Sporting and Dramatic REVIEW AND Licensed Victuallers’ Gazette, With which is incorporated the Weekly Standard THURSDAY, MARCH 8, 1906. STIPENDIARY STEWARDS.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XIV, Issue 835, 8 March 1906, Page 6

Sporting and Dramatic REVIEW AND Licensed Victuallers’ Gazette, With which is incorporated the Weekly Standard THURSDAY, MARCH 8, 1906. STIPENDIARY STEWARDS.

Evidently the stipendiary steward question is agitating the minds of V.R.C. members in Australia just now, and according to the “Australasian” they do not appear to be in agreement on it. At the annual meeting the chairman gave members to understand that there were to be two stipendiary stewards appointed by the club. Mr. Miller did not go into particulars as to what the duties of these stipendiaries would be or what salary was to be paid them, but most members came away thinking that the committee had decided by vote to appoint two men on the Sydney lines, and give the stipendiary system a fair trial. Weeks and months went by without anything further being heard ol the stipendiaries, and then came the announcement that one paid steward, at TTqoo, was wanted. This was not what Mr. Miller promised at all. When he spoke he certainly gave the impression that the committee had gone into the question thoroughly, and had come to a decision. It appears now that those members of the committee who have the same rootedobjection to paid stewards that Admiral Rous had to paid handicappers are still in a majority at the V.R.C. office. Apparently there was a vote taken before the chairman spoke, but it was not taken in a full committee, and since then the party which objects to paid stewards has succeeded in reversing that vote and getting back to the old system of one man. The gentleman who wanted two men proposed to give them far more power than Mr. Fraser had. They were not merely to act when requested by the stewards of the day, but would have been allowed - to assert themselves even at Flemington. At suburban meetings, it is to be presumed, they would have been given sole control, and the want of stipendiary stewards at suburban meetings was never more apparent than it is now. On some courses this is more patent than on others. The honorariee ‘down the line” mean well nd doubt, but seem to be an easy-going lot, who do not regard it as their business to assist the premier club in getting rid of the objectionables of the day. The Moonee Valley stewards gained a reputation for alertness some time back, but they have missed two very bad cases during the last few months. We are not saying that paid stewards might not also have failed to spot the two horses we are thinking of. The first paid men in New South Wales lost their positions through failing to detect a shunt which nearly everyone else on the course seems to have seen. But paid men would always be on the look-out. It could be their business to keep their eyes open during a race. Mr. Harrie Smith did more than this. He kept his ears open before the race, and if he thought anything was wrong he tiied to put it right. It may be argued that perhaps paid men would be too anxious to obtain a conviction, but there has been no complaint of this in New South Wales, where the paid steward system seems to be working smoothly. Racing committees are agreed that the best men should be procured and paid to do the starting, judging and handicapping. Whv, then, should the stewards who have control of the meeting not be chosen and paid in the same way? Is there any reason why an expert is not just as valuable ar a steward is in the positions which now carry a salary? We are not complaining that the turf is in a particularly bad way just now. On the contrary, we have no doubt that on the whole it has never been cleaner than it is to-day—but there can

of the amateur giving way to the professional as a steward, and we had hopes that the V.R.C. would at least go as far as the A.J.C. has done in the matter. The announcement that the promise of two men at the salary paid previously has been reduced to one at /J4O0 —the price the committee were offering for a detective —is very disappointing. The committee have made no sign as to what the new man’s duties are to be. Will he have no more power for interference than Mr. Fraser had, or will he be allowed to take control or suburban courses, as Mr. Harrie Smith did in his day? The secretary of a country club writes on this subject:—“We are surprised to find that the duties have not been defined before applications were called for. . . . Should the stipendiary steward not be required within the suburban area, can his services be obtained by country clubs, and on what terms?. Many country clubs would be pleased to avail themselves of the services of the stipendiary steward.” The suggestion contained in this letter is worth noting by those who regard the salaries of two men as an objection to the adoption of the Sydney system. The writer speaks for one of the best of the country clubs. With the mid-week racing reduced the stipendiary steward could often be spared to attend a meeting in the country Besides helping the local stewards he could keep the V.R.C. committee in touch with some of the most important racing outside the radius and his evidence would often be available in appeal cases. With country as well as suburban clubs bearing a hand in the expense, there should not be much difficulty in carrying out the two stipendiary stewards idea. . Of course, the V.R.C. would have to bear the brunt of the burden ; but it can afford that. The premier club has to settle all country disputes, and is supposed to exercise some supervision over country racing. The members of the committee cannot spare time to attend meetings away from home —they have to spend a good many hours a week at the V.R.C. office—and at suburban meetings they attend merely as spectators. Two paid men to have control at the suburban meetings, and to sit with country stewards when in attendance, could hardly fail to improve the management. There is no chance of inducing the V.R.C. and V.A.T.C. committeemen to give way to stipendiary stewards al present; but they might allow the paid men to assist bv suggestions, and take a hand in managing details. Tt is nearly i' years since the system of having paid stewards was first advocated in “The Australasian.” Since then it has been adopted in New South Wales and West Australia with satisfactory results, as far as we can learn. We should very much like to see it given a fair trial in Victoria.