TALK OF THE DAY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2416, 28 June 1900, Page 39

TALK OF THE DAY.

By MAZEPPA.

OUR VETERAN SECRETARY. Nobody, so far as I am aware, knew beforehand that Mr Sydney James intended to send in his resignation to the Dunedin Jockey Club last week, yet, now that he has taken the step, I must say that it is just what I should have expected of him, if I had known that the thought was in his mind, to retire quiotly and without fuss or lengthy announcement, for, during a personal acquaintance with 'Mr James that began more than 20 years ago, I have always found him anxious to keep in the background as far as possible, and I think Otago generally will bear me out in saying that whenever he has appeared prominently it has been strictly in his official capacity, and not as an individual. If his inclinations had run the other way — if he had courted distinction and rrablic honours — he could have easily achieved his purpose. _ A man of high intellectual capacity and wide and varied experience, he might have used his opportunities to advantage in public life, •or in commerce he might have made himself rich ; but he preferred the unostentatious walks, and, though always active, he shrank from pushing himself to the front. These characteristics made him eminently fitted for the responsible office which he has held continuously for nearly, if not quite, 38 'years. He sat in his office and thought out the welfare of his club, and did this so thoroughly as to relieve the committee of a vast amount of detail work and make the D.J.C. office a pattern for businesslike methods. Of late : years his duties covered a very wide area, for ■ there was all the correspondence with s country I clubs consequent on the D.J.C.'s assumption j of the dignity of metropolitan of the district, I and in this connection the country dispues i and protests had to be looked into so. as to I be properly joresented. while in scores of cases i consultation with Mr James on some point [ of racing law saved ihe question at issue from 1 growing into a trouble. Mr James was always I ready to explain and expound the rules, and | his advice was- very highly valued throughout Otago. Then he had the passing of the country programmer and the issuing of licenses i to riders and trainers as added duties in late years, and no one could ever accuse him of I carelessness or partiality in the exercise of j these administrative functions. 1 may also mention another thing that he did for his club —namely, the preparing of its first set of rules ; and the reporters have Mr James to thank for the very excellent system by which on race days all ■ the official i?iformation is brought to them without delay. When, therefore, the committee resolved to " express their high appreciation of the valuable services rendered to the club and to racing generally by Mr James," they were not merely paying a compliment, but in the fullest sense of the term they were voicing the opinions of the whole of Otago, and I expect we shall find the clubs throughout the province joining willingly and heartily in the acknowledgment which is proposed to be made, and concerning the form of which a strong sub-committee is instructed to rei port. What that acknowledgment will coni sist of I do not know, but it is sure to be of a practical and siibfctantial nature. Otago j has a reputation for properly Depreciating I the efforts of its old permits, and in the present case the object is one which everybody will want' to stand in with. So far as the D.J.C. is concerned, I hear that it will be proj>osed to make Mr James a stipendiary steward at a salary of £50. The club can well afford to do this, and it seems to be a suitable proposal, since it means that we shall still retain the services of Mr James to some exI tent.