THE PASSING SHOW

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XX, Issue 1133, 28 December 1911, Page 4

THE PASSING SHOW

Christmas, with all its rain and tempestuous weather, damped many a •buoyant heart and drove many a temperate mortal to strong drink. However, after a storm comes a calm, and although Boxing Day was ushered in with some rain and a cloudy sky, the weather cleared early and a perfect day ensued. All the depression of the days was driven away by smiling- Old Sol, who reigned supreme throughout the ' day, allowing young and old to enjoy a perfect holiday.

Ellerslie, naturally was the centre of attraction, and never before has the beautiful course presented a more animated and inspiring sight, than it did on Cup Day, 1911. The crowds that gathered there constituted a record for the Dominion, and it was in addition a particularly well-dressed crowd, which could not fail to impress the most pessimistic of the prosperity of the land ; because there were gathered at Ellerslie on Tuesday thousands upon thousands of men and women who bore every indication that Dame Fortune has treated them well.

Yet another striking thing about the record attendance at Ellerslie was the remarkable good feeling, and the hap-py-go-lucky attitude that , prevailed everywhere. The “punting division” was also very active and the manner in which the totalisator staffs handled the enormous volume of work was remarkable, because it must be admitted that t!he; facilities afforded by the Club were certainly inadequate to conveniently cope with the turnover of the machines.

Without wishing in any way co disparage the splendid organisation and work of the A.R.C. officials, there can be only one conclusion drawn from the result of the record attendance on Boxing Day, and that is that the appointments and facilities are totally inadequate to properly cater for such a crowd. Throughout the afternoon there were complaints from all parts of the course and enclosures that the catering arrangements had failed, that the cloak rooms were in a state of chaos, and that the refreshment tb<obtb.s could not cope with the demands made on them. It must, of course, be stated in fairness to the club that the officials did everything in their power to meet the extraordinary exigencies of the position, and it would consequently be absolutely unfair to adversely criticise them in any respect. Nevertheless, there is a moral to be derived from the tremendous financial success of the meeting, which is that the club owes it to the public, that before the next summer meeting increased facilities should be provided to meet the requirements of the public

The racing at Ellerslie during the present carnival has been unusually interesting, largely on account of the large contingent of visiting horses w’hose successes on other courses throughout the Dominion invest the racing with special interest, and enable us to better gauge the merits of our locally trained thoroughbreds.

The result of the Great Northern *Foal Stakes was certainly a disappointment, although in a degree anticipated. Our two-year-olds failed dismally before the more brilliant talent from the South, but Auckland certainly more than held their own in the big handicap event, for three locally-bred and trained horses filled the three places in the Auckland Cup, when pitted against the finest equines the Dominion possesses.

Among the visitors to Auckland for the Racing Carnival are Sir George Clifford, the president, and Mr. A, A. Paape, the organising secretary, of the New Zealand Sports’ Protection League. All true sportsmen cannot fail to regret the lamentable! split that was caused in the ranks of the

League in Auckland during the recent elections, on account of the attitude of Mr. R. A. Armstrong in endeavouring to use the League as a lever to ■political preferment of a candidate for Parliamentary honours in direct contravention to the policy laid down by the Board of Control.

Fortunately now that the effervescent heat of the keenly-fought elections has subsided, it seems highly probable that sportsmen will give, the League their whole-hearted sup-port,-.and make every endeavour to bridge over the unfortunate breach that, a disappointed candidate for the office of organising secretary for the? League, caused .at a moment when public opinion was diverted to some extent from the true objects of the N.Z.S.P.L. by the bitterness engendered in the strenuously fought Parnell election.

It is to be earnestly hoped that the -presence of the two executive officials of the. League in Auckland wifi result in the foundations of a provincial branch of the N.Z.S.P.L. here, that will in a short period represent one of the most influential and strongest organisations in the Dominion; because it is now the proud boast of the Northern province that Auckland is to-day the chief sporting centre -in New Zealand.

