THE BREED OF HORSES.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1158, 20 June 1912, Page 7

THE BREED OF HORSES.

The recent remarks of the Minister ■of /Internal Affairs, in reply to deputations from Racing and Hunt Clubs anxious to secure totalisator permits

for next season, have aroused a good deal of interest, because he has strongly emphasised the importance of encouraging a breed of animal suitable for army remounts and light artillery horses. Mr W. Armstrong, secretary of the South Wairarapa Trotting Club has written some thoughtful remarks and claims that the Minister will be warmly supported by small breeders (mostly farmers) who annually breed from light harness mares. The mares bred from are during a portion of the season in use drawing milk carts and their owners’ gigs or spring carts; such mares bred to standard-bred trotting stallions produce just the stamp of horse the Minister of Internal Affairs desires to encourage. The breeders also are just the class of men that deserve encouragement at the hands of the Government. TROTTING ENTHUSIAST’S IDEAS. The same writer goes on to say: many years I have taken a keen interest in the breed of horses, and in my capacity as a delegate to the New Zealand Trotting Conference have assisted' to the utmost of my

power to encourage a breed of horses suitable for roadsters or light harness purposes. I can assert without fear of contradiction that horses bred from American standard-bred trotting sires are exceedingly handy from a utility point of view; also horses so bred are hardy and useful either as hackney or carriage horses. The Hon. the Minister of Internal Affairs has recently been bombarded by deputations from country racing clubs with a request for totalisator permits. No doubt in many instances the deputationists had good grounds for approaching the Minister; but in many instances the clubs they represent have in no way assisted to encourage the breeding of other than weeds and squibs which, if they fail to make good as sprinters are of no value as roadsters or harness horses. Race meetings at which such a class of horse is encouraged will never be missed except by those addicted to betting.” PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS. Mr Armstrong sums up his remarks hy contending that the aim of the Government should be: — 1. —To encourage clubs (either racing or trotting) whose members consist of breeders of horses that are of some use after they leave the turf. 2 —To grant totalisator permits to clubs (racing or trotting) only in districts where it can be shown that oc-

casional competitions tend to induce breeders to (by importation of stallions) improve the class of horse they raise. The Ministei' of Internal Affairs is no doubt aware that there is no class of racing more favoured by the small breeder and farming folk than trotting; such a branch of racing appeals to men of moderate means, and should Parliament decide to grant a lew extra permits I hope that trotting clubs will obtain a fair share. TROTTING PERMITS LOST. Another correspondent, who has for a long period been closely identified with light harness racing and is also on the executive of the N.Z. Trotting Association, writes in this strain: — “Some nine or ten years back when first reductions in tote permits were made by Parliament, it was decided that the permits to racing and trotting clubs be reduced one-third prorata, which left trotting with 33 permits. When the conference of trotting delegates met that year, Sir James Carroll (then controlling the issue of tote permits) attended .the

conference and was assured by that body that only trotting clubs of probity and good standing would be recommended for permits; as a matter of fact the conference decided to wipe out certain clubs that were in a bad state financially, etc., and decided only to recommend 28 clubs for tote permits on the promise of the then Hon Mr Carroll that he would keep the remaining five permits up his sleeve (this was his expression) the conference accepted the Minister’s statement in good faith —but during the season certain racing clubs brought influence to bear and ere the year was out, the five trotting permits that were to have remained up Mr Carroll’s sleeve were granted to racing clubs. Consequently at next meeting of the conference, it was found that although new clubs had been formed and others had been reconstructed, the five permits which were in all fairness the property of trotting authorities were irrevocably gone. THE CLAIM'S OF TROTTING. The trotting authorities have vainly endeavoured since then to regain their lost permits, but without success. Deputations waited on the exPremier (Sir Joseph Ward) and Sir James Carroll, but were told the Cabinet could take no action and referred the deputation to the Racing Conference. This was done but Sir George

Clifford, president of the Conference, said he could not assist the Trotting Association. Plainly the sport of trotting has been badly done by, and if the Hon. G. W. Russell is able to persuade Parliament to authorise an extension of the number of totalisator permits, as he has expressed his intention of endeavouring to do, it is only just that the Minister of Internal Affairs should favourably consider giving back the five lost permits to the trotting clubs. There can be no question about the great strides the sport of light harness racing has made during recent years, and it can be safely said that during the last decade the patronage of the public at trotting meetings has doubled. This being so the sport is fairly entitled to more liberal treatment in the matter of totalisator permits.