THE RACING CONFERENCE.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 14044, 14 July 1916, Page 11

THE RACING CONFERENCE.

•■ — ;— i — ■ ♦' - — ■■■-•■ .- ■ (Special to Herald.) WELLINGTON, this day. "Passing to adniinistrative details," said the President of the Racing Conference at the annual meeting to-day, 'Ye may congratulate ourselves upon the good work wrought by the Stipendiary Stewards. Much of it has passed unnoticed, and that not the least important. A tactful wor:d here and there, a little . -quiet advica unobtrusively given, hajg often helped to foster among the workers of the turf nobler ideals of a noble sport, while on occasion there has been no lack of "nerve and to check sternly attempts at malpractice. It may be- an indication of resulting 'restraint thai so " -.Tew'- appeal : cases have demande"d attention. 1 In . these we 'have to -acknowledge with thanks the assistance of" Messrs W« Bid well, C. •P. VSkerreti, K:O;, aiid O. S. Watkins as Judges of ' Appeals. 'It seems advisable to remove certain misconceptions - fry reiterating the principle upon which 1 the ! control 'of ■ ilomecl&ture is based. I have' never 1 vetoed progbsed namek :' merely because they 'are clumsy or inappropriate. Hence many ill-ad- ' justed: arid meaningless- combinations of syllabus from th'e names af sire and dam have been* --permittee] :" The" main' restrictions have been the exclusion :— lst — Of all names previously entered m the New Zealand Stud Book; 2nd — of names which l have a personal- reference to •well-known persons Unless with v con-/ sent; 3rd*-^>f s . names of distinguished winners abroad, or of aaiy sires «>r mares whose repetition may possibly I hereaftei'* cause "*confiisi6n m 'pedigrees ; 4tJi— -of names which migjht be , regarded as : offensive by ariy religious or political organisation, or as having a special bearing on the political controversies of the hour ; stJi-rOf . names which might create misunderstanding on race cards, or m descriptions of racing ; 6th— Of the use of initials or numerals except m the case of imported .• horses previously named. ' .'."''■ You will recognise that this is not a fitting time for endeavoring to rectify the inconveniences and injustices under which we labor through the hasty enactments of a recent period. 1 may, however, mention for future attention the! mistaken prohibition of publication of totalisator investments, which defeats its supposed object, and plays into the hands of lawbreakers. ; Useless m itself it lessens the interest of facing records, and helps to concealythe policy of evil-doers. That bookmakers' habitually evade the law is commonly known. Whether owners m regard to their own horses respect universally the undertaking to refrain from patronising "them, may be doubted, though breaches of this obligation must, of course, be exceptional. Those who disregard the specific injunction m the rule are liable to disqualification, juid. as it were, take their 'racing lives m their hands, even i.f the* selfTContempt. duo to a dishonorable act, is an insufficient deterrent. In this connection we may deplore .the facilities which are afforded by the postal authorities for the transaction of illicit boisinfess, while the same Department rigorously bars investors m legalised methods of investment from the use of its facilities." '