“Nothing To Fear" From Commission

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32038, 12 July 1969, Page 6

“Nothing To Fear" From Commission

(From Our Own Reporter) WELLINGTON. Racing had nothing to fear from the establish* ment of a Royal Commission, said Mr R. A. Whyte, president of the Racing Conference, in his report at the annual meeting in Wellington yesterday.

Mr Whyte said that the commission’s findings would be a matter of the utmost importance to all persons and bodies connected with racing and the conference would have a very important part to play in the deliberations of the commission.

"There would be many matters upon which, as a conference, we would wish to make submissions,” said Mr Whyte. “I welcome the opportunity which we will have of putting before the commission our case on numerous issues which we have in the past unsuccessfully represented to the Government.

Mr Whyte said that neither the Racing Conference nor the Trotting Conference had sought the establishment of such a commission. The executive committee of the Racing Conference had publicly stated in November last year that, while it had nothing to fear from the appointment of a commission, it did not at that time consider such an appointment and the consequent expense could be justified. Mr Whyte said that the Government was first asked to set up a commission last year but until very recently there was no indication that the Government contemplated acceding to the request. “I believe the Government had been influenced in establishing the commission by its reluctance to make any decision, in an election year, on issues such as the distribution of the additional commission of 2.68 per cent on off-course doubles betting, quinella betting, betting on greyhound races, and similar issues," he said. “My own view is that if these issues had not been raised this year it is unlikely that we would have been faced with a commission. "Nevertheless, the commis- i

sion is to be established and, whatever we may think of the Government’s motives in establishing it or of the necessity for it to be established, we must now face up to the fact,” said Mr Whyte. “In my view, the only proper approach for this conference to adopt is for it to give the commission the fullest possible assistance in what will be an onerous and important task.”

Mr Whyte said that the cost of the commission was a matter of considerable concern. The last Royal Commission, which sat from 1946 to 1948, cost racing clubs about $20,000. “What the cost of this commission will be is anyone’s guess,” he

said. “I assume that the Government will ignore the fact that no request for a commission was made by the conference on behalf of the clubs and will require the huge expense to be borne by the clubs.” Mr Whyte said that the issues on which the conference made submissions would have to be decided and to that end clubs and district committees would later be asked to advise the executive of the matters which they consider important and of the views which they have on such matters. “Naturally the submission will be influenced by the commission’s terms of reference, and these are not known yet,” he said.