TURF TOPICS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 166, 16 July 1931, Page 15

TURF TOPICS.

PROTECTING' THE PUBLIC.

SUPERVISION OF COURSES

EXPENSES OP CONFERENCE

'"In view of! the discontent which has been expressed in- several quarters regarding what has been termed the everincreasing expenses of the New Zealand Conference, it is incumbent upon me to draw your attention to the following facts relating thereto," said the president, Mr. 0. S. Watkins at the annual meeting at Wellington to-day. The public, by investing- on the, totalisator, supplied the revenue from which clubs obtained virtually the total amount riven by them in stakes, though some of the larger clubs were able to supplement this amount from other sources. The point he desired to emphasise was that as the public- supplied these funds they nere entitled to demand .ah adequate supervision of the general control and conduct of racing, and of racecourses also. It was therefore the duty of the conference authorities to afford the necessary protection. The appointment of stipendiary stewards and racecourse inspectors Kas intended primarily to satisfy this obligation.- _ . Some years ago the Rules of Racing provided that the whole of the revenue derived from totalisator investments must be given in stakes. To enable clubs to meet conference and district committee ievies without touching upon other sources of revenue, the rules were amended. Clubs were now required to_ give in stakes not less than 90 per cent or the average net amount derived from the totalisator during the preceding three rears, and from tbe remaining 10 per cent Tas derived the amount required by the ■(inference to meet the cost of stipendiary stewards and racecourse inspectors, etc. It would be apparent, in view of the tore:oing explanation, that the public were actually paying for their own protection, the clubs being a collecting medium. Apart from the cost involved m supplying the services of stipendiary stewards and racecourse inspectors, amounting to £8165 1/2, the net cost of administration of the conference for the current yea- 1 " ' w ' as £1582 6/8. This amount included, however, sums of £408 3/10, being the cost ot the "New Zealand Stud R°°k lished every third year), and £315 10/8 non-recurring expenditure on the revised rules of racing: Deducting, these two items, the net cost of administration reduced to £868 12/2. Surely that amount could not be looked upon as excessive. During the year the executive committee had examined every channel or conference expenditure with a visw to effecting economies. The result of the committee's investigations had been tnat the only reduction which could possibly he made was to reduce the salaries oi the officers of the conference. The deduction so made would result in a total saving ox over £900 per annum.