RACING PERMITS.

Taranaki Daily News, 20 June 1919, Page 7

RACING PERMITS.

TARANAKTS SMALL SHARE, CENTRAL PROVINCE'S CLAIMS. Representatives of tlie Stratford Racing Club and the newly-formed Eltham Club waited upon Messrs Pearce, WilIkinson, Smith and Major Hine, M-'sP., at Eltham on Tuesday, and brought before them certain matters connected with the welfare of racing in the two districts.* Mr W. J. Morrison, president of the Stratford Club, and a member of the District Committee, said they wanted to bring before the members for Taranaki electorates the question of a further allocation of permits, especially for Taranaki. He did not know whether this rested with Parliament or not. Personally he was of the opinion that there should be a re-adjustment of permits, and he wanted the members to be seized with the importance of Taranaki as compared with other parts of the Dominion. He was l speaking from a Central Taranaki point of -view. No one could say that the present quota was equitable. Both ends were at present well served, but Central Taranaki did not have the permits it was entitled to. He was not speaking particularly for the newly-formed club, but his club was in accord with the movement to establish a club at Eltham. They hoped, however, that Central Taranaki, in any adjustments made, would be properly looked upon. Mr Coleman, secretary of the Stratford Racing Club, said that in common with other clubs in Taranaki, Stratford suffered from the unfair allocation of race days. There were 132 race days in the North Island and 901 fn the South Island, making a total of 222.

Mr Wilkinson: The figures do not include trotting permits? Mr Coleman: No. The percentage corresponded with the population in each island.and to that extent was fair, but when they went into the position of the various districts in the North Island it would be found that this allocation was most unjust. The population of Tarahaki in 1916 was, according to the 1918 year book, .55,925. Mr Smith: It is nearly 00,000 now.

Mr Coleman: The number of race days in Taranaki waj 11 per annum. Hawke's Bay with a population of 54,263, had 23 days. The Wanganui racing district with a population of 74,194 had 26 race days. As Wanganui was not a province he had taken the population of the boroughs, counties and town districts. Some alteration was necessary. If Hawke's Bay and Wanganui were getting just treatment, then Taranaki was being treated most unjustly. His club sympathised with the Eltham Club and worked to do all they could to further their claims for a permit, and they were also asking for an additional permit for themselves. In that connection he point out how unfairly Stratford was treated in comparison with other clubs. There were, at present, only four clubs in Taranaki, andday ifor day Stratford attracted as many people and put through as much money on the totalisator as New Plymouth or Hawera. They had to provide the same appointments and go to.-the; same -.expense at Stratford without being able to get the same revenue- Eltham would be in the same position if only grafited a permit. The Grey Jockey Club;had five days racing, and the average amount put through the totalisato&was £BOOO, while at Stratford and Hawera the amount reached £30,000. This went to show where the racing people were

- Mr Wilkinson: And where the money Is too.

Mr Coleman: Reef ton and Westland lad three days each.

■ " Mr Pearce: That makes no difference to Taranaki if the total number-of permits for each island is determined on a population basis. 1 Mr Coleman asked was it fair for Greymouth to have five days, ■ Westland and Reefton three each, and Ashburton four, while Stratford only had two. He referred to the progress made by the club, which, he said, strengthened their claim. He hoped the facts be had given would help the members of Parliament to come to some conclusion favorable to the Stratford and Eltham clubs. He could not understand the paucity of racing permits. / Mr Smith: Don't you think the railway assists the attendance? Mr Coleman: I can't say that it does. Mr G. W. Taylor, president of the Eltham Club, said that the two meetings held in connection with the promotion of the club had been well attended and they had the backing of some of the strongest settlers in the district. The dub would probably purchase 100 acres and were prepared to spend £IO,OOO. Eltham had the name "concrete town," and he could assure them that any buildings put up by the club would be of a. permanent_and.substantial nature. Major Hine: You are not going to have a concrete course are you? Mr Taylor, continuing, said the men in the club were in a good position financially, and vwfire> prepared to spend money." Eltham was in the midst of the most thickly populated part of New Zealand, and it was admitted that they had the best roads in the Dominion. They, had the best roads for motor traffic -and '-the bulk of the people who attended r%ces travelled iy motor car. If -they <gOt?a jerinvj? fa was sure they would" succeed as 'a club.

, Mr, Tristram said that as secretary tor-inefi.Eltham *3lub he wished to endorse the remarks of the previous speakers.

Mr Pearce sajd that though he had jflever raced ; a horse in his''life Jie believed in good sport. * The remarks made by Mr Coleman showed that this part of New Zealand had not been fairly treafted, Mt; he vtw not well enough up in the laws of racing to say whe--thei-.the.mat.ter..could.be righted. He understood that the Racing Conference could recommend allocations to the Minister for Internal 'Affairs. If so they could get satisfaction without the assistance of difficult to get -aft 'extension, of, permits. If a permit was granted to one club it would lead to too many other claims. Probably 50 to 100 days would be asked for. In reducing the permits many clubs had been wiped out, including the Fatea Club, after an existence of 30 years. He very much doubted whether the Government would agree to further permits being issued. He recognised that probably not one-fifth of the people in New Zealand attended race meetings. He attended a meeting at Wellington at which there were only about 12,00 people.

Mr Coleman: At Auckland the attendance was 35,000. Mr Pearce: He would adyise them to look into the matter and s*> if it was Doatdhln ta nut their case before the

Racing Conference. It must $e unfair for Hawke's Bay to have 28 days and Taranaki only 11. - Mr Coleman, referring to the disposition of the Government not to increase permits, said that applications lad been, invited by the Minister of Internal Affairs from clubs desiring further trotting permits. It appeared that all the permits had not been taken up and if trotting permits were going begging why not allocate some ,for flat racing for Which they were in demand.. Mr Wilkinson said it was useless 1 to expect legislation on the matter- this coming session. It would have t» be: dealt with the following session. Mr Pearce: The future members will deal with it, not the present. Mr Wilkinson: You never know what will happen. With regard to present permits it appeared that Taranaki was not getting its fair share and this should' be remedied. He held no brief for unlimited racing and had voted against that in the House, buthe favored' & reasonable number of meetings. He believed that a race meeting was-held in Eltham 30 years ago, and the place had gone ahead in leaps and bounds since then. Ho was fully in sympathy with the deputation's views and hoped that something would result from the conference.

Major Hine said' that the wishes of Stratford were not new to him, as he had previously "been approached by the club for an extra day. He did not usually attend race meetings, though he had done so at the front, where the totalisator provided the stakes. Trotting horses were necessary to warfare and the breeding of these horses was probably encouraged by racing. He thought horse racing had the effect of improving horses, and to that extent he had nothing to say against it. He thought the best way would be for Stratford and Eltham clubs to put their case before the Racing Conference- Probably Taranaki had suffered by not having a representative on the conference. All he could say was that he would do all he could for the local club 3 if legislation came before Parliament.

Mr Smith said he was not a racing man. It was quite clear that Taranaki was not getting its fair share and if legislation came before Parliament he would favor an increase of permits. He had approached the Minister about an increase of trotting permits for the Taranaki Club and had been told that the? matter was one for Parliament to deal with. He was not sure whether the conference had any power. He would support an increase of permits provided Taranaki got its share.