RACING IN WAR-TIME.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 16538, 14 May 1917, Page 4

RACING IN WAR-TIME.

■r - <—. ■ ♦ ,": ' f j - . '-> . SUBSTANTIAL REDUCTION. CABINET UNANIMOUS. [BY telegraph.—own correspondent.] CHEISTCHTTECH. Saturday. A substantial reduction in the number of racing permits to bo issued for the coming year was foreshadowed to-day by the Hon. G. W. Russell, Minister for Internal Affairs. It was not practicable to abolish racing during the war, he said, but there would be a substantial curtailment of the racing permits to be issued in the future. During the year ended July 31, 1916, racing took place on 366 days, though, of course, on many of these days racing took place by several clubs. Such a condition of affairs, while the war was going on, was intolerable, and Cabinet was united in the determination that a substantial "cut" must be made in the number of racing days during the year which would begin on August 1,1917 The matter was now being carefully considered by the Government, and it was probable that an effort would bo made to come to a decision as to the amount of the reduction to be made. After this had been arrived at, the advice of the Racing Conference would probably be sought, to ascertain how the allotment of the permits available could most judiciously be made in order to provide a modicum of racing throughout the country.