TOTALISATOR COMMISSION.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 7, Issue 204, 6 May 1915, Page 5

TOTALISATOR COMMISSION.

REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS Press Associal ion—Copyright. WELLINGTON, May 4. Th e Commission appointed to consider applications for totalisator licenses has in its report. This has been conSßfed by the Minister of Internal Affairs, along with suggestions received from the New Zealand Racing Conference, the Country Racing Clubs' Association, the N.Z Trotting Conference, and he has decided to issue licenses in accordance with the report. The Messrs '.Hunter and Davy, report as follows: In accordance with the directions set out in the order-of-reference we desir e to state that w e have visited and thoroughly inspected 76 racecourses, the number cf applications in connection with the several branches of sport working out as follows: North Island: Flat racing clubs 21; hunt clubs 12; trotting clubs 6. South Island: 25, 6, and 6. In addition to the above an application was received for flat racinglicenses from Chatham Island Jockey Club, but unfortunately we were unable to pay a visit to the Islands. Eleven applications wer • slso received from existing totalisator clubs for an extension of their - "own annual fixtures but as these requests were outside our order of reference the several applicants were informed that they couild not be considered. Unquestionably the successful .govetrnfaen.t of racing mainly depends upon the personnel of those who propose to control the sport, and we desire to state that during the course of our exhaustive, investigations we were particu' xrly pleased to find that, gener; ly speaking, th e character and spc smanlike knowledge possessed by these who waited upon us were all that c - uld b e desired. By referring to the inutes of proceedings and evidenc _'orwardd herewith, it will be seer, hat ample opportunities were giv,•.:; to those who waited upon us to • : ice Ijaeir views iefore the Commissio:.. ,md : fortunately we were able to Tur.'jtually keep every appointment. Wherever we went we w|ere keenly i . pressed with the great disployed by \h e respective deput; ons, and in making our recommedn . '.:ns we regret that owing to the limit? ' ms imposed by th e amending Act c r 1914 wa are unable to satisfy th e "l . -timate requests of those seeking li rises. •We r,ejbomnVen!d .licenses shoi'. i be granted to the following racing >. Tub's: North Island: Kawakawa, No- hern Opotiki, Waipawa, As: lurst, Pahiatua, Thurnarunui, Hoiro-\ henua an<» Waipa. South Island: Chem t, Clifden, Karamea, Westport, North Canterbury and Oxford-Methven. Applications were received from 32 other clubs For trotting clubs eight perm ts are recommended: North Island: Waikato, Poverty Bay, Waimate. and Manawatu. South Island: Kaikoura, Westland. South Canterbury, and Winton. Four other applications were received. As to Hunt Clubs, for which eight permits were to be given, the Commissioner says: As the merits of so many are equal they recommend that continuous alternate licenses b e granted to the sixteen clubs below, that is to say, Pakuranga for the first year and Waikato for the following, and so on: -North Island: First season—Pakuranga, Hawke's Bay, Dannevirke, North Taranaki, Ra,ngitikei; second season— Waikato, Poverty Bay, Woodlands', Egmont, Wanganui, Manawatu. South Isl/aind: <First season—Brackjpnsfiejldl Waimate District, Birchwood Second season—Christchurch, South Canterbury, Otago. Our preference and selections in each class is indicated in the following recommendations, which have been arrived at after exhaustive investigation into and careful consider, ation of the claims of the several clu|>si W e recommend that all clubs erecting fencing on the inside of racing or trotting tracks and all clubs at any time renewing' tjheir present fencing should be requested to adopt the pattern set forth in schedule 10 of Gaming Commission's Report, 1910, unless special reasons can be shown to th e contrary. We would further strongly urge that no licenses be issued to use the totalisator until reasonable progress has been made with the improvements suggested in the second schedule of our report. The Commission travelled 10,200 miles, an average of 134 miles per day. We have attached to our report informative schedules giving particulars which may prove interesting., *iz„ \hk uifet schedule showing the fifteen racing clubs recommended for licenses, where their meetings are held, and the tenure and distances of their courses; third schedule showing the eight trotting clubs recommended for HceTJSjgs, and where their meetings arc held; end the fifth schedule, with our report on the coursas and appointments of the racing and jtrotting clubs not recommended for licenses. We cannot conclude our report without placing on record our lsgh appreciation of the valuable services rendered to us by Mr D. J. Gray, !*rho acjecMu; secretary tc the Com- "'