RAILWAYS AND RAGING.

Hokitika Guardian, 14 November 1917, Page 4

RAILWAYS AND RAGING.

At the annual meeting of the Riverton Racing Club the president, Dr Trotter, said that the Government tax for the two days’ racing was 5-s 6cl —very little short of their stakes. A little more taxation and the races would be run in the interests of the Government and the horse-owners. It was very evident that those people who attended race meetings were paying their share of taxation, and now they would be asked to make a call on them at the gates in the shape of an amusement tax, and, with the usual large attendance, this would amount to a considerable sum. That brought him to another point—the attitude the Government had taken up in regard to the treatment of the people travelling to and from the races, through the curtailment of race trains.

Personalty, lie did not see why this radical change should be made. It had a bad effect on the nation to be compelled to go about with “ long ” and serious faces. The Government should, on the other hand, give the people facilities whereby reasonable enjoyment could lie indulged ip to brighten their lives. There were two sets of people-fighting the war—those at the front, and those at home who found the money to carry on the war.

He did not think that racing could be done without. Only the other da> r they read of our heroes in Palestine holding a race meeting within .sound of the guns, in which New Zealand horses and men participated. Honest and legitimate sport was neeessary in part to turn people’s minds from the depressing effects of this dreadful war. It was an economic mistake on the part of the Government, if they had the men to work the railways, to so curtail the traffic and lose the revenue.