POINTS OF PARLIAMENT

Evening Star, Issue 15606, 24 September 1914, Page 3

POINTS OF PARLIAMENT

HORSE RACING DISCUSSED.

INCREASE OF RACING) PERMITS GRANTED. HOUSE ADJOURNS TILL TUESDAY. [From Ouk Parliamentary Reporter.] WELLINGTON, September 24. After some formal business had been discussed in the House of Representatives yesterday afternoon the Hon. J. Allen, Minister of Defence, who was acting as Leader of the Government during the Prime Minister's visit to Auckland, announced that His Excellency the Governor desired to confer with the Cabinet. Mr Allen asked the House to adjourn temporarily, and members agreed on the instant. An hour later, when the House resumed, the Cook Islands Bill was introduced by Governor's Message and read a second time. The- Hon. Mr Alien, in reply to Sir Joseph Ward, said it was intended to adjourn at the close, of the sitting until Tuesday. He hoped that members would not press to know the reason. GAMING AMENDMENT BILL. Keen interest was taken in the Gaming Amendment Bill, which proposes to increase the number of racing days for country clubs. Mr Hunter (Waipawa), in moving the second reading of the Bill, said its object was to repair a very great injustice that had been done to minor racing clubs by the legislation of 1910 arising out of the findings of the Racing Commission. The Commission had recommended the reduction of days of racing from 305 to 250, and although asked to yive consideration to one-day clubs, had" decided to strike out a number of promising racing clubs. The Bill sought not to encourage Tacing in the main centres, but to encourage it in the outlying districts, where races were more of a " picnic "' character, and to encourage the breeding of horses. Encouragement must be given to the people connected with the 'sport. The racing clubs had subscribed liberally to the War Fund—the racing and trotting clubs between them £7.700, and it would be a very graceful act' on the part of Parliament if it agreed to tho passage of the Bill, which provided for a number of one-day meetings to be divided among trotting, racing, and hunt clubs. —Reallocation of Permits.— sir Joseph Ward, in supporting the Bill, expressed the opinion that country districts in some instanres would not have a fair proportion of racing. He would not in committee support the allocation of days of racing as proposed in the measure, but was in favor of a reallocation of the same days among the racing, hunt, and trotting clubs. He favored an increase in the trotting permits, as a number of settlers in the Southland district bad mad& strong representations to him that they were very unfairly treated. —To Improve Horseflesh.— Mr Pearce read a letter from the Hunt Club in his district urging that the Government should do something to encourage the breed of horses suitable for remounts. The communication stated that half the members of th© club had joined the Expeditionary Force, and taken their own horses with them, and unless the club obtained a permit it would be unable to keep going. For the reason that provision was made in the Bill to assist hunt clubs, the speaker would support it. —Merely Licensing Vice.— Mr G. M. Thomson opposed the Bill on the ground that he objected to the legalisation of the totalisator in any shape or form, which was nothing more or less than the licensing of a form of vice. — The. Value, of Hunt Clubs.— Mr Statham supported the Bill, mentioning that the Dunedin Club had sent no less than 150 members away with the Expeditionary Force. It was the hunt clubs that provided the very class of horses required for contingents. —Concentration of Racing.—.Mr Mac Donald protested agtunst concentration of permits and racing, while the newer districts of the North Island, now rapidly being settled, were not given permits, ajid could nob have any racing. If racing were to be legalised, then all parts of the Dominion should have an squal chance. In the Gisborne district there were many large areas without any racing at all. Mr Wilson also urged redistribution of permits throughout the country. —A Lack of Moral Stamina.— Mr L. M. Tsitt vigorously denounced the prevalence o£ the gambling spirit in the country under official recognition by the State for revenue-producing purposes. The eagerness cf some members to increase the number of racing days was pretty significant of tho amount cf moral stamina and backbone thus possessed. He was amused at the diversity of opinion among experts in the House, and remarked that when racing men disagreed, honest men came to the truth. He quoted from ' Hansard' speeches by the Prime Minister and the Minister of Marine advocating reduction of the days of racing. Anybody who had any moral responsibility ought to go at least for a reallocation of. present permits rather than for any increase oE the number of permits. .Stake's Mean Better Hones.— Mr Hindmarsh agreed that if the premise were correct that big stakes meant better horses, then obviously it would pay to concentrate raring in the cities, which could offer bigger prize money. To multiply the number of permits was simply to militate against the breeding of good horses. This multiplication of permits was done simply in the interest of the local publican to bring a little grist to his mill. After the. dinner adjournment the debate was resumed. Mr Ell contended that racing could be earned on without the totalisator, as it had been in the past, and very successfully-. A. Member: You had tho bookmaker then. Mr Ell: You have him now, but he's not legalised. ■ The Bill, after a division, was read a second time, the voting being as follows : Ayes (38) i Alien, R. F. Bollard, Buchanan, Buddo. Buick, Campbell, Colvie, Escott, Fisher, Forbes, Eraser, Guthrie, Herdman, Hunter, L«e, M'Gal--lum. MacdonalJ (teller), M\Kor,zie, No»woithy, Okey, Pearce (heller), Poland, Pomaio, Itangihiroa, Reed, R. H. Rhodes, T. W. Rhodes, Robertson, Scott, Seddon, Statham, Sykes, Veitch, Ward, Wilford, Wilkinson, Wilson, Young. Noes (10t: Atmore, Buxton, Davey, Ell (teller), Hindmarsh, Hine, Maloolm, (teller), Mander, Dr Newman. Pairs.—Aves: Dickson, Hemes, Coates, Myers, Bollard, Webb, R. W. Smith, Carroll. Noes: G. M. Thomson, Isitt, Anderson, Hanan, M'Combs, Russell, Craigie, Sidey. Mr Hunter asked that the Bill be committed forthwith, and to this the House agretd. During the discussion in committee Mr Forbes moved as an amendment that the permits granted to racing clubs be 15 instead of 17. Mr Hunter intimated his willingness to accept the amendment in order to get the Bill through. Mr Wilson, objected to tho change. The Bill, he said, was the result of conferences of members who represented clubs which had been wiped out by the Racing Commission. It had been agreed that 30 permits would be sufficient to compensate the clubs that had had their permits taken away, and, further, that-the country clubs should receive first consideration. Sir Joseph Ward submitted that the allocation should be in the terms agreed to by some of the members before the 6ecoad reading took place. This provided that the permits for racing clubs should be reduced from 17 to 15, the permits for hunt clubs from 10 to 6, and trotting permits increased from 3 to 9. He quoted authoritative figures showing that in 1913 1 in 71 flat races 492 horses started, and that in 2St trotting races thfttft ;j33gJ526 starters v

