THE AFFAIR AT ELLERSLIE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 20071, 8 October 1928, Page 8

THE AFFAIR AT ELLERSLIE.

The circumstances causing Saturday's race meeting at Ellerslie to end abruptly are so exceptional that they must cause more then passing interest. The organisation and the control of races has been so reduced to system that it is unusual, especially with a body of the size and the experience of tho Auckland Racing Club, for anything to "disturb the smooth and orderly progress of the racing. It is for peoplo versed in the sport and its rules to decide on the merits of what happened when the horses lined up to start in the Mitchelson Cup. The oflicial version of the incidents has been given, .and it can be left at that. It is different with what happened afterwards. The crowd, of course, had no colour of right to take charge of the course as it did and endeavour to hold up further proceedings. There arc many ways of expressing dissatisfaction. The way of disorder at a great gathering of the public cannot be defended. Crowds, however, especially crowds with a grievance, do not always stop to reason. Even when the action taken is to be condemned, a crowd often needs to be saved from itself. This was not attempted on Saturday; indeed the further action following the hostile demonstration was, on the plain facts of what happened, very much to the contrary. In despatching the horses to start in another race with the crowd still occupying the course and showing no disposition to leave it, the officials concerned took on themselves a very grave responsibility. . What happened, compared with what might have happened, shows that the consequences were fortunately light. To have any unauthorised person on the course when a race is in progress is dangerous. This is recognised by the precautions ordinarily taken to have everyone excluded. I'or a crowd, and a crowd badly out of hand, to be there, necessarily multiplies the dangers a thousandfold. That being so, the outcome, despite the casualties listed, was much less grave than it might have been. A crowd in a hostile mood, swayed by angry passions, needs to bo handled with tact and judgment; that it may be completely in the wrong does not alter this face. There is no escaping the conclusion that the necessary tact and judgment were not shown at Ellerslie on Saturday.