TOTALISATOR PERMITS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVIII, Issue 17843, 26 July 1921, Page 6

TOTALISATOR PERMITS.

VIEWS OF CLUB OFFICIALS.

OPPOSITION TO PROPOSALS

The recommendations of the Totalisator Commission, published in yesterday's Herald, caused a sensation among members of these Auckland clubs -which the commission recommends shall lose their totalisator permits. The club chiefly affected so far as the next racing sea-son is concerned, is the Avondale Jockey Clnb, which, under ordinary conditions, ■would have held its spring meeting in September, nominations in connection with which are due* in about a fortnight. The club has already issued its programme for its next racing year, and in addition it has collected forfeit fees from the owners of horses nominated for the classic events on its programme. The attitude of the Avondale Club, according to a member, is that as the finding of the commission will have to be considered by Parliament, which may either endorse or reject it, it is only reasonable to suggest that, ■pending Parliaments . diecision, the existing racing schedule should be carried out. If this is adopted the club's spring meeting should go on as arranged. The Otahohu Trotting Clab is another body which will go out of existence if the proposals of the commission are. given effect to. The chairman of the committee of this club, Mr. H. R. McKenzie, yesterday said iJiat he was surprised at the recommendation in regard to his club. The club prided itself on the manner in which its meetings were conducted, in fact, no club in New Zealand conducted its meetings or business in a cleaner manner. Mr. McKenzie said his club had been racing for over 30 years and to-day was practically the third largest body in the Dominion holding totalisator permits for trotting meetings. The commissioners in their report stated they do not want to see huge sums of money spent by both trotting clubs in Auckland for the one purpose, continued Mr. McKenzie. Anyone present at tho last Christmas meeting of the Auckland Racing Club at Ellerslie could see that its accommodation was taxed _ to the utmost. He would predict that in 10 years' time the grounds of the Auckland Trotting Club would be too small, and the present grounds of the Otahuhu Trotting Club at Mangere -would be the venue of big trotting meetings. He was calling a meeting of the committee for Wednesday to consider the matter, and a meeting of the members of the club would be held later, when the utmost endeavour would be used to protect their interests. There was no club in Auckland which had'looked to the future as this club had done, and to-day over 50 horses were trained on the course at Otahuhu. However, he was sure that if the drastic suggestions of the commission were carried out the club would not divide its assets among the members, but would see that they were devoted to the improvement of trotting in Auckland. BOMBSHELL FOB. NAPIER. RACING CLUB MEETS. [BT TKLKOBAPH. —PRESS ASSOCIATION.] NAPIER. Monday. The recommendation of the Racing Com.mission cutting out the Napier Park Racing Club has come as a bombshell to Napier, and is the only topic _ of conversation. An emergency meeting of the Park Club was held tliis morning, when certain action was decided on, but what this is to be was not disclosed.