TAX ON SPORTS BODIES

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 62, 6 December 1937, Page 4

TAX ON SPORTS BODIES

i-Press Associatlon.)

• ^ v 3 ■ North Auckland Protest RUGBY UNION'S OPINION

(By .Telegrapl:

WHANGAREI, Saturday. "The Government is concerned and is willing to spend money on the physical development of the people. It seems anomalous that they should take away with the other hand the very funds required for proper development," said Mr. L. J. Brake, president of the North Auckland Rugby Union, in advocating a Dominion-wide move for the re iission of the amusement tax an amateur sport. • The balance-aheet of the SpringbokNorth Auckland match, played here, showed the gate-takings as £735, of which £83 was paid in amusement tax. If it had not been for this high levy," Mr Brake added, ''the union would have finished the scason with a credit iustead of a deficit. The Government must have made a terrjfic sum out of the Springbok tour, The Government is continuing the policy qf its predecessor in making a remission 10 racing and trotting clubs on totalisator turnover, and it seems 'that amateur athletic organisations missed the opportunity of making application for relief from the heavy burden of taxatioij they are carry ing. "This imposition is unfair, especially when consideration is given to the amount of timo ofiicials give in voluntarily administering the various branches of sport which have for their object the betterment of the race." Mr trake's opinion is that amateur athletic bodies should apply for the remission of amusement tax and then, if Government funds permitted, should seelt grants. It was decided \ to ask the New Zealand Rugby Union to mahe represeutationa for the remission of amusement tax on all Rugby matches.