AUCKLAND RACING CLUB.

Otago Witness, Issue 2006, 4 August 1892, Page 29

AUCKLAND RACING CLUB.

At a meeting of the Auckland Racing Club the report was read (the figures have already been telegraphed). The Chairman (Mr L. D. Nathan) said, in moving the adoption of the j report and balance sheet: — "I congratulate you on the satisfactory position of the club. It is useless to disguise the fact that there has been too much racing during the past year. The general public, as apart from those more immediately concerned, were somewhat surfeited. I submit, however, so far as this club is concerned we are not to blame in passing suburban and country programmes. It must not be lost sight of that permission is granted as per the rules of racing as adopted by the metropolitan clubs of this colony, and although the Government give metropolitan clubs control of the totalisator under certain conditions, any arbitrary exercise of that control would probably injure provincial sport, and any tendency in the „way of monoply would divide into hostile camps town and country lovers of racing. Country and suburban clubs are in reality feeders to metropolitan, and while laxity is to be condemned liberality is to a great extent excuseable. The Colonial Secretary is the central authority for granting the use of the machine, and whilst it is possible to bring x>°litical influence to bear upon representatives to please the electors, there will I fear always be a rather too accommodating reply to requests from clubs who have been either refused or who are not within reach of a metropolitan club. The number of pony and trotting races in and around Auckland during the past year has been excessive. I need hardly say your club is free from responsibility. Naturally in this matter they used their best efforts to prevent it, but were thwarted by a higher authority. I can well understand a license being granted to use a totalisator for trotting races pure and simple, because trotters are undoubtedly a useful stamp of horse, but trotting race 1 ? alone do not seem to give the necessary excitement in this city, and hence, in order to minister to the gambling instinct, pony races are mixed with trotting. It is this disturbing element which makes the general public conclude racing is overdone. The totalisator has been brought into disrepute through a too ready yielding to solicitations and an inadequate conception of the responsibility. My idea is that it is the function of a metropolitan club to provide horseracing for the public who have a fondness for this most living of all old England's outdoor sports, and for those who are prepared to support it when under proper management. It is not the function of any club to do more than give that healthy safety-valve to the proclivities of colonists, which, if kept under too much goody-goody subjection, would inevitably break out in perhaps a much less excusable form. Auckland has gained such a high reputation from horses produced here largely under the encouragement of high-class racing, that there is no necessity for me to defend the club from the attack that we are developing a spirit of gambling under

pretence that wo are improving the breed of horses. It is very questionable if backing horses to win races under tho belief that the chance is worth the risk is no more a gamble than a hupdred-and-one operations of everyday life in which parties with strong opinions and under information stake their money to win or lose by the result. Nowadays tho totalisator makes it less necessary for horse owners to back their horses, as the stakes are as a rule so encouraging; and we all know that anyone visiting a racecourse and who cares to invest on the machine stands an equal chance the rich man with the poor ono, and vice versa. It is in my opinion a far less reprehensible form of gambling to do this in open day and under cash investments than to do it under all the inducements of speculating weeks and even months beforehand under a credit system with bookmakers, and when probably the investor had but an outside show of even having a run for his money. It is not the use but the abuse of the machine that is wrong, and although we have had something like a parliamentary picture of Satan reproving sin, I believe that the common sense of the House of Representatives will save it from abolishing the fairest system of betting yet introduced. Of course whilst the existing uncertainty lasts the financial future of the club must be doubtful, because the instrument is now our chief source of revenue. We have, however, the solid fact of being in a good monetary .position, with practically only one debt, and that made fairly easy to deal with." Major George said tho chairman had referred to the good management of the committee during the past year, but as a matter of fact some were thinking of never raciug again during the present management, for honest men could hardly take any part in a meeting now. Several grave cases' had been passed over, and amongst others, he would refer to the Friendship case, which was one of the grossest cases he had ever heard of. There was another case in which one of tho officers of the club had distinctly stated that a horse had gone out with its proper weights, and yet when a change had taken place when it came in nothing was done. The statement of the clerk of the scales was disregarded, and the owner of the horse and the trainer were whitewashed. Still another was that in regard to Stranger. This was an exceptionally gross case, and yet, in spite of the distinct evidence of the starter, the man was completely whitewashed and the affair passed over. The action of the committee had been worse than bad. He (Major George) did not feel at all ready to race under such management as the past. Something very stringent should be done to stop such offences as those mentioned, which were unfair to those men who ran their horses for pure sport. It was the straight man who provided the sport, not the man who ran his horse crooked to get weight off at another time. If they do not protect straightforward men by punishing those who run crooked, racing would soon become a sport only suited to low blackguards. The action of the committee has tended towards the promotion of dishonest running. After a desultory discussion,

Mr Devore moved — "That in the opinion of this meeting (1) racing in the provincial district of Auckland is excessive ; (2) that the use of the totalisator is excessive ; (3) that it be an instruction to the incoming committee to reduce the number of race meetings witbiu this provincial district during the ensuing season, and thereby decrease the use of the totalisator ; (4) that racing be centralised at selected centres as much as possible."

Mr Hawkins seconded the motion, which was carried.

There being seven candidates for the office of committeemen and six to be elected, a ballot was taken, which resulted as follows : — Morrin, 46 ; Dickey, 46 ; J. Russell, 46 ; Garrett, 45 ; Pilton, 44 ; Thompson, 44 ; and Alison, 24.