OTAGO JOTTINGS.

NZ Truth, Issue 474, 18 July 1914, Page 9

OTAGO JOTTINGS.

, (By "Wallaio.") B The "results" of the annual meeting - of the D.J.C. mako cheerful reading. v If .there is; ono thing more than another m connection with the club ,which ca.Ua for public approbation, aurely it la the sterling worth of tho club's president. Sir George McLean. I wonder If there is any other such Instance of a gentleman who had nothing to gain striving year after year to pull the club out of the ruck Into which it had drifted. It had gono back, there's no doubt about it, whilst smaller bodies bounded along and by Increasing tholr stakes each year, made the headquarters body look small. Apparently, If wo take Sir George's words oa a guide, the D.J.C. has

"emerged from its lethargy," and the public are about to get a little of what .they are entitled to< m the way of accommodation at Wingatui, whilst those who own' horses may now look forward with certainty to winning stakes worthy of the name. The. efforts now being made by the D.J.Gi to push racing along might well be emulated by the members of one or two other, local bodies. Someone once said that *.T»unedin people are slow to move, btiti when they get going nothing stops them." x Why, even m the matter of installation of up-to-date totalisators, the D.J.C. and F.P.T.C. have actually outstripped the North! Anyhow, negotiations are on. the way with the Julius ; Syndicate, and ere a few months have passed racegoers will "play, the game on a machine that "can't go wrong, that can't be rigged, and that will automatically place before thd public the 'true state of the betting without hurtIng the feelings of owners or punters." A, case of "press the button, and the thing's all over." ; And 'tis said, that m; this connection there will be a button somewhere in' the stewards' room which, when "sufficient" money has been invested, will cause the machine to lock out the rest of. the cash "for the next ' race" ! And when all these innovations, etc., are installed at Wingatui Land Forbury, won't the antigamblers punch hard at the bell! Gee whiz! r- ■ " ' •'■■.-' ' ' '" : ..- The electionsfor stewards resulted m one or \ two "practical" men gaining a seat. Of course, thfere has been some canvassiiag— and it told.- A qualified man was-rejected, and a three-years-ago rejectVsucceeded m getting "home" again. Possibly his success was owing to the ;grasp he has of the wants of the public,, or, maybe, it was other-; wise. X After many, years' able service on-the governing body, Mr. Peter Miller has been deservedly elevated to the vicepresidency, vacated by Mr. Bullock. No doubt Mr. Miller will make himself felt as occasion necessitates. It is' to be hoped that he will soon let the "bad •uns" know that he 1 is a power when he's on their side; but if he "thinks anything*;— well,3that he'll put his finger hard and right on the "dirty" spot And, by the" same token, if the whole body of stewards wished to let people think well of him they should do something .quickly. It is aU very well for people to say that the stewards "did not see anything" whilst a race was m progress, but— why should stewards bet? Writing of Wingatul reminds 'me that at last a start has, been made, or is about to be made, out Wingatuiwards by a capable trainer, Charlie Christie (he of Gapon fame) having made' a move to the quarters recently occupied by «L McCombe. \ If Charlie puts up there it will be a .good thing for Wingatul and racing m general. For many years it has been "gossip" that the principal reason why local sports did not own and race horses was because "there was not a trainer out at Wingatui." It may be that there were seveYal professing know-alls m that line who have made the road pretty shaky, but on the other hand there were a couple of young trainers who have well deserved better patronage than they have received m the past I refer particularly to Harry Ellis, who just now could do with three or four horses. * Careful, obliging, knows his business, and he's honest.