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Hokitika Guardian, 5 October 1931, Page 4

I The • statement placed before the Minj isters at Wellington last week by the lepresentatives of Racing and Trotting Clubs, showed that out of a total of 20 racing clubs in the Dominion 72 last year showed losses on the year’s operations, the total loss reaching the -subtantial figure of £56,182. The 18 I remaining clubs who showed a profit had a very small margin to their credit, the total benig only £3964. Of th e 32 trotting clubs no fewer than 26 showed losses totalling in all £19,445, while the six with a balance on the right side only managed to muster .between thorn £IO6B. The nett loss over all the clubs was therefore ns stated £70,000. These figures relate to the season ended July last. Since then there has been a further substantial drop in total!sator turnover at the meetings held and a consequent additional loss of revenue. To some extent this has been offset by savings in stake-money and economies, lnit the position has become so serious that some clubs-already have felt that they cannot afford to hold meetings while others are likelv to reach the same conclusion. The State collects 121- P cr cent, on all money that passes through the totalisator. , In addition it takes 5 per cent, of all money paid out in dividends—that is the amount put through the totalisator less the club’s percentage. The yield from this source last year-to the State of over half a million pounds is not a- sum that any Finance Minister, would care to lose; and in the past little sympathy has been shown with the requests of the racing bodies for relief. It has been contended, for instance, that the money really is taken from the public, and not from the funds of the clubs. This is only a. part-truth, however, for the effect of this heavy inroad by the State on totalisator investments robs the clubs as well as the public of a substantial share of the monev which would be reinvested and militates in j other ways against the interests of the clubs in directions which affect their revenue. It is not an easy thing as matters stand to-day to suggest a satisfactory means by which the Government can srrant some real measure of relief to. the racing and trotting clubs. The. Government wants all the revenue it can secure to balance its Budget, and the half million derived from the totalisator tax has grown in importance. But while this G the case the fact cannot be ignored that t*ie Government must do something to assist the racing bodies or it is in danger of losing if not the whole at le°st a substantia] part of its halfmillion.