Untitled

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume III, Issue 146, 11 May 1893, Page 5

act of thri Auckland Racing Club’s committee at their meeting oil Friday last, while receiving the resig- : nation as judge of Mr John Kirkwood to resolution appointing him a life member of the club. They could not Well have done less; Mr KirkWdbd has, aswfe 'pointed but at the* time ll he tendered - his resignation, served the Cliib 1 in the ? official J Capacities of 1 judge and 1 assistant hahdicapjper for many years. Asahandi capper doubtless he has made rriatty mistakes—no handicapper is infallible—and as a judge' he may - have erred orice or twite, but of his’ 'rectitude tHbre"' could be “hot the slightest shadow of a doubt. ' He has been ah able servant of the and We-hope ‘‘he Will' be able to enjoy the privileges : Of his ’life membership for man/’yerirs to'dome. It is fortunate for the Auckland Racing Club that only one moremeeting ‘at l Ellerslie remains before theWacing seasohrloses. ; Had Mr Kirkwood laid down his office earlier in the §taibn they might have found themselves hf a" -As it is they have endeavoured to fill the gap temporarily, and it wfll be for the hew committee to decide who Shill ‘occupy -position of the “man in tha box” at the club’s race meetings during ■ the season of 1893-94. They will- haVe a ticklish job of it.

Thzre was-a -goad- .deal.of .surprise expressed in local sporting circles when it fetiftfkWWfi that the’Aucklkfid Racing

Club’s had requested the Hon. E. Mitqhelson to fill the post of judge at their t Winter Meeting, ;• Those who follow the course of racing events had not forgotten the position Mr Mitchelson took up with his fellow members of the Auckland Racing Club after the last Winter Meeting of the Auckland Racing Club. Because he found himself in a minority over, the enquiry into, Stranger’s running he left the room in a huff; intimated his intention of entirely sev,ering his connection with the Auckland Racing Club, and our readers will not forget that some correspondence ensued between himself and the club’s cpmmittee, in wbich Mr Mitchelson had some very hard words to say against the inner operations of the club’s business. And this, lo and behold, is the gentleman whom the Auckland Racing Club’s committee wish to make a convenience of to fill a stop-gap for them at their Winter Meeting, because they have to. face the resignation of their previous judge, and racing judges are not io be procured every day.

We do. not wish to be misunderstood in ‘this matter. We regard Mr Mitchelson :as thoroughly competent to fill the position vacated by Mr Kirkwood, and had ;it not been for the friction of last year between Mr Mitchelson and the Auckland Racing Club’s committee we should ‘say that no better successor to Mr Kirkwood could .be. found. : At the time of ‘writing?,we understand that no official ; communication has been made to the : club’s, committee by Mr Mitchelson. as to i whether or not he will accept the position offered him, though we have been • told by, some of the committee that he i has privately intimated to them his willingness to act as judge at the club’s •Winter Meeticg. In the event of his (doing,so, or his not doing so, it is hard ‘to say who loses most dignity over the i Auckland Racing Club's \ committee or the. Hon. E. Mitchelson.