RACING CLUB'S PERMITS

Patea Mail, Volume XXXIX, 29 June 1914, Page 2

RACING CLUB'S PERMITS

Mr Hunter's Bill. The Dominion states that of the private Bills introduced last year that which obtained most support was the darning Amendment Bill brought down by Mr Or. Hunter, member for Waipawa. It proposed that the number of totalisator permits to be issued in any One year should be incieased from 250 (the present legal maximum) to 280, and that these thirty additional permits should be distributed in the proportion of 17 to country racing clubs, ten to hunt clubs, and three to trotting clubs. That the Bill was regarded as a hopeful solution of the problem left iu its wake by tho Racing Commission is indicated in the fact that it passed its Becond reading in the House of Rspre3entaf ves by 43 votes to 17. By the time this had been accomplished however, the session was far advanced, and the Bill made no further progress With a view to avoiding any repetition of this kind of thing in this present session, Mr Hunter gave notice on the first day of the session to reintroduce his Bill. He informed a reporter subsequently that the Bill would be identical with that of last year, that he considered it had excellent prospects of being passed. In feci, he is of opinion that only the congestion of work at the end of lash session prevented the Bill being passed in 1913. Other members who were spoken to take an equally optimistic view of the prospects of the Bill.