Minister Challenged

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31762, 20 August 1968, Page 5

Minister Challenged

fIV.Z. Preo Atsociation) DUNEDIN. A challenge to the Minister of Internal Affairs (Mr Seath) to attend a meeting of racing and trotting owners, breeders, trainers, jockeys, and horse* men in the South Island to discuss the need for a Royal Commission investigation of racing was made by Mr 0. F. S. Martini at the annual meet* ing of the Otago Racing Owners’, Breeders’ and Trainers’ Association at Wingatui on Sunday night. Mr Martini, the president of the Racing Owners’, Breeders' and Trainers’ Association (Canterbury and Westland branch), and a vice-president of the Racing Owners’ and Trainers’ Federation, was the guest speaker at the meeting. "No-one has come up with a solution to the growing problems. and it is time some light was allowed to penetrate the darkness.

"That light will come only from a full inquiry conducted by an independent authority under a chairman of eminence as was the case with the last Royal Commission on gaming and racing 20 years ago.” The answer of the Racing and Trotting Conferences and the Government to racing problems had been to increase charges to the betters, owners and trainers, in spite of the conferences* joint submissions to the Taxation Reviews Committee strongly opposing such a course.

A decline of over ssm since the 1951-52 season in on-course turnovers, in spite of 45 extra

days of racing and trotting, did not indicate public en* thusiasm for attending race meetings. "There is simply no incentive left to owners to continue racing. They are being asked to foot the bills to meet clubs' losses simply to provide the Government with a great deal of revenue.

"The Government’s right to levy taxes on racing is not in issue, but the justice of the present taxation is. "In every other sphere rates of taxation have been progressively reduced, but not in racing.”

Government', Shore For year, the Government had taken more from totaliaator turnover than all club, combined. As shown In the federation', submission to the Taxation Review Committee, for the season ending July, 1957. the Government received 5553,000 more than the racing clubs, he said. In the season ending July, 1966. the margin had grown to more than 53,495.000.

"As Mr Seath had said, the increased levy of 2.68 on doubles betting is not the answer to the problems the racing industry is facing.” The amounts received by the South Island clubs in particular would not bridge the gap in the financial deficiencies.

"In the South Island, the extra revenue from doubles betting now promised will do nothing to remedy the situation.

On last year’s turnover,

North Island clubs will get six times as much extra revenue from on-course doubles and about five times as much from off-course doubles as will the South Island clubs.

Mr Martini also spoke of the need for judicial panels of exfierienced men. Too often the ivelihood of a jockey or trainer could be prejudiced by inexperienced men who sat on a judicial committee only once a year, he said.

He also commented on the unsatisfactory broadcasting of racing in the South Island. All these matters could be considered by a Royal Commission, he said.