N.Z. TROTTING ASSOCIATION.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume II, Issue 565, 1 December 1915, Page 10

N.Z. TROTTING ASSOCIATION.

THE SPORT AND THE WAR. The usual monthly meeting of the New Zealand Trotting Association was held this afternoon, when there were present: Messr P. Selig (chairman), H. W. Kitchingliam, C. Mark, 11. J. Palmer, 11. F. Nicoll, J. Hopkins, and W. H. .Denton. Before proceeding with the ordinary business of the meeting, the chairman made feeling reference to the death of Mr F. H. Pyne, who had been associated with racing in Canterbury for many years. He moved that the meeting express its sympathy with the deceased gentleman's .relatives and friends. The motion Nfas seconded by Mr 11. F. Nicoll, and carried.

The chairman referred to the question of carrying on racing during the continuance of the war. The question had been brought into prominence by a speech made by Captain Simson at Riccarton. He was quite sure of Captain Simson's-sin-cerity, but as to whether racing and trotting should cease was a different matter. Sport had been curtailed in England, but it was a well-known fact that his Majesty the King was still racing his horses. He did not think we in New Zealand should go about in sackcloth and ashes because a war was on. A large number of people who had taken an active part in racing were now at the front, and, in his opinion, if racing were stopped it would not force the unwilling ones to go. Something like £12,000 had been directly been subscribed to the funds by trotting clubs. Then there were the totalisator tax aiyl taxes on slakes, besides the profits made over meetings being subscribed. Under the circumstances trotting men had nothing to reproach themselves with. The machinery of racing was too great to stop, and were that done a large number of people, unable to go to the front, would be thrown <)>ut of employment.

Mr H. F. Nicoll made a statement in connection with the attacks recently levelled against racing being carried on during the progress of the war. \Vheji attacking the sport, and sporting men, he said, one cannot individualise in New Zealand, for we are only a small of the British Empire. It is necessary and right to consider first, what is being done at headquarters, that is, Great Britain, and what, the responsible men, who are conducting the war, and the business of the Empire, think about the matter, for they are the people whose opinions count, and whose lead we milst Mr Nicoll referring to the number of leading men in England, including his Majesty, who were racing their horses. It could not be said that any of these men did not realise the w r ar, or that »they. are apathetic or careless of the Empire's interests. Yet a- v .reflection on New Zealand sportsmen must , also be a reflection on his Majesty the King. "Some of the wise men,'* he added, "advocate closing off sport, theatres, pictures, and our ordinary occupa-

tions. Why should we do so in New Zealand, when it is not considered necessary in Britain, Russia, Italy, or Germany? According to the London "Sportsman" (vide Christchurch "Press") the jumping season was inaugurated in September at Berlin-Kalshorst most successfully, and over • 25,000 people were present. Do they realise the war? If the sportsmen of New Zealand could help the Empire to beat Germany by ceasing from racing, I can answer for it, we would gladly stop the races to-morrow; but no one has ever yet seriously attempted to show that it would help in any way. Mr Asquith said recently, "Recrimination is, of all forms of moral selfindulgence, at once the cheapest and the least fruitful.'" "Until the King, Lord Derby, or Lord Kitchener tell us that the continuance of racing is not conducive to the welfare of the Empire, we in New Zealand can continue our daily daily life, endeavouring to do our duty, each according to his power, without any advertisement, under the leadership of the politicians, the Press, and the older portion of the community, who, seeing the esteem in which New Zealand is held throughout the British Empire, may be allowed to know their duty and their own business best. "Personally, my opinion counts for little, but I do not see, and no one has endeavoured to prove to me, that racing is in any way interfering with the war." "It was decided to have the chairman and Mr Nicoll's remarks printed and forwarded to all racing and trotting clubs in the Dominion. The West Australian Trotting Association notified the disqualification for life of H. J. Robinson, of Bridgetown, and the horse Tim Tracey, in connection with a case of "ringing in." The action was endorsed.. The action of the New Zealand

Metropolitan Trotting Club in connection with the enquiries into the running of Mushroom and Persuader its recent meeting was endorsed.

The chairman detailed the steps which had been taken by the Forbury Park Trotting Club in regard to the proposed triangular match at its recent meeting. He had consulted the board's solicitor on the matter, and been given the opinion that the match could not be run if the club provided a stake. It was decided that those clubs which appoint stipendiary stewards should be requested to furnish the board with the stewards' reports.

(Proceeding.)