WELLINGTON E.C. AUTUMN MEETING.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXII, Issue 7144, 23 April 1885, Page 3

WELLINGTON E.C. AUTUMN MEETING.

[_BY TELEGRAPH.! Wellington, Wednesday. The following acceptances were declared to-night for the Wellington RaciDg Club's Autumn meeting : — PETOffE STAKES. #• mile.

handicap hurdles (First day). I

AUTUMN HANDICAP. I n mile.

I TRADESMAN'S HANDICAP. I

[By "Fbtlock."] Acceptances for the following events of the Waipawa County Racing Club's May Day meeting are due with the secretary, Mr F. J. Popplewell, at Kaikora, by 8 p.m. on Saturday next :— Handicap Hurdles (2 soys), May Day Handicap (3 soys), Ladies' Bracelet (1 soy), and Flying Handicap (2 boys). Nominations will also be received at the same time fpr the Selling Race of 30 bovb, accompanied by 2 soys. Mr H. Barron has returned from Auckland, bringing with him Director and his late purchase. The price paid for Claude was £75. The Auckland Racing Club have issued a very taking programme for their winter J meeting, to be held on the Gth of June next. The programme consists of a Maiden Steeplechase of 100 soys, Novel Race of 50 sovb, Great Northern Steeplechase Handicap of 300 bovb, Handicap Hurdle Race of 100 soys, and Selling Steeplechase of 100 soys. This should afford a chance for some of our local cross-country horses. The jockey JBrowD, for disobedience at the starting post prior to the Selling Race at the C.J.C. Autumn being run, was fined, and on the stewards intimating this to him, he went away, muttering. " That won't hurt me !" Upon this he was called back, fined £5, and suspended from riding for a month. It would be well if some of "our boys" would take this to heart, they causing several of our starters a deal of trouble. It was thought by many that on the passing of the Gaming and Lotteries Act of 1881, the species of gambling known under the title of " Consultations " bad received its deathblow. How far the truth of this view went may be gathered from a glance at the various publio prints of to-day. Pick up any newspaper, no matter how smail the district in which it circulates, and notices will be found inviting the public to invest amounts . varying from two>and-sixpence to one pound. In fact, instead of the Act > having proved a bar to gambling in this form, it has given a freeh impetus to the business, and for every £1 invested before the passing of the Act, it may safely be asserted that since 1881 £5 finds its way to the "consultationists." If a record could be obtained of the total amounts subscribed during the year from this source the sum would not fall far short of £100,000— not a small item for a population of half-a--million. In the faoe of this it appears absurd to think that Parliament can, with any show of success, strangle the " consultationiat," and it is doubtful whether the strangulation would be hailed with anything like satisfaction on the part of the public themselves. The love of gambling is inherent in the masses of humanity, and not to be stamped out by fear of legal pains and penalties. Suppose the '* consultationist " had been suppressed, who can say that other channels far more objectionable might not be opened up by which a man could be eased of his superfluous cash. The knowledge that so much money is annually collected must show our legislators that this mode of investment is popular, and should likewise strike them with the idea that such a large amount of public wealth required some legal supervision. That some BYich supervision is necessary cannot be for one moment doubted. There are black sheep in every flock, and the flock of " consultationists " is no exception to the rule. The investor, without enquiring into the ante- ' cedents or status of a " consultationist," will send money to Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, or Dunedin, as the case may be, without the slightest security whatever, if we except the few who allow the Press to inspect their books and attend their drawings. But this latter class of proprietors might be counted on one's finger tips. It includes the well-known " Jacob Faith-

