OTAGO ART SOCIETY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2437, 28 November 1900, Page 39

OTAGO ART SOCIETY.

The Otago Art Society's art union was drawn on Monday night. The following are the numbers drawn and the prizes : — Ist prize £10 No. 202 9th „ 4 No. 542 2nd „ 7 No. 964 10th „ 3 No. 594 3rd „ 7 No. 583 11th „ 3 No. 196 ,4th „ 6 No. 539 12th „ 3 No. 174 sth „ 6 No. 921 13th „ 3 No. 329 6th „ 5 No. 311 14th „ 2 No. 489 7th „ 5 No. 428 15th „ 2 No. 214 Bth „ 4 No. 1035

A Trading Stamps Abolition Bill passed its second reading in the Tasmanian Parliament early this month.

Ori general principles, where two parties have |to be punished with any sentence short of the death penalty, neither is anxious to be first, and, besides, the precedence allotted to Wai'lconwiti in this ca3e may apply in other mattes. I should think that the Minister had fa job to decide this qoiestion as between Pal[merston and Waikouaiti. As to seniority, I Uiaye searched my records and find that Pal-m-.erston had no meeting in the racing season jof "1882-83 ; but a further hunt revealed the ■fact that Waikouaiti had none . in 1879-EO. these exceptions both meetings have been: kept going during the period covered by my records, that i& since August of 1879, and it do not know" which i» the senior. I should ea.y that Palmerston has the better course, but jjyvhether that had any influence with the .'Minister nobody knows. On the whole I am not prepared to dispute the Colonial Secretary's decision on this question of precedence. „ I should have been, equally 'in doubt N - df he had declared for Palmerston. The real grievance is that there should have been any such decision at all. With all due respect, I fail to see the necessity for amalgamation. It ■would be a nice thing' if they could ainalgaanate, for these cluba are rather close together andxonjoin'tly they should be able to Ctorm ,a really strong clkib. But Ido not see /that this has become such an urgent necessity as to' justify a forced amalgamation, evidently |against -the of the people. It would .Slave* bean a fair thingi I should say, for the Minister to> have given a somewhat lengthened Oi6tiee-:before proceeding to compel these clubs' Ao join or suffer a penalty for refusal. Given say a year'p notice, they might, have come together amicably if not; quite voluntarily. It must be remembered that the Racing Conference sitting in July" last allotted each of these "clubs- a^clate and agreed to recommend pb each a toialisator permit. Thus there was (room fof . Ji. This view of the case is jibtrongly put by the local paper, which says Sfiditorially : "This decision on the part of the [Colonial Secretary after the Racing Confer- ' Jence had approved of~ totalisator licenses feeing granted to the Palmerston and the Waifkouaiti Racing Clubs, and had also_ agreed to [fche dates of the annual fixture of both clubs, -'seems peculiar and requires explanation ; as f dqes also his circular intimating that he was 'not disposed to grant a totalisator license to 'each club during the coming season. Surely, if the Racing Conference saw no reason ,to Object to the issue of the two licenses, or to 'suggest an amalgamation of the two clubs, _ it 'much less became the business of the Colonial 'Secretary to interfere and to put his veto W the wishes of the two clubs and refuse to Wue even one totalisator license except for 'alternate years, unless the stewards obeyed (his mandate and agreed to amalgamate. Such 'a proposal seems to us preposterous, and quite under the then and now existlong state of things. Besides, on what grounds Avere the two clubs to be compelled to amalgamate; otherwise the permit would only foe [issued alternately? We confess we are unable to discover any, and from a pwusal of 'the voluminous telegrams and interviews which have taken place between the Colonial [©B&retary,, tlie , Palmeraton. Racing Clubj none appear to' have btW-i advanced to justify |the action ot the Minister in either refusing Jo issue a permit to each club or to justify his cfesire to-bring afjoufc an amalgamation. — unless indeedxhis action is grounded on a determination to crush and wipe "out of existence enjjojment^wh'ieh has-been 1 held in each district iior • something over 30 years. Under these circumstances it is -aot surprising that the action of "the Colonial Secretary — so junlike his jiusual fairness -and just dealing — should have [raised a strong feeling-of hostility and dissatisfaction, not only amongst the two clubs, ibut the sporting, community generally in. the 'district." Up to this point I agree with the iPalmerston editor's 'comments. The Minis.ter's action has^ the appearance of being some-1-what hasty, and unnecessary, and I trust he jyiE reconsider his decision. .