HEAVY TAXATION.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 163, 12 July 1935, Page 12

HEAVY TAXATION.

BURDEN ON RACING. TREK TO AUSTRALIA. (By Telegraph.—Special to -'Star.") WELLINGTON, this day. "The excessive taxation imposed upon racing still continues, in spite of the oft repeated protests of your Conference," said J. S. McLeot' president of the New Zealand Racing Conference, at the annual meeting of that body this morning. If the Government would reduce the crippling totalisator tax to a more reasonable and just amount, he continued, its revenue would surely be increased. The clubs would be able to give stakes which would retain the support of owners, and consequently the earnings of trainers and jockeys and the army of employees engaged in racing would be raised to a standard commensurate with their employment. The Conference appreciated the action of the Government in giving a modicum of relief by the rebate of 1 per centum of totalisator duty to clubs up to July 31. 1936. This has undoubtedly been a relief to many clubs, particularly country clubs, and they hoped the Government would continue the rebate beyond the period stated. The Conference had failed to impress the Government with the situation which existed, that taxation still remained excessive compared with other totalisator countries. The cost of transport by the railways to travel racehorses • for any distance prevented many owners from racing their horses far from thenhome quarters. As a result of the financial crisis racing stakes were now so small that racing had become localised. This was not in the interests of the prestige of racing or the encouragement of breeding highclass horses. It must be obvious to all and painfully acknowledged that fo-day Australia was claiming New Zealand's high-class horses, as racing was cheaper there and stakes larger. The continued loss of this type of horse from New Zealand racecourses would reduce the interest of their best supporters. There was a large section of the racing public who without any thought of gain would travel far to see contests between great horses. He need not remind them i of the many occasions the great enjoyment they had had in watching contests of this nature. He was keen, therefore, that clubs should retain weight-for-age races as far as possible. In fact, he recommended the Conference to adopt a rule whereby any club holding four or more days' racing j shall include one we*glit-for-age race for every two days' racing held in the flat racing season.