RACING CLUB'S TAXATION.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VIII, Issue 687, 18 July 1914, Page 6

RACING CLUB'S TAXATION.

POSITION OP COUNTRY CLUBS GOVERNMENT CONSIDERING ALTERATION A matter of considerable interest to country racing clubß ia the subject of taxation which under the present system, is held by the clubs to' be unduly burdensome. La at year representatives of the country clubs waited on the Prime Minister relative to , the matter, but were then unable to induce the Government to alter the existing system. At the country club's conference the president, Mr A. Bruce, of Thames brought up the subject by referring to correspondence that has passed between the Prime Minister and himself since the last conference. The explanation was made in answer to communications suggesting that instead of the present method of taxing the gross receipts of clubs, a new system he introduced by which the totalisator receipts would be taxed as at present, but instead of the gross revenue of clubs being also taxed, thu taxation be confined to the net profits. Mr Bruce slated that the Prime Minister, in a communication dated June 15tb, wrote that he was submitting the suggestion to the Minister of Finance for consideration when the Estimates for the current year were under review. In a later letter, dated June 25th last, the Prime Minister wrote as follows, "I beg to inform you that I duly brought the matter before the Minister of Internal Affairs, who states that he has communicated with the president of the New Zealand Raeing Conference on this subject. I am hopeful that the representations made by my colleague will result in the Racing Conference taking the matter into serious consideration," Mr Bruce, in commenting on the Premier's communication, expressed the opinion that the country clubs should not relax their efforts to obtain a reduction of this iniquitous taxation. It was all very well for the wealthy metropolitan clubs to submit to the existing system without demur. They doubtless considered it too good a policy to do so, but the burden on country clubs was particularly severe, and was proving a heavy handicap to many clubs which might otherwise be placed on a much firmer and more satisfactory basis. Personally he bdiev.adl that the Prime Minister was favourable to granting them the concession, and it now remained for the conference to say whether additional steps should be taken to further the object they had in view, or whether the matter be left in the hands of the executive. The conference decided without dißcussion to leave the question in the hands of the executive of the new association.