RACING PERMITS

Evening Post, Volume C, Issue 91, 14 October 1920, Page 7

RACING PERMITS

AGAIN DISCUSSED BY PARLIAMENT

GOVERNMENT'S NEW PROPOSALS

LIVELY ARGUMENT.

The Gaming Amendment Bill, upon which the recent stonewall took place, was called on in Committee in the Hous« of Representatives last evening shortly before the supper adjournment

The Prime Minister (the Right Hon. W. F. Massey), who had taken, his plaoeat the table in charge of the Bill, said that he proposed to ask that the "short title 1' be passed, and that he would then suggest as clause 2 the following :—For the purpose of determining the racing clubs to which licenses are to be granted under section fifty of the principal Act in the racing year commencing on the first day of August. 1921, and the number of days on which the use of the totalisator is to be authorised, the Gov-ernor-General in Council may appoint a Commission of five persons who shall make inquiries aud, report to the Gover-nor-General. The Commission shall have all the powers of the Commissions of Inquiry Act, 1908. On receipt of the report of the Commission, the GovernorGeneral nia.y. by Order in Council, authorise the issue, for the racing year aforesaid, of a number of licenses not exceeding the number recommended by the Commission. While such Order in Council remains in force licenses may be issued in accordance therewith, notwithstanding that the number may be in excess of the number authorised to be issued- by section five of the Gaining Amendment Act, 1.910, at extended by the Gaming Amendment Act, 1914. Any Order in Council under this section shall Be laid before Parliament within thirty days after the issue thereof if Parliament is then in session, and, if Hot, then within thirty days after the commencement of the next ensuing session.

- It was also proposed, in addition, that the hunt clubs, which at present had one day in every two years, should have a day each year; but not more than eight licenses should be issued under this section in any one year; no hunt club should have more than one license per year. The proposal was to be subject to no objection from the hunt clubs. Mr. Massey said he was not going to ask the House to agree ,to tho proposal that night. He had introduced it now to give the members an opportunity of seeing, a-nd thinking over, exactly what was proposed.

Mr. G. Hunter congratulated the Prime Minister upon his declaration regarding the setting up of the proposed Commission. He hoped, however, that authority would be given the Commisskin to increase the number of permits. If this were done, he thought the proposals would meet the approval of those members who had put up such a good fight on Monday night. Mr. L. M. Isitt (Christchurch North) said he did not quite grasp the proposals. He would have no objection to the clause if the right were given to the House to review the number of permits recommended. It would be a most extraordinary proceeding if, after what had taken, place the other night, and the nature of the postponement of the debate, the Prime Minister now said he was going to appoint a- Commission, which might consist oi men obsessed with racing, and that they should have the right to. grant permits. Mr. Massey : "That is not it." He explained that the five men to- form tha Commission—he had five good men in view, who werfe not likely to be biased— ■ Mr. Isitt: "Are they racing men— race-horse owners?" Mr. Massey : "They are^ certainly men, with a knowledge of racing, or they .would not be of much use, but I do not 'know whether they are owners." The Commiseion would make the necessary inquiries, and would have the power to recommend to the Government. These recommendations would come before the House within thirty days of its meeting, and if it disagreed with them, the position would become the same as it was now. Mr. Isitt: "Then I understand you will first consider whether a re-distribu-tion of permits will be sufficient." The Prim© Minister : "Yes." Mr. Isitt proceeded to impress upon the House that strong feeling existed in the country against the granting of further permits. A large deputation from Christchurch was about to interview tha Prime Minister on the matter, Among the deputation would be men who had always supported racing, and they were strongly opposed to the proposal. (Loud j laughter, and cries of "I should think ! ■so ! The big clubs !") This feeling was not confined to Christchurch.. (Members • "Hear hear."). Mr. Hunter must know that prominent racing officials were opposed to the Bill ("Hear, hear, and laughter, and noisy interruptions). Mr. 0. Harris (Waitemata) asked if the permits would be increased before the House met. The racing season, he understood, started in April. (Laughter. He was a- supporter of the Bill, but he objected to any further increase beinpmade by Order in Council.

Mr. W. D. Lysnar (Gisborne) hoped that no carping spirit would prevent agreement with the proposals. The Minister for Internal Affairs (the Hon. tx. J. Anderson) said that the House would be meeting- before the new permits would come into operation and could duly record its objection by resolution. Hb thought the suggestion a splendid, way out of the difficulty. Mr. J. M'Combs (Lyttelton) believed considerable feeling would be engendered if permits were recommended by the Commission, and clubs made their arrangements, and then Parliament, when it met, revoked them. My. M'Combs also advwsoly criticised/ the proposal to appoint five racing men to the Commission ; there should be others than racing men on tho Commission. He suggested that the Prime Minister should only have the Commission get up. Mr. Massey said that he only desired to propose that the Commission be set up to give the country a chance of knowing what the Government's intentions were. Ho moved to report progress, and the Bill would not be gone on with for another week. He proposed only to take the short title now.

Mr. J. V. Brown said there should be men who knew something about all descriptions of racing on the Commission, for if they put men like Mr. Harris and Mr. Isitt on, the report would not be'availablo for five years—they would, first have to learn something about racing.

The discussion continued with more or less lively interjoction.s. Dr. Tliocker advised the two members referred to by Mi. Brown te tnke rugs with them to the races to keep warm. (Laughter.) Some members objected to progress being reported until progress had been made.

"Mr. Brown was angrily protesting at a- statement of another member alleging that Napier had more days' racing than it actually had, when the Chairman oi Committees put through the motion to report progress.