A FRANK INTERVIEW.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 696, 22 December 1909, Page 8

A FRANK INTERVIEW.

v ; :on : racing; matters.,;'• , . THE JiTMOURS .6i\ EEEE PASSES. ; :. (Dy Telegraph—l'rcss.'Association.) . ' ! ■".' .;• ' ■ Christchurch, December.2l> " - Mr. , W. H. E. Wanklyn; .secretary. of the <Jew: Zealand Bacing CciSareuce, ' who. has akoh such a keen interest-in the sport ot ■acing-lor many 1 years-Vpast, tho courso.jol in-interviow,:regarding.,tlioßilL dealing with •ace, meetings, said that the; Government proiosals:f6r" the further taxation of the. sport or inrse-riciiir are not unexpected,- nor :are .they. JnreaSfe": There .no; co»n^ : -he-ii'orldi in , -which- ■.n/oqaer-olpss of ..horse-. WBors cau have 'their; sportv and; it so-.Teasonabio- a-cpst: , Tho stakes,.thanks to he totalisatoW. a re:[«BO. enough in. most cases lo obviato.thp necessity..of'betting, and, as,a tnatterVof fuct.-'the ■■ amateur horseowncr■■ in. New: ZealandCrafely: ■ attempts .to..,supp ement his -inrimrigs.'by'negqtiahons:.cither ,>wth tho machinp w;thQiOookinakor,.. ■ ,"■ , ■"'■■-' t V ' Tho worst features, of < tho .proposals are, tfiat they are a class tax,: because:tfie owner ■ must, pay, it in' the rtmW A 'serious-;, question, tor racing clubs to consider .is>howr.to recoup :vfitli, as m«o. cost;'to owners ;« possible, and/the- reinedj- is : aboiltion of the free or complimentary.ticket. ._ Dor many.yWs- past," Sfr. AVanklyaoqntinued,r, I esrinmte ;that.tho cost of this privilege h*s been -■ considerablyvirfore than -tb* _ proposed, amount to be collected as a.tax.' Eaomeiclubs, as a' rule, ara,- well: mauaged, but Aero, is no Winking- the' fact that;, included in tS» controlling ■autbbritiei,, , i:hero are many .men. who. are- not •only'.incdnipetent.'but•;who use'their• racin" oliib r as:'>.metinS , .of furthering their personalor business relations.; Thu most-iiODU-lar- body of stewards- Wud. se.cretanes -are ; - those, who haiid: outrin:a: lavieh- ma ? ner.■revenue which .oughftojanddoes,belong to the owner. This abuse is diseretlitab e, because, the major nhtnins , nrivilegesoa. acouunt o£ his ncnes, with the- owner - and; tra ner. when ,it. suits his .pfe ■-or!' has. the-goqd .oW';^™«^ -he; representaUye etc"o , r\lie4ro.ther. S ecretary/ ; who wwks--tha money: dufc-bf'tte . coiiatrv as J thaf'--'h-e- , t.;always.-/::-gets:- ' it and-'sends-'-you.two, seats- for.;his..- show, -. ttte valub of .thoVaftcv being : 105.,-but hu r domud amdunts'to^^Oi'there.is, wlio- gets-his loeal, ; office to .write, to- the branch I -are^:-being ;held v .the.ihorse-owner wlio.once.raii-a* horse:;at ,Ste>vnr.t.:lsland,,.or,' had': entered.'.one: for your; meeting' ago;the;-member:df a racing club .who-pays-a siibscriptiou of a guinea,-to.his club; tl'e.gentleman presenting his cardXith_the; : name w ... several' newspapers 1 on-it; the. sharper who- en ; :■- ters a -horse for-tHo.-last day;of a>four .days '■'■- ■m e etthg,•^and:the ; ;man■whe l -'khew;ye-u w|eu. : -Tou wer.e: a , boy.' ,In(fact, there; arei very iew. )eople who ■ attend-: race meetings in New, Zetland who "have , .not .what-they: ■consider- juf-. iciently :g'ood- 'reason'.- for, .' demanding v free ictets for ; -themselves :arid:frieuds,.with-lunch Krown in, nnd when they do. not get it they ■tato -that"they were ..never .refused- anywhere ilse,- &nd they .won't- c6me t again,.- 1 ..;.-..; .;;•■... "There arc under a thousand' horse-owners in NTowZeahnd,'owning about 20D0ihor935,'eaoh one if which'-'dosts ■•(with'-' training;.- entries;, and TavollingVeipcns.es)' at .least. £\w. -per annum -a ! total 'bf' ,£300,60b- i amK stokes t ainount to iboiit'jE2oo;oob. : -- It.is theso. icures ■■ that •instead'''' of -mftking ■ -these,. owners sav ■ .■clubs;. r shqul.d:,Vend^avouT; i .to igtoen their:bitrdens, .and I again.assert that ;he tax-cquld;.casily-,bo:saved-.in-.manwement. : [,et ; every' 1 pt!rson';i;ec6g)ii?e:-'.that,;, when.-_-ho .s^-enjbyi'nßi;*is:--.-raang,-..h:e j ..;is. j.-;.e.ntia.ed-:o' assist' 'it'ifi'nancially, instead of endeavounag;. to : get'it.for-,nothiiig, .and. let clubs, band fq'ether- to' , insist upon, the.ftbolition .of, the freo. Dass.'lf. stewards.or* members of clubs consider that" tbeir friends should be entertained, let 'them ,-do- bo. 'at; their ; o>rt;vcxpenSOi 'but not."at'the" expense of ..'■)■'. : .' -.-, Eegardmg- bookmakers,. Mr. Wanklvn;. said that -he was '. rather . disapppinted■-,: that the Sdverament-had not "dealt -with this question, in ; the ; new , ; -Act. ■ • 'The, 1 Canterbury Jockey Club, - after giving 'tlie : matter; mature;,cbnsidaratiou; -.had'' drafted ;icef,tairi ;• regulations; for the'licensing' ; of bookmake/s: for,.prjesjotntibn; to thevltabinf Confereiico.' Two of, ,tlie'' nlo'sl imnbrtaht of the'so werei;;(l)'Thiit .no;.hcehso I shallrbo' granted' to any ■ bookmaker's clork. who sar'nes-on- his.'.liueinoss . atJany: meetißg,-unloss. 3u6h :!, mEetihg ■•holds'.a»cer-tih'cato, of £ registration from the. New.'.Zealand-Eacitig.'Conference,' ir. any''association affilia,teU .thereto , '; 'and • (2) ■'application's must;contain'thprfuU.nomb arid address; of: the applicant, a'nCbo endoretd'.by the';lqcal. officer:iii charge .ot;police."..'^yHeh : representations, were.'-maJo.to'.:tHe-.-Mihister, however, lidi,refused '. to;.take the',,matter;up' for, ;emWdiment: in his .Bill. >.•.; ■■; y - : ;; 4 ; ';' ''As : . tb-the ; ,issuing: --.of •...licences. , , to ;:n6ntotalisatori clubs,"-.' said.Mr. WanHyh, ,in coriclu: sion;V "I :think.,it(.would have ■.been-as .well, tq have 'left- this to"-; tho governing bodies—tho Racing. rand-'Trptting. ■ Conferences,! .whb both legislate. against proprietary \ interests.-. I.' am not'.iii, favour;,of suppressipp; . the '. lcgitimato country (-'Bp'ortinit''- club, • which;; .provides'.an annual '-holiday? for .the district', but there; are m'eeting3.'.known , ;;as> ■: 'public-house ' meetings' which : sh6uld i: suppress." , n J x '■ ... V: >/,