COUNTRY RACING CLUBS.

King Country Chronicle, Volume V, Issue 388, 19 August 1911, Page 5

COUNTRY RACING CLUBS.

The second reading (if Mr Jennings Gaming Act Amendment, Hill c.'uni' 01 in till.' House of R epi ese!l I ati Ves last Wednesday even nig. The nu.-vi r, ir the course of liif remark:-. <j>r■ ■ . c: < i the opinion that, the allocation ol ilu permits to country chilis by 'he Racinf. Commission had not been faiily made. This Mill, Ik- «> r; p! :> it h ;!. was for the purpose ol remedy in;:, (be injustice thai had, beor, perpetrated upon a number of clubs, many of winch had been in existence innii thirty to I thirty-live years. The Rangitikei (Tub was. one in point, having be. n ' wiped out after existing ;'<>r over . years. The member point- il cut i.lia! last year the division let was m favour of the country elubs by a ma ! jorily of one before the question wi lit to the Hpjier 11 ousc. The 11 en. the i Premier, Sir Joseph Wnjd, Mr.Ln I nin;:s said, had pictured as a result ol I the possible wiping out- of country clubs exact iy what had now happened. The object of the Gamins: A<• I. contended the member, was for the "eduction of gaming, and not. to make iiny hiv -cping injury to '.he count;v ciub. Tl;' decision of the Commission had deflated the object of the Aci.i n so far as it tended to drive gamins' to the hie centres, where it. was acknowledged the gaming evil was most, m evidence. Country clubs averaged but .€2(100 a day in lolalisa'.or investments as against an average of nearly .1*20.000 for one of the hi;: metropolitan clubs. Tin l racing dubs. ho pointed out, had been reduced by •!;; permits and trotting by J1 permits, but the ieduction. when analysed, showed that metropolitan clubs, with no days' racing last year, were only reduced by four days, while country clubs, with 177 days' racing, were reduced by :;;i

i days, and in many case:* were wiped ! out: altogether. Mr Poole: Why not. provide ior a j redistribution of permil?V ! i\lr Jennings: I an; dealing with i that phase. The member went. on t<> I suggest that, so far as totniisalor permits wore concerned, (lie whole power i ot' allotting these permits should not ; he left: in the hands of the Racine ConI ferencc-, hot. that the- Minister in | charge shou Id at least, held ten or a : dozen permits, or as many as hi' thought necessary, in order to he aide | to grant permits where a good « are : was made out, as in the increase ,>{ population. The. north of Auckland | was particularly applicable an instance of tho necessity of such provij sion. Country cltihs provided more ! in the shape of picnic meetings than ; in gambling gatherings, and the gross : injustice done might, weli he in some ! part remedied hy tho reinstatement, of : the fourteen days he asked (or in the ; Bill, which he left in confidence to tin ! House. The member pointed out. also, that: several clubs that, previously I possessed no permits hail claim:; te j consideration. j Messrs Forbes, Field, \\ right, : McDonald. Taylor, Pearee, SiaMt, i Glover and Poland spoke in support oi ; the Bill, and Messrs Poole. Stallworthv. "dander and McLaren opposed the Bill. 1 The lion. Mr Buddo said that. '« rr. i satisfaction would have occurred ha., ] Parliament given a general direction I to the Racing Commission. A idea: inference, however, was given that the Commission should give eonsuierai tion to those clubs which only had one : day's racing a year, "flic- Commission, j however, eluded that provision. ihe i tendency of their report was to es'.ntlisli close corporation of racing :n the : large centres, and it- did not carry on I the intent ions of Parliament. Sir .las. Carroll said thai, hy the Act of last, year, the arranging ot the permits for 1:. months was delegated to the Commission., after which the Rliiiist?r of internal Affairs won In be the responsible one ai considering, the revision of permits'. The 1 - months ' had only .just, commenced, and \t was only fair that parliament, should give - a fair trial to the results ot its 'cg;slation. Several other members spoke in support of the Bill, after which Mr Jennings replied. The second resoling was earned by :;, r > votes to ]n, and the Bill was setdown for committal on Thursday, : August Ml.