Hunt or Racing?

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 92, 9 July 1927, Page 11

Hunt or Racing?

WAIKATO DISPUTE AIRED IN THE HOUSE (THE SUN’S Parliamentary Reporter .) WELLINGTON, Friday. THE dispute between the Waikato Racing Club and the Waikato Hunt Club again was aired in the House of Representatives to-riight, when Mr. A. M. Samuel, Ohinemuri, complained of the action of the racing club in trying ot take the Hunt Club’s day. An attempt was being made by interference with the privileges of the House of Representatives. The racing club was biting the hand that fed it. The Racing Conference had not statutory powers, and as long as it kept to this, said Mr. Samuel, thingis would be in order, but as soon as it started to interfere with the functions of this House, then it was time for Parliament to say “mind your own business; this is our business.” The Minister of Internal Affairs had promised a fair deal and Mr. Samuel thought that this would be adhered to, whatever the action of the Racing Conference. It was wrong for any racing conference to place the Minister in an embarrassing position and itself in a stupid one. Mr. Veitch: Hear, hear.

Mr. Samuel went on to say that the Waikato Hunt Club ha 4 raced on Labour Day for many years, because no one else would take that day, but during the past couple of years the Waikato Racing Club had been trying to filch this day from the hunt. Hunt horses were of more value than racing horses, and £120.000 was spent annually in hunt races. Now the Waikato Racing Club had got the AUck-

land District Committee to recommend its case. Be believed in fair play and did not want the strong to triumph at the expense of the weak. The Waikato Racing Club had failed to make a success of its own affairs, and if it chose to buy a place for greater than its true value, it was not right to adopt unfair tactics for the hunt to pay for its mismanagement. The Hunt Club spent £2,000 In debentures in the Racing Club, and now the latter wants to bite the hand that feeds it, going behind their backs and doing the hunt an injustice.

Mr. J. A. Young: Do you suggest that the Racing Club wants your permit? Mr. Samuel: I do. Mr. Young: You are wrong. Mr. Samuel: In what way? Mr. Young: They do not want your permit.

Mr. Samuel: They want to deprive the hunt of its day, and if its day is not its permit, I don’t know what is. The Waikato committee contemplates a mean action in trying to filch something that the hunt undeniably owns.