TALK OF THE DAY

Otago Witness, Issue 2809, 15 January 1908, Page 54

TALK OF THE DAY

I.Bi SEsronßL.

A CRITIC CRITICISED. - A paragraph, lias "appeared in -the racing notes "under- the name of "Sir Modred" in tfie Southland "Daily News whereih'the remarks -made by "Sentinel" in these columns anent the doings at the t Southlands Racing Club"s meeting are attacked, not because of~|b.eir lact "of truth, t hat because they were" levelled at .a dub/wiicih holds. its meetings in. the Southland writer's particular , district. ' /^*Sir' .-Modred'* chaxget "Sentinel", with. Tindictiveness' towards the Southland Racing jC&ub/ and «ta*es that, he neglects, to. attract to misdemeanours " wEi<iK- have otecurred'On. othex racecourses — particularly . ithoee ' in. and around Dunedin. "Sir Modred's" state' znent ,can go, Jor 'what it is worth. 2!here "is not, a. club in "gentineL's?' travels that has not "been castigated when • the occasion .warranted the chastisement. If .the Southland Racing 'dub have frequently fallen under "Sentinel*" T*hip it is? simply because they- have' been frequent offenders. "Sir Modsed" admits in- his note (but st ence the extreme.'" Foolishness of doing- "so " amd his untenable jpoeition)' that,. "it cannot" be claimed that the was- in every "case frep from suspicion -as Sir as local 'owners- were concerned, but it can safely- be said that^the most glaring instance of inconsistency ~~6l the fixture and tibe.mbst' daring- cperatibnin the nature of a ramp is to be laid afiiie door_ of a Dunedin owner.", Here' is a- -clear admittance 'that fraudulent racing was rife, but "Sentinel"" is vindictively a±tacte<l. lor pointing out that fact. "Sentinel" -picked out the_ most glacing - case, wiiicli. occurred during his Becent.;visit to Southland, -and after- laying stress om that particulaT- case went on to ' say-i. "Palpable non-triers were far top plentd*itt and' extreme Tevereals "of form were noticeable, but allowed to -g& unquestioned.." This clearly includes all 1 malefactors, at the meeting, but directly attacks the club "under which they- raced! "Sir MoaredV fully agrees with "Sentinel" that cramping was frequent" at the Southland Racing Club's -meting, and then attacks^ the- latter for saying so. Ona wotild imagine ■ that "Sentinel" r endeavoured to shield the' Duneflini- owners rah at -the meeting; .-but." noj- attempt was made' to, db-scy despite; file treno>of ."Sir Mbdi^dV.' ill^lnimoured' paragranh. *- It, is not astonishing that' the .turf in Southland' isr-in aucTi-a.,iwd^ way jßeheii sport&g scribes -ryrpo are'Medlly" the ceneora of "the period, I,^1 ,^ in- „the - absence ■>of > stipendiary stewaxds-T-of the "Su;-,3/lQdred^ calibre can write ih^sueh a. strain and take-ap ench an untenable -tpos^tien' as. 1 "when- he *leci;ed to cdtioise t what "Sentinel" had to say" in. reference' to the recent happenings at the Southland Racing Club's meeting. "Sir Modsed" s&ouid r be a friend' of sport ht the Southland? district, But furnishes- conclusive evidence of the tiuthfulnesa' of the saying, "Save me from my friends."