RACING PERMITS

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 139, 12 June 1912, Page 2

RACING PERMITS

» MASTERTON CLUB DEPUTATION TO THE MINISTER. Matters concerning the Masterton Racing Club were brought under the notice of the Minister of Internal Affairs (Hon. G. W. Russell) yesterday afternoon by a deputation consisting, of Messrs. C. F. Vallance (president) and J. Macara (vice-president), introduced by Mr. G. R. Syk«. M.P. The deputation asked that the day's racing of which they had been deprived by the Racing Commission (leaving it only one day) should be restored. The club urged that three days' racing was not a success, and that the requirements of the district were so great in regard to racing that it was reasonable to ask for the reinstatement of the extra day. The club had, it was stated, placed on it& programme races for horses which were calculated to breed remounts for military purposes, and the deputation urged that the time must come when all clubs would find it necessary to adopt the game course, arid to eliminate scurry races " only calculated to breed greyhounds." The course, it was urged, was one of the best in the Dominion, and Mr. Macaiu said that in his recollection there had never been an accident. The Minister said until Cabinet had settled the question of, totalisator permits he was unable to sa,y what would be done. The Masterton Club, however, hau three days' racing left "to it, while othei- clubs that had approached him had been deprived of their permits altogether. If this matter did come into his hands it would be his desire to see that som* of those clubs that had had their permits wiped out altogether should have a chance of getting one day's racing at least before he would be prepared to promise tha.t Masterton should get four days instead of three. He did not want to have any misunderstanding about the position he proposed to tako up. If Cabinet decided that the matter was to be reconsidered, he \yould not increase the racing for any club over and above what the Racing Commission had given that club. He thought that Masterton should congratulate itself and feel very thankful, seeing that Pahiatua and Taratahi had been wiped out, and Masterton had been given three days. His advice to them was to be satisfied with and thankful for what the Commission had left them. He could give them no hope that he would be the means of restoring the one day that had been taken away. .If the Government placed in his hands the disposal of this matter he would in every case give preference to those clubs that went in for encouraging the breeding of remounts and I good hacks.