'Driving fees should have been raised’

Press, 19 July 1979, Page 21

'Driving fees should have been raised’

By

W. R. CARSTON

Driving fees for horsemen should have been raised. This opinion was expressed by the | retiring president of the Canterbury Park Trotting Club! (Mr W. G. P. Cuningham)! iwhen he presented his report' at the annual meeting last evening. Mr Cuningham told members that, as the club's representative at the annual meeting of the N.Z. Trotting Conference at Timaru recently, he was appalled by the lack of support given by' clubs to the executive’s re-j mit to increase driving 1 fees! from $l5 to $2O a race. I “I cannot understand the! | penny-pinching attitude of( I many plubs and their dele-j gales,” said Mr Cuningham. i "The horsemen last had a driving increase from $l2 to $l5 in 1975.” Mr Cuningham pointed out j that jockeys now got a $25: riding fee for flat races and!

I he said that on the groundsi I of inflation, if for no other I I reason, driving fees for! horsemen should have been! raised. “This shortsighted attitude! [is not going to encourage! |young horsemen to become; professional drivers only,”! said Mr Cuningham. “They have to seek jobs in stables or set up as professional trainers.” Mr Cuningham said that everything must be done to encourage young men to stay in the trotting industry as professional drivers. He also predicted that the day was 'not too far distant when only; .professional drivers would be: I allowed on metropolitan trot-) : ting courses. “This is a job for the pro-! (fessionai,” he said. “The. i owner or amateur trainer! ■ with one or two horses, I through lack of driving ex-i perience and expertise, can' I well be a menace to the pro-; (fessionai drivers and a bane ! to the punters.” I Another thing which Mr!

uCuningham said appalled him ; [at the recent conference were The remarks of Mr Comber. ; Under-Secretary of Internal Affairs, that there would be !no taxation relief in the | forthcoming year. I “Our sport, and our sistei i sport, galloping, provide! many millions of dollars in I taxation to the Government at very little cost of collec-1 tion,” said Mr Cuningham. j “Unless some type of tax re-i lief is forthcoming there are! most unlikely to be stakes;' increases.” Mr Cuningham said there!' would, however, be substantial increases in al! expenses;! :and outgoings, fuelled by!' (wage increases and inflation. J i “We must continue to press • i for tax remission otherwise i trotting will wither and be- 1 come very much less attrac-p Itive to owners, trainers.!: i breeders and the many other ! 1 I people who have placed New | Zealand’s name well to the fore in world opinion as a (standardbred nursery,” he lsaid.