Turf in the Dominion

NZ Truth, Issue 442, 10 December 1913, Page 8

Turf m the Dominion

Cfi Vas reft, ' ( • . W*.. cently ., deputed to iiiiiervieW'SirVGheprgo Clifford / on the general ijaatter of the .r Tu:rf in the Dominion.;, The Bayonet has long! „ : '.;':■ Leen at liie ; head of racing m this country,^ that he should be well in^^ allVthai pertains to the ''sport^of Kings.'' ,■ Generally speaking, the. Canterbury, breeder : is no.t an easy, man to interview, biit when,^Spearmint" told it was fpr^the-Xmas nu«ir Xk'T €>f ''Truth,'*' he literally^^ rushed the«l>uck, and : /magged' : as he never did • before, Needless to say,, it w4s> hard to keep trackiof ' all He did say, and,! if ''Bill^ Massey talks ati.lGO per^iiiinute, <JSpearniint" will gtfaraintee^ Sir George went at> double thatirate. . , ./< "Are you^in favor of the system 'oil stipendiary stewards?" , : ■: ; . . v; t, -V.-"N6l >? ansvy'ered the President of thc/^Conference, , very decisively. x if y^}^yV 'ventured this scribe. . , :

An Imaginary Interview:

„ "For many reasons. :> "Won't you state. some?'' • • "'"Well,, they are too numerous to mention, but the principal .difficulty is m getting anyone 2onipetent to iill this policeman job sa'iisfac;orily. Practical turf men are ..-wanted, and Uesc are hard to obtain. The. system is unpopular ■wherever it is tried : Ido aot "think it will last. Racehorses are not machines, aud when a horse runs badly 'to-day, without, any 1 apparent ix-ason . f or it, men like myself, ''who. race purely 'for the love of the game, da/ apo'like to face the ordeal oli.ain inqniry. _' ' "But, Sir Ceoii',2, if tb.ere is

to hide— — — -.', -.■*-. > ■•=',' l've'; said all tlu>t T:n gokig to on that point.'" ' J The .question of payment for the stipendiaries. Po you'consider it right to pay those turf men out; of th c ;; Accident Fluid ? ' ' " "Of course I do^ "Won ?t your common sense tell you that if I did not think so it -\yould not bo fdbhe? Unsophisticated puerile members like Dickson aiid ope^pr two, others can ask as maiiy questions as they like, but I can-alw-ays run up to Wellington a)ftd;do a/bit 1 of iobbyins-;and< carry, my point." : ' ' .>:■• ,'•■= ;. : : "Do you moa ato sayjtba fc y ou followed that course last time thb\question c^ue. up m ■-We House?" ventured' til e meek one. j ■■■■' ' ;■■; 'Ncver^miiifd %hnt I did!" and, as^the nmeh-maligued^tur.t magnate \vas; teVinliing; to get on liistoes, the,pr|ssmau tliought he had better try artother tack. : v" . ■ -^v*' ■■•-.■■•> '•How are theMtules of Eacing progressing. Sm Georga, ;V _ "We arc bringing them more up.to- date-year "by, year. aii<i Ayill soon have things working 'perf ectly. ■„; By that liucaii we will; freeze, out? the 'battler, do away Avith handicaps, and -, have nbthiug but wcight-Xor-age races. This is what is neoded." . <: AVho by, Sir Geor^e?V ; ', "Who by t What'tiii absurd- question to usk!' 5 • • .- "But^stili^as I have asked it; wliy-iio tans \ver itg , / . "Well, by myself and. the other leading sportsman." ( 'Oh, I see. ihut don't you think the public will take .^i hand and stop away* from the race meetings where all the events would be for the best horses' at weight-fdKagCAand » v the huge prizes

By "SPEARMINT."

iurmshed.by the public going into a few, pockets only?" ' . « . : "Imphm ! 1 never-, thought of that." assented : the baronet ''I cannot -be, expected' to think- of everything. I'm captain of the club, and everything falls to, me. 1 exercise all powers, authorities', functions and duties conferred ! by the. Conference upon me, and you can, just bet my hands are. full. I've Xc Vice-president tr> shift .anything ; n to. One minute. I'm thinking ou*: new rules, .and the . next my thoughts are engaged on my chance of winning the next Derby." . '.'.That reminds- me* Sir George, ■ * m don-t you think the Rules could be improved m many eases?" *' Give. me. an instance." \ /. „ ''■.We)], we'll* say, with reference to the admission of tluv press to all. racing enquiries?" • '' s \ ' ' * "Ha) Ha. "Is that' what is troubling you'l tTiisV listau here, yoiuig man. As' long as* Tm President -of thY Conference, the' press \rill not be admitted to suck inquiscV^»erc it is plain and straight. IX- you don't like it I' can 't 'help i^'but you must put up Avith-it. - If we allo>ved the press-in there woiiad be too much daylight, aud that would not do. No, sonny, try sotbeth ing' else" ' ".' ' , ' * s m^ does Hazlejt's motjon f orjthe next - Conference ( re the> payments to the ' Weekly, Press ! strike you V' was the next ques-, tion.-v : . ■'•'.-• *• : - ''-•-'• '-■-„.'- '.-. " ;: , '• '•-'' ' ■ ■ '' s ' . • .--'■-' . I, ;' c .\Tliat, of .course, is a sore one for. us, but we will overcome it. i)itl^ou. ; see kmv II put. the stopper 'pu him last time by makiusrhim c;ive%otice of tlte mo.tibn ? I .told him af tprwards how sorry I. u-aa;. to rdfuseit, andThe took it in/like water. 'At^least, 1 1-thoiight he did, 1 but ;. later- ■ oil, ' t at Treiithahij when ' Wanklyn - and*; I> started to v discuss the. subject of his motion' with him, he -.said it be i time enough 1 to ;discnss'S itiat^ the . next fionferenc^e. Speaking candidly, I ' don't *waut the. ;; mat;* tor discussed, because as yoli know, I'm a large shareholder,; m tlic 'Weekly Press, ' and people, of course, have a nasty habit ofinisjudging houes't people. 'However, you cau rest assured on one thiug. If there is much dirt fired I'm going out* of- tho garnet Haz- 1 lett acted m a most improjjer manner by insisting -on his motion. I am not used to.tliat'sort..{\)fUMng,;"anci,-. : gbnt i raUy,''\vhen I put- my Coot down I mean that that's an end /of the' matter.' And. young! !tian, J -'. s ii'} eoneluded with a fiery gliiit m his eye, "I've put it -do^Viv uo.w,^^ so far as you are concerned," so get \ ' ; . /And :: Spearmint/ got- -but lie had also' "got;' ? %\v!iat lie \ranted — that interview whi6h Sir Greorge had said he woiil'd never give. Ask your Newsagent fpr '.'Under the Broad Arrow." Prioe 6d.