RACE MEETINGS IN JAPAN

Press, Volume XCI, Issue 27637, 19 April 1955, Page 6

RACE MEETINGS IN JAPAN

ORGANISATION BY LOCAL BODIES

ATTEMPT AT RESTRICTION OPPOSED (From a Reuter Correspondent) TOKYO.

Mr Hatoyama’s Government wants to ban all forms of racing in Japan on week-days, but has found this would deal a serious blow to the country’s education, housing, and public works programmes. The close relation between a day at the races and the education of Japan’s 19,000,000 school children was emphasised when Mr Hatoyama announced in February that his Government was planning to ban all racing on week-days. His Government is urging Japan to turn away from the spendthrift days of the Korean war boom and lead a new life of austerity while the country’s economic ills are still uncured.

Week-day racing, the Government said, was a typical “wasteful luxury” that should be abolished. Races should be confined to week-ends and holidays only. Reaction was immediate and strong. The loudest protests came from worried local government authorities. Nearly all of Japan’s local governments are deeply in debt. As one way out of their difficulties, most of them have gone into the racing business, holding horse races, bicycle races, motorboat, and motor-car races. Since 1948 this has realised 16,600,000,000 yen (£16,600,000) to help to reduce deficits in local government budgets. According to an official survey, Japanese prefectural and other local governments last year earned in profits from bicycle racing, 4,580,000,000 yen (£4,580,000). Horse racing earned 1,130,000,000 yen (£1,130,000), boat racing 490,000,000 yen (£490,000) and car racing 24,000,000 yen (£24,000). Most of the money was spent on housing, public works and education. Since 1948, Japanese local governments have spent on education as much money from profits from their racing promotions as they received in Education Ministry subsidies—--3,500,000,000 yen. Expenditure on Public Works

A day at the races has also meant better houses, better roads, and better water supplies for a country badly in need of all three. In the last six years, local governments have devoted 4,300,000,000 yen (£4,300,000) from racing profits to housing schemes, and 2,400,000,000 yen (£2,400,000) to public works developments. Local authorities estimate that a complete ban on week-day racing would cut this revenue by at least half. They have complained to the central Government that if racing is restricted to the weekends and holidays, the racecourses would have to compete against each other. Smaller attendances would result. Many of the courses, especially in the smaller towns where the funds are needed most badly, would soon be forced to close down. They support this complaint with facts and figures on racing in Japan. This country has 70 horseracing courses, 63 bicycle-racing courses, 22 motor-boat racing courses, and five car racing courses. There was a total of 9042 racing days in 1954 —an average of 25 races a day throughout the country.

Total sales of tickets realised 92,160,000,000 yen (£92,160,000). The local governments also say a ban would cause unemployment among the 1,650,000 persons who are officially estimated to depend for their living on racing. This figure includes not only the jockeys and* cyclists, but also the stable boys, tipsters, racing publications salesmen, and the like. According to this estimate, one person in every 20 of Japan’s working population earns his living from racing.