A "PLUNDERLAND" PLOT.

NZ Truth, Issue 136, 25 January 1908, Page 1

A "PLUNDERLAND" PLOT.

Proposal to Pluck the Punting Public * Per Ponies.

Purposely to catch the sporting | public just at present concerned m the going of gee-gees at Trentham, this paper last week held over certain remarks of a more or less uncomplimentary nature regarding the proposed Wellington Pony and Galloway Racing Club which is set forth to hold its .initial" meeting, provided the entries are numerous enough, a matter, . of course, extremely doubtful, at Miramar some Saturday afternoon m the forthcorhrn ; g moiitli. Just here, "Truth" , watts to blow its own -trumpet as loud as it possibly cap. This paper can-,afS:ord to be independent. It publishes what adi'ettisements it thinks ;.' fit', and what is still more to the point, its advertisement columns do not govern what, is published elsewhere. It has, on general principles, declined to publish; the Pony Club7^'advertisement, and the sporting editor hasn't been instructed t_* indulge m unstinted praise of : the new "joint," which, by the way, ''Truth" does not imagine will be any cleaner or any rnoro dishonorable than any other m New Zealand or m Australia. Unlike the clean and generally dishonest daily press, "Truth" is not going to be bribed by a paltry few pounds for an advertisement into _ maintaining silence oii the wretched' pony and galloway business. For *• the sake of gain, the dolly press, which is always hypocritically howling for the suppreseion of gambling, the better control -of horse-racing, and the curtailing ;of* race meetings generally, Has had the insconsistent impudence to boom the pony "joint" and, therefore, attempted to induce the public to bestow its patronage on an unregistered racing concern, while m another column it will deplore the passion bf the, public m putting so much of its hard-earned gold through the tote. Thus does the ordinary individual see the power of tlie adver-. tisement m the daily dishonorable press. Were it at all sincere- and desixojis of 'furthering the public interest, it wolild decline to publish the advertisement m its advertising- Columns, While m its news ojr leading columns, it would '<-meta.p:horically rpjastv'thbsc connected' with it. Once again %he task is •■ allotted to •-Truth,'-' and' willingly' is the burden fco.rne. ..;:.• • '''■■■ ■ » » ■ Now, .no'irian or woman will ad; mit for one moment that there " is (any groat cixll- for the starting of a pony and galloway racing club m Wellington. We have, unfortunate enough to relate, enough of the parasitical .barnacle-like unmentionables of the ttirf m our midst,, and pjqny racing courses, such as the proposed one gives promise ot becoming, are just the. sort of breeding-grounds for undesirables' that the Government should peremptorily prohibit. Pohy courses, such as' "Truth" knows them are the cradle's o^ everything that is corrupt. Everything and everybody connected with pony courses seem to lend itself and themselve_. ' to crooked practises, and, fheref orey the New Eealand Government ;, shp\iid now take ito heart the lessons -. afforded by .the exposures of rottmhess. -- made : ! over Australia m "recent • year's ; connected with ponyrracin'g, , and "Truth," notwithstanding the names of the men on the [committee, '"'the officials, etc., of jthis ( Wellington Pony and GallpWay" Racing- Club; finds no " guarantee^' iibr does it ". see how any guarantee-can ber^iyen that <a pony racing club iii Wellington will be any different to -any. other pony racing club, m New Austra^ lia, or an-ywhere ielseW "Truth" finds that the. individuals ,» (Connected with the prdposed pony "joint" are-ri Committee ; js. Ghiase-Mbr_ris, . H., Lamberg, J. Birodieyjand E.-- Young: ■Treasurer : T. -Blackwood.'-'Managing- . Steward : P. P. -Bigwood^-,.'. kludge.: D. Weir. Handicat*-per*.'.;-P^ ;j*V Bigwood (pro tern). And in- addition. to feeing managing srcwaxdrMr <PVP. Big^ wood is thc secretary of. the _ -joint. "■ This bloke Bigwood, or-. Bighead, or •Pig-head or .whatever !it.is |: is at present- running, and no* Aonhi-igx the! same crowd that figure .ir\ the pony "joint's" list of officials,' that curious ; ftirfc precarious source' of profit, call-, ed "Wonderland," but more properly pronounced "PlunderlamK" Apparent- j Jy "Plunflerland" will be dismantled, | and the piiblic , exploited by the more i profitable means of a .'pony course, i The very "fact of a pony club y_ being toentioned' ought to surely anak*. the

