THE RACING WORLD.

Taranaki Daily News, 14 July 1920, Page 5

THE RACING WORLD.

CONFERENCE OF COUNTRY CLUBS. MORE PERMITS WANTED. DOUBLE "TOTE" PROPOSED; By (Telegraph.—Press Aasoclattpn, Wellington, Last Night. The annual conference of the New Zealand Country Racing Clubs' Association was held to-night, Mr. A. Bruce (Thames) presiding over a large attendance. The annual report of the executive xtated that although sport generally had been good during the year, "thero was a rift in the lute" occasioned by restriction of racing days to less than the number which existed prior to 1910, notwithstanding that population had considerably increased, and new districts had been opened up, and largely; settled. Legislation had been prepared under instruction of the executive having for its object the restoration of a number of racing days, and providing eight days for Hunt Clubs, so that the sixteen Hunt Clubs licensed biannually to use the totalisator might have annual licenses. The executive considered that as a means of breaking up the bookmaking fraternity a double totalisator machine should be reintroduced and given a trial. "Those gentry give credit," said the report, "and cases of embezzlement have been traced to threats made by bookmakers to expose a poor victim to his employers. It would be in the best interests of racing and the morals of the community if bookmaking were driven out of New Zealand." . The report was adopted. It was decided to recommend the Racing Conference that District Committees should issue licenses, but, no committee' should issue a license to any person who had been refused a license by any other District Committee,- ■ The conference resolved to urge that the Auckland Racing Club and the terbury Jockey Club should be asked to eliminate penalties from their cup events. Mr. G. Stead (Hawke's Bay) fais"ea the question of pressing for improvements in the horse boxes provided on the railways. He said that the boxes should be lit by electricity, or some better method than existed at present, and the a«ommodation for attendants should be improved. It was resolved to mention the matter when a deputation from the conference waits on the Prime Minister tomorrow. Officers were elected as follows! President, Mr. A. Bruce; vice-presidents, Mr. W. J. Evans (Westleml); executive, the Ron. E. W. Alison (Takapima), Mr. H. H. Hayr (Avondale). Mr J. H. Finney (Nelson), and Mr R. Paterson (Westport),

TROTTING CONFERENCE AMENDMENTS TO.RULES. Wellington, Last Night. At the New Zealand trotting conference to-day, the following new rule was adopted: "Each club shall, within six months of the coming into force of this rule, furnish the Association with a certificate by a competent civil engineer who shall certify by statutory declaration the exact length of such club's track, measured .three feet horizontally from the inside fence, where such fence is perpendicular, or from that "portion of the inside fence which projects furthest over the track where such fence is not perpendicular. Such certificate shall be endorsed by the secretary of the club furnishing the same, and shall be placed on the records of the Association." ' ■ Rule 118 a was amended by the following addition: "Nothing In these rules shall be deemed to prevent any club inserting a condition in its programme that a horse entered at that meeting may be renominated for a race on the second_or subsequent flays of the meeting, provided it has put up ft placed' performance at the same or any other meeting named in such condition after the date on which nominations have closed, and any horse renominated under these conditions shall be deemed to be properly nominated." With regard to persons not eligible for an amateur rider's or driver's license, section B of Rule 237 was deleted, and the following proviso inserted: "If ho (the applicant) has at any time within five years previous to the application' for such license received any money or other remuneration for his services for riding, either at a racing or sports club meeting, or riding or driving In'any trotting ra,ce." Rule 202 was deleted and the following substituted; "If the rider of a placed horse do not weigh in, or on being weighed t>e found short of weight, or be guilty of any fraudulent practice with respect to weight or weignrng, such horse shall be- disqualified for the race, or if he touch (unless accidentally) any person or thing other than his own equipments before weighing in, he may be fined any sum not exceeding £2O, or his horse may be disqualified for the race." Another amendment agreed upon was that: "No member of the Judicial Committee shall adjudiortie upon any matter upon which he has given evidence." Officers were elected as follows: President, Mr. John Rowe; vice-president, Mr. D. H. Roberts (Greymoiith); executive, Messrs. C. M. Ollivier (Canterbury), C. Conn (Otago), and L. Cohen (North Island). The executive were elected a Sates Committee. The next annual conference was fixed for Wellington.