The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is in corporated the West Coast Times. TUESDAY, JULY 14th, 1925. RACING GOVERNMENT.

Hokitika Guardian, 14 July 1925, Page 2

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is in corporated the West Coast Times. TUESDAY, JULY 14th, 1925. RACING GOVERNMENT.

Duiunt. last week three 1 conferences in respect to racing and trotting government sat in ■Wellington to consider matters in relation to the conduct- of the sport. The annual gatherings were attended bv representative men from all parts of the Dominion, indicating the closest- interest in the national welfare of the sport. The interest evinc ed was in keeping also with the importance of racing and trotting. Many hundreds of thousand of pounds are involved in the conduct of the two branches of sport from first to last, and of necessity there must be every effort to keep racing and trotting clean, and the owners and public will protected from the schemers It is not

any less essential that, tlm-e whose work is cunncelod wiih lining and i rotting, the t,miners, riders and drivers, should he considered also. Jt i- in connection with these iniportanl duties that, the animal meetings are held. Vea.r by year the rule- have to he revised, Weak spot s made at rung. Loopholes closed. .Safeguards found to lie necessary, imposed. Above alt it is necessary to liberalise the rules consistent with the best interests of the sport. All this is the essentia! work performed at the annual conferences, and there can he no question about the earnest consideration given. The representation is well representative of the elulis as a whole. The metropolitan elnhs have direct representation, and the secondary or country elttlts have dedegated rep rose it tit lives elected by groups of elnhs. 'I he number of tbe.se delegates are to he increased, and on the actual voting of the Having Conference after the next election of delegates, the country elnhs will have a hare majority. Coder the government of racing much has I soon (lotto to clean up the turf and make the conditions generally safer. Bv the appointment of paid travelling stewards, the running of horses and the work of trainers and jockeys is brought under closer supervision from meeting to meeting. With regard to the undesirable public patronising race courses, the authorities have set up inspectors who have a close knowledge of the class of jieople it is desirable to keep away from race meetings for the benefit of the public at large. These stipendiary officials have been responsible for the much improved atmosphere affecting sport of racing and trotting throughout New Zealand. In the main, however. the government of the sport is in the hands still of the many enthusiastic honorary officials who devote much attention to the conduct of racing and trotting in the several centres for the love of the sport. Those gentlemen are the very salt of the sport iasolf. and the public who patronise the meetings so numerously owe much to the spirit of enterprise -which marks the conduct of the various clubs catering for the sport at large. The Clubs have to take on a considerable liability in their self-imposed task, but the public always bucks them up with liberal patronage. The annual meetings of the central governing bodies supply uniformity in the rules of racing, and simplify the conduct of the sport gen. erally. New Zealand stands in the forefront in the conduct of racing and trotting. \s far as the business side of club management is concerned, individual profit is not possible. All profits go into the course, grounds, amt appointments, and when possible augment the stakes for the benefit of the owners. The aim is to keep the sport essentially clean and safe, and those ends are always kept well in sight. I'lider a continuance of the present general management racing and trotting in New Zealand will continue to flourish and lie worthy the popular support received.