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Oamaru Mail, Volume I, Issue 299, 9 April 1877, Page 2

} Tm: determination evinced by the Stewards f of the N'orth Otago Turf Club to uphold, so far as in their power lies, the honor and integrity of the tiu-f, is deserving of all praise. They have shown an earnest desire to guard the public from the machinations of unscrupulous men, and are therefore deserving of the thanks of the community. Uit l>y bit the racecourse is being robbed of its legitimate functions. Instead of being maintained for the purpose of testing the qualities of the various horses, and by this means enabling owners of stock to improve their breeds, the turf I is gradually but surely degenerating into a means of enabling crafty men to benefit at the expense of their less cunning fellows. Prompt and earnest .action is necesf sary to stop its still further downward tendency, and we are pleased to see that the local Turf Club is alive to that necessity. The two decisions given by the Club | during the past week afford ample proof I that the members of the Club will not ; allow themselves to be made parties to any ! attempt to rob tiie general public. We do [ not intend entering upon an investigation of the merits or demerits of either of the I cases. We are content to leave that pori tion of the subject to those more intimately connected with racing matters to disciiS3. Our simple object in writing f upon the matter at all is to express thus I publicly our full confidence in the Turf Club doing its duty. At the same time we may be permitted to state our conviction that in the case of Coi.emax no other coursa was open to the Club to pursue. With regard to the disqualification of Fishhook, we think the Club did not pursue the wisest course. We should have pre* ferred seeing tlie matter, instead of being

dealt with in the heat of the moment, left over to a special occasion. At present the action of the Club is liable to be looked upon as the outcome of the noisy demands of an unruly mob. We do not say it is, for we believe the Stewards had the best of grounds for coming to the decision they did. Still, had they postponed the consideration of the matter until such time as public excitement and public indignation had subsided, their decision, whatever it might have been, would have carried far greater weight not only in Oamaru, but with the racing clubs of other places.