RACING PERMITS

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2205, 18 July 1914, Page 13

RACING PERMITS

TATJMABUNUrS CLAIMS.' ; A deputation, consisting of Messrs. W. Wackrow, W. H. Sarah, and J. Slattery, waited upon the Minister of, Internal Affairs (the Hon, H. D. Bell) on Thursday to put forward the claime of Taumarunui for a totalisator permit, in; the event of Mr. Hunter's warning, Amendment Bill becoming law. Tho deputation'was introduced by Mr. C. K, Wilson, member for Taumarunui. In putting forward the claims of his town Mr. Wackrow said, that eight or nino years ago a racing club was formed at Taumarunui. At that time bookmakers were permitted to. operate. Since then they had-not been.nblo to set a. totalisator permit, and had to cease, their little annual meeting. A permit had ■ been granted to Tβ Kuiti, .where no club had. previously been running, and the Taumarunui Cjub thought that they had been harshly dealt with, ns they were first in the field. In the event of Mr. Hunter'e Bill passing, and if tho permits to bo granted were not already allocated, they would like Taumarunui's claims to bo considered. / _Mr. Ball replied in similar terms to his replies to other deputations en the same 1 matter.: He pointed out'that the number of licenses to be granted would be few, and! there were many applications. ■ Hunt clubs would have to be considered when the permits were issued. It was impossible to consider taking a totalisator permit from any club which now had one, in order to bestow it upon another club, for the granting of a permit entailed a. considerable outlay upon the part of the , club which received it. If he had to allocate the permits under Mr. Hunter's Bill he would probahly ask the' country club to send two or : three men to confer! with him. . Tauniaru.nui'a claims would be considered, but he could not say further than that. He >was not altogether sure of the advantage of the one-day license, and some coalescing among country clubs might bo wise. The.one-day meeting depended, largely on the weather, and if they struck a couple of bad meetings their finances' would be seriously dislocated. ."■•■"' Mr. Wilson: We want our little picnic meeting. • . ■ • ■