CURRENT TOPICS FROM STABLE AND COURSE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 7 September 1939, Page 11

CURRENT TOPICS FROM STABLE AND COURSE

Pressman’s Life in Perth is Not a Happy One PREVENTION OF INFORMATION LEAVING COURSE BITING THE HAND THAT FEEDS THEM (BY “CARBINE.”) Pressmen in New Zealand arc in the main well treated by those closely connected with horse racing. In some places, however, this is not the position, and whenever there is a race meeting at Helena Vale (Perth) there is a bubble respecting the prevention of information getting off the course. In addition to adhering to the idea of preventing the use of the telephones by reporters until after the running of the third race, club officials prevented representatives of the evening and weekend newspapers sending copy to their offices by runners though no objection was raised to, photographs of the finishes being taken to the papers by the same runners.

Not until the fourth race was copy got away from the course. By this time the reporters had the use of the telephones. The' racing clubs may know their own business but the hampering of newspapers suggests a biting of the hand that feeds them. Were it not for the publicity .given to race meetings by newspapers in the way of publication of weights, acceptances, comments and selections, the present interest in horse racing would not be maintained. Newspapers play a major part in keeping racing clubs afloat.