RACING AND WAR

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3095, 28 May 1917, Page 5

RACING AND WAR

THE REDUCTION OF MEETINGS. B-eferring to the decision of Cabinet that there shall bo a substantial curtailment of racing in New Zealand. daring the Tcniainder of tho war period, tbo Hon. G. \V. -.Russell, Minister of Internal Affairs, suggested on Saturday that tho loss caused by the reduction should bo spread over all the racing clubs on some equitable basis. If racing .is out down, by oue-third ;or one-half, some of the clubs will be put out of action altogether for .tho war period, and others may find their revenue insufficient to cover their obligations in the matter of rents, interest on mortgages, salaries, and so forth. ."My opinion is that the money required to cover legitimate' charges of this kind should come from the profits of the ohibs that continue racing," said the Minister. "I have no doubt that this aspect of the question will be considered by the racing conferences, with a view to either pooling all racing profits during tho war, or making some other arrangement by which the profit on the one sidennd the expenditure on the other can be spread over racing as an institution. Only by some such means can a satisfactory settlement of-tho difficulty be made."

In.a letter to Mr. W. H. Field, M.P., the Minister says:—"l think you can tost: assured that there is no possibility of the Government entertaining tho idea of abolishing racing during the war, but what will be attempted will be ah equitable reduction throughout the country.

"I quite recognise• tho force and justice of your remarks on behalf of the country racing clubs, and will certainly give consideration to'their claims in whatever scheme is undertaken in reducing the number of racing days throughout tho Dominion."