TROTTING SEASON

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 12, 14 July 1931, Page 4

TROTTING SEASON

LIMIT IN TAXATION

SPORT ON VERY HIGH

PLANE

In his presidential.'.address at the Now Zealand Trotting Conference today, Mr.- H. F. Nicoll (Ashbui'ton) said ; that the past season had boon1 a trying one, for all, and 'clubs, owners, and - trainers. had not escaped from the . general troubles and depression. Club ! committees had had serious questions 1 to solve in connection with finance, and it was pleasing to note tho courageous spirit'in which they had.tackled their . problems, and had carried Qn,: confident tin the'future of- the sport and in tho [■ generous support of the public. : Referring-to ,'taxation, Mr, Nicoll 1 said:'"l do not propose to erect taxa--1 tion as tho bogey which has resulted: in the present difficult position of the rac- | ing and. trotting clubs. That the heavy taxation which .has been imposed has ; caused a, certain amount of stagnation ' in'the totaiisator_ turnover, and a dii mintiMoh of. stake inonoys offered by • tho.clubs, is. undoubted, and that many ; clubs1 would be quite tunable to. carry ' any additional taxation is also, certain,' but the. fall of about £2,000,000 in the totalisator .figures should be sufficient warning to the powers that be that the limit: has been reached in taxation so far as racing and trotting clubs are concerned. They have always .been, the willing horse, and have responded to the whip and spur,, but 13-day they: are jaded and gasping. They have carried their burden manfully, but the last straw has been loaded and further punishment would be disastrous." PLEASING PEOGBESS. "In reviewing the year's racing we : hai'e reason to be. pleased with tho progress made, despite adverse circumstances," Mr. Nicoll continued. "The popularity of trotting remains undi-' minished, due in no small degree to the strict control exercised by officials, both paid and honorary, to whom we owe thanks for their unvarying forethought and supervision, not only of the racing, but of all matters widen may require attention relative to the-conduct of the sport. I might enlarge upon this topic, because it is one of basic importance. The work involved in building up and carrying on the existence of such a volume of business to tho satisfaction of so many allied bodies, ranging from the public, the Department of Internal Affairs, through the strata of the Conference, the association, clubs, owners, trainers, and of others with whom we co-operate, has never been fully comprehended. That we are able to carry on froni- year to year with a minimum of friction, and with a largo degree of satisfaction and enjoyment to those referred to is :a feat upon which all can be congratulated. "The conference, as the rulirfg body, is the trunk from which all the branches and off-shoots diverge, and has never yet failed in its sturdy, growth to inspire confidence, .to. originate those reforms,- and to furnish that vitalv"outlook which are all so necessary for our progress., The association, over a long period of years, has accomplished somuch. valua,blo team work, and has woven the many strands of all the complicated issues,, with which* it is their business to deal, into one stable: concern, upon which the many interested parties who look for guidance and rule can rely for an impartial .hearing. and a considered decision upon the/sevferaT probloms brought before them. Despite occasional adverse criticism, often un-, considered and without warrant, 'trot-' ting in the, Dominion to-day has been! raised ; tosuch- ; a ; plane as was undreamt: of not so many years ago. No small portion of the success which has been achieved must be "credited to tho control.exercised by the honorary and paid, officials of clubs. I can remember in the early days when the position of steward of a meeting was looked upon as a purely honorary job, for which one obtained certain privileges with a minimum amount of work and responsibility, whereas now stewards; take their duties seriously, and all have .their duties apportioned to them; which in general are carried through with a due sense of their liabilities." , Mr. Nicoll praised tho work of tho stipendiary stewards and racecourse inspectors, and referred to the system of handicapping instituted two years ago as a factor which had improved conditions of racing. It had resulted in bigger fields and keener contests and owners and trainers were warm supporters of the system. Thero were 'weaknesses to be overcome, but they were mainly due to erratic handicapping and a. v/ant of understanding of the system. The executive had brought forward new rules whereby handieappers should be licensed and power given to the Stipendiary Stewards' Committee to make regulations, consistent with the system, for tho guidance and betterment of the handicapping.