SPORTING.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5502, 29 February 1896, Page 6

SPORTING.

';.. , TOTALISATOR PERMITS. -DEPUTATION TO THE PREMIER. • • '•' > ■ WELLINGTON, Feb. 28., ' ,In reply to a deputation from the Sandon Racing Club, asking for a reconsideration of the decision not to grant a permit {orthe club to use the totalisator, the Hon Ifc j. Seddon said that he was not at all 6atisfi_d with the action of the Metropolitan clubs in making a reduction of meetings. For the past couple of weeks, he. .had had" more, trouble over granting totalisator licenses than oyer the whole business of the colony. The whole, of racing appeared to him to be deteriorating and turning, to nothing but ' gambling, a Btate. of things which the Government hiust not encourage. The Metropolitan clubs having failed to make a fair distribution of licenses available, the only thing remaining was 'for the Government to take the matter in hand, and had. he occupied the position of Colonial Secretary he would not • have allowed matters to go so far as they had gone. The Metropolitan club was trying to usurp the functions of the ' Government in regard ,to these licenses, and as the Government was the responsible body in the matter and not the club he was not going to allow it. Referring to the dispute between the MastertonOpaki Club and the Metropolitan club, through the latter only passing the programme on condition that no "totalisator was- used, the Premier said that since the Metropolitan club for the district had said that it was not necessary for the MastertonOpaki'Club to have a license, he would go fiirther and say that i. was not necessary for any of the meetings in the district, and all meetings would now have to' be held without the totalisator. This was the stand he was going to take up if he heard officially, what he had seen stated in the newspapers about the attitude of the Metropolitan club in regard to the Master-toh-Opaki license. As to the paltry revenue the Government would lose by adopting this, course, he would rather be without it thah ? ehcourage gambling. He would give a' reply tp the deputation to-morrow. for: the Amuri Turf Club's \ Annual Race Meeting must be made to-. d#A? ;? :, '.' ; "\' ! ■ -■.';-.' Nohiiiiatioils for the anniver&avy meeting of the Dunedin Jockey <dlub "close today. _ . ■. Nominations for the autumn meeting of the kumara Racing Club close to-day. Nominations for the 'Plumpton Park Trptting Club's Autumn Meeting must be made to-day. ':■ Ifominatiohs for the autumn meeting of thef/Hawke's Bay Trotting Club close today. II T— -_-_- mm — -_»