COUNTRY RACING CLUBS

Hokitika Guardian, 6 December 1927, Page 1

COUNTRY RACING CLUBS

TOT.V LLSATOR DITTY REFUNDS. WELLINGTON, Dee. 2. A plea on behalf of the country racing cilubs was voiced by Sir George Hunter (Woipawn) in the House, when speaking to the provision in the Finance Bill extending the purposes for which totalisator duty may he refunded. Under Section 8 of the Finance Act. said Sir George, authority was given the Minister for E'.iance to refund to the small country clubs 1J per cent of the amount received from the totalisntor, and the clause in the Finance Bill was an extension of that principle. It would allow part of the refund to lie devoted towards the reduction of debts of the clubs, and for the purchase of hunt club sites to encourage the sport of limiting. “T want to ask the Minister for Finance,” continued Sir George, “whether lie will consider, if possible, the question of turther extending this principle next year, and will allow these amounts to he refunded to the various country clubs without any restriction in regard to the expenditure other than that the amounts so refunded shall not he expended in stakes.. Many of the small country clulis are labouring under a great disability at the present time in making provision for the carrying on of racing. The slight concession made to the clubs this session provides for a, remission in the charge of admission through the gates, and is an indication that the Government realises the difficulties under which the country clubs are labouring. Unless they get some relict in the immediate future, however. T fear it will he absolutely impossible for some of those country clubs to carry on successfully. “It would he unfortunate for the sport- if the country clubs were forced t(, close down on the ground of not being able to finance their institutions. I know this is not an opportune time to urge concessions but 1 hope That next session some substantial concession "ill be made in order that these small clubs may carry on and he put on a sound financial basis.

Replying. the Minister for Finance (Mr Downie Stewart) said that i>ersonallv lie had no objection to the extension or the principle. Tt seemed to him that once the money was remitted to the clubs the use they made of it was not of very muck moment Sir Heorge Hunter find sußgested that the money should not be used lor increasing the stakes, but it would be bai-d to avoid that result since once the o-eneral finance had eased up the easier it would lie to increase the stakes. That, of eoit.se, was not the object of the remission. The Minister said he was prepared to consider, ie iMiiiit, raised.