“A FARMERS’ PICNIC”

New Zealand Times, Volume XLII, Issue 9794, 18 October 1917, Page 5

“A FARMERS’ PICNIC”

MINISTER REFUSES PERMIT. KUROW CLUB’S “SHARP PRACTICE.” “Will ho grant a permit to the Wynduam Racing Club to race on Aow fear's Guy on x,he Invercargill Racing duos groundF ; asked Air G. JAnderson, -vi. 1 ! . for Mataura, ox _tho Minister lor internal Affairs in Parliament yesterday. The hon. member stated that tne race meeting was really a larmers’ picnic for new fear's Lay. The permit was asked for because, owing to the new railway regulations, it was impossible for the horses to get to Wyndham and then to Invercarg.ll to race the next day. A similar permit had been granted, ho understood, to the Kurow Club to race on the Uamaru racecourse. The Hon. G. W. Russell replied to at the permit asked for could not be granted. It would mean practically another day’s racing, and thus m effect nullifying the whole reduction of racing on that course. Applications for olubs .to race off their own grounds had been refused for a conB.derablc time past. He was glad that tho Kurow case had been mentioned, as it gave him an opportunity to state what had occurred. On applying for the permit, the. Kurow Club had not drawn attention to the fact that it was to race on the Uamaru ground. The department was only informed of that shortly before the race meeting was to take place, ibe matter then came before him. Mid ho pulled the whole affair up, with tne intention of stopping it, as had been practically got by false pretences. But he found that there wore only five days to the date of the races, and as all tho arrangements for the horses had been made and cx '_ not be altered, ho allowed the race meeting to go on. He could n , however, allow a piece of sharp prac bice on tho part of the Kurow Club to constitute a precedent or tho department in regard to such m tors. _