His Worship the. Mayor of Auckland (Mr. C. J. Parr) has only occupied the honoured position of Chief Magistrate of the Queen City of the South for a few months, but in that time he has proved himself to be one of the most energetic, public-spirited, far-seeing and resourceful mayors the city has had. There Tan be no question that by the time Mayor Parr relinquishes the proud position he now

TOPICS OF THE WEEK, BY A CAUSTIC CRITIC.

holds, his term of office will stand out as one of the brightest in the history of Auckland, and will mark an epoch in the progress of the city that will be the joy and pride of generations to come.

A dog fancier says he has been bitten more than fifty times. This is something like the experience of a chronic investor on the Auckland Stock Exchange.

Says a London morning paper:—“ln an address before the Religious Tract. Society, the Rev. F. S. Webster said: ‘ln the case of one man his hand was on. the parapet of Westminster Bridge when a tract was given to him. That tract, the man confessed, prevented him from jumping into the river.’ ” Perhaps a saveloy was wrapped up in it.

The Principality of Reuss has decided to tax bachelors —English news item. Thus comments a weekly ex-

change:—

O, angel woman, ’tis not thine The Benedick to trap— He is but mortal (you divine!), A suppliant at thy lap! Yet, should he ever languid lag, Be firm, and coonk his goose— Roast him on toast (or paper bag!) And serve him a la Reuss!

Talking of husbands we are reminded of the ballad sung by a lady of high determination, wherein she expresses a resolve that “The lips that touch liquor shall never touch mine.” This is where a teetotal chap like myself enjoys a strong pull, owing to the wholesale 'disqualification of my fellow man. Possibly, however, the lady is not a Venus or a Psyche,

and the good luck may not be so great after ail. A proposal has recently been made to extend the provisions of the Act to tobacco. Bless me! Non-drinkers and non-smokers.

Even the prim and severely staid old lady of Queen-strept was affected by the Christmas festivities; for in her issue of Tuesday’s date she had the following headlines to a cable message:—

A STORM IN EUROPE. • BLUEJACKETS WASHED OFF.

A pretty considerable wash, eh?— over a continent!

Every nation has some form of cussedness that makes them great. In Germany it’s the love of beer, in France the love of feminity, in England the love, of snobbery, in America the love of noise, and in New Zealand the love of insane meddling with personal liberty. The Sports’ Protection League is out to counteract this.

What a mouldy set of young men the poor girls will have to flirt with! A man careful of himself is never generous to anybody else, and what is moro entrancing than faking a nice girl out to dinner, and basking in the sunlight of her radiant orbs under the influence of a bottle of port? Besides, girlls smoke nowadays, and many a dainty charmer, after consuming a half-bottle of 2/9 wine (I never grudge money when out for a splash) and absorbing a full packet of “Red Jackets,” has told me that she loved me for myself alone. Who can fancy a contemner of Bacchus and Nicotina squeezing a lily white home in the bus? And should the divinity, in sound Shakespearean English, cry “Out upon thee for a saucy kipper!” what ,do _yo|u clo? 'Why, ‘kiss her again. Which is exactly what she wants, as every woman knows.

An Australian magistrate has decided that a tatooist is an artist; his occupation is a professor, not a trade. This recalls the “artist,” who painted rabbits on bald men’s heads —to 1 make them think they were hairs.

“The fool and his money” are what keeps the rest of us from starving to death.

Someone or other once said, “It’s a poor rule that won’t work both ways.”

Well, try telling a mother that she looks so like her daughter that you cannot tell them apart. And then try it on the daughter.

Speech is a totally inadequate means of expression; and, in consequence of its limitations, one human being finds serious difficulty in making ideas known to another. The girl has willingly surrendered herself to the arms of hei’ lover. She feels: “How I adore him! I will 1 be faithful and true to him for ever. His kisses are sweet as honey. No one is his equal—no one.” But she probably says: “Don’t dear! How silly you are! ”

There are still to be found enthusiasts who claim that cricket is the national game of England. As a popular sport, cricket cannot hold a candle to football. Thousands shriek themselves hoarse, as spectators, lose their eyesight, and confound their mathematics over the percentage tables, or die nine deaths a day on the field, for the sake of the champagne of football, for every one that sips the still beer of cricket.

Being in debt worries some men almost as much as not being able to collect what is coming to them.

Some men are so easy that anybody can get money out of them, even their own wives.