Please wait. Contacting image service... loading

Article text

BRISBANE NOTES.
>^-(From Our Own Correspondent.);..
'¿'??i FUTURE OF RACING. v
? . - _____ -. il
?V- BRISBANE, April 4... I
h -Racing Interests in Brisbane are be-
coming very nervous" about the future
of ^ their favourite sport, if what is
really* a huge business concern . can
be called a sport Every time they
turn' on the radio .or open their daily
paper they fear to hear news that
racing has been banned for the dura-
tion of the war.
It is possible that racing will not be
numbered among the slain, but those
connected with it do not sleep easy o'
nights. After the sudden decision
not to permit racing at the Rosehill
course in Sydney a rumour went round
the clubs here that this action was the
thin end cf the wedge, and that the
thick end would be inserted almost im-
mediately, forcing' all clubs to go 'out
of existence, at -least in the ' capital
cities. From all portehts now visible
it would not appear likely that rac-
ing is'. in danger of official ' extinction
unless the situation as it directly af-
fects Australia becomes considerably
worse. Racing has so many ramifica-
tions that its total prohibition would
affect many thousands of people either
in the way. of livelihood or business,
and it is not likely that the Common-
wealth will seriously carve into it un-
less such action becomes absolutely
necessary. Nevertheless, the racing
men are nervous, and refuse to be
comforted. They look around them
and see-all the things the Government
has done, and, knowing that racing
could not' by any contortion of the
imagination be classed as essential,
they anticipate the worst any day.
Taking the long view, it might not be
a bad thine for racing in this State tf
it were wiped out for a few months.
This would.clear out a great number
bf eighth and ninth rate quadrupeds
that at present are included in the list
of racehorses, whereas they should;'be
saving ; petrol by drawing bakers and
butchers' carts. - .
NO WALLFLOWERS ?? NOW. '
'There are.no wallflowers at Brisbane
dances these days. It was only a few
months ago that a girl at a dance
might reckon herself lucky not to. have
to sit out more than half the' numbers.1
"With the arrival of our cousins from
across the Pacific the position, of our
girl dancers, has completely.'changed.
They are always in the minority, and
.find .themselves in that most enviable
of all positions-able to pick and
choose their partners. The only trouble
is that the American style'of dancing is
very different from that practised here.«
and a pair dancing together for .the
first time often find themselves re-
duced, to a jerky kind of cakewalk
while they, argue as to the proper way
to perform the dance. Only a night
or two is needed, however, for a gen-
eral- sorting out of a . give and take
basis, the American contribution
usually being the kick, and the Austra-
lian the glide.'. Strangely enough.
American' boys seem to take their
dancing sadly, although they love it
¿very dearly. Every American seem
.Jfigly wishes to b&.considered by his
'^partner' as the world's champion floor
artist) -and, -accordingly concentrates
"his whole enertdes on the.job. Hence
thè;seTious look.. ,
'.' V MAKING SURE. .
. Some i people,, in fact hundreds. , of
them, are making no attempt whatever
toi provide trench raid shelters -for
themselves. They intend to take the
chances of a bomb landing near their
homes rather than go to the expense
. or work of gouging a hole in mother
?earth. In direct contrast" to".-these
nonchalant souls-are others who have
swung .in . the opposite direction. One
might be pardoned for thinking that a
farm-, residence ten miles from the city
would be fairly safe from a bomb dis-
turbance. The owner does not think
so, and this is what he did. He dug
and blasted a trench 12 feet long by
six; feet wide. At the sides he placed
15-inch logs. Over these was erected
a concrete wall nine inches thick,
heavily reinforced with steel- and iron
bars. Over the top of the trench were
placed hardwood logs 10 feet long by
15 .inches, in girth, crosswise. Over
these was placed three feet of earth.
Then more 15-inch logs lengthwise,
with four ieet of earth on top again.
The entrance is from a right-angle
drive, with the top guarded by a heavy
concrete, slab, so arranged that it can
be -readily moved by a lever... The
owner of this miniature fort regard
it as proof against anything short of a
500-lb. bomb. Nobody is likely - tt
dispute the fact.
TROOPS' GOOD BEHAVIOR
Owing .to the misconduct of a . few
men in uniform in Brisbane ¡far too
much publicity has been given to a
few incidents which have otcurred;
Taking a line from all the not ' air
which has been expended about the
conduct in the city streets at night, a
person in a distant town might be for-
given, for coming, to the conclusion that j
no man's life was safe ¡after dark.
Actually, the city was .never quieter.
There were a few bottle parties be-
fore the beer restrictions, but they
have all died out, yet-a few of the
wowser type of busybody still con-
siders the metropolis a hot-bed of
Iniquity. Compared with the night
scenes- in the last war' the city now is
a fair imitation, of a morgue. There
are always plenty of men in uniform,
mostly Americans, and they are a
remarkably quiet crowd.. One
notable fact about these lads is that
they never swear. The . Australian
digger has built an' international
reputation for his lurid language, but
his American cobber has. not yet
passed the stage of exclaiming "din-
kum!" when he wants to emphasise his
words. \
GAMBLING DENS GONE.
Before the war Moke'out Brisbane
was cpotted all over its 325 square
miles with a very choice-assortment of
gambling dens. Some were select and
quite respectable, no -trickery, and
every frequenter good for his losses.
Others were just off the border line
of respectability, and still others were
shamelessly crooked. Practically the
whole lot of them have been wiped
out by the war. Enlistments, compul-
sory service changes' of résidence and
high taxation have been the main
causes of their disappearance. Men
- ran the more popular gambling
businesses reaped a rich harvest while
the going was good, and they could
well afford the stiff fines imposed
when they were caught There are
still a few places where gambling can
be indulged in for high stakes as lorifi
as one is introduced by . a member.
"They are conducted costly in private
houses, with the result that the pos
sibflitv of police interference is
greatly lessened. The same member
meet ' every week, and new ones ar.e
allowed in only after careful inquiries
At a recent game in one of the places
there was over £1000 on the table dur-
ing a game of'poker. That is gamb-
ling, and "no blinkin' error,'' as the
Cockney would say. . . .?
«????»»»»?»?»??»»»»»»????"??'*
$