LABOUR DAY DATE

Evening Post, Volume CIV, Issue 28, 2 August 1927, Page 7

LABOUR DAY DATE

THE WAIKATO DISPUTE

In a lengthy statement the Waikato Racing Club states its side of the case in the dispute with the Waikato Hunt Club over the Labour Day date. According to the "Waikato Times" £942 18s ?d was required to defray the cost of hunting last season, this including master's hono" ranum and expenses, and secretary's honojas paid by members' subscriptions, and £600 was required from the, profits of the race meeting. Smce 1920 the net averH,mt riT £ f thl race meetings of the jear. The Hunt Club on its own figures nf^mnn 086-??. 81011 o£ assets worth-upwards Clnh T 1 7 GT c ™eet™SS of the Hunt

Ike needs of the Waikato Racing Club at-the present time are most insistent ■Until recently; the Racing Club raced on $,« pr °PnT ty., ? f $ he A- aml *• Associa^ t on at Claudelands, but this was an un'■?Sri blerf ? Und for laeil>S< and as the Racing-Club was not the owner it was impracticable for it to spend money for improvements. This - compelled the club to acquire a property of its own, which .ed to the purchase of Te Rapa course (continues the statement). The Racing Uub has. done a good deal of .work-at ie Kapa, and if it is permitted to increase its revenue by racing on Labour Day, it will m time make Te Rapa one of the best country courses in New Zealand. The purchase of this property and the initial work thereon has involved the club in neavy unancial responsibilities, to such an extent that last year after making provision, for payment of interest, etc., the balance available for capital ■ purposes amounted to only £273 8s id. It is. further pointed out'that all the racing bodies,-, four in number, • supported the claim" of the Racing • Club ■as against the Hunt Club for the Labour Day date In conclusion, it is a fair comment on the whole position, that to permit the Waikato Racing Club to race on Labour Day will enable it to apply money darived trom the racing public to the improvement of its grounds for the greater pleasure, not merely of race-goers of the Waikato, ■ but for the public at large. On the other hand, to confine the nrivilegs of racing on .Labour Day to the Waikato Hunt Club will have the effect of allowing a wealthy .institute to become still wealthier at the expense of the rieinc public. b

THE CONFERENCE'S ACTION

It was learned-on Saturday at Riecarton that the: New Zealand Racing Conference is not prepared to take the matter Iving

down. It is understood that the Dates Committee of the Conference will be called together'in Wellington and will c ;o to the Prime.Minister in regard to this matter. The officials of the Conference consider that the Minister of Internal Affairs (the Hon. R.. F. Bollard) has broken a promise made to the Dates Commiitee some' two years ago. In effect, the Conference requires a decision from the Prime Minister whether racing in future is to be governed by the racing authorities or by the politicians.