THE RACING CONFERENCE.

Auckland Star, Volume LV, Issue 162, 10 July 1924, Page 7

THE RACING CONFERENCE.

CONTROL OF MEETINGS. UNRULY AND VICIOUS HORSES. RECOMMENDATIONS BY STEWARDS {By Telegraph.—Press Association.) ' WELLINGTON, this day. At the Racing Conference to-day 34 clubs were represented. The report of the stipendiary stewards stated that the management and control of race meetings during the past season continued to show a decided improvement in many respects. Efficient control of the jockeys' room was, however, still lax. The evils of clubs continuing to accept entries of unruly, vicious, or imperfectly broken horses still demanded special reference. Some decided action should be taken to obviate this evil, and thereby protect riders and well-mannered horses from serious injury at the starting post. The committee suggests that a new rule of racing be adopted to provide that, in case of a vicious or dangerously unruly horse, the stipendiary steward shall report such horse to the Surgical Committee for inquiry, and, on its recommendation, the district committee may decide to place the unruly horse in a list debarring such horse from entry for such periods as it may consider necessary; that any horse placed in such a list may be permitted to run out its engagements, if any. The financial condition of some clubs, states tho report, is far from satisfactory, and unless relief from taxation '•■■■ oMa myl in the near future, they will be unable to carry on. The Dates Committee submitted a report fixing the dates of racing for the coming year, and drawing the attention of Marlborough, Nelson, Westport, Reefton, Kumara, Westland and Greymouth Clubs to the advisability of establishing a circuit of dates for the autumn meetings of those clubs. It was also suggested that next year delegates from such clubs wait on the committee with a view of arriving at a more satisfactory arrangement than exists at present. OVERBURDENED CLUBS. APPEAL FOR RELIEF. fßy Telegraph.—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, this day. : The New Zealand Racing Conference opened to-day, Sir George Clifford presiding. Mr. C. P. Skerrett moved: "That it be a representation to the Prime Minister that loan of taxation, direct and indirect, upon raoing clubs, is such as to imperil the continued existence of the sport of racing in all its branches, and that he be urged to give such relief ias is possible to the whole racing organisation in Now Zealand, without any distinction between clubs, which now bear proportionately the burden which was placed upon them primarily for war purposes, and from which they are entitled to relief in view of the understanding under which they acquiesced in its imposition." Mr. Skerrett said a serious problem j had now arisen for clubs in bearing a 1 heavy burden of taxation. It was a j source of anxiety to make ends meet. There was an undoubted understanding that the increased taxation would be revised, but that revision only resulted ■in a slight reduction of the owners' tax. Mr. J. Grigg seconded the motion, which was carried.