RACING PARLIAMENT

Manawatu Times, Volume XLIX, Issue 3394, 9 July 1926, Page 6

RACING PARLIAMENT

CONFERENCE OF CLUBS. AMENDMENTS URGENTLY NEEDED. THE PRESIDENTS ADDRESS. The annual meeting oC delegates of the New Zealand Jockey Clubs, known as Uio Now Zealand Racing Conference was held in Wellington on AVodnosday. Sir George Clifford presided over a largo attendance. In reviewing the event’s of th past twelve months the President said that the disadvantages under which racing has struggled during the past few years have been a serious drawback to tho provision throughout the country of improved facilities for tho enjoyment of the sport. The mental and physical relief of our pastime to tho toilers of the countryside, and of the shops and offices of our towns, is invaluable. It does not mean a sedentary watching of a few participants in an active game, for it involves a constant and vigorous movement of tho spectators to various points of vantage. Tho Government, which values tho well-being of the citizens, may readily effect an economic gain by refraining from the present undue hampering of our racing clubs by crippling taxation. Tho fresh air and healthy interest of our racecourses may prove more beneficial than the extension of many hospitals. Apart from this view there seems no excuse for tho taxation of racing far beyond the rate at which any other institution, industry, or property is assessed. Much of this load is of recent imposition chiefly as a war tax, and wo now ask for a reducton to such an amount as is just. The taxation paid during the previous and current seasons is set forth in following figures:— 1924-25. —Totalisator Tax, (2i per cent.) £157,794 03; Dividend tax, (5 per cent.) £283,064 0 6; Staxos tax, ( sper cent.) £22,580 11 6; Receipts tax (2J per cent.) £4,740 7 6; Amusement tax, £15,207 13 10; Land tax, £2,819 3 3, Total £480,205 15 9.

1025-26.—Totallsator tax, (2J per cent.) £150,904 25; Dividend tax, (5 per cent.) £271,792 14 6; Stakes tax, (5 per cent.) £21,981 15 6; Receipts tax (2i per cent.) £4,611 S 2; Amusement tax, £14,207 11; Land tax, £2,768 IS 7; Total £466,266 0 3. Local Rates —1924-25, £7,048 14 7; 1925-26, £8,490 7 S. Wo appeal now for some liberality to avert the imminent catastrophe of the closing down of many country clubs. Such clubs have been compelled to resort to the transfer of their fixtures to metropolitan courses to obviate calamity, thus depriving local residents of their snare in a national sport. This grievance could bo averted by the concessions wo claim. Amendment to the present Gaming Acts is urgently needed. It was promised that this would be enacted last year, but the fatal illness of the Prime Minister and sinister influences impeded the course of legislation. X cannot uo better than repeat what I said last year;— “We look for the removal of the wholly absurd prohibition of the publication of dividends. “Why should the public be shut off from news which luw-brcaJccrS circulate freely among themselves and to their confederates? ■ “We desire permission to remit investments to clubs on race days.

