REDUCING RACING.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 3, 28 June 1911, Page 8

REDUCING RACING.

THE COMMISSIONERS' RECOMMENDATIONS. STRONG CRITICISM. Bj Telegraph.—Press Association. Christchurch, Last Night. Regarding the report of the Racing J Commission, Mr. C. Hood Williams, president of the Christchurch Club, and representative of several country clubs on the Racing Conference, stated in an interview that he held n') brief either for the metropolitan or < -Hiiitry clubs, and the sole object of his remarks to follow was tjiat in his own opinion it was not in the best interests of racing that the Racing Commission, in dealing with the subject of reducing the number i of days of racing, appear to have paid too much attention to the subject of reducing the number of days of country clubs and too little to the possibility of giving fewer days to the metropolitan clubs.

"Everyone will, of course, admit," he continued, "that the .metropolitan clubs have done yeoman service in conducting their affairs in such a manner that they have been enabled to give stakes which not only encourage breeders of thoroughbreds, but also afford attraction and support of the general public, and also enable powerful owners to win money to assist to maintain their large racing establishments. On the other hand, there are owners and trainers possibly not so wealthy who own or train two or three horses, not first-class ones, anil not equal to successfully compete with tile before mentioned large racing establishments, and hence these owners look to I some, extent, to the country race ciuhs to provide them with stakes which will enaMc them to successfully conduct their calling. It must be admitted that local owners of first-class racehorses have not a bneklcy's chance of winning a race at metropolitan meetings, where the pick of horses of the Dominion are gathered together, attracted by rich stakes which the principal metropolitan clubs arc enabled to offer. Quoting from a return of stakes paid by the eight metropolitan clubs of Auckland, Canterbury, WellingW», Hawke's Bay, Dunedin, Taranaki, Wanganui, and Greymouth, it will be found that they paid in stakes during the racing year 1910 the large sum of £107,700, but country clubs paid stakes during the same period amounting to £101,128, and trotting clubs paid £41,627. The total for country racing clubs and trotting clubs was £142.775, and these figures entitle the latter clubs to it more equitable adjustment both in regard to their totalisator permits and in reference to the country clubs having better representation upon the Racing Conference." After referring to the recommendations of the Commission as to the days of racing, and pointing out the difference between the number allotted the metropolitan and to country olubs, he said: "This appears to me not to .be a fair proportion, ,and I may be allowed to express the opinion that it would have been a wiser policy bad the Racing Commission more fully considered the claims ot clulbs, more especially those which held only one day's racing during the year. This certainly could have been done by further reducing the number, of racing days of the metropolitan clubs, and ot tlie country racing clubs which are at present recommended for three days for the year's racing. The reason furnished by the Racing Commission lor not recommending the Christchurch Racing Club for a totalisator permit, namely, 'contiguity two miles from the Riccarton course,' is not, in my opinion, a sound one, as the Christchurch Racing Olub catered for a class of horses which as a rule were not equal to successfully compete at meetings of the C..T.C., where horses came from all parts of New Zealand to fulfil their engagements."