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The course is situated oil a borough reserve, and the racing club has the right for all time to hold race meetings on it. There is no accommodation on the new course. The course is not fenced on the inside, but financial arrangements have been entered into to make all improvements necessary to comply with any law governing racecourses, provided a totalizator permit is obtained. The nearest clubs holding race meetings are at Te Kuiti, 011 the north, fifty miles, and Marten, on the south, one hundred and fifty miles distant. The glowing population and extensive developments of our large district, centred as it is in the unique position of bordering on three provinces, and the assured circumstances of becoming a great stock and breeders' district, which to-day on a popular basis claims a parliamentary electorate and two others running well into the locality, are reasons sufficient to entitle our claim to consideration. Moreover, the great distance we are from other registered racecourses prevents the masses of the people from ever having one day's enjoyment in a day's racing, which we claim is a national sport. We would gain great assistance in having a totalizator permit, as our finances would be assured, and we would thereby be enabled to develop our grounds, which would also contain a domain and agricultural showgrounds. It is the general desire of the people to enjoy witli other more fortunate places the privilege of a permit. By the Deputation. —We feel that our application would carry more weight with those conversant with the district. We are right in the centre of a very large area of country which is being rapidly settled —so rapidly, in fact, that people, excepting those who come in daily contact with it, do not realize the progress that is going on. We are the outlet for the Ohura district, which will assist very much in sporting work, as it is a stock-raising and farming district. There is no race meeting held on either side of us between Marton and Te Kuiti. Although we are only a young district we do not think this application is premature, because we are growing so rapidly. We would like in this connection to point out the difficulty of the town tenure. The main portion of the town consists of Native leases, and there is not a single endowment for the benefit of the town : yet, notwithstanding this, the Town Council has already spent £30,000 on improvements. Our course is a recreation-ground, and a condition of the lease between the Council and the racing club is that the rent is to be spent in improvements. If we are assisted with a permit the improvements made on the ground will be for the benefit of the general public not only of Taumarunui, but of the whole of the surrounding districts. Of course, the club will have to erect buildings, subject to the approval of the Council. The object of the Council is to make the reserve attractive as a showground as well as a recreation reserve. We would like to point out also that the bookings at Taumarunui Station are far and away ahead of those at Te Kuiti. There are about fifty miles of watershed around Taumarunui that is not served by any racing club. So far as the business people are concerned, they have no chance of visiting a race meeting nearer than Auckland, owing to the fact that the nearest clubs hold their race meetings on our working-days. We ran race meetings here successfully when the bookmakers were in existence, but when they were abolished we had to cease for financial reasons. A large amount of money which should be spent in the district where it is earned is taken away in the holiday season for want of a day's sport here. We have a lot of keen enthusiasts here. The whole of the improvements at present on the course were done by working-bees. The plan attached to the formal application is the plan at present under consideration of the club. Te Karaka Racing Club. The headquarters of the club are at Gisborne. The club was formed in October, 1902, and is registered. The last meeting was held in January, 1914. The club has held a race meeting in each year since the date of its formation. A list of the present members of the club and a copy of the last balance-sheet have been forwarded. The circumference of the course is 1\ furlongs. The club is the owner of the freehold of the land (66 acres 1 rood 12 porches), on which is erected a grandstand, secretary's room, jockeys' room, weighing-room, and a ladies' cloak-room and conveniences, &c. A considerable sum of money has been spent in improving the land, and further arrangements are being made to improve the buildings and appointments with a view to making the club's premises thoroughly up to date and ample for all requirements. The course is fenced all round on the inside. The nearest clubs using the totalizator are the Povertyßßa r Turf Club, eighteen miles distant, and the Gisborne Racing Club, twenty miles distant. The nearest club not using the totalizator is at Opotiki, eighty miles distant. The Gisborne-Motu Railway passes immediately alongside the racecourse, and every facility has always been afforded by the Railway authorities for the conveyance of passengers to the club's meetings. Such meetings are a source of revenue to the Railway Department. As the recent legislation prohibited the club from allowing bookmakers to practise their calling at future meetings the club will be deprived of a substantial revenue, and if the permit now applied for is refused the club will in all probability be compelled to discontinue its meetings. Tire Te Karaka Racing Club is the only racing club within the County of Waikohu, which is a large and prosperous district, of which Te Karaka is the centre. Furthermore, there are only two totalizator clubs in the Bay of Plenty Electorate—viz., Rotorua and Tolaga Bay—and these are very many miles distant from Te Karaka. The Te Karaka Racing Club meetings are very popular; the attendance is always large, and has been growing year by year, and to country residents particularly these meetings are a source of much pleasure and recreation, and afford an opportunity for the settlers of the backblocks to meet and enjoy something of the privileges of city residents. If you cannot see your way to allow a racing club permit we would be glad to get a hunt club permit. By the Deputation. —This club has been racing, on and off, for about thirty years. At one time we had a totalizator permit, but owing to the difficulty of securing land for a racecourse we were unable to get a further permit. We secured a suitable section for a course in 1902.