Owners, Trainers’ Federation Critical Of Conference
(New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON. Right of appeal to the courts against decisions of racing tribunals was a major recommendation by the Racing Owners’ and Trainers’ Federation on Thursday to the Racing Conference’s committee of inquiry.
The federation also criticised representation on the Racing Conference as “undemocratic.” Mr R. B. Cooke, Q.C., representing the federation, said concerning right-of-appeal that there was now “widespread feeling” there might soon be legislation to give the Supreme Court appeal jurisdiction over the decisions of all statutory bodies. The reason for this was the public interest. He likened judicial decisions within the Racing Conference to those of statutory bodies because “racing is more than a sport—it is a very large industry as well.” The livelihood of many people was in horse racing. Their legal rights should be clear. Mr Cooke said it was regrettable the powers of the present committee of inquiry (which was established by the Racing Conference) were not more extensive. In view of public interest in racing, the committee should have statutory authority and the status of a commission of inquiry. The public should not be under an illusion that the present committee had been given the necessary authority by Parliament to examine racing from the point of view of the public interest. “No Real Voice” Mr Cooke said the Racing Conference gave no real voice to the smaller racing clubs or hunt clubs (numbering 78) in that the president, vicepresident and executive committee were comprised of those from the 10 “metropolitan” clubs, as a result of the present system of election. He said: “There is no question of the high reputation, integrity and ability of those who, by this process, hold the reins of power hi racing, but in the principle, the system hardly even pretends to be democratic and is especially obnoxious in a sphere where the support of the general public is everything. Presumably, it would be easier to become Prime Minister than president of the Racing Conference.” Mr Cooke also criticised the T.A.B. methods in that “T.A.B. profits are allocated in such a way that racing has
subsidised trotting to the extent of nearly £500,000 since 1953 and will apparently continue to do so ait the rate of £20.000 or more annually.” A further result of the present system of allocating T.A.B. profits was that clubs whose on-course turn-over exceeded their off-course turnover were, in effect, subsidised by the other clubs. Mr Cooke said the racing public contributed large sums in taxation to the State, but there was no authority charged with safeguarding the public interest and ensuring that the interests of all sections were adequately taken into account in the development of the sport. He cited the interests of the losing owner. The federation had calculated that only 6 per cent of all horses racing paid their way. “To keep the sport on a sound basis there could seem to be need to safeguard the interests of owners much more than at present,” he said. Evidence on behalf of the federation was given by its president (Mr J. F. Fouhy). “Overtures Ignored” He said the Racing Conference executive had consistently ignored overtures from the federation for more co-opera-tion. although some executive members had indicated they might listen if trainers were dropped from the federation. In the circumstances, the federation had no option but to focus attention on racing problems by criticism of the conference. Such criticisms had at times been stringent, but never unfair or unwarranted. He said the executive committee of the Racing Conference had unfortunately lost sight of its obligations to make decisions in equity, and was today merely a collection of individuals seeking major decisions in favour of their own sectional interests on a horse-trading basis. Mr Fouhy said the conference president was chosen in the same way. He said: “We are now treated to the unedifying spectacle of certain individuals trying to place the blame for racing ills entirely on the conference president. With aspirations to the presidency themselves they have been unwilling to stand openly for office.” The federation urged a change in the basis of representation on the conference
executive, primarily through a reorganisation of the district committees. Mr Fouhy said his federation recommended that voting within the Racing Conference should be on the basis of one club one vote, which would remove the present anomaly whereby all 12 members of the executive committee were now from “metropolitan” clubs. Failing that, the system should guarantee some represenatives of minor clubs on the committee. Questioned by members of the committee of inquiry on his “rather damaging” statements about “horse trading” methods of the present executive, Mr Fouhy said he stood by his statements. “Not Taken Seriously”
To questions, he added that the annual meeting of the conference was not regarded
seriously by clubs as a “Parliament” of racing but as a place where minor amendments to rules were carried out and where the thinking was dominated by metropolitan clubs in their own interests, rather than the interests of racing as a whole. Mr Fouhy did not agree with the committee members that small racing clubs did not have a say in the control of racing. Members of the committee of inquiry are Messrs F. F. Reid (chairman), H. M. B. de Lautour, A. Macnab, F, H. Plunkett and N. Thomson. After a two-day sitting in Wellington the committee will later go north for hearings, and will return for another Wellington sitting on April 20, when submissions from the federation will be completed.
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Press, Volume CV, Issue 31007, 12 March 1966, Page 6
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926Owners, Trainers’ Federation Critical Of Conference Press, Volume CV, Issue 31007, 12 March 1966, Page 6
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