clubs would ■ continue 1 ' doing-'the same, good work as in. the past, and do; more, and lift ■racing to snch a pedestal that, one : and all might; come and say, "Hero at is a puro .and healthy.sport to which all can subscribe." (Applause.) ■■... v-'_: v'Jlr.''. M. Myers,' in response,! endorsed • 'Mr. •Millar's 1 vieir as to the good, dono by the racing' olubs.','.' He' eulogised' ; the/.Wellington' Racing Club's enterprise, as., shown, :: -in'-providing ' itself' with, its- finb- racecaurße ( , .whicn i-he-jsaid - was ono .of-, tho best in.i New Zealand. ~ : ; -^'llr.i.T.'Rattray. •ing that tlier^.were' among: them' Mmerof !tne very best of, fellows: : The ■ club' would bring forward', the very best'of'.'.bookmakers;- ■ Messrs. Scott -(Wellington) .and W. Eyan (Auckland), responded; ' Mr.,-A. 1. D:-Fi-aser; gave' "The Visitors." Ho asked-that the club' should. be judged -by the .broadminded, and not by the-bigoted, who formed, their- opinions on-second-hand information. ' ; : 'V■■.. . '. - ;Mr; P.' JI.:B. Fisher,'. If.P.; responding,'said he hoped the olub w'ould bo ablo ! to maintain .the > high , standard; of. similar clubs on tho other• side. - . ~ - j-' -V , , ,Jlr. W, Tuck. (Wanganni) also responded. vThe'Hon.- J. Carroll said tho sport of t-racing could Only be-maintained at a proper standard byrmeansiof'organisation./Thd future of the club;would depend upon public opinion. Racing : could not bo done: without, and' it, must |.be controlled by 'tho presidents of . racing clubs, who- had In tho past exercised; great wisdom; . and ; Tfioy deserved credit for what-, they : had'-done, but they': required further assistance': As for'the 'bookmakers, be. had had; personal , experience; 'of them, and bad found : them ■ good ;sample3 ■ tof : manhood, He appealed to-all. concerned in'racing—clubs,' owners, and bookmakers—to unite in"a;:trne co-operation to make ita'.'success; -let each understand-his part, and conform to ono -principle—to make racing a" success. Tattersalls-Club should be' a graduating school tfor bookmakers,. and if. Us. principles ! were properly ; carried out, it should be a,valuable:guide to the racing'clubs ,in . granting'licenses . to, bookmakers,; and its 'member9 : snould;receive.;recognition' from the racing: l clubs. He proposed the, health'of the. president. . . ( : ■ .-..Colonel Hume having 1 briefly, responded,- .the. toast of ""The concluded tne proceedings.-)- ... ■ Dui-ing,:the pvening , songs were sn.ng by Messrs. -Ernest Parkes; C. levers, \ and W.. M'taughlin, and. Mr.: J. Parker contributed a cornet solo. ■ . > ■ - .