HUNT CLUB'S RACES

Waipa Post, Volume 32, Issue 1777, 1 July 1926, Page 5

HUNT CLUB'S RACES

tlie Mtkat6 ; dispute.

ALLEGED ATTEMPT AT DEPRIVA-

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(By Telegraph. Press Association.) WELLINGTON, Wednesday.

A determined protest against what he described* as-'the Waikato Racing Club's attempt to deprive the Waikato Hunt Club of Labour Day, its annual race day for 20 years past, was made to the ..House, of Representatives today by tne membef'fdr' Ohinemuri, Mr A. M. Samuel, in his.'speech upon the Addres's'-in-Reply; made the Racing. •CluWsl'actiOh. 'specially unfair, said Mr Samuel, was that it was attempting to use the Racing Conference to,-p.romote its, nefarious' ends. However;'he felt sure that the members of the conference would be too high-minded to be influenced by any such attempt.

Some members-of the Waikato Racing Club ...were also members of the executive'oXthe. : ,Huni!! Club, and at a recent meeting of; the Hunt Club two. of these members had stated that the Government was going to cut out the racing dates allotted- to hunt clubs. They had used this as an argument to get the Hunt,Club to sell its date for a cei'tain amount pf money per annum. He believed,.and had said so at the meeting,. that nothing of the sort could be done without the country first being consulted, and the matter at least having "/been brought before the House. This was later confirmed by the Minister of Internal Affairs, who stated that the Waikato Hunt, having used the, certain, date for 20 years, could continue to do so as long as it wished. He promised to see that it was not interfered with.

The Waikato Racing Club had gone further and had:applied two years in (succession , for :Labour Day—an attempt to use. the Racing Conference to filch from the "weaker body its only racing day. It was the intention of the president of the Waikato Racing Club to the Racing Conference a remit to the effect that all hunt meetings be confined to a certain period of the year. This wa s for one purpose only—to deprive the Waikato Hunt Club of the use of Labour Day. If carried through .this would cause a great dear of concern in the sporting world, particularly in racing .circles, and might lead to a revolution. 1 In fact, none could say where it would istop. Waikato .had received two extra days and was^now a four day meeting, and f Mr ; >Samuel ; hoped it did not succeed intttsurping-the day of the Hunt Clnb.i/rTheu lattery paid £SOO a year to the Racing,Club for one day's use of vice of its executive had taken up £2OOO worth vof to help the Racing Club when -the 'latter was in difficulties its "new, course. The present .tfe^ment.was..---what it was getting in."return."'•* "' .

. This Day. Regarding'.,t|iK ."ntSerapces of Mr A. M. Samuef bf- Representatives in respect'of' the Waikato Racing Club action in regard to the Labour Day totalisator permit of the Waikato Hu'h'rClubVMf"G. W. Vercoe, president pf. the Racing Club, when seen by a reporter, this morning, said he had np;'CQm.mente<tO;;> make other than that the matter referred to was sub judice.. It would, no doubt be dealt with 'by the Racing Conference.