RACING PETITIONS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1520, 16 August 1912, Page 5

RACING PETITIONS.

INCREASE IN DATS ASKED FOR. An increaso in the number of racing days at present permitted by law is asked "for in five petitions ' which were presented in tho House of Representatives on Tuesday from brancrcs of tlio New Zealand Sports Protection League, which claim that they have an aggregate membership of over 9295. Tho petitions aro identical in form. They state in each case thn,t tho branch passed the following resolutions:—

(a) That the support of the branch be given to any proposed legislation providing for a reasonable extension of the present number of'racing days and to any proposal to allot such increased number of days among racing clubs by some definite tribunal, such as tho Dat«,s Cdmmitteo appointed by the New Zealand Racing Conference.

(b) That tho support of the branch be given to any legislation to repeal tho present prohibition against tho publication of dividends ."""'d on a race in New Zealand or of tin. starting pi-ices in respect of any raco outside of Now Zealand so as to permit tho publication after ■ the holding of u race of tho dividend paid or starting price.

Tho membership: strength of tho different branches of tho League which havo sent in petitions is set down as follows:— Wellington, 7125; Wangaimi, oyer 1000; North Otago, 1000; Goraldiiie, 100; Stratford, 70.

Twelve more petitions from branches of tho New Zealand Sports Protection League wero presented to (ho House on Wednesday. Vollowiug are the twelve petitioning branches, the membership being shown in parentheses:—Cambridge (200); llawera (390); Helensvillc (38); Huntlv (150); Blenheim' (300); Dunedin (G000)'; Taurearunui (120); To Awainutu (500); Timaru (750); Tuakau (52); Waipawa. (135); Westport (100). Ten of the petitions aro identical in form with those presented to the House on Tuesday, and ask for an increased number of racing days and for the publication of dividends after tho holding of a race. Tho Blenheim branch asks only for an increase of racing days, and the Waipawa Club puts its request for an number of racing days in tho following form:— "That this league will support any legislation aiming at a reasonable increase in (ho days of facing with a view of restoring to country clubs the totalisator permits they wero deprived of by the Racing Commission." Yesterday a further batch of petitions arrived from the following branches:— Greymouth (1500 members), Karangaluiko (330 members), Naseby (175 members), and Palmcrston North (150 members). Tho Palmerston petition asks only for an increased number of racing days, to be distributed among racing, hunt, and trotting clubs, and makes no mention of the publication of dividend^.