SPORTING.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXIX, Issue 114, 5 July 1911, Page 5

SPORTING.

THE ASHHURST CLUB’S CASE. DEPUTATION TO -THE MINISTER. (Per Press Association.) Wellington, July I. The third deputation of protest by the country clubs against their treatment in tiro allocation of totalisator and racing permits was received by the Hon. f). Bnddo (Minister of Internal Affairs). It represented the case of the Asbhurst Racing Club, which has lost its only day’s racing in the year. Deputations of protest from Kaikonra and Waitara are also to arrive this week. The Minister suggested that the Asbhurst deputation need not concern itself about the general lines of the commission’s report, seeing that several previous deputations had discussed it with him. Mr Guthrie, member for Oroua, who introduced the speakers, replied that the Asbhurst Club was in an unique* position. Lip contended that the commission failed to follow the A t., inasmuch as it had not given preference to country clubs. The House had made it quite clear that justice must be done to country clubs, whereas the commission had taken the opposite course of encouraging long city meetings. Mr D. C. McCarthy, president of the club, said it had been twenty years in existence, and it paid as much as £1405 in stakes on its one day’s meeting. The meeting was an annual picnic for a range of country forty miles in extent. The course was twelve miles from the Palmerston course. Why had the commission struck out the club’s only day and retained five days’ racing at Palmerston and four days’ at* Woodville, which was only twelve miles from it? “Confound their unblushing impudence of omission,” added the speaker, who strongly condemned what lie termed “the . centralisation policy.” The Minister declared that if the commission’s report was in accordance with the Act he must give effect to its recommendations, for the first year at any 'rate. Ho admitted that, in regard to its contract obligations, the club had a fairly strong case, though there might have' been stronger cases which bad appealed to the commission. In a few days he hoped to make public the final decision of tho Crown law officers, winch would set the matter at rest for a year at any rate. Mr Guthrie declared that ho was perfectly sure tho Minister had backbone enough not to accept the report if he found that it was not in accordance with the statutory direction that country clubs must have preference.

“I’m sure you don’t want to set a Minister above Parliament,” replied Mr Buddo, who added that as the report was under the Crown law officers’ consideration ho would not comment on it.