RACING AND THE WAR

Evening Post, Volume XCVI, Issue 78, 28 September 1918, Page 3

RACING AND THE WAR

REDUCTION AND RAILWAY

FACILITIES

In putting the case for the Wellington Racing Club'regarding the question of reduction of the racing days and the need for the resumption of the former railway services to the course, the president of the club (Mr. J. B. Harcourt) said at yesterday afternoon's meeting of the club members : "In consequence of the continuance of the war, racing in Wellington during the past season has been restricted to six days; two of these days were public holidays (Labour Day and Anniversary Day), three were Saturdays, and only one —a day in midwinter—was a business day. "I think.it will be admitted that we cannot, in the face of this, be accused of over-indulgence, nor can we, which is much more important, be accused of interfering with the war work of the people. While one still hears demands for the abolition, of racing (mostly from those who do not understand its importance), it surely cannot be seriously suggested that if races were abolished altogether the public would work on these holidays and Saturday afternoons: "It is significant that even in Germany, hard pressed as she must be, racing still flourishes: the stakes given by only a few of,the important clubs during the past season were over £100,000. "One can quite understand the necessity in England for' severe curtailment, or almost total abolition, owing to the enormous amount of war- work the people there have in hand. The conditions here are entirely different, and, speaking for the sporting community, I am sure that if any good purpose were to be served, we would not cavil at total abolition.' Any one who gives serious thought to the question of the enormous loss which would be caused to breeders, owners, and employees in the event of abolition, must admit that so far no sound reason has been vouchsafed to warrant such a step. ■ "This opportunity should not pass without referring to the treatment that the racing public has received at the hands of the Railway Department dur : ing the wliole of the past, season. , To any business man, it is incomprehensible that a highly profitable source of revenue should not only be refused, but, further, that the Department should appear to have gone out of its way to cause as much inconvenience to the racing public as possible. '''New Zealand people have not a surfeit of pleasures, and perhaps one might ventui'e to predict that if there was a little more pleasure in the country there would be a little less labour unrest and discontent. The' action of the railway authorities has made it particularly difficult for the working classes to enjoy a day's racing except at. prohibitive cost. One has only to look at the large crowds who patronise the' cheaper enclosures at the .racecourse to realise: that racing affords as much enjoyment and interest to the poor as it does to the well-to-do. "Members of the club may be assured that its executive has done all in Us power to have this railway matter remedied. It has not asked for special Jacili-ties-^-it has only asked, that the ordinary services be made available where possible to fit in with the whole of the traffic .offering, and even this has been denied."