STIPENDIARY STEWARDS.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XVII, Issue 1006, 17 June 1909, Page 5

STIPENDIARY STEWARDS.

A QUESTION FOR THE RACING CONFERENCE.

Some important questions affecting the future of racing in this country are likely to be dealt with by the New Zealand Racing Conference this year. The Wanganui Metropolitan Club is moving in favour of the appointment of Stipendiary Stewards, and the Taranaki Clubs are supporting the Club’s action to a certain extent, by asking that Rule 2 of Part 1., affecting the appointment of Judicial and Advisory Stewards, be struck out, and the following substituted: — Each Metropolitan Club shall appoint a stipendiary official, who shall attend all race meetings held within its district, and shall report upon all such meetings to his Metropolitan Club. The stipendiary official may demand the steward of any club at whose meeting he is officially present, to take evidence on any case or cases he may think fit, and when requested, shall give his advice to the stewards of the club, but shall have no vote at stewards’ meetings.

At the end of each season he shall report to the Metropolitan Club upon the conduct of all riders and trainers licensed by, or applying for licenses from his club. He shall be paid by each club whose meeting he attends, at the rate of 1% per cent, of the stakes, with a minimum of £7 10s. and a maximum of £l5, per day’s racing.

The rule which will be superseded if the remit be agreed to reads as follows: —

On the application of any Club in its Metropolitan District the Metropolitan Committee shall appoint for any Race Meeting of such Club an Advisory Steward, whose fee (if any) shall be paid by the Club making such application. Such Advisory Steward shall be entitled to demand an investigation by the Stewards of any matter occurring during the Meeting, and may sit and vote as a

Steward at such investigation. The difference between the two is simple. As the rule stands the attendance of an Advisory Steward at country race meetings is optional with the clubs affected. The rule proposed to be substituted is of a mandatory character, and would compel every country club racing under the wing of the

Conference to accept such an official at the hands of the Metropolitan Club, the latter again being compelled to make such an appointment, even in cases where it was not considered desirable or necessary. In the interests of country racing we trust that the proposal will be carefully scanned and its effect fully weighed before it is finally dealt with. There are many things to be said in its favour, and, in the interests of “ The Sport of Kings ” it is certainly desirable that there should be some independent authority in attendance at minor race meetings, to act in an advisory capacity to the officials, and to safeguard the interests of racing by keeping a vigilant eye upon the actions of those who might otherwise bring the Turf into disrepute. On the other hand, country clubs may object to the compulsion the new rule would place upon them, by making obligatory what is •at present a purely permissive matter. Emanating, as the proposal does, from the Taranaki country clubs, it is, however, certain to be received with a good deal of sympathy—more so, in fact, than if it had emanated from one of the Metropolitan Clubs.