RACING IN WAR TIME

Te Aroha News, Volume XXXIV, Issue 5473, 11 April 1917, Page 3

RACING IN WAR TIME

To the Editor Sir, —I see our worthy Chamber of Commerce have taken upon themselves to appoint the vice-president, Mr Eayner, to impress on members of the Efficiency Board the very urgent need of stopping racing during the war. In the first place, I think there are better aud more solid men in the Chamber fiom whom a delegate could have been appointed. I would like to ask our worthy townsman, Mr Rayner, a few questions before he goes before the Board :—(1) Was he himself or his followers in favor of racing before the war ? (2) Is it not a fact that the war is made the excuse of trying to get the thin edge of the wedge in to stop racing for all time ? (3) Has he any idea of the revenue derived by the Government from racing ? (4) Who supp’y this revenue, Mr Rayner and his followers or the others ? (5) In the event of racing being suspended can he suggest ways and means of raising the revenue that will be taken away ? (6)- Who are continually paying to patriotic funds thousands and thousands of pounds, the sport or the knock-kneed wowser ? (7) Is ho aware that conscription is the law of the land ; how then can racing interfere with the war ? (8) Has not the Government a perfect system of balloting for men as they want them ? We know every well man must go into camp on appointed dates. (9) Has racing been stopped in England, France, Russia, Germany, and Austria ? (10) Is he prepared to do as other married men in abetter position than he is have done—shoulder a gun aud go and tight alongside the finest of sports in the world —the N.Z. boys in France ? (II) Would he be in favor of ploughing up all bowling greens throughout the country and putting in potatoes for food ? (12) Does he know that at least S 5 per cent of our boys in the trenches eagerly scan any papers for news of N.Z. racing ? (13) Would he believe that these men, although thousands of miles away, going through UDtold hardships, have their little sweeps on the principle races in New Zealand ? (14) Is it not a fact that hundreds ot New Zealand soldiers, now in France, are still racing in New Zealand one, two or three, aud in some cases more horses. “My advice to such spoil sports ” as Mr Rayner is to go down and enlist, aud he will do more good for himself and couutry by killing a few Germans than staying at home barking behind people’s backs. France may suit him admirably as 1 they do very little on the surface ; it is all about forty feet beneath the surface. —I am, etc., /" Disgustep. '