Country Racing Clubs.

Patea Mail, Volume XXXIX, 10 July 1914, Page 2

Country Racing Clubs.

Replying to a deputation from the Pahiatua Racing Oiub which waited on him recently with regard to additional permits for country Racine: Clubs, the Prime Minister expressed himself in no uncertain terms with regard to recent racing legisla'ion. The effect of the legislation of three years ago, Mr Massey declared had not been what was intended. First of all Parliament made the mistake of legislating so as to compel racing clubs to license bookmakers on every day that a race meeting was being held. He thought it was one of the silliest things ever done by any Parliament, and result was a public scandal, and the lav bad to be. repealed. Then . Parliament went off in the opposite direction, and shut down a number of race meetings, and centred racing in the ptincipal centres, Anyone who looked at the totalieatdr returns would see the result. There was more gambling than ever. The totalieator revenue, had gone up very considerably, but it was a bad thing for the morals of the community. “ I think a. mistake has been made," ha said, “ and we shall have to go back on it. As to the small racing clubs, I thick a very serious injustice was dune. We cannot do anything more at present than is being done. You will have to await the result of Mr Hunter’s Bill." The Wairarapa Daily Times ‘in dealing with the matter expresses itself as follows ; While we do not wish to see an increase in the huge amount spent on gambling in New Zealand, we think, in fairness to the smaller racing clubs, that there should be an alteration in the law. The email clubs have as much right to bold meetings as the larger clubs; The centralising of racing is much more likely to increase the totalisator investments than the granting of permits to small racing clubs, which have, at the most, two meetings a year.”