AUCKLAND RACING CLUB.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 190, 13 August 1928, Page 10

AUCKLAND RACING CLUB.

THE ANNUAL MEETING

A SUCCESSFUL SEASON".

The annual meeting of the Auckland Racing Club was held at the Chamber of Commerce this afternoon. The president, Sir Edwin Mitclielson, presided, and there was a good attendance

of members

In moving the adoption of the annual report and balance-sheet, already published in the "Star," the president congratulated members on the success of last racing season's operations, which had resulted in a prolit of £15,077. After having written off for depreciation £13,155, an amount of £1922 remained to be carried forward to capital account, which now stood at £119,71*5. It must be pleasing to members to know that the value of the club's freehold property, purchased more than half a century ago, stood in the club's books at the original purchase price, plus more recent purchaser of freehold property which be-

calne nccessary in order to keep pace | with public aiid racing requirements. The committee, in framing up the programme for the year 1925-29, had reverted to eight races per day for the spring meeting. There would still only be seven races per day at the winter meeting. The amount paid away in stakes during the past season amounted to £64,200, iu addition to £310 in sweep- j stakes which was provided by owners. Government Taxation. In taxation during the year the club'o j meetings had been responsible for the payment to the Government of £09,022 ( £3544 more than last year), which, with laud tax £1580, and local rates, including water, £2020, made a total of £73,522. Tho club received £250 as a rebate from the Government. The result of the above figures clearly showed that taxes and rates cost tho club and public nearly: £7000 per day, and liere he might men-] tion that while he regretted that the Government could not see its way to reduce racing taxation, he fully realised

that the exigencies of the State must| come first, and. he could not see that any material reduction in racing taxation could be hoped for in the near future, as the Dominion's interest bill was annually growing; but lie would also like to point out that if the Government would take up and pass the Gaming Bill to provide for the telegraphing of money to racecourses, the revenue thus provided would enable the Government to either reduce taxation or do away altogether with the heavy tax on owners. This would greatly assist in eliminating the bookmakers—at the present time there were more bookmakers operating in New Zealand than ever before—and thereby greatly increased the amount that would naturally go through the totalisator. The Government Mere continually being told that the taxation levied on racing was tending towards the ruin of"the smaller clubs, without indicating in what direction taxation should bo reduced. The rules of the conference clearly showed

liow stakes were to be provided out of the totalisator receipts. Some clubs contributed a portion of the stakes out of ordinary revenue, and this, together with the contributions to the expenses of the conference, and the heavy expenditure necessary to comply with the requirements of the conference as regards racecourse equipment affected the finances of the smaller clubs very materially. The Labour Day Date. Sir Edwin said he had another serious complaint to make against the conference in connection with its treatment of the Auckland District Committee regarding the Labour Day date. They would remember the controversy that arose over that date last year, the District Committee having recommended tßat the Waikato Racing Club should have Labour Day. This was strenuously backed up by the conference until it was found that

the late Mr. Bollard had given the Waikato Hunt Club ail assurance that they should have Labour Day and that was afterwards agreed to by the president of the conference for that year. This year, when the District Committee met to allot dates for the ensuing season, Labour Day was again recommended as one of the Waikato Racing Club's dates, and this was accordingly Sent oil to the conference and apparently approved by the president, as no objection was raised by him or the conference to the date being allotted to the Waikato Kaeing Club. However, when the Dates Committee met in Wellington on July 0. a communication was made to them to the effect that two members of the conference had last year made a gentleman's agreement with the late Mr. Bollard and the Prime Min-! ister that the Waikato Hunt Club was to i be allowed to retain the Labour Day date during the life of the present Parliament. While admitting that they could not 1 commit the Racing Conference, these two gentlemen undertook to advise the Datee Committee to allot the Labour Day date iu accordance with the understanding arrived at, and the Dates Committee agreed to the course suggested. This understanding was made known to the conference, who unfortunately failed to convey the same to the Auckland District Committee or the Waikato Kaeing Club, the two bodies most vitally interested, and had the conference made know; the arrangement a great deal of misunderstanding that has arisen ill connection with the allotment of Labour Day date would have been a\oided. ft. had been j intimated publicly that in regard to the allocation of dates the matter was entirely one for the conference to deride. Arrangements ha\ e been made that in the event of any dispute arising out of j the allocation of dales and the granting jot totalizator permits it would in future bo adjusted at a rouud-the-table confer - J ence between the .Minister of Internal j Ailairs and representatives of the Racing Conference.

"The Milch Cow." The aims and objects of the l;u>iii<.' Conference would be readily admitted to] be excellent, and there was no doubt much good work has been accomplished i through its agency. Auckland, however,' has on several occasions had reason to] feel aggrieved at the treatment meted j out to it, and it at times appeared tliatj unless alterations were made in such matters as administration of the conference affairs, the continual sapping of the' powers of District Committees, and curtailment of freedom of action of individual clubs, the breaking strain would be reached and the future of the sport jeopardised. The figures that he had quoted above clearly indicated that the clubs of Auckland and its metropolitan area, which contained one-third of the wh.de population of the Dominion, could more ea-ilv and more economically run tiieir own show. To demonstrate this he pointed out that other clubs that had less than half the attendances that they] >had at dlerslie, and whose contributions I

to the tost amounted to only Auckland Club mu it distance from racecourse cost but when the a 33*5 ' ,sk ;; d u> > coolly intormed by twS%» they could only hare extra man by further gKSjM, The dub was evide«ti?S purely a milch bem» treated as applied to the wholT'jSJl'frk po'itan area, bnt, ■ t his, the committee wer»3s? « ! bury the past and carry??** .that Auckland's elaW*gE£M j with more consid«ati«2" I| N j the future, and perhant. round table talks &Slti2^P [likelihood of cause foreofiiillK