REDUCTION OF RACING.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 16550, 28 May 1917, Page 7

REDUCTION OF RACING.

GOVERNMENT'S PROPOSALS. BY ONE-THIRD, OR A-HALF. .'■l [by teleceadi.— association.] WELLINGTON. Saturday, TnE Minister for Internal Affairs, the Hon. G. W. Russell, has made the following statement to the Press :—■■'% v-.,', ,-" The question of racing permits has been carefully considered by Cabinet, which resolved that a substantial curtailment of racing is necessary in the interest of the country. Accordingly letters have been despatched to Sir George Clifford, president of the Racing Conference, Mr. John Rowe, president of the Trotting Conference, and Mr. Albert Bruce, president of the Country Racing Clubs Association, stating the decision of the Government, and requesting them to submit to the Government alternative proposals for the reduction of racing permits issued during the present year by one-third and by onehalf. Their attention has been directed to the fact that, as a number of clubs may require to discontinue racing during the war in consequence of the reduction of racing, it is desirable that the conferences interested should consider this aspect of the matter and suggest financial proposals affecting clubs which may cease racing." POSITION OF COUNTRY OLUBS. j MINISTER SUGGESTS "POOLING." •> [BT telegraph.—own correspondent.] , " WELLINGTON. Sunday. f In connection with the proposed racing I reductions it was suggested to the Hon. G. W. Russell to-day that somo clubs . might have to suspend operations entirely, [ but at the same time would have to keep , up payments for interest on mortgages . and the upkeep of the courses. Where, it , was asked, was the expenditure required j to come from? "My opinion," said the [ Minister, "is that it should come from the , profits made by those clubs that continue » racine. I have no doubt that this aspect , of the question will be considered by the , racing conferences with a view to either pooling all racing profits during the war or , making some other arrangement by which 1 the profit on the one side and the expenditure on the other can be spread over racing as n-n institution. Only by some such means j can a satisfactory settlement of the difficulty be made." t The Minister states he " will certainly give consideration to the , claims of countrv clubs in whatever scheme is undertaken in reducing the number of racing days throughout the Dominion.

EXAMINATION. OF RECRUITS. *> A DIFFICULT PROBLEM. The medical examination 'of recruits, voluntary and conscript, has been one of the most difficult problems with which the Government has had to deal, says a Wellington paper. On occasions the result of the medical examinations lias not been satisfactory to the authorities, one of the most recent cases being that of the rejection of such a large percentage of men by the board working in the Wairarapa district, a locality in which it might be presumed that the rate of rejection would be low. A special re-examination of doubtful cases may be ordered, but the practice has been to send the cases back to the board which originally dealt with them. The Minister has now decided to add another medical man to the board for the determination of these cases referred back. It is not thought advisable that the recruits should go before a wholly new board, one. of the reasons being that there might be difference of opinion between the two boards as to the decisions that should "be given on the same facts, and this the Department does not wish. In any case the decision must be the medical'man's judgment, and this makes it almost impossible for the Government to secure uniformity. Another difficulty is that the standard of fitness varies from time to time. Sir James Allen made some further reference the other day to the demand that is being made by the Second Division League for the immediate medical examination of the members of the second division. " The reason why we cannot examine the second division now is that the examination does not as a rule stand for more than three months." he said. "A man may b'e fit to-day and unfit in three months. Not only this, but the standard bv which men are examined alters, and it would be only misleading the second division man to havo him examined now. Apart from both of these considerations we cannot do the work. We have not the staff to do it. Wo have the greatest difficulty as things .are now in dealing with the'men called up in the ballot, and we have no doctors to spare for the formation of more medical boards. We havo classified the second division, and that is all the warning we can give to men of the second division as to the nrobable date on which they will bo required. We know that the first division will last from four to six months, and after that the married men will be drawn upon in the order of

their classification.