Racing Conference.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXXV, Issue 9746, 24 January 1908, Page 4

Racing Conference.

(Pes Pkess Association.) Wellington, January 23. A conference of representatives of the New Zealand Jockey Clubs was held today at the Chamber of Commerce, Wellington. Sir G. Clifford, the president, was in the chair. The meeting was called to consider five notices of motion relating to alterations in the rules of racing arising out of the operations of the new Gaming Act. The president explained that this special meeting had been convened in accordance with the powers vested in him. It was inadvisable to call it earlier because then the conference would have had no experience of the workings of the Act to guide them. Since the Act had been enforced several important race meetings had been held, and these furnished much valuable data for the delegates. It was the duty of the racing clubs to conform to the spirit of the Act, which in many of ite details had been drawn up without sufficient regard to the practical workings of a race meeting. He regretted that no steps had been taken to obtain the opinions of the conference prior to introducing the measure. The experience acquired during the holiday meetings pointed to the great distinction between the large and small clubs. He considered that the large meetings would not be prejudiced by the Act, but on the other hand the small clubs are bound to suffer severely. He instanced the recent Whan. jjarei meeting, where the bookmakers offered a lump sum of £IOO for the privilege of betting, and when this was refused nominated two of their number to do the betting. He directed the attention of the framers of the Act to this Whangarei incident. The president stated that he had drawn up a memorandum embodying the experiences acquired at the Manawatu, Dunedin, and Chr.istchurch races in connection with the Act, which might assist members when in committee.

-An application from the bookmakers asking to be heard before the conference was received, and the president's reply thereto. The conference then went into committee. The following alterations to the Tiiles of racing were agreed upon by the conference : Part VI., Rule 7.—That the word "unlicensed" be inserted before the word "person" in the twenty-third line. This amendment gives the Metropolitan Committee power to refuse to pass the programme of any club that permits an unlicensed person to carry on the business of a bookmaker. Part XXX., Rule 14.—That the words "a shilling'' be struck out, and the word '"sixpence" substituted. This amendment provides for the payment of dividends to sixpence. Part XXX., Rule 19.—This rule, which stipulated the penalty which was incurred by any racing club official who delayed the start ot' a race to allow more time lor the investment of moneys on the totalisator, was struck out entirely. Part XXX., Rule 18.—This Tule provided that the totalisator shall be closed immediately after the start, and no moneys be accepted or investments permitted after the totalisator has been closed. The rule was struck out.