A GOOD MOVE

NZ Truth, Issue 472, 4 July 1914, Page 9

A GOOD MOVE

By the Auckland Trotting Club.

; The proposal put forth by the Auckland Trotting Club that salaried stipendiary' stewards be -appointed to superintend light harness. racing, is one that should meet with the approval of everyone. Without going outside of Auckland all those who take an interest \in trotting know that the present system of sending out track stewards to watch a race at Alexandra^ Park is %& absolute farce. Trotting is going ahead by leaps and bounds m 'Auckland, and all that is now required is capable supervision of the races by men. who know something about the game. At times, stewards have been, sent out to view a race at Alexandra Park, and it is safe to say that the men chosen could not tell what horses filled the first three places without referring to the race card after the number had been hoisted. But there is one thing m particular to which attention should be paid and that is the running of the competitors m the concluding events. These seem to be the races selected for the '"jokers" and the reason may not be hard to find. With the last race sometimes decided m semi-darkness and the crowd getting ready to leave the course, everything is hurry and bustle-^-cxcept the race. Has this anything to do vHth the inactivity of stewards? Do they prefer to lot the most glaring "deaduns'!, pass unnoticed just because thoy (the stewards) do not want to keop the crowd waiting, or they themselves do not care about holding inquiries after the crowd has gone? It certainly seems so to the writer. But the installation of paid stewards will alter all that, and providing the right men were appointed, a big improvement would soon be noticeable. The move of the Auckland Trotting Club is one m the right direction, and no *doubt will meet with the support It deserves.