WESTPORT JOCKEY CLUB

Hokitika Guardian, 4 February 1920, Page 4

WESTPORT JOCKEY CLUB

GRIEVANCE REGARDING DATES

WESTPORT, Feb, 2.

The Westport Jockey Club applied at the last Racing Conference for Karamea’s permit, originally taken from Westport by the 1910 legislation, and which Karamea, owing to the severe drain on the community by the war, agreed should be handed, back to Westport. The Racing Conference approved of the application, subject to the expenditure on buildings of not less than £2OOO, the Club having purchased and formed a new racecourse since 1915. On the strength of this approval the Club entered into commitments for £3OOO. After the Club’s programme for two days was approved by the District Committee and the Trotting Association, the Club was notified that no second day was available, its -second day apparently having been given to the Jellicoe Trotting Meeting at Christchurch on September 6th, 1919, by the then Minister of Internal Affairs. It appears that the Racing Conference had been notified by the Department in November of this alteration, hut clubs interested received no advice to that effect, and as the official calendar still showed the two days’ racing, the Club went on with its racing and building -programme. The secretary, Mr Patterson, says if the granting of racing permits to trotting clubs is to be held by the Minister, then the whole fabric of racing administration will be destroyed. The community is loud in protest against the Department’s attitude. ,CHRISTCHURCH, Teh. 3. Regarding the alleged injustice suffered by the Westport Jockey Club and the statement that the Club‘had received .no advice as to the withdrawal of the license for its second day’s racing, the Racing Conference states that on receipt of notice of withdrawal of the the Westport permit hv direction of the Minister of Internal Affairs withholding a license to race a second day, the Racing Conference immediately notified the Westport Club of thje Minister’s decision.

On ascertaining at a, .later date that the Greymouth District Committee had passed a two days’ programme for the Westport Club, the Racing Conference called the attention of the Greymouth District Committee to the previous notification to the Westport Club. The Racing Conference sympathises with the Westport Club in the matter, and states it has no responsibility regarding the transfer of the day to the trotting meeting held in honour of Lord Jellicoe.