LABOUR DAY DATE

Waikato Independent, Volume XXIX, Issue 3102, 25 June 1929, Page 5

LABOUR DAY DATE

VEXED QUESTION OP TERMIT.

WAIKATO HUNT'S CLAIMS

On Saturday last Messrs. M. Wells, H. Crowther, E. Hannon and Walter Stopford, representatives of the Waikatos Hunt Club, waited upon the Minister of Internal Affairs (the Hon. P. A. de la Perrelle), and urged that the Minister should get into touch with the Eacing Conference and see that the Labour Day date was retained by the Waikato Hunt Club.

Mr. F. Lye, M.P. for Waikato, and the members of the deputation, advanced strong claims why the Hunt Club should retain the permit for this date.

In reply, the Minister said that the question of the representations made to him would be carefully gone into. It was necessary for him to see the records of what had transpired in the past, and he assured the deputation that very careful consideration would be given to the representations made. He would communicate further with the deputation on the matter.

We are informed that the interview was a private one, but seeing that a misleading report of the proceedings has appeared in another paper, we publish the above record of what transpired.

WAIPA RACING CLUB.

WANT ANOTHER DAY.

MINISTER FAVOUEABLE.

The Waipa Eacing Club is anxious to obtain an additional day's totalisator permit, and at their invitation the Minister of Internal Affairs (the Hon. P. A. de -la Perrelle) visited the course on Saturday afternoon. Mr. F. Quin, the president of the club, traced its history and emphasised the natural advantages which the To Awamutu course possessed over many other country racecourses.. He also quoted figures to show the totalisator revenue of the club to be the largest among country clubs in the province. On the occasion of the first permit.in 1916 the totalisator returns amounted to £IO,OOO. They had increased until for the last five years they had been in the vicinity of £25,000. He stressed the fact that the Auckland District Committee had recommended Waipa for an extra day. He also mentioned the fact that'the horses trained on the Te Awamutu course last year had scored 58" wins.

Mr. de la Perrelle, in reply, remarked' that racing was first of all in the hands of the District Committee and the Racing Conference. He personally was opposed to any further permits being given to metropolitan centres. He regarded, the country clubs as serving the people better than the metropolitan centres. He urged the Te Awamutu committee to press their claim on the District Committee and then on the Conference. If for the allocation of one of the floating permits the Racing Conference recommended a metropolitan club, then he would exercise his right of veto. .If, however, they made a recommendation which he considered to be a fair allocation, he would not inter-, fere. He thought the club had a very strong claim to an extra day.