Government cautious, and compel it to adopt some means of stifling it at birth. *.'* • * . Taking the committee individually what name is there that can enable the pujblic to say, honestly and fearlessly, "Oh, everything will be fair, square, and above board." These men might be keen -on business. They might be honorable men, but what do they know of horse or pony-racing? What do : they know or care about the antecedents or records of the parasites with which they will have. to deal. They (the committee) are m the game for what it is worth to them, and the public can be damned. The treasurer's part, of course, is a small matter. His conscience won't be pricked at paying over orookery. stakes, and bf n "Dariie" Weir asi judge, "Truth" can only say that he has at last found his level as a pony racecourse judge, and if his ability m that direction' is no greater than; that displayed by him as a Rugby football delegate, then pony racing is not bound' ' to prosper, and there "Truth" leaves him. Now, we come to the big-gun Big wood m- his various capacities as managing steward., handicapper-, and seerefcarv. m fact, Bigwood seems to be the whole caboose. In its dirty and dishonest desire to connive at the plundering, per pony racing, of the public, the, daily press has given it out that Mr., Bigwood has had great experience m the pony "joint" business-, m England and South Africa. Why, however, if Mr Big-gun Bigwood was such a brilliant success m those climes did be seek fresh woods and pastures new m this Dominion, where happily, pony-racing has not got a footling .as yet ? Is the name of Bigwood a guarantee that the Miramar, concern is going to be the greatest of its kind ; is it any bona fide that this pony club will not be any worse than 'a dozen clubs "Triath" knows of m Australia. If it was for one moment believed that the name of Bigwood was set forth as a guarantee, it would be "Truth's" painful, though public duty, to pull him off that pedestal. Bigwood, since he has been m .New Zealand., seems to have played many parts, one or two bf which dti not ■ redound to his eternal credit. "Truth" tfnows of- him as a spotting scribe, and knowing him as that, it doesn't hesitate! to say it does' not • think much of him. It knows of him m other things, and the more those things . axe reflected upbh the less it is. thought" that Bigwood , as a : secretary, a managing: steward, and a handicapper, pro tern, of a pohy racing '•'joint?' is not •* theindividual who inspires confidence and. . who is not : the man, ho matter hisv experience,' who, from a public point- < of view, -could successfully and clean- i ly run a pony racecourse. ■ ■: * ;'-■;'•-* - ; Vv •'„•.■■.•* If it coiild' be. shown that pony racing, at: ahyrate m Wellington, is likely .to .improve, the' breeding of ponies, a lot .of objections raised! might be- modified, but if has even* yet to be proveid that there are rae-' ing, ponies enough. outside the legitimate and licensed /game, that . could help to foster a pony club. It has been urged that Auckland will provide many, and it is hoped that some will be attracted from Sydney and Melbourne, but Good .Lord deliver! Wellington frorh-' th^ invasion of the guns and gentry generally connected with the game over there.. "Truth repeats that outside one or. two unregistered clubs 'in Sydney, pony.racine. stinks all over Australia, and it -is with 1 the aid of such a crooked .crowd that might possibly be drafted '•from Australia that the Miramar facing push desire to popularise pony scampers. Another difficulty to' be surmounted is m the securine: of suitable jockeys. • Registered racing clubs 'all- over Australasia just now are offering every inducement to honest and capable light-weight jockeys at present m the unregistered ranks to come back to the fold. How the Wellington Pony and Galloway Racing I Club imagines that it is going to secure the services of boys when any , trainer- in New Zealand this very day .will deplore their scarcity, is what "Truth" and everybody else who j knows anything at all of borse-rac-jing would like to know. If the Government: has ;, no ■ valid excuse for j stifling' this proposed pony racing jfClub abortion, "Truth" thinks it <can | yery safely prophesy that the gener-.

al public .will noti tend its support, I and without its support the ' sinister J concern will certainly ' go the way of all such * 'joints.' ' ' The daily press , j :'in giving countenance to this miserable mbttey-making venture, proves ■ itself 'corrupt, ready .and willing' to allow its voice to he stilled by a fat advertisemtent. "Truth" has no desire to sin m such shameless company. It is independent, and rejoices m its independence. Never more was it so proud to he indepen--dent as. when, driving"' a ■ good' six inch nail into the coffin of this wretched, rooking concern, called the WellingtonPony and galloway Racing Cluh.