SPORTING NOTES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5518, 19 March 1896, Page 4

SPORTING NOTES.

[" Canterbury Times."] One outcome of the trouble between the Premier and the Wellington Racing Club over the question of totalisator permits will be that the matter will probably be brought before Parliament next session and thoroughly threshed out. It has often been pointed out that the present system of issuing licenses is most unsatisfactory, and was bound ultimately to lead to complications of a serious nature. These complications are now upon us. Neither the Premier nor the Wellington Racing Cliib will give way as to whether or not certain clubs in the Wellington district shall receive permits. The Premier says they shall, the Wellington Club says they shall not, and as the latter will not give in the Premier has stated that he will issue no more licenses to clubs in the provincial district of Wellington until he has received an answer to a letter which he has written on the subject to the Wellington Club. The whole I matter is, of course, to be greatly deplored, but it is difficult to understand what other position Mr Seddon could have taken up. Undoubtedly, some of the country clubs in the Wellington district have not received fair treatment, and they are, naturally, a good deal incensed. Still, it is unfortunate that they should have endeavoured to bring political influence to bear to enable their wrongs to be righted. According to the provisions of the Gaming Act of 1893, certain reductions in the number of race meetings had to be made, and doubtless the Wellington Racing Club did the best it could to curtail the totalisator permits in the fairest manner possible. Perhaps the weak point of its method of going to work was that instead of asking the various country clubs to submit their claims for recognition at its hands, it simply drew up a scheme of reduction as . seemed best in its own eyes. The wisest plan of all would perhaps have been to call a meeting of representatives of its country clubs to assist it to settle the question. But whereas the Metropolitan Club appears to have acted unwisely, the aggrieved clubs have certainly done wrong in attempting to defy the authority of the Metropolitan Club through the medium of the Premier. Such a course is bound to injure racing. As a matter of fact Mr Seddon has expressed himself tired of the' whole business, and has threatened that the Government will discontinue the support which it has hitherto accorded to the totalisator. It is, however, very unlikely that this will happen. At the same time the dispute will serve as a capital opportunity for the anti-gambling party in Parliament to make another attempt to suppress the totalisator next session. This * makes the dispute all the more deplorable\ Still, an attempt of this description is bound to have its advantages, because the Gaming Act of 1893 is in many respects imperfect, and any attempt against the totalisator, will probably mean that the Act will be revised. If such a thing does happen it is to be hoped that a clause will be inserted giving the power to issue totalisator licenses to a non-political body. For many years the question has given rise to an endless amount of trouble, and no Colonial Secretary has, up to the present time, been able to cope with it successfully. What is required is that Parliament should give special powers to a central Board which will control racing generally, and issue permits fcr the use of the totalisator. This Board might even, if necesBary, be given legal powers to adjust all disputes^ which used formerly to be taken ■ into Court. But whatever is done must be done at once. At present the New Zealand turf appears to be controlled by a number of masters, none of whom can agree as to how they should govern. The present state of affairs seems to point to the fact that we are on the eve of a very serious crisis. If we really are, the sooner the crisis comes and is over the better for everybody concerned and for racing men in particular. Although starting by means of the flag has been reduced to such a science in England that the introduction of the starting machine, in that country is considered unnecessary, there was a time when "the starting difficulty" occasioned a good deal of trouble. This was in the days when Lordj George Bentinck practically ruled the English turf. According to a contemporary great scenes of disorder at the post were often witnessed at Epsom, Chester and even Ascot.- The riders used to abuse one another, and the starter, too, to their heart's content, and little or 1 no order •was kept. Three or four lengths at the start was not evidently thought to matter very much, and sometimes the delays at the starting post would extend over an hour. Then Lord Bentinck took the matter in hand, and gradually revolutionised the state of affairs. It .was he who introduced the system of an adance flag, or his " starting trigger," as he called it, while he used to fine unmercifully for disobedience at the post. TJnpunctuality in coming to scale or to the starting J post was a fault which he always punished most severely, and with reference to this a rather good story is told. Lord George was riding in a match at Goodwood, and was late in arriving at the post. He was promptly fined .£5, and, needless to remark, his many victims were intensely jubilant. By the way, almost such another case as this happened at Riecarton not many years ago when the late Mr S. Powell fined a gentleman who formerly acted as starter for the Canterbury Jockey Club .£lO for being behind time for a race in which he was riding.