Telegraph facilities are given to law-breakers. “Why not to law-abiding citizens? t “Clubs which desire to install double totallsators should be ; authorised to establish them. - ’ r I may here, as Information to the • conference, describe the concessions ■ hitherto made by us to the trotting 2 sport, inasmuch as wo include in our k programmes trotting events equlva- • lent to 132 days of eight races apiece, while out of tho 33 tatalisator trotting clubs 20 hold their meetings on ' racing clubs’ courses. 1 ■ With regard to administration, the • work of the racecourse inspectors has ■ been invariably of the greatest sor- ■ vice both in freeing our courses rrorn ’ the undesirable class, and in chocking ' tho How of criminals who follow ' gatherings of all sorts, from paying us their attentions. I may stress tho point that where prohibition from > attending meetings can bo shown to 1 act harshly there is a provision by • which It can be summarily rescinded • on cause shown, Tho stipendiary stewards have done ■ such good work that, in my opinion, ■ their powers should be greatly cn- • larged, especially as regards the con--3 duct of jockeys, and any seriously continued habit of unfair riding. ■ Such extension I feel would be bencc ficial, sentences so imposed being, of 1 course, subject to appeal. The sys--3 tom under which licenses to train or J ride are issued has proved satlstacf otry, and is of advantage to all who aim at the maintenance of the best 1 standards in their respective prores- • sions. > Betting with Bookmakers. 1 Humour is a “Lying Jade,” and nas l concerned itself occasionally with re' puted transactions in illegal betting attributed to owners and trainers. Few owners would disregard me honourable undertaking under Part [ XV., Rule 13, under which acceptance Of entries is conditional upon an undertaking neither directly nor indirectly to make any wager with a bookmaker on horses owned by them. Every straightforward owner so charged would rejoice in opportunity to refute such a slander, and It should be the duty of racing officials to inform owners in such cases, and enable them to give an official contradiction to disparaging calumnies. Before concluding I cannot refrain from expressing my gratitude to the conference and to the racing clubs generally for their forbearance with E me as chairman during so Jong a . period, and for their very unexpected 5 and highly appreciated tribute to i such efforts as I may have made in 1 the cause of pure sport, for which we have battled in common. It is time, t perhaps .that a younger and more 1 active man should take up tho work. 1 I leave myself in the hands of the I conference to facilitate their wishes - in this respect. 3 Trotting and Racing. 1 An application from the North 3 Canterbury Racing Club for permisf slon to include three trotting events 5 on its programme was refused. Tho application of the Oamaru . Racing Club for two trotting events . on each day was also refused. Correspondence was received from $ tho Minister of Internal Affairs (the ~ Hon. R. , Bollard) in regard to the 3 Cheviot Racing Club’s desire to . change over to a trotting club. The 3 Minister asked that tho conference . should give permission for tho 3 change. r The president said that it should . bo left to the two conferences to ar- . range an exchange. If the Cheviot 3 Racing Club changed to trotting, E then the Wanganui Trotting Club i should be allowed to go over to rac" r ing. 3 It was decided to leave the matter r to the two conferences to arrange. <• Disqualifications. 3 H. Barr wrote asking for tho removal of tho disqualification of the ’ horse Regent. The letter was received. L. H. Wynyard's application for ■ removal of disqualification was fully > discussed, and it was decided that the > disqualification be removed on 23rd. ■ December, 1926. I L. C. Briefly applied for remission 1 of the balance of his disqualification. • Tho letter was received. Chief Racecourse Inspector’s Report. ! During the year 227 persons were . warned off the racing and trotting courses of the Dominion, as against [ 217 for 192-1-25, and 203 for 1923-24, says the chief racecourse inspector. A noticeable feature of tlio past year has been the absence of gangs of undesirables who formerly congregated , on tho outskirts of racecourses and in i the town where races were being held. The duty of imposing restrictions on the liberty of individuals is not at any -time a pleasant one, and there arc persons who have no responsibilities, ever ready to criticise officials or a body,of officials on whom tho duty of so doing is cast. The police have been assisted in dealing with thieves and vagrants. Tho right to apply for exemption from the statutory exclusion imposed by law on convicted persons is freely available by persons affected, and a largo number of such applications were considered and disposed of each quarter. We have been able to carry out our duties without friction of any kind, and wo have received the ready assistance of members of the police force. A number of persons were prosecuted for trespass during the years by tho police. Racing Dates. In moving the adoption of the Dates Committee’s report, Mr. H. A. Russell (chairman of tho committee)

said that old-established clubs were recognised and had preference. There had been a great deal of work and many petitions. Tho following arc amended dates; Wanganui Jockey Club, 9th and 11th September in lieu of 16th and ISth September. Dannevirke Racing Club 15th September. Otaki-Maori Racing Club, ISth and 20th SeptemberAshburton County Racing Club, 241'. and 25th September, in iieu of 17tli and ISth September. Masterton Racing Club 7th October, in lieu of 29m June. Banks Peninsula Racing Club, 30th October, Nelson Jockey Club, 23rd 24th, and 26th February. Woodville District Jockey Club, 25th and 2(>th February. Welinigton Racing Club, 17th and 18th March. Rangitikei Racing Club, 23rd and 24th March. Manawatu Racing Club, 30’th and 31st March or 27th and 2Sth April in lieu of 23rd and 24th March. South Canterbury Jockey Club, 29tli and 30th April, in lieu of 2Sth and 30th April. Twenty-two applications for total! sator permits were refused. General Remits. It was decided that the Manawa: Racing Club elect one of the fix delegates to tho Wanganui Distriv , Committee. It xvas decided that no club be al' lowed to hold more than four meetings in a year, except with special permission of the president. In future in high-xveigh:t races only recognised steeplechase and hurdle race riders will be permitted to ride, unless there is an inadequate supply of such riders, when xvith permission any licensed jockey can be put up. There was a lengthy discussion concerning increased facilities for apprentice jockeys. It was moved that any club holding two meetings a year should provide at least one flat race of seven furlongs or more for apprentice jockeys. The motion was lost by 29 votes to 19, the necessary three-quarters majority not being obtained. The Canterbury Jockey Club’s re--mil, that if a meeting is to be held on any day from Ist September to 30th April inclusive, at least two Hat races of not loss than one mile on each day be included on tho programme, was carried.