COMPLIMENTARY TICKETS

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXVI, Issue 235, 17 September 1936, Page 2

COMPLIMENTARY TICKETS

Free Entry for Cars

The Wanganui Jockey Club’s experience for the winter and spring meetings, says the “Chronicle,” should be a valuable guide for inquirers regarding the question of complimentary tickets, for the generous policy adopted had the effect of attracting patrons from Waitara, New Plymouth, Taumarunui, Palmerston North and Wellington. Even as far afield as Napier and the 'Wairarapa, to say nothing of the Main Trunk district, racing followers who were undecided on the matter of attending the spring meeting last week made up their minds on receipt of a ticket for admission, even though it bore a small surcharge. One wonders how much less than £15,653 the totalisator turnover would have been on Saturday had not these inducements been extended.

So great was the attendance of visitors from a distance as suggested by the presence of so many motor-ears from outside centres, that the capacity of the car-parking areas was taxed to the utmost. A number of clubs charge 2/6 for cars entering a racecourse, and this is generally regarded as nothing more or less than an imposition on patrons. Patrons attending a meeting by car generally go to the expense o.t travelling more Or less distance, and hence should be welcomed instead of being forced to pay extra money. The cost to a club tor control of parking cars is a mere bagatelle and totally against the common-sense business principle of charging patrons as little as possible instead of as much as possible.