Sporting Review AND LICENSED VICTUALLERS' GAZETTE. WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE WEEKLY STANDARD. Thursday, August 22, 1895.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume VI, Issue 266, 29 August 1895, Page 4

Sporting Review AND LICENSED VICTUALLERS' GAZETTE. WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE WEEKLY STANDARD. Thursday, August 22, 1895.

The disagreement existing between the Auckland Trotting Club and the Canterbury Metropolitan Trotting Association was the subject of a special meeting of the Auckland Trotting Club stewards, held on. Friday last. It will be remembered that the breach between tbe local club and the southern body was caused by the action of the former in allowing M. Edwards to ride at one of the Potter’s Paddock gathering, notwithstanding the fact that Edwards was at that time serving a sentence of one month’s disqualification awarded by the Canterbury Association. The Auckland club assert that no official intimation was received by them of such disqualification, either in the shape of a notification from Canterbury or an application by Edwards to ride at Potter’s Paddock/ However, when the trouble assumed unpleasant dimensions an official memo, arrived from the southern club, in which it was stated that.; Edwards, when asked by the Christchurch officials whv he had ridden

up here in spite of the Canterbury disqualification made reply to the effect that the Auckland Trotting Club Committee had given him official permission. At Friday’s meeting he was called upon to state his’reasons for believnlg that the Club authorities had given him official permission to ride. Evidence was heard from both Edwards and the Secretary of the Club and their statements boiled down simply amount to this. Edwards interpreted a private conversation which took place between himself and the Secretary as official and on being told by the latter (as a private individual, not as secretary of the Auckland Trotting Club) that unless a formal intimation of the sentence was forwarded from Christchurch he thought no steps would be taken to stop Edwards from driving at the paddock, the latter regarded the information as official permission. As Edwards naively put it, he looked upon Mr C. F. Mark as “ the club.” The secretary’s evidence pointed to the fact that he had no official data to go upon in bringing Edwards’ southern disqualification before the local stewards his knowledge of the sentence passed on Edwards being derived from purely private sources. Therefore, he argues, there was no justification for the case being carried before the Auckland committee. After the Secretary’s evidence had been taken Edwards admitted that he had been at fault in his statement to the Southern A.ssociation to the effect that official permission had been given him to ride at Auckland and signed the following apology :— “As I find that I have, under a misapprehension, made certain statements to the Canterbury Metropolitan Trotting Association, to the effect that I had obtained permission to ride at the Auckland Meeting, which have proved to be incorrect, I now beg to withdraw those statements and apologise for having made them.” At an adjourned meeting of the Auckland Stewards, held last Tuesday, the matter was further considered, with the result that Edwards’ apology was received, and it was decided that he be severely reprimanded for having misled the Canterbury Trotting Association.

As the Hawkes Bay Jockey Club Committee have announced their intention of declining to accept the District Racing Committee Scheme, agreed upon at the last meeting of the Turf Conference, we may remind racing club authorities that any body desirous of following the lead of the H.B.J.C may do so by giving notice on or before Nove&ber 4th next. After the District Scheme had been formulated and agreed upon last November the Conference tacked on the following addition to Clause 9 (which provided for the scheme coming into force on and after the Ist inst.) : “ But shall not be binding on any clubs which may give notice before the meeting of the next Conference that they do not wish to come under the resolutions.” It may not be out of place at the present time to reproduce this District Scheme, which reads as follows “ 1. That the system of Racing Conferences be continued, and that such body be constituted, as at present, by representatives from the Metropolitan and Country Clubs. 2. That such Conference appoint annually a committee to act during the recess, such committee to consist of seven members, one of whom shall be elected as chairman. 3. The duties of such committee shall be to act as a Court of Appeal in cases decided by or referred to it by the District Committee, and to prescribe the rules of procedure for the hearing of such cases. 4. The chairman shall receive all communications that may be addressed to the Conference Committee, and, when business requires it, shall call a meeting of the committee to consider the same. The committee shall then either determine itself any cases brought before it or may appoint a sub-committee of three members to hear such cases, and if neces sary or desirable mav hear such cases in the district -in which the case has arisen ; provided that in all cases one member, of the Conference Committee shall sit, on such sub-committee and act as chairman thereof. The decisions coma to either by- the- Conference Committee or the sub-committee shall be final in all matters decided by either of them. 5. That in each present Metropolitan district there,shall be constituted a< District tCommittee to be called ‘ The District Racing Committee.’ 6. That such committee shall be composed i of four representatives elected by the

Metropolitan Club* and three members elected by the country clubs in> each present Metropolitan district; and shall meet from time to time for the despatch of business, and shall determine their own mode of procedure. Such committees shall annually make rebommenda*tions to the Conference as to the appoint?* ment of totalisator licenses for the ensuing year. 8. Such committee shall exercise all the functions at present devolving upon the Metropolitan Clubs under the Rules of Racing, provided that: this rule shall not interfere with any power at present vested in the Metropolitan Clubs which are required for the carrying out of their race meetings or ._ the management of their own affairs. An appeal shall lie from the decision of such committee to the Court of Appeal* or such committee may refer any. ease tor the Court of Appeal if it shall so desire; Clause 9; These resolutions shall come l into force on and after Ist of August; 1895.” .2