This, he said, disclosed that the proportion of starters in lifting races was double that of the flat graces. The discussion was resumed after the supper adjournment, the Minister of Marine proposing that- the number of permits be increased to 31, making 15 for flat i-aces, 8 for trotting races, and 8 for 'hunt clubs. Mr laitt regrotu-d exceedingly that at such a time when tf-.e Empire was m the balance the House should have wasted horn's of valuable time wrangling over tlie claims of rival gambling conccmsl If he accepted the increase, it could only be to end the wrangle. Mr Forbe*'s amendment that the number of flat race permits be 15 instead of 17, as in the Bill, was put to the vote, and the divison resulted in the amendment being adopted. Further amendments.were- carried making the additional permits 15 for race days and 8 each for trotting clubs and hunt clubs; and the whole clause, as amended, grants 31 permits instead of 30, as in the original clause. ' The Bill was then read a third time and pawed amid applause. FACTORIES ACT. The Factories Act Amendment BUI (Mr Wilford), which provides a 45-bours week for women and boys employed in factories, was pat through its final stages. EXPEDITIONARY FORCE. The Hon. J. Allen intimated that the members of the Expeditionary Force who had been encamped at Palmerston North had subscribed £IOB to the Hisitly disaster Telief fund. He understood that soldiers at other camps intended to follow the fine example. He considered' that the thoughtfulness of the men who wore' going to fight for the Empire was a fine tribute to their character. Sir Joseph Ward, on behalf of the Opposition, agreed with the Minister's remarks. The announcement evoked hearty applause. The Horn* adjourned at 11.55 till Tuesday at 2.30 p.m.