TOTALISATOR FRACTIONS.

Press, Volume LVI, Issue 16984, 5 November 1920, Page 6

TOTALISATOR FRACTIONS.

NEW TAX ON RACING CLUBS,

The' announcement by the Primo Minister that from next season ho proposes to ask Parliament to collect the totalisator fractions is viewed with considerable concern in racing circles. Already a protest has been lodged by Mr C. i\ -Skerrect. president of the New Zealand Sports l*rotoction League, m a letter addressed to the Minister of Internal Affairs. In supplementing this protest Mr H. R. Sellers, secretary of the New Zealand Racing Conieronce. stated to n Press representative yestcrdav that the fractions were used by the clubs in tho upkeep of their courses which expenditure was lor the direct benerit of the patrons and the public, and the public only get the advantage oi that outlav. There wore no proprietary chilis in this country and no particulai perSorw or group of persons recenett as profits the fractions in question, lhe proposed collection of the tractions b\ t lie Government would bear heavih on some oi the smaller chins. ■Such clubs use:! part of the fractions in paying the oilunal who conducted the totahsator for ins services and those of his stafi, and >} losing tint sourcc of revenue those clubs and parti"e.!arlv the one day totalisator cUihs would bo*hit verv severely. The clubs alreadv had a battery of taxes to pay, including income tax. a _ new imnosit'ou to operate from season. Thev naid a tax on privileges, which included gates, and in addition paid the amusement tax. What other enterprise, asked "Mr Sellers, was so overborne by so many taxes. Mr Sellers also pointed out that the transoort and*other revenue collected by the Government and other parties as the ontenmo of tho (derations of the Racing Clubs amounted to a vnst- sum, and some cons'deration should he given to that phase of tVr. ris'ic railway freights, to say nothing of extra charges in all other directions'. so much so that the expense involved in moving a- team of horses -about r-ho country was becoming almost prohibitive. , Mr Sellers snnnlied the following fieuros showini? the taxation collected from clubs during last season; — CANTERBURY JOCKEY CLUB. £ Totalisntor Tax 14,35/ Dividend Tax 12,9'% Stakes Tax 392 Privileges (gate money, etc.) 448 Amusement Tax 1,046 Land Tax 26 Rates ••• 43 Income tax (not yet assessed) ALL CLUBS IN DOMINION. Toto tax ..." 174.235 Div. tax 156,259 Stakes tax 3,9^2 Privileges (gates, etc.) ... 4.o;jV> Amusement tax 7,800 Land tax 2,064 Rates ... 4,128 Income tax (not yet assessed, but estimated to run into several thousands). Mr Sellers added that there we 281 days' racing and trotting altogether in New Zetaland' during the year,' there being 98 racing clubs and 25 trotting clubs, a total of 123 of which only thirteen were in tho big centres. That showed what a large proportion of small clubs there were and these were tho clubs which would the most keenly feel the proposed new taxation.