THE RULING PASSION.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume I, Issue 140, 30 May 1911, Page 3

THE RULING PASSION.

INCOMPETENT JOCKEYS. SMUG HYPOCRISY DENOUNCED. Christchurch, May 26. In his address at the annual meeting of the Canterbury Jockey Club, the chairman, Mr. A. Boyle, having dealt with the business of the club, said : “I will refer to matters touching on the standing of racing during the past season. Taken as a whole, the season has been devoid of any special cause of complaint as regards the conduct of racing, but there has been a feeling that the safety of the owner i>as been more or less in jeopardy. <>wmg to the incompet cnee--no stronger expression can be used — of those licensed to ride. As to incompetence, there can be no shadow of a doubt tile want of education and opport unity being the principal reason. 1 have, for years advocated the giving of races for apprentices only, and on the one occasion that my suggestion was adopted by the Christchurch Jockey Club, it met with unqualified success. 1 have the. greatest hope that the conference will this year see their way to legislate 'n the direction. The common opinion that jockeys are large bettors, and practically have the control of the decision of races, means, if true, that the most stringent measures are necessary. It is a wellknown fact that all sportsmen 4;e almost invariably apathetic m regard to the protection of flie r r ights as individuals, and have not been sufficiently alive to the importance of organisation and cooperation where their interests are concerned. The opposition, i.e., the faddist and narrow minded section of the community’, are ever on the alert to drive another nail into the coffin of legitimate sport, especially racing, a form of gambling that every reasonable man recognises as quite as legitimate an outlet tor the spirit of speculation as dabbling in stocks and shares. 1"•' ery embezzlement by’ a voting mao is almost always quoted as the re sult of betting on races, whereas m the major number of cases racing has nothing vvhate.ver to do wita the crime. For the purpose, therefore, of protecting the interests of sport in general, the Sport.og League, which 1 believe has lately been started, should have the support of every club in New Zealand, not only racing clubs, but cr.cket, football, and all clubs upli liiimg the legitimate sports of the people. The eve of a general election will soon be upon us. and united action and well-organised methods to assist in returning to Parliament representatives t liat can be relied on fo protect and safeguard the just liberties of the spotting world should be taken in no half-hearted manner. ‘Defence and not defiance’ is an excellent motto. The former becomes a real necessity’ in these days of narrowminded ideas and smug hypocrisy-, i shorn] like to state clearly and emphaticallv the position the ('hristchurch Jockey Club intend to take up in regard to those who arc m the habit of betting with the bookmaker as against the totalisafor. the legal method of speculation. It. is their firm intention to proceed against all offending in this way in the same manner as against bookmakers, the penalty of the law being the same for both ‘backer’ and layer.' I need hardly remind all sportsmen that in supporting the machine they are directly not only issi-fing the racing chibs of New Zea'and to give better stakes, but ar<’ speculating through the onlymeomm the laws of their country allow. I t rust these few’ remarks will draw attention to the habit of liett nt, illegally.’’