SPORTSMAN'S SPEECH.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 12465, 26 May 1911, Page 3

SPORTSMAN'S SPEECH.

INCOMPETENT JOCKEYS

SMUG HYPOCRISY DENOUNCED

(Special to Herald.) CHRISTCHURCH, this day. In his address at the annual meeting of the Canterbury Jockey Club, the chairman, Ma* A. Boyle, having dealt with the business of the club, said: "1 will refer to matters touching on the standing of racing during the past sea son. Taken as a whole, the season has been devoid of any special cause of complainUas legards .the conduct of lacing, but -"there has bebn>a' feeling "that the safety of the own-jjr has been more or less m jeopardy, owing to the incompetence — no stronger expression can be used — of those licensed to ride. As to incompetence, there can be no shadow of a doubt, the want of education and opportunity being the principal reason. I have for years advocated the giving of races for apprentices only, and on the one occasion that my suggestion Mas adopted by the Chiistchurch Jockey Club, it met with unqualified success. 1 have the greatest hope that the conference will this year see their way to legislate m the direction. The common opinion' that jockeys aie large bettors, and practically have the control of the decision of races, means, if true, that the most stringent measures are necessary. It is a well-known fact that a1 ! sportsmen are almost invariably apathetic m regard to the protection of their rights as individuals, and have not been sufficiently alive to the importance of organisation and co-operation where their interests are concerned. The opposition, i.e., the faddist and narrowminded section of the community, are ever on the alert to drive another nail into the coffin of legitimate sport, especially racing, a form of gambling that every reasonable man Tecognises as quite as legitimate an outlet for the spirit of SDeculation as dabbling m stock and shares. Every embezzlement by a young man is almost always quoted as the result of betting on races ,whereas m the major number of cases racing has nothing whatever to do with the crime. For the purpose, therefore, of protecting the interests of sport m general, the Sporting League, which I believe has lately been started, should have the support of every club m New Zealand, not only racing clubs, but cricket, football, and all clubs upholding the legitimate sports of the people. The eve of a general election will soon be upon us, and united action and well -organised methods to assist m returning to Parliament representatives that can be relied on to protect and safeguard the just liberties of the sporting world should be taken m no half-hearted manner. 'Defence and not defiance' is an excellent motto. The former becomes a real necessity m these days of narrow-minded ideas and smug hypocrisy. I should like to state clearly and emphatically the position the Cnristchurch Jockey Club intend to take up m regard to those who are m the habit of betting with the bookmaker as against the totalisator, the legal method of specu'ation. It is their firm intention to proceed against all offending m this way m the same manner as against bookmakers, the penalty of the law being the same for both 'backer' and 'layer.' I need hardly remind all sportsmen that m sup porting the machine they are directly not only assisting the racing clubs of New Zealand to give better stakes, but 0"c speculating through the only medium the laws of their country allow. I trust these few remarks will draw attention to the habit of betting illegally. '