ful " and •' Waverloy " of Hawke'a Bay, "Adam Bede " of Auckland, "Robin Hood" of Ohristchurch, and " The Fidelity Company " of Dunedin. The popularity of these ib increasing every year, and rightly ao. The public, through the committee appointed at their drawings and the Press, are taken into their confidence, and go so far as even to ionduct the drawings, the " conaultationist " being merely salesman, secretary and treasurer, to the company. Men who condnct the business on these principles desire rather than otherwise that the Government should legalise "consultations " and would undertake to submit their booka at all times for inspection to any officer appointed by the Crown. To a largo number who carry on the business from one end of New Zealand to the other supervision would be very unpalatable. It would aimply make a number of unscrupulous vagabonds retire from the lucrative occupation of fleecing their fellow-beings, or enforce them to be honest, which is much against the will of those who conduct theie business with closed doors. This class of swindlers advertise freely their consultation, receive the money, and send a ticket to the unfortunato investor. Here the matter ends. The chances aro the drawing does not take place, bufc should such an unexpected event occur the Press and the public are carefully excluded from the drawing. For these gentlemen to allow their book 3to be inspected would be an impossibility, the majority of them not thinking any entry beyond their trousers pocket necessary. Of late several instances have come under my notice of the way the public have been duped by these vultures, and if they should perchance send a letter inquiring if the drawing has taken place, it is so much time wasted. That the public are themselves to blame if they lose their money there can be no doubt, but considering the magnitude of the proportions to which these sweeps have developed, the public might reasonably expect that the safety of their money be ensured. The Government recognises the totalisator, and legalises it as a betting instrument. Then why not go a Btep further and do the same with "consul, tationisfcs ?" A " neat" bit of Johnny Armstrong took place at Tinwald (Canterbury) last week in the Farmer's Plato, as the following description of the race, taken from the Canterbury Times will show : — Fox led from start to finish, much to everybody's astonishment, as Brown Boy was expected to win. Brown Boy's jockey carao up almost level with the winner when well round the course, but fell back again in a very suspicious manner. At the turn into the straight the Boy was going well, and the horse could certainly have won, but Boss pulled him back almost on his haunches, and held him in, allowing Pox to come in an unchallenged winner. This conduct so exasperated the crowd that when Ross came in he was received with loud demonstrations of public indignation, and but for the kind offices of Police Constable Smart and his brother officers who 'escorted him off the course, the jockey would have received some rough handling. The stewards, at a subsequent meeting, disqualified Ross for ever for his conduct. The stewards declared all wagers on the race off, and all the totalisator money was returned to the investors, less the usual commission. J. Donne, the backer who supported Mignonette and Mitrailleuse to win the double of Hurdles aud Handicap at the recent Onehunga meeting, has written to the secretary of Tattersall's Club, demanding that the bookmakers with whom he took the wagera be brought before the committee to show cause why they should not pay. I understand the matter will come up for consideration next week. — Auckland correspondent Referee. James Goater nearly lost his license for the present year. On February 5, being the day fixed for granting jockeys' licenses, he was Bummoned before the stewards of the Jockey Club to explain the running of Lovely and Kinf auns, when ridden by him at the Newmarket Honghton meeting, as contrasted with the performance of those mares under C. Wood a few days later at the Liverpool Autumn meeting. Goater's explanation, confirmed by a letter from Sir G. Chetwynd, having satisfied the stewards that the jockey was not to blame, the license was granted. Roquefort, who won the Liverpool Grand National this year, was offered at public auction at Sandown Park six weeks before the race, and sold, with his engagements, to Mr Toynbee for 1270 guineas. We regret to announce the death of Mr T. M* George, which took place at tho Oatlands Park Hotel, Weybridge, on February 23. Mr M'George, who was in his forty-sixth year (says the Sportsmati) had been a prominent figure in racing circles for some time past, as he was appointed deputy starter at Bpsora, Ascot, Chester, and Goodwood in the spring of '02, and months later was chosen by the stewards of tho Jockey Club to play the leading part with the flag in succession to his father. The confidence so early reposed in Mr M'George was not misplaced, and it is no injustice to contemporary starters to say that he was facile princejps in his profession. Both in the north and Bouth he had the jockeys under marvellous control, and during his long reign the scenes of disorder, so common before his accesion to office, were comparatively unknown. In fact he ruled with au iron hand, and, unlike many of those who preoeeded him. his honesty and integrity of purpose were i never once called into question. His failing health could not but be generally noticed during the past year, and on that account the stewards of the Jockey Club recently appointed Mr H. Cußtance to the post of deputy starter. Mr M'George has been spending several weeks at Brighton for the benefit of his health, and even a few days before his death he was supposed to show signs of improvement. The deceased leaves a wife and one daughter to mourn their loss, and his nephew, Mr I. M'George, who has acted for him recently, promises to develop into a good starter. Mr Samuel Gardiner, the well-known breeder of Bundoora Park, has (says " Vigilant ") made a present of the thoroughbred colt Ironshaft, by Tabal Cain from Firat Flight, to the fund for erecting a statue of the late General Gordon. The colt will be raffled for on the art union principle, and the whole of the money realised will be handed over to the fund. The Island Bay Park Eacing and Coursing Company have been advertising for a secretary. The salary will be £250 per annum, with 2\ per cent, commission on the annual profits. Some of the shareholders in the company (says an exchange) appear very dissatisfied with the action of the directors in taking this step. A numerously signed requisition was got up asking that a special meeting should be called before making the appointment, many of the shareholders considering that the present secretary had been treated rather harshly.

st lb Bt 1b Sou-wester ... 8 l.'J Kingask ... ... 7 7 Administrator ... 812 Ascot 7 7 Speculation ... 8 9 Pasha 7 6 Hinemon 8 7 Erebus 6 7 Minerva 713 Eata 6 0 The Poet 7 10 Gii-iri 6 0 Tim Wbifller ... 7 8 Ricochet 6 0 Clogs 7 7

st lb st, lb Sou'-westcr ... 8 12 Clogs 7 5 Administrator ... 810 Kingask 7 4 Speculation ... 8 G Ascot 7 3 Minerva ... ... 7 8 Pasha 7 2 The Poet 7 7 Pay 6 8 Tiui Whiffler ... 7 5 Ricochet 6 0

st lb st lb Scrutineer ... 12 0 Ingomar 9 12 Maccaroni .. 11 2 Glencoe 9 8 Orient 10 12 Egmont 9 0 Totara .. .. 10 0

st lb st lb Minerva 8 10 Miss Agnes ... C 7 Hinemoa 8 9 Giriri 6 3 Kingask 7 11 Dynamite 6 1 Pasha .. ... 7 11 Forward 6 1 Erebus 6 11