THE CONTROL OF TROTTING

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 48, 25 August 1925, Page 12

THE CONTROL OF TROTTING

RESULT OF TEARS OF "WORK.

"To-day the work' of control of trotting is comparatively easy," said the president of the New Zealand Trotting Association, Mr. P. Selig, at the annual meeting of the association held in Auckland.

"Those who aspire to take a share in the responsibility," he continued, "will find the fabric resting on a solid foundation, the work of the past thirty years. It is the duty of all well-wishers to see to it that nothing calculated to besmirch the good name trotting now enjoys amongst the multitude is in any way countenanced. Racing or galloping (the 'sport of kings,' as it has been termed from time immemorial) was early established in New Zealand. Seventy--seven years ago there was racing in Nelson. To the Britisher, racing in a new colony came as part of his life.- Not so trotting, the great American sport on it* introduction, some forty odd years ago, when a meeting was held in Wanganui and occasional. events for the trotting horse were decided elsewhere in both North and-South Islands. The sport did not appeal to the galloping enthusiast orfor that matter to many of the general public, but to-day it commands the attention of all classes.

"Reforms won have perhaps come slowly and not without, considerable candid criticism, and the great assistance of the newspaper Press of the Dominion. Despite the methods of other branches of sport, it will often be found advisable to continue to take the public—who find the sinews of war—into the. confidence of those in control in preference to a perpetual system of_'Star Chamber' methods, it can have no good effect to bury one's head in the sand to escape seeing abuses that injure the sport if allowed to go on. The great publicity, given to wrongdoing and, the' action of the authorities have "had considerable beneficial effect and have been a great factor in the con- . tinuous effort over long years to place the sport where it stands to-day. Twentyfive years ago the clubs gave away in stakes a total of £15,475, and the totalisator investments at these meetings amounted to £122,980. During the pastseason thirty-three clubs distributed £173,735 in stakes, and the. amount invested on the totalisator at these meetings was £2,156,460 10s. This does not take into account the figures in connection with, trotting events included on the programmes of galloping meetings. These statistics are very significant and solid evidence of the- gtfowth in popular fay- . our. of trotting." , |