THE ALLOCATION OF PERMITS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2676, 28 June 1905, Page 50

THE ALLOCATION OF PERMITS.

j The probable allocation of permits and the result of applications for racing dates are what is chiefly occupying the minds of the members of the majority of our clubs, some of which are generally held to be in a pleasing state of certainty that their- requests will be granted ; others, again, are in doubt (or have reason to be) as to whether their desires will be gratified. The question mainly hinges on as to whether we have too much racing here at present, and that all depends on what plane the authorities are 3esirous of placing the sport. For many years past it has been drifting into a business pure and simple with the majority of our owners, many of whom, it is true, combine business with plea-sure, and follow the sport in a true sportsmanlike manner. Others, again, axe out after the money, and, sad to say, require very careful watching. With less meetings, the money-makers would probably find it difficult to live, and consequently they' might be compelled to drop out — a retirement which could not be otherwise than a great benefit to the sport. For this reason: many an owner doee not mind getting beaten fairly and squarely, but when he finds his lack of success is mainly due to the operations of some of the clever division, he quickly gets many excellent reasons to retire from the arena and leave the wolves to play or fight amongst themselves. It is quite patent that the wolves, happily in an easily-eradicated minority, require their actions to be carefully scrutinised by the powers, not solely because it is essential to the welfare of the sport that they should be deterrently punished! where _ a breach of law is committed, but because t' straightgoing sportsman is in need of protection. It is not. however, likely that there will be any condensation in the number of permits issued for the forthcoming season as compared with last year, but it is unquestionable that they amid be more judiciously allotted than what has been the case in the' past. In the first place, there are applications for permits which should b& thrown out solely "on the grounds that some of the courses on which it is intended to race are absolutely unfit to be raced I upon according to the state in which they 1 have been presented to the public in recent i years. Then, again, some of tlie clubs apply- ■ ing- for permits are na«rely_ relics of the past, and have been struggling for a bare existence during recent years. They were clubs, ajkl were created under totally diffej rent circumstances than what obtain in the 1 present day. In the good old roaring digging days, when money was lightly valued, and when a "field" could supply an attendance worthy of some of our semi-metrop. meetings, there was a legitimate excuse for their existence; but nowadays some of these I gatherings are but as footprints on the ' sands of time, because the local patronage 1 is absolutely nil, and' the success attending them depends- almost entirely on oxitsid© patrons. In the North Island, weight of money is a strong advocate for the increase of meetings, but that does not mean 1 that the prestige of the sport is likely to be increased, a« there is no doubt that to ' anyone who is in the inner circle the sport ' in the North Island is in worse odour than it is in this island. And it is in the north that the authorities will have to watch closely if they wish to study the conservai tion of sport, and not allow the mere gan--i bling element to obtain supremacy. _ This is what appear* likely to happen in the north, ai:d more than one of the old-estab-lished clubs stands in jeopardy of being knocked out, or partially so, by their touu- , c,er rivals, whose e.ole claim to cognisance Sis that they put so-and-so through the 1 machine. These clubs clamour for certain dates, forgetful of the fact that the metroi polifan clubs should come fir«fc and the ' others afterwards. Imacine any meeting coming into -existence which might tend to jeopardise the success of an Epsom. Ascot, or Newmarket meeting in England, a Randwick or Flemingtop meeting in Aus- ! tralia. What a short shrift tliey would have if they unduly tried to assert themselves, and the shorter the shrift the better for the sport. The Bacing Conference should in the allocation of permits study the metropolitan clubs, and when they are deemed to hare been placed in a position which should tend to their welfare, the other permits should bfi allotted in a manner which could be cal-

be allotted in a manner w

eulated to mate the metropolitan clubs powers from a monetary point of view as well as in the uower which is theirs by the legality of seniority and position. To take an. example. There is nothing surer than the fact that the Canierbury Jockey Club is having its progress hampered by the trotting meetings bf'wo- allowed to sandwich themselves with the Riccarton gatherings. The trotting meetings are generally contended to be poor m*n's meeting? — they are cheaper than the metropolitan club's gathering lecause one can aPt inside the prates at a less expenditure of money, 'but they leave the rank and file of sports iust as poor as any other j gathering— and in that *^n«r> they are poor ! men's meeting 1 ?. The clashing or injudi1 cinus proximity and superabundance of minor mPetings appears to be seriously affeetiner the suoce^s which ->ttend» the • metropolitan gathering!;, aud this is an inI disputable fact (tosether with +liq p.'.vmi'.^ion ■to race on tvacks which are nbsolutely ■ dangerousi which" should pne-age the attention of the controllers of the sport when they are distributing cktes and permits.