SPORTING.

Taranaki Daily News, 24 August 1917, Page 4

SPORTING.

THE CLOSED DOWN CLUBS. QUESTION OF FUNDS. MINISTER INTERVIEWED. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. Representatives of the small racing ehibs which have lost thfeir permits in the recent curtailment interviewed the Minister of Internal Affairs. One of the conditions of the curtailment was that clubs . which continued to race should, from theit profits, find sufficient money to defray 'the liabilities of the clubs which closed down. The delegates asked Mr. Russell that the Internal Affairs Department should collect this money and distribute it among the clubs, otherwise it was feared the profits would not be available to help the ctnbs closed down,' They also asked that the clubs which were still holding races, but hacj 'fcst some days, should be helped by the clubs making profits, Mr. Russell said it had always been %is desire to protect the interests of the smaller clubs because he recognised . all throughout that the cry was not -against this small clubs, trot against the clubs in th# larger centres, and the objection waMip th e amount of totalisator gambling and not to racing permits. Ifhe had had his way all the profits marieby the racing clubs throughout the period of the war tfoulcUiave-been pooled in the Internal Affairs Department, and the ' proceeds, after paying all the costs of ;the scheme, w«M have been devoted 1: ; .to patriotic purposes. That scheme he was not able to carry through, and the matter now rested entirely with the racing and trotting conferences aa a combined body, and the deputation would have to Took to this body for the payment of claims and the-settlement -of all grievances. The Government could, not interfere without legislation, and -there was not the slightest chance oft! legislation being proposed. Sir Geo.; 'Clifford had promised that the coffference would consider the claims for assistance of the clnbs which might makes losses on account of losing some of their days, and -he had no reason to suppose the. merr®Bts of the racing conference—a body of honorable gentlemen—would not fulfil their obligations.