REDUCED BY ONE-THIRD

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 16561, 9 June 1917, Page 6

REDUCED BY ONE-THIRD

NEXT SEASON'S RACING.

DECISION OF CABINET.

[BY TELEQBAPH.— ASSOCIATION.]

WELLINGTON, Friday. Members of the Racing and Trotting Conference* today held a conference with the Minister for Internal Affairs, the Hon. G. W. Russell, on the subject of the reduction of racing permits during the coming season. It was announced this afternoon that the Cabinet had agreed that racing is to be curtailed by one-third. The racing and trotting bodies will work out the scheme of adjustment so as to secure this reduction in each district.

According to a recent statement the number of days' racing allowed to racing clubs during the season now closing was 222 and to trotting clubs 59.

MINISTER'S STATEMENT.

FINANCING SMALL CLUBS. [BY TELEGRAPH.PRESS ASSOCIATION".] WELLINGTON. Friday. Referring to the result of the joint meeting of the Racing Conference and the Trotting Conference, the Hon. G. W. Kussell said he was glad that both conferences had accepted the proposed curtailment of racing in a. true patriotic spirit. While they had questioned the necessity of the intended reduction, they had come into line with a good grace. The conference had strongly dissented from the proposal that an alternative scheme should be submitted for the reduction by one-third and a-half, on the ground that it would give rise to an unnecessary conflict. They had suggested, therefore, that the curtailment be in the lower ratio, and Cabinet agreed. Under the scheme adopted, it was agreed that the reduction for the whole of the Dominion should apply in the same ratio for each of the racing districts, which were to set up committees to decide which days' racing should be dicontinued within their own areas. These committees would consist of the district delegates to the conference, and five members of the Metropolitan Committee. Mr. Russell said ho had felt throughout that it was most desirable that the clubs themselves should in the first place be given an opportunity either of stopping or of curtailing their own operations during the war. He believed it would be better in every case for the curtailment to take place by voluntary action or agreement, rather than by compulsion. The conference wae entirely in agreement with this idea, and circulars were beini? gent out by Sir George Clifford, president of the* combined conference representing the sports of racing and trotting, to ©very club in the Dominion, askine the club to decide for itself how far it was prepared to go in the direction desired by the Government. Mr. Russell referred to the fact that certain clubs had already reduced the number of racimr days, and others had decided to hold no meetings while the war lasted. An important question arising out of the reduction of the number of racing days was the maintenance of racecourses which will be closed down, and the payment of interest on mortgages and bank overdrafts by clubs which lost their licenses temporarily. It was evident that the scheme must include some financial arrangement for providing assistance for those clubs which ceased racing. The conference had included this as part of the scheme of curtailment, the intention being to provide a sufficient sum out of the profit made at the meetings held to cover such liabilities. He had suggested that, in order to provide for the re-establishment of racing on a sound basis after the war the stakes of those clubs which will lose their licenses should be guaranteed by the associated clubs for the first year, on the understanding that the sums should be repaid ae soon as the club was in a position to do so.