GOLDEN EGGS.

Auckland Star, Volume LIV, Issue 123, 25 May 1923, Page 8

GOLDEN EGGS.

THE TOLL ON RACING. KILLING THE GOOSE. (By Telesraph. —Tress Association.) OIIRISTCHURCU, Thursday. At the annual meeting of the Canterbury Jockey Club, the chairman, Mr. J. C. N. Grigg, said members of the club paid taxation which was quite unjustified at the present moment in that ai great part of it was put on as war tax j and must be removed as far as possible, j One reduction members were glad to; see was the 10 per cent oil" stakes won, but the country clubs must be relieved to a greater extent, otherwise it would \-e impossible tor them to carry on. Good, solid country clubs, which had given good, healthy sport for 50 years would be crushed out of existence unless taxation was reduced. Mr. Grigg then suggested that taxa- '■■ tion should not in any case exceed a . certain proportion of the gross revenue, j so that a more or less sliding scale of taxation might come into force instead of taxation which seemed to suggest that racing clubs were not wanted by the Government. In seconding the motion, Mr. F. U. Gould said be could not see how tlie clubs could carry on successfully unless the Government gave some relief. At present the Government took a large toll of the club's finances. The toll was equivalent to the whole of the club's j stakes for a year—over .CSO.OOO. He thought the Government realised it was <Kiing too far and was in danger of killing the goose that laid the golden eggs. If such relief were forthcoming he was sure the club would be able to , hold its own. 'Mr. Grigg's remarks regarding the ! stakes tax is evidently a reference to the provisions of last year's Stamp , Duties Act. By that measure the I dividend tax was increased from Od to 1/ in the £1, and the stakes tax from 1 per cent to 10 per cent, the hin-hor rates to continue until March 31, 1924, subject to extension for not more than six months beyond that date by Ordcr-in-iCo-uncil. Thereafter, the former rates of Cd and 1 per cent respectively will be charged.