TROTTING

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 146, 8 July 1937, Page 11

TROTTING

-Press AgBociation. »

Review of Year by the President PR0P0SED NEW RULES

(By Tetetfraph-

' WELLINGTON, Last Night. An interesting and comprehensive review of the past year's activities in the trotting sport in the Dominion is contained in the address delivered at the annual meeting of the New Zealand Trotting Conference to-day by the president, Mr. H. F. Nicoll. In the course of his remarks he stated: — Statistics disclose that the totalisator investments for the year amount to £1,614,937, biing £447,106 in advance of last season. During the year two of our clubs havc been able to resume operations. The Taranaki Trotting Club, which had not raced since 1932, staged a successful meeting during the circuit of the West Coast clubs, and should now be in a position to carry on without uadue anxiety; and the Kaikoura Trotting Club, whose previous meeting was held in 3934, enjoyed what was probably the most successful meeting it has held on its own course. ■ Control oi Permits. ''The improving social conditions have enabled some owners who had given up raeing to resume an active participation in trotting, and with the larger stakes clubs are now able to offer there is every inducement for an in-> creased number to join our ranks. It appears to me to be an anomaly that ail sports, except racing and trotting, are able to hold as many meetings as they may desire at any time, but that we should be limitec1. by laws and regulations from so doing," he added. "In Britain the control of racing is in the hands of the Jockey Club, which can decide upon the number of days' racing to be held each year and which has compiete control of all clubs and meetings. It can ue taken for granted that in New Zealand also, the racing and trotting authocities have a suffi-* cient sense of responsibility to be trusted with the same measure of control and that their knowledge of the sport and the realisation of their duty to the Dominion would ensure that there would bo no degree of over-racing in any district, or that anything contrary to the public interest would be allowed to prevail. I believe that with this added responsibility the racing and trotting authorities would dispense their power with strict moderation and a due sehse of their obligations to the community. ' ' Referring to the proposed new Rules oi Trotting, Mr. Nicoll said that the existing rules had stood up to the test of time, and had no serious challenge to meet; but there had been so many alterations and additions made necessary by their ever-growing progress, which had brought new problems and complesities before them year by year, that the executive resolved that the J time had arrived when the rules should be re-written and re-grouped, in order to simpiify the order of reference and to make plain some ciauses which might require a more definite interpretafion. Stakes.

"Every trotting club in the Dominion has, during the past season, given larger stakes than is required the rules; indced, no club has given less than 100 per cent. oi the totalisator revenue, where the rules provide that SO per cent. or more must be given. Such a position is a very clear indication that we are progressing on the right lines, and that the financial position of the "clubs is on the improve," Mr. Nicoll continued. Unfortunately the slump years took heavy toll of many clubs, and some of them require years oi prosperity before they will be able to pa y off liabilities or launch out in much-needed building and repairs. Club committees are appreciating the value of giving good stakes. This season the amount of £122,996 was so disbursed, being an increase of over £20,000 on tho preceding year. Owners can look with confillence to a further increase during 1937-38, and those clubs which are in a position to do so should have no hesitation in offering liberal programmes. Inter-Dominiou Contests. "In 1935 a meeting was held in Sydney at which delegates from every State in the Commonwealtb, and New Zealand, were represented, and it was then decided that an inter-Dominion earnival should be heid each year in turn by the States. In 1936 the first contest was held at Perth, and in 1937 the second contest was held in Adelaide.( The turn of New Zealand has now arrived and it has been arranged by the executive that the third interDominion executive should be under ihe management of the New Zealand Metropolitan Trotting Club, with the essistance of the New Zealand Trotting Conference and the New Zealand Trotting Association. Tho club has decided to hold this meeting at Easter, 1938." Discussing taxation, Mr. Nicoll said that last year the Government received over £100,000 in taxation from trotting clubs alone. Although the completed figures are not yet available, it is pos* sible the increase may be in the vicinit^ of 35 per cent. above last year's amount. The New Zealand Metropolitan Trotting Club, with a totalisator turnover of £356,277, and giving £26,700 _ in stakes, has paid £31,117 in taxation. High as their stakes may be, the amount paid in taxation to the Government by this club alone exceeds the owners' skare by £4417 for the past twelve mor.th;.