RACING COMMISSION.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXI, Issue 57, 21 October 1911, Page 6

RACING COMMISSION.

REPORT AND REPLY TO PARLIAMENT. ,/ tPer Press Association.) Wellington, October 20. In the House of Representatives this afternoon, Sir Joseph Ward read i memo, from thee chairman of the Racing Commission, in reply to the .request of the House, through the Premier, that the Commission ' should reconsider its report. ■Mr Colvin raised a point of order regarding the fact that; - . - the"report contained comments on the speeches made by members in the House. Tlie Speaker ruled taht the, Gommis■•■ion was not in order in commenting as it did on speeches made in the House, hut it was for the House to say whether an exception should he made in this case and the report he accepted. ■ A long discussion followed, and Mr Colvin moved that a breach of discipline. had been committed by the author of the report. Mr Massey said there was no doubt that a technical breach h been committed, but it was too slight to notice. On the Premier’s motion, it was decided that no further- action he taken with regard to the breach of privilege, and the matter then dropped. The position now is that tho Speak.T lias ruled that the House cannot eceive the report. Following is the report:— “We, tlie Commissioners appointed ror tlie purpose of considering tlie hearing of the Gaming Amendment Sill now before Parliament and tlie arguments adduced in its support, upon the reports of tho Commission and the schedules thereto appended, have the honour to submit the following report:—The purport of the Bill is to reinstate certain clubs whose days of racing were taken away by the Commission under special direction of tho Legislative ordering „ reduction of racing days lay 55. With certain exceptions, tho Commission has no objection to this proposal as days of racing are not excessive to supply the requirements of so scattered a population. The comments upon -he report show that it has been misunderstood in some respects, and that some of the commentators have, after glancing q't the schedules, neglected to read the report on which they were based. The statement that country clubs were not. represented is contrary to fact. The ■ statement that 127 country clubs lost 43 days’ racing and tlie metropolitan chilis four.clays was a, violent. suppression of the" truth, and the suggestion was false. The Commission ‘did- not consider the metropolitan drills as such, hut merely in relation to tlie duo supply of facilities for racing and for certain populations. The effect

of the report was to reduce the days of rgeiug within 15 miles of tiiese centres by 23, leaving 26 days for the rest of tne Dominion. Tno enforcement of the fencing of courses was accessary for the protection of riders and spectators. “i no statement that the Westport course was visited 111 the dark was contrary‘to fact, ■•in almost every case the clubs disfranchised had assets in excess of liabilities. Every consideration was shown to clubs holding one day’s racing. Tne Commission is unanimously of opinion that its reports of May 22nd and uno 18th snould be adhered to. It ’was expressly stipulated that their acceptance of an ungracious task was upon the condition tiiat their decisions, should bo accepted as final, and' they most strongly protest against alteration or deduction from the days of racing allotted by thorn. Regiri;cj-. t ing the provisions of the Gaming Ann ondment Bill, the Commission do'esi not consider them inconsistent with; the unanimous opinion expressed in its reports, that the days of raping are not excessive to supply thej requirements of so scattered a population. Tim Bill, however, interfiled with the scheme of distribution which the Commission desired to carry out: (1) By reducing the days allotted to contiguous clubs where the loss would 1)0 least harmful; and (2) by taking days from clubs whose appointments and methods displayed gross carelessness or where, tne ownership was in effect a proprietary.” The report is signed on behalf of and with tne full concurrence of all the Commissioners by Sir George Clifford.