SATURDAY RACES

Greymouth Evening Star, 3 December 1946, Page 8

SATURDAY RACES

EFFECT ON CRICKET AND OTHER GAMES

The “continued round of racing on Saturdays” was having a very bad effect on sport, said Mr. A. R. Blank, chairman of the Canterbury Council of Sport, at the council’s meeting at Christchurch last evening. The council decided, on Mr. Blank’s motion, to write asking the National Council of Sport to consider recommending that the pre-war arrangement of racing fixtures be reverted to. “It’s a very serious thing,” said Mr Blank. “Young men are being encouraged to have - £2 on both ways when they might be on the cricket field bowling a couple of wrong ’uns. I think it encourages young men to go to the races instead of jffaying healthy games. It is certainly making it difficult for quite a number ot sports.”. . , Mr. R. A. Smith said he Thought a letter had been written to the Government about the effect of Saturday racing on cricket. However, he thought Saturday racing would continue. Formerly, he said, with a week of races, a man might have his lacing and be “broke’ at the end pi tne week. Now the races could get a man’s wages for eight Saturdays running, and the Government took the tnxcs. ■■ • ■ Mr. E. A. Lee said, that the, rating clubs would do anything to get back to week-day racing. The Government said it did not want product interfered with. The council should be careful not to involve itself in c iticism. If it were true that P r " tion was at stake, perhaps the co cil shotild not interfere. Mr? Blank: We certainly' hpd a welter of it—eight Saturdays rtinh g.