Mr. P. SELIG'S VIEWS.

Press, Volume LXV, Issue 13612, 22 December 1909, Page 4

Mr. P. SELIG'S VIEWS.

Mr P. Solig, President of the New Zealand Trotting Association, when ii'tcrviewed with reference to the new legislation, said that the racing tax would bo welcomed, 'he thought, by some of the clubs in tho interest of Some of them, it was true, might find it rather irksome. For instance, the Forbury Park Trotting Chib had recently entered into a larye liability in the direction of the purchase of a new course, i'he proposed new tax, therefore, would inakv a considerable difference in their calculations. Some clubs would have to economise by way of reducing the stake money. The Government. however, n.nst legislate for the whole, and taking it altogether, . c <> long as they had tin- assistance of the totalisator, tne various clubs would not feel the increased tax so much. Without seeing the Act. and only going by the- precis which lias been published in "Tho Pit-ss,' , it looked as if the Minister intended issuing licenses himself to the dubs which did not use the totalisator. li so, Mr Sol it; thought this was rather a mistake, because tin , trotting authorities and tho racing authorities were in th<? best position to judge as to :iie merits of the applicants, lioth authorities had always set their faces against anything that was not in the direction ot snort for the sake of sport. That was to say, they did not approve of proprietary clubs. Personally, while lie thought that there ■were not too many meetings for tho support of the great American sport of trotting in tho Dominion, careful supervision was necessary —and was always exercised by the controlling body, so as to prevent an unhealthy growth of meetings. As to the question of bookmakers. Mr Selig thought the Government should haro adopted some defined position with a view to exercising a stricter method of issue of licenses. It seemed that tlio matter wr.s still left in the hands of tho clubs, who, so far as he knew, consulted with i he twlico authorities before granting a license. Though this was the most salutary precaution that ihf clubs could take, it nad not always resulted satisfactorily. He thought that the reputable bookmakers would gladly welcome a stricter supervision themselves. Of course, in what ho had said he was only speaking on the summary which had" been telegraphed, and not on the full text of the Hill as proposed by the Government.