RACING AND THE WAR

Timaru Herald, Volume CVI, Issue 16231, 29 March 1917, Page 3

RACING AND THE WAR

ATTITUDE OF MAYOR ,OF TIMARTJ. POINTED LETTER TO THE MINISTER.. • Mr E. R. Guinness, Mayor of-Tim-or u, has written to 'the Minister for Internal affairs, (Hon. G . W. Russell) as follows: / "1 feel it my duty to inform you what happened last Thursday, the 15th inst., the day of the Waimate races. The freezing works here were working a: high pressure, and thousands of sheep and lambs waiting ( to he slaughtered had to be held over because the Ihitchers took a whole holiday to attend the above race meeting. I consider 'this action sinful. •'I hope the Government- will seriousIv take into consideration the advisability of stopping racing altogether, or reducing ife by two-thirds during the currency of. the war. If. racing (which I consider is not essential) were stopped, hundreds of men such as boobmakers, guessers, ;punters. trainers, jockeys, arid ethers wou'd be available foi> essential work, which' the country is so much: in need, of ait presfent. I have been a lover of sport all my life, slid have been a member of the Racing Conference; very nearlv from its inception: still I am of oni-non +-l->nt on "ccoimt Of the crisis through, which. Wis British Erapi'O is passing, all pleasures should, be prohibited. "Hoping; the Government will give this urgent- mafter its immediate consideration./': v LETTER TO GFT!AT/DINE RACING / CLUB. ; The Goraldine Racing Club wrote to Mr Guinness stating that .ft. had been decided to. nominate Mr ,H._ Friedtend-, •er a candidate for tbe Racing Conference, representing th<j District Clubs, and the Club desired to obtain his (Mr Gnitmess's) views on racing during the war. On receipt; of this information the club would consider 'the matter of giving bin) their support and vote. To this. Mr' Guinness has replied as ' follows :- ' ' ' "In reply to your letter, I wish to sta'c* I. have been a lover of- sport all m;y life, and a member of the Racing Conference very nearly from its inception. Still I am of opinion that on account of the crisis through which 'the Empire is passing racing should be cur- - tailed end of the war. "The Conference will have" to deal with this question at their next meeting, or at a special--meeting to be called for that purpose. Jf they do no!fc, tho Government will, I am certain take tin- matter in hand and direct ithe Conference what they wish them to do." HON. W. D. S. MACDONALD'S VIEWS. "AVhen the Hon. W. D. >S. Mac Donald, I Minister for Agriculture, was in Timaruy this week, Mr- Guinness had : «, talk 'with him on this subject, and strongly urged the necessity for a cessation of racing during the war, or at least a substantial -curtailment of it. It is understood that the.Minister said lie was in hearty accord with, these presentations; he was a racing man himself, and had two racehorses, but he would much prefer ,to turn them out to grass rather than,,see ; racing continued..., .. . . .. ,