HORSE RACING

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23231, 28 December 1938, Page 8

HORSE RACING

ROYAL COMMISSION EARLY INQUIRY FUTURE OF SPORT REVISION QUESTIONS The setting up of a Royal Commission to investigate tho whole of the ramifications of racing in the Dominion, with particular reference to the probable revision of the Gaming Act, was announced by the Minister of Internal Affairs, the Hon. W. E. Parr}, jes terday. The commission will be under the presidency of a Judge of the Supreme Court and will be appointed early next year. "In accordance with promises made last year to the Trotting Conference that he would investigate the whole of the ramifications of racing, the Prime Minister, Mr. Savage, has decided to set up a Royal Commission early in the new year," said Mr. Parry, in a statement to the committee of the Auckland Trotting Club at Alexandra Park yesterday afternoon. "It is felt that in the interests of the sport generally the commission should be of such a nature as to carry the confidence of the general public, and that can best be done by the appointment of a Supreme Court Judge to the presidency. No Tinkering with Act "I have always told racing people that I would not tinker with the Gaming Act, and that when I opened up the Act I would deal with the whole of racing legislation in a single bill, if a bill is necessary," the Minister continued. "The result of the commission should be a picture of the whole of the conditions, and it will give us the opportunity of legislating to meet what requirements there are, if it is found essential." Popularity of Trotting In thanking the Minister for his information Mr. E. G. Bridgens, president of the Auckland Trotting Club, said that the sitting of the commission would give them an opportunity of showing what disadvantages the club laboured under in the matter of the apportionment of holiday dates for meetings. There was no ill-feeling in the statement, but he thought that the trotting sport, as the totalisator returns for tho day would indicate, was becoming more popular, and merited more consideration when dates of meetings were being arranged.