THE OTHER SIDE OF THE PICTURE.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXXII, Issue LXXII, 26 May 1917, Page 8

THE OTHER SIDE OF THE PICTURE.

WELLINGTON, May 25. At- the opening of the new ward at the Trentham Camp Hospital, the president of the Wellington Racing Club (Mr Harcourt) referred to the question of reducing racing during the war. "There has," he said, "been considerable correspondence in the papers of recent dates regarding the reduction of racing, even tEe; discontinuance of it, ■ but I think visitors and others who hold these views have not carefully considered the subject; I may say at once that if the curtailment of racing would in any way assist in-bringing the war to an eridj; it would have the most hearty, support of every steward and member of "the club. We know that in England racing has almost ceased, but why ? Because the railways are wanted for the conveyance of troops, and therefore cannot convey horses, and the public, to the" race meetings. Moreover, the races would take many workers away from the munition factories. We have no such reasons here for stopping race meetings, but there are strong reasons why the meetings should be permitted to continue. First, it would inflict enormous loss upon horse owners and breeders, and those employed in connection with racing, and throw a very large number out of employment who are unfit for any other class of work and who would therefore become a burden upon the State. It would deprive the State of a very large revenue: I cannot say what it is, but I have heard it estimated at any sum between £500,----000 and one million, and taking into consideration the various sources of revenue connected with race meetings, probably a larger sum —not much over the amount received directly and indirectly from race' meetings now. Those who advocate abolition of race meetings must not overlook the fact that if race meetings are stopped some other means must be found to raise the same amount of revenue."