RACING AND THE WAP.

Wanganui Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15183, 31 March 1917, Page 5

RACING AND THE WAP.

PROTEST FROM MEMBER OF RACING CONFERENCE. TIMARU, March 30.. The Mayor of Timaru (Mr E. R. Guinness), who has been a member of the New Zealand Racing Conference almost since its inception, has written as follows to the Minister of Internal Affairs:— “I feel it my duty to inform you what happened on March 15, the day of the Waimate races. The freezing works here were working at high pressure, and- thousands of sheep and lambs waiting to be slaughtered had to"' be held over because the butchers took a whole holiday to attend the races referred to. 1 consider this sinful, I hope the Government will seriously take into consideration the advisabjeness of stopping racing altogether or reducing it by two-thirds during the currency of the war. If racing, which I consider is not essential, were stopped, hundreds of men such as bookmakers, ‘gueeeers,’ punters, trainers, jockeys, qnd others, would be available for essential work which the country is so much. in need of at present. I have been a lover of sport all my life, and a member of the Racing Conference very nearly since its inception; still, I am of opinion that, on account of the crisis through which the British Empire is. passing, all pleasures should be prohibited. Hoping the Government will give this urgent matter its immediate consideration.” When the Hon. W. D. S. Mac Donald was in Timaru this week, Mr Guinness also impressed upon him the desirableness of prohibiting or substantially curtailing racing for the period of the war. The Minister said he held similar views to those of jMr Guinness. He (the Minister) had two racehorses, but he would prefer to see them turned out to grass rather than see racing continued at present.