TOTALISATOR PERMITS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVIII, Issue 17845, 28 July 1921, Page 9

TOTALISATOR PERMITS.

;OTAHUHU CLUBS PROTEST.

CAMPAIGN DECIDED UPON

DELAY IN OPERATION LROED.

The recommendation uf the Pacini Commission regarding the withdrawal o"f t .1 alitor permits to the Otahuhu Trotti'ig Club termed the subject of a protest at a meeting of the committee of the c'uli yesterday. The chairman, Mr. H. R. Maikcn/.ie, presided over a large attend- ! lie chairman said the report uf the com- !■ ~ ion was astounding. It made its reicmniendation regarding the club "for the recoil only that its existence would m\ni\o, if it bo allowed to continue, the c usiruction and equipment, in eompetil >ii v. uii the Auckland Trotting Club, of «i quite unnecessary racecourse." To anv p. i-.-i .n wU Jouked'tu the future this idea < .rru-d no weight and showed a want of 1 •■"'•-ight on the part of the commission. '1 :,'■ club w;is the only racing or trotting i.-.Miiution in Auckland tliat had made fuMMsion for all Lime by acquiring sufticent laud for the future accommodation i.i the increasing population of Auckland. '! he area of the property was 190 acres, being larger than EUerslie racecourse, and waii only the track to provide, the rest <f the i*rea would he available for the pubbc and would include recreation grounds for the residents of Otahuhu, I Manpere, Papatoeioc, and Auckland in general. Already over 50 horses were framed there daily, and owners of coming! two year-olds were using the course owing! t-i no grass gallops being available at i hllerslio. It was often not realised that | with the rapid growth of the population I tiie present areas for stables and paddock would soon be too valuable for that purpose, and trainers would have to move farther out. He was positive that in the: event of an amalgamation of the trotting | dubs there would be no suggestion of j Belling an inch of it, bnt it would be I kept for the future, and eventually be the best-equipped trotting course in New Zealand. Future of Epsom Course". The club had had no intention of starting to build until tbe Epsom grounds becama too small, and no money would be wasted, as suggested by the commission, but would be held in trust and spent to the best advantage when the time came. Epsom would then naturally be deserted, as far as trotting was concerned, and the people of Auckland would have the whole of the area for a sports ground, with all the stands necessary for the purpose. He ventured to say it would make the finest tsports ground in the Southern Hemisphere when that time arrived.

The idea of depriving Auckland of two days' trotting was an unthinkable injustice, as there were only two clubs in the north of New Zealand giving stakes sufficient to pay an owner to train horses. Newly-formed clubs had to " creep before ihey could walk," and the stakes that would be given for the two davs wonld be double what the whole of 'the new country ciubs in the Auckland province would be able to give for the next five years.

Position of Country Clubs. 1 rotting had gone ahead with leaps and bounds in Auckland, and people imported high-class stock from overseas and the South. Class trotting must come eventually, and good stakes to encourage the sport could not be given if the permits were transferred to the country districts, which would each have to spend over £50,000 in securing grounds and erecting buildings. Where was the money to come from ': The club had been going over 30 years, and when it had worked itself up into a position to do things properly it was told it was not wanted. Of what the club had done for patriotic purposes and any good cause, including charity and the encouragement of all classes of healthy spurt, it was justly proud. Practically all the country clubs when they started received handsome donations fo? eiiks money from the club. It was only of recent years that the Auckland Trotting Club secured the ownership of the Epsom course, and there was no doubt the Otahuhu Club's trotting there had been of assistance to it and had largely helped to advance the sport. The present property the club had had in view for the last 15' years, . and purchased immediately it was available. When it was in the position the Auckland Racing Club was in to-day, with its princely revenue, he was quite sure the club's method of conserving its finances and its ideas as to the necessity for racecourses being parks for the people would obtain great results for. the district and at considerably less cost..

Opposition to Amalgamation. The Franklin Racing Club, of . which he was a member—and he congratulated it on its success—was to receive two days, provided it did the necessary improvements before it could race. Where was the money, at least £100,000, coming from ? On top of this it was suggested that if the Otahuhu Club were to spend any money it would not be for the good of the sport, but would be wasted. Was this consistent ? The Franklin Club's course was only a little over 30 miles from Auckland, and would be catering for the same Auckland public as the Otahuhu Club did. The suggested amalgamation between the Auckland and Otahuhu Clubs and the loss of days were ftrongly opposed by the members of the club, and oqually by members of the Auckland Club, breeders, owners, traipers, and the general public, as anyone with the sport at heart realised that keen healthy rivalry was conducive to clean. high-class sport. Probably no other club in New Zealand was so democratic, as the membership ranged from the working man to the Prime Minister. He would like the committee to endorse his statement that if the club was so unfortunate as to be abolished, its funds would be used for the benefit of the community at large and the interests of trotting, with no suggestion of being divided among the members. In conclusion, the chairman outlined action that should be taken in the club's interests, including the sending of a cablegram to Mr. Massey, who was its president for many yearn. The report was adopted unanimously, and the chairman was thanked for preparing it. On the motion of Mr. E. V. Sutherland, it was decided to protest against the drastic action of the Minister for Internal Affairs in bringing the re- • onnnendations of the commission into I n-cn. during the forthcomingv season, as t;:e decision of Parliament could not be known until October, and the result would In' to confine the racing and trotting permits into two-thirds of the season. For these reasons the club considered the recommendations should not apply until the 1922-23 season. It was decided that the chairman and Messrs. P. T. Reid. W. C. Watts, and E. V. Sutherland should interview the Minister and as many members of Parliament throughout New Zealand ;i.s possible. A meeting with Auckland members of Parliament wil] be arranged at an early date, and public meetings will also be held at Otahuhu and the surroundin2 districts.