TOTALISATOR PERMITS.

Bruce Herald, Volume LV, Issue 65, 25 August 1919, Page 3

TOTALISATOR PERMITS.

A COUNTRY APPEAL. The chairman of the Northern Wairoa Racing Club has sent- copies of the following letter to all members.of Parliament: —"In view of the approaching session the members' of .my club have .decided to approach all members of Parliament, and! respectfully ask them if each is prepared to support the measure brought, down by the Government increasing the number of totalisator permits, more particularly in the country districts. The war is now happily over, ami a great number of our returned soldiers are eagerly applying for all available suitable sections, consequently population 'will rapidly increase in . farming' areas. Further, the improvement in racing of recent years through'out the Dominion, I feel sure, now warrants a reasonable increase of permits. I know it is the hope and wish of every member of Parliament to make the country environments as attractive as possible, and am'ongst outings in moat country districts the annual race meeting is ojh? of the most popular."

CLUTHA M.P.'S OPINION. -Messrs A. McNeil and \V. .1. Little waited on Mr Malcolm, ALP., on Tuesday and solicited his support in ' the matter of representing to the Minister for Internal 'Affairs the matter of obtaining a totalisator permit for the Glut ha Trotting Club. They pointed out the strong membership of the club as a reason for the privilege, and the fact that the Clutha district had not one race meeting of any kind within its 'bounds. The nearest trotting', club was at Gore, 50 -miles away, and there was no race meeting nearer than Dunedin. Mr Malcolm, in his reply to the two gentlemen, said that- he could not assist them. He had taken up the- position of objecting to all totalisator permits, and as he had pursued that policy throughout his public life he could not accede to their request to assist in .the matter of securing a permit for the Clutha Trotting Club, lie liked sport as welL as anyone, but lie o'bjected to the gambling element being introduced into it.

The deputation stated that they waited on Mr Malcolm as the member for the district in the ordinary- way, and as representing a. numerous section of 4ho electors.