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DEFENDS STIPENDIARY STEWARDS SYSTEM. That the handing over of the management of racing to stipendiary stewards has cured all the ills of the turf no one with any knowledge of the subject Is likely to assert. We believe It will be generally admitted, however, that racing has improved under their control. They may appear a little timid; but when the rights and privileges of an individual, however lowlj, are concerned, caution is necessary. It is better that several gitilty persons should escape-punishment than that one innocent person should suffer. There may be grounds for believing that malpractice still exists on the turf, but that must not be regarded as suilicient excuse for bringing tlie honorary steward ou the scene again. Honorary stewards were given a long trial and were in most cases found wanting. It is to be hoped that the good sense of any members of the Victoria Amateur Turf Club who feel aggrieved in regard to the superseding of honorarj-stewards by stipendiary stewards will prevail, and that they will not allow their feelings to carrj- them too far. The Victoria Racing Club committee may not. in their opinion, he the ideal ruling body in racing matters, but it is a reasonable body of practical racing men. Would the Victoria Amateur Turf Club or anv- other metropolitan racing body be better off uifder the control of a hoard appointed bj-the government 1 We think not. Melbourne Australasian.
