RACE PERMITS ALLOTTED.

Shannon News, 10 February 1925, Page 3

RACE PERMITS ALLOTTED.

ALL FOR COUNTRY CLUBS. ANNOUNCEMENT NEXT WEEK. The Minister for Internal Allans, tiie Hon. R. F. Bollard, has just completed a, tour Qt New Zealand, inspecting racecourses and ascertaining local conditions before dealing witu the allocation of (otaiisalor permits. Toward the end of the last session of Parliament the Legislature passed a Gaining Amendment Bill, wiiicn contained authority lor increasing Hie number of racing and trotting permits, fn the country by 31. Tilt work of recommending the allocation oi tiie permits, fell to Mr Bollard. He undertook liis task at the first opportunity. Soon after tiie. end of -the session lie commenced a tour of tin Dominion and said that fie hoped to be able- to make his .recommenda-

tions to Cabinet early in tiie present year. He finished ills, numerous visits of inspection this week, and lias, returned to Wellington. Next week lie will present Iris, recommendations to Cabinet, and it is reasonable to assume that an announcement wifi iollo/w the making of (he recommendations with very little delay. NUMEROUS APPLICATIONS.

The applications for permits are so numerous that, they not only indicate the great popularity of tiie sports ot racing and trotting, but indicate that it is inevitable that there will be many disappointments when the fist is published.

The Minister’s task has been difficult and complicated. He is limited by tire Act to (lie allotment of L more racing permits and 19 more trotting permits, and has had to investigate claims far 7 outnumbering these figures. The work has entailed the inspection of courses, tbe meeting oi deputations, presence at race meetings, much correspondence, and conferences. with the various bodies which have the executive control of the several branches of. the sport. Respecting the allotment of a majority of the permits the task was comparatively easy, but it, was tiie balance which gave rise to the differences and entailed much of the work which lias jujst been finished.

I CLUBS, i NO PERMITS FOR METROPOLITAN. I Without attempting to anticipate the 1 Minister’s recommendations, it may be said that one of the first considerations is that none of the additional permits will be given to metropolitan clubs. The idea is that the rural districts shall benefit. Another consideration is that of the distribution ot population. There are districts which m years gone by were populous, and to-day contain but few people, in ’their papulous times they obtained the race permits they were entitled to; The question is whether they should continue to hold them now that the people have vanished. Again there are the districts which have become populous in recent times. These places were sparsely settled when permits were ladled out sonic years ago. Their claim is that they are entitled to have (heir annual race, meeting at their door, and that they should not be compelled to go abroad t.) patronise the sport of kings. The, tangle heomes more complie;r when it is considered that some of the places desirous, of possessing a permit are close tq clubs which already are flourishing. Travel nowadays is easy, and consideration, no doubt, has to be given to the question whether these people should not be asked to throw in their lot with a nearby club instead of insisting on having a local meeting. AMALGAMATION AND REDISTRIBUTION.

Clubs which- have been battling along for years without a permit and have maintained their courses and appointments for the pleasure of conducting non-totalisator meetings may receive a good d ea l of consideration, if some of' the Minister’s observations are interpreted aright. There are not many of these clubs in New Zealand. Two of the knottiest points which can be encountered, in tire whole of a difficult business, it is said, are amalgamation and redistribution, 'butt it would not be altogether surprising if the close investigation which the Minister has made leads him to inako some suggestions the carrying out of which would involve the amalgamation of some the cluibs and the redistribution by the conference of some of the permits.