THE NEW PERMITS.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 19 February 1925, Page 3

THE NEW PERMITS.

PLAX OF ALLOCATION. HGLUING THE COUNTRY DISTRICTS. •• The allotment of the new. t.Jalisator permits," remarked the .Minister for Internal Affairs (Hon R. I'- | Lollard) to a Dominion representative in Wellington, "upholds Parliament’s intention: when it passed the Gaining Amendment Act. Thai intention was —and l made it plain in my remarks — to give the new permits .to country districts. That has been done, and in carrying out the principle the Government has at the same time given effect to the conclusions arrived at by the Racing Commission of 1921-22, which was composed of the following gentlemen, who are spoken of as being very high racing authorities: —Messrs Fred Earl, K.C. (chairman), William E. Bidwill, W. H. Sefton Moorhoiise, James H. Williams and Stanley Rice. That commission stated in its report, which is a most valuable document in its well-reasoned conclusions: "That outlying districts, and especially districts suffering under the disabilities of isolation, should receive special consideration. That to achieve- any approach to accurate justice a. certain measure of redistribution is imperative, and the issue of a, certain number •of additional licenses is unavoidable. That country clubs, a-s a class, are entitled to more sympathetic consideration than they have hitherto received, it being, in our judgment, not- only strictly just, but in the public interest, that a sufficiency of recreation should he available, for 'those living at a distance from the larger centres; but that in certain areas a quite unnecessary congestion of country clubs was apparent, and should, to some extent, he relieved.”

\ MI’SEM ENT FOR THE COUNTRY. j Tit ere is jtu doubt,” continued Mr Bollard, "that the people of many of the country districts have not had given them in the past an adequate measure- of sonic of the good thingsthat would make for their amusement. Life in some of the back areas is a colourless existence to very many men and women. They need some sport and other amusements, and if they do not get it, where do they go? They go off to the cities when race meetings are being held. Owing to the great distance some- have to travel to reach our cities it takes then! one and sometimes two days to get there. Staying until the race meeting is over (probably two days) and another day or two days spent in the return journey, the men are away from their farms for it week. And as was frequently pointed out to me during my inspection of the back-country clubs: ‘Some of the men on the farms are away enjoying the aftermath of the city race meetings for a fortnight- or more — and some never return!’ All the time the men are away the stock is stiflering, because in many cases cows go tin milked and the hundred other things which require vigilant attention on a farm go unheeded. To keep those men on their farms producing for the good of the country in general they must he given some of the- facilities enjoyed by the cities for their amusement. Most men in the country enjoy good, clean, honest sport Nearly all like horses and witnessing the spirit of rivalry in racing, and in giving the permits to their clubs the- country people have- had their wishes met. I am sure the city dwellers who. are so well catered for will endorse the principle underlying the allocation.” THE CONFERENCES CONSULTED. Before the allocation of tlie additional permits was considered by Cabinet both the Racing and Trotting Conferences were consulted by the .Minister of Internal Affairs. "I, have had several interviews,” said Mr Bollard, “ with members of the executives of the. two conferences. The position of all the clubs was very carefully gone into and reviewed. We were anxious to see that everything for and against every club was noted and thoroughly

sifted. While there wore claims front : some of the dubs with which we were | not in total agreement, particularly w ith racing, still 1 can say that in the ultimate allocation we were almost unanimous. 1 must sav that 1 have received very much, assistance from the , two conferences, and though, we preferred to disagree on some points I think the allocation an honest- attempt, to give the permits to the clubs with, considering all things, paramount claims.” PERMITS FOR LOAN TO CLUBS, in replying to questions asked by some of the clubs which interviewed him regarding permits which may be temporarily . available- in the future, owing to certain clubs to whom the permits were allotted when the previous allocation was made not being able for a variety of reasons' to use them. Mr Bollard had stated that these permits he honed to loan to deserving dubs not included in the new allocation. in referring to the matter last, night, the- Minister stated that it was his intention to assist some of the dubs in the- way he had pointed out to the deputations. "There are one or two dubs," he said, "who have good claims for assistance outside of the tillocation of the new permits, dubs which cater for clean and -wholesome sport, whose meetings are virtually picnics for the countryside, and who require financial assistance- to enable ' them to renew- their equipment and improve their courses. To clubs of this ‘ kind I may be able to loan a permit occasionally. Apart from these old 1 permits it may be possible- to loan one or tw-o of the new permits also, because some of the- clubs allocated them will probably not he in readiness - to use their permits this racing season. It is a matter, however, to which 1 shall give careful consideration.”