RACING CONFERENCE

Northern Advocate, 9 July 1925, Page 8

RACING CONFERENCE

PERMITS AND DATES. BURDENS ON THE SPORT. WELLINGTON, This Day. The New Zealand Racing Conference opened yesterday, Sir George Clifford presiding.

In the course of his annual address the president said: — So little progress has been effected in the removal of the prevailing disabilities uiider which racing has recently laboured, that I am tempted to quote from my last report, and thus reiterate my plaint of twelve months back. We have ever claimed that our racing clubs are worthy of all encouragement jis beneficial to the physical and moral health of the community, while their, prosperity is essential to the financial and 6thet: advantages accruing to the'dominion from their existence. Our main task at this year's meeting is to plead earnestly for a just reduction of. the burdens recently imposed upon us. It is a matter of life ior *tO i most of the clubs, and therefore calls for most urgent relief. A very few instances "o£ the absorption of revenue by payments to the Government will' s.uffi.ce to emphasise the danger. They could be multiplied indefinitely. In the first instance one club paid £3860 to the Government,

although making a loss of £470 on its race meeting. Another club paid £1360 in Government taxes, and made a loss of £450, and a further instance discloses the fact that although th 6 club made a loss of £641, the Govern ment received £4952, and these are very far from being exceptional instances. We may . fairly expect that the much-needed amendment of the Gaming Act will become law this session. 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 lawbreakers circulate freely among themselves and their confederates? We desire permission to remit investments to clubs on r&ce days. Telegraph facilities are given to law-breakera, and utilised by. them. Why not the law-abiding citizen? We petition for such an increase in the days of racing as will satisfy the reasonable requests of certain clubs, and will meet the requirements of increasing population, No other industry or pursuit suffers so severely from taxation, and if we are to' be singled out we may well set forth the following reductions we consider just:—Totalisator tax, 2J per cent to 1£ per cent.; dividend tax,

5 per cent to 2J per cent; stakes tax, 5 per cent, to the original 1 per cent.; amusement tax to be repealed, as gate moneys are already taxed at rate of 2i per cent, under tbe receipts

tax, and a double tax of this nature] is unfair. As to the stakes tax, it i was a voluntary contribution to th§ . War funds. Previously it Was agreed that an all ¥o'und tax of 1 per cent, pn would be more profitable to I tlie Government than an assessment • •which, in most instances, would al ; tQ- j gether fail to show a taxable ;i Further, a considered agreement of ! this nature should be honourably adhered to unless altered circumdt&ilces entirely alter its . basis. . , ; This. Conference has evolv.ea from ! the confusion . which prevailed in the. racing world forty . years* ago d aiomewhat awkwardly severed* of t&e Domifii6n. It has continuously

striven, and >ith acknowledged sue-' cess, to perfect that system, uxitil th§ sport is enjoyed under conditions not surpassed anywhere, for the protection of its followers from abuses, and dishonesty. We ' may therefore regard with apprehension any attempt to

substitute ill the internal administra- J | tion of the turf an autocratic control j 'by a political officer. -Such an , official j I would necessarily be of varied and sometimes negligible experience, and : obviously of far Jess competence for any such duties than the elected representatives of the racing clubs of New Zealand, who assemble from all quartets of the Dominion with the

united aim of maintaining the highest standard upon the turf. The constitution of the Conference is such as to preclude the disastrous intrusion of time-servers for private or party pur- ( poses into its working.. It would be f a calamity if the government of racing , were thus practically taken out of the h£hds of selected men of repute, who gave their time and gratuitous services for love of the national sport. Even where the right of intervening is acquired by a Minister under an

Act of Parliament, he would be well advised to ascertain the views of the officials of the Conference _ before venturing upon thin ice, of which they probably know the strength far better than his advisers. PERSONAL MATTERS. Mr A. A, McKellar (Christehurch)

was ieappointed auditor. J. A. C. Fleming, L. Boles, A. Grant and J. Richardson applied for remission of their various terms oi suspension. It was decided to refer the applications to the various appea iiidges interested. * CLUB IN LIQUIDATION. An application from, the Morrinsville Racing Club in liquidation, for

recommendation for ft totalisator per* nrit was received. The club lost £3000, which loss had fallen on twelve guarantors. It was suggested that part of the receipts from a race meeting should go to the guarantors. The Conference declined, as this would create a bad precedent.

TROTTING EVENTS. The Onmaru Racing Club and the Waimate District Hunt Club were granted permission to increase the number of trotting events on their programme. The president reported that the president of the Trotting. Conference had asked him to briug . forward the matter of ;an . increased number of trotting races on racing .programmes. There' was no recommendation, and the matter lapsed.

- STIPENDIARY'S REPORT. The chief stipendiary .steward reported that the control.' 'pf jockeys' rooms was now very efficient.. The. matter of birdcages was not so good. Some definite rule' should be embodied in the rules of racing debarring vicious or unruly horses from entry. Better provision should be made on all courses for attention to injured horses. The scales in use generally were not satisfactory. Clubs were still careless about the compilation of race cards. There was a jgreat improvement in the punctuality of race meetings. Most clubs had done their best to improve their appointments, but in some eases tracks had been neglected; The .use of a standard hurdle for hurdle races should be absolutely prohibited. During the season the totalisator returns had shown a considerable increase on last season, notwithstanding that the bookmaker was still operating in every town in the Dominion, and, if rumour was anything like correct,,his patrons included many owners. The standard of racing remained high. The of standard colours was necessary. On Mr Hazlett's motion it was resolved that all clubs be written to and. given a description of the standard hurdle.

ALLOCATION OF PERMITS. The Dates Committee in its report protested against the action of the Minister of Internal Affairs in not agreeing to the committee's recommendations for the allocation of the twelve extra days; -also against the action of the Minister in overriding the recommendation that two dates vacated by the Lake County Jockey Club should be allotted to Riverton, instead of which the Minister lent one day to Riverton and the other to the Wellington Racing Club. After interviewing the

Minister the committee agreed to his allocations on the understanding that in ftlilive tile views of the Racing ConfereWWd be weeded, and in the evoftt of & difference arising * IIL Minister would consult with the Coil' ference fai a solution of the difficultyMr Wv ft. Bidwill stated that the Minister •with Mr Coates, met the .Dates 1,-CdWtftlrtee on Tuesday, when

j it: waS'.-acteiiQiwledged that the Racing i Conference teid not the right to allot permits, bui hitherfo its recommenddatioftt! hjul generally been approved. . Bollard, however, thought he had mandate to allot extra permits and had-pot, done The slini ister .--had solid ; h£- wished < t'o assist i' the ! iConfeieyiee . in every way,, and: jir /Bidwill said he beliayed. there .was ! 40.-4arfc clou 4 ahead. Tjhe conference with the Minister had \ Resulted in burying |he hatchet. •

DATES OF MEETINGS. The . Dates 'Committee reported as follows: Otaki Maori Club, Sept., 19 and 21 instead of'2s and 26; Nelson Jockey Club, March 5 and 6; Wellington Racing Club, April 15 and 17 in-

! stead of March 25 and 27; Manawatu I Racing Club, April 21 and 23 instead lof March 23 and 24; Wellington Racing Club, July 8 and 10 instead of July 6, 8 and 10. The April 'dates for Wellington were referred back, and otherwise the report was adopted. —Prss Assn.