PUTRID PONYDOM.

NZ Truth, Issue 150, 2 May 1908, Page 5

PUTRID PONYDOM.

BIGWOOD AND BALGONIE.

The Latest Bit of Impudence.

Seek Registration by the Racing Conference.

Notwithstanding the fact that that public pest J. J. North, the professional pietest and raucous-voiced ranter, has followed "Truth" m its onslaught on the putrid pony push of Miramar, this paper would have rested quite content on what it had said concerning the crooked crowd, were it not for the fact that during the week a person named Bigwood has published m the New Zealand "Times" a copy of a letter indited to the secretary of the Wellington Racing Club, applying through that club for registration by the Racing Conference. Not altogether singular to remark, because it was inevitable, the press of Wellington, of course, after "Truth" led the attack, have turned round on the Miramar joint and have perceived > that the existence of such an excrescence on the body sport is very undesirable to say the least of it, m Wellington. An exception, however, has to be made with that , patriotic print, the "Moaning Times." Its silence, so far as condemnation and honest criticism are concerned,

IS SINISTER AND SUSPICIOUS. It is the' only' organ that practically barracks for the Miramar riioß, and the reasr^i no doubt is to be found m the fact that the said mob have advertised freely, and advertisements and profits seemingly have the pull m the ' Freethedited organ. So much for pure and honest journalism, of which we read a lot m the columns -of that decidedly disreputable quack-ad., "Don't-you-feel-well-young-man" Morning "Moaner." • Anyhow, perhaps, the "Times" directorate knows its own business best. It lives m a glass house and "Truth" thinks that before it attempts a senile sneer at what it calls Wellington's gutter-press it should first keep, its own house m order, and, moreover, this widely-read democratic journal is sufficiently strong enough to invite tljc "Times" directorate, or its editor, ■or everybody connected with the. rag, to emulate the action of the "Dqmin*. ion's" editor, who has fired a writ for libel into the "Times," camp over remarks' made by the "Times" relative to the Mayoral .Elections, and give this paper a chance to prove tiow clean and high-minded its (the "Times") conduct has been m connection with the wholesale swindling and open daylight robbery and ramps on the Miramar rookery ground. Now, to make, matters clear,; this paper isn't going to raise any howl about the recent meeting at Miramar. Everybody by now knows that Bigwood, the secretary, with Balgonie, got his load on. We all know how attempts were made to induce one owner to "pull" his horse, and v.ci know pretty well that Mr Bigwood's attitude to all-comers has been one of smoodge, offers of wine, knowing shakes of the head, and a general demeanor of "don't-care," and a sort of polite invitation to any squealer, to do a most undignified act. Who cares whether Bigwood, the secretary, the managing steward and the handicapper (?) got h,is load on ? So long as Miramar exists as a pony course, so long ■ will thorn

BE PIGEONS TO PIMCK, and, knowing what we do of Bi£wood, believing what we have heard of Itim, he will not be above plucking thn pigeons that voluntarily came forward to be plucked. If the fool public are [willing to bet -with convicted and re j puted thieves, vagrants,; spielers and bun-co-slcerers generally, who don the bag and bet with all-comers, and who will "balance," if necessary. "Truth" can do no, more than say it is a 'thousand pities^'the police have riot intervened. The last mcctin.'!; was a gathering of the scum of WelH 1 'gto-i, but "Truth" does not wish to be unfair. There were present on both days bookmakers of repute whose word is their bond. The presence, however, of respectable and reputable pencillers is no 'guarantee that, the racing is fair ( r..d square and that "Biggy'! has not got a lot of "deadwood" m any or every race, and that things are not cut and dried for Balgonie or any other horse that Bigwood is reputed to own It is notorious that this schemer is afraid that the Gaming Act will be amended and that Miramar will be shut up. He certainly has very good grounds for "getting his load on," and, what is moire, he is getting it on. Now, at this point, this paper wishes i i deal w.ith the impudent letter a 1 dressed by Bigwood to the secretary of the Wellington Racing Club and published m last Wednesday's "Times." In support of his request for registration by the Conference, the bounder goes on to say :— "This syndicate has received a good offer to lease the ground for a term of years with a view to, unregistered racing still being carried on, and it is only after considerable difficulty that I have succeeded jn pei'suading them to make this application."

The unspeakable and tough hide of this bloke Bigwood is responsible for the threat that unless registration is granted unregistered racing will: go on. 'If the truth is to be told, and Bigwood won't tell it, the Miramar mob are practically on their uppers. Bigwood's

RAMPS HAVE COOKED THEM. Owners won't nominate and the absence of entries for the proposed meeting of May. 23 and 25 convinces Bigwood that ; it's hardly worth going 'on • with the : ■game. "What's the use of racing againstBigwoocl ?" say other owners. They knew on Easter Monday that there was no chance of getting a ''"drum" m the £100 Cup. The starter succeeded m giving Balgonie- the best possible ;'shoot-ofl" ami the fact that tjie starter from the post sent his little bit on to the "books" was sufficient for the heads to get. m. Anyhow, Bigwood goes on : — I might also point out that a club at the Hutt is m course of formation, and that, their initial programme is to be advertised shortly, while clubs are now being m ChrJStchujrch. and Auckland. "However, unless those clubs receive the support of the ponies which are now running at our meetings it would be a sheer impossibility for them to run a club successfully, owing to

the lack of material to work upon. Quite, so, but the proposed formation of pony clubs at The Hut.t and Christchurch was bluff. It was ijever seriously intended to go on with the game at either place. Miramar has been such a failure, Bigwood and Balgonie have been so strong that the public would fight shy of them. Bigwood, moreover, * alleges that the press, terms Miramar a "proprietary club, ' and as "Truth" is part of Wellington's press, certainly carrying as much weight as any other city journal, it wishes to say here that it never called the Miramar pony any other than a public rooking ground, and the public have recognised it as such. The idea that Miramar should become a racing club ' under the aegis of the Racing Conference of New Zealand is the last thing to be thought of, particularly to quote Bigwood when he says : —

Furthermore, we would undertake to stick to ponies absolutely, and not intrude among the bigger horses, winch is kind of "Bitrscy" and the mob he seems to have "kidded to," so strongly. The probability of the Racing C/onference registering the Miramar ramp Club is small, because the Conference will •certainly not countenance ' A MAN OF BIGMVOOD'S CALTBRE running things as he has run them so far. This fellow Bigwood is a devilishly sly

fellow, but "Truth" has his measure morally and mentally, and so long as he iy accused or suspected of crooked or shad.y practices m connection with the "joint" ho is running, so long will this paper continue to warn the public against him and the "joint." We have very little doubt that the Gaming Act will be so amended as to wipe out such excrescences on sport as pony "joints." This Miramar Mecca of Mugs has not been conducted on anything* like honest or tolerably decent lines, it has been "rook" all along the line. Bigwood has got his load<on, and his suavity generally is enough to make one s blood boil. He knows, none better, that Miramar days are numbered, and his "kid-stakes" about the Conference taking the foul-nest under its care is the biggest bit of impudent impertinence which the impudent bounder has yet been guilty of.