Sporting Review. THURSDAY, DECEMBER 22, 1892.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume III, Issue 126, 22 December 1892, Page 4

Sporting Review. THURSDAY, DECEMBER 22, 1892.

Something unique in the history of the totalisator regime in New Zealand has occurred, the Colonial Secretary having come into collision with one of the Metropolitan Racing Clubs of New Zealand. Since that circular anent the io per cent, or 11J per cent, totalisator commission to be charged, which was issued from the Colonial Secretary’s Department some few weeks back, and which was so ambiguously worded that none of the Clubs interested knew whether it was

mandatory or otherwise, we are not surprised at anything that issues from the Colonial Secretary’s office in connection with the Rules of Racing. Not even were we surprised when we found • a Metropolitan Club that was doing its best to uphold the Rules of Racing passed by several conferences of Metropolitan Clubs —some of which conferences may practically be said to have been held by request of the Government in order that a check should be put on excessive racing—flouted by the gentleman who now “wields the ribbons” as Colonial Secretary. The Metropolitan Glub we refer to is the Auckland Racing Club, and the other Club the Northern Wairoa Racing Club, which has its headquarters at Dargaville.

Let us briefly summarise the facts before us. Our readers will have noticed that in the Sporting Review of the 17th ult. a programme was advertised by the Northern Wairoa Racing Club for a meeting on December 26 and 27, which the advertisement said would not be subject to the Auckland Racing Club’s rules. It seems that when the programme was originally submitted to the Auckland Racing Club’s Committee they took exception to it on the ground of the dates selected, and referred it back to the N.W.J C. In this we must say we think they were wrong, as we said at the time they declined to grant the Thames people authority to race on Boxing Day and the day following —but there is a sequel. The programme was some weeks afterwards re-submitted to the A.R.C. committee, and the committee declined —without any question of dates —to pass it because the amount of added money did not cnmply with that provided for in the Rules of Racing. This committee meeting was held on October 7. The Northern Wairoa Racing Club then placed themselves in communication with the Colonial Secretary, and openly defied the Auckland Racing Club by advertising their programme as “ not to be subject to the Auckland Racing Club’s rules.” The Colonial Secretary then asked the A.R.C.’s committee for their grounds of objection, and the secretary, acting of course under the committee’s instructions, replied thus : —

If the Colonial Secretary wishes it passed will do so if rules complied with as to added money.

Further correspondence between the Colonial Secretary’s department and the A.R.C. followed with the result that the latter body telegraphed to the official indicated —

.No objection was raised to amount added money Northern Wairoa Racing Club’s programme, because consideration of details of programme by committee was postponed on account of date clashing as already stated. Programme was considered by committee on September 16, after the rule relating to added money passed. The programme does not provide added money according to the rule of racing which has been enforced against all other Clubs similarly situated, and the committee must therefore respectfully decline to pass it jn its present form. Nothing could have been more plainly worded than that, in our opinion, and if the Colonial Secretary’s department knew anything about the Rules of Racing, or even the trouble the Metropolitan Clubs have taken to mould them into form and effect their working with the object of silencing the cry of “ too much racing ” they would have accepted the A.R.C.’s committee’s dictum and plainly worded protest and have declined to hear any more of the Northern Wairoa Racing Club. But that is just what they did not do. Evidently one of the “ Great Liberal Party ” not unconnected with racing in Dargaville had got the ear of the Colonial Secretary, for that functionary wired back to the A.R.C. — After careful consideration the Colonial Secretary has decided the case of the Northern Wairoa Racing Club is an exception?! one, and he has therefore granted totalisator license for December 26th and 27th. ' “ Careful considerationis an alliterative phrase that is hardly apt, and it would be interesting to know how long the “ careful consideration ” occupied, and what was the full/ text of the representations made to the( Colonial Secretary by interested parties. We are of course quite aware that undei the Gaming and Lotteries Act the Colonial Secretary is invested with such powers that he can grant a totalisator license to or withhold one from whomsoever he chooses, but his action on the present occasion in defiance to the expressed opinion of a Metropolitan Club who naturally looked for their authority to te upheld, and who it was only natural should have a better grasp of theßUuation than the Colonial Secretary, say the least of it, very in any case, the horses, part in the Northern Wairoa z ßacing Club. woulc},

when the programme was run off contrary to the Rules of Racing, have been disqualified by the Metropolitan Club, but the A.R.C. Committee after receiving the Colonial Secretary’s ultimatum, passed the following resolution at a meeting they held on Tuesday last: —

That notification be sent to the secretary of the Northern Wairoa Racing Club and .to the Press that horses, owners, trainers and jockeys taking part in the races to be held on the 26th and 27th of the present month at the Northern Wairoa will be disqualified from taking part in all meetings to be held under the rules of the Metropolitan Clubs on account of the programme not being passed and not being in accordance with the Rules of Racing.

In our opinion the Auckland Racing Club come out of the whole matter .& great deal better than does the Colonial Secretary. We shall be curious to see how far in future Sir Patrick Buckley ot the officials of his department extend “ careful consideration ” to the requests of other clubs. If they stretch many more such points, the legalisation of the totalisator and the restriction of it within certain limits will be redneed to a farce.