TOTALISATOR PERMITS.

Taranaki Daily News, 7 March 1921, Page 2

TOTALISATOR PERMITS.

EARLY SESSION CREATES A DIFFICULTY. COMMISSION’S REPORT NOT READY. The unexpectedly early meeting of Parliament will create a difficulty with regard to totalisator permits. Parliament last session authorised the issue of additional permits, with the special object of providing for the cases of country districts whose requirements are not covered by the present allocation. The Minister of Internal Affiairs was authorised to appoint a commission to make recommendations as to the distribution of the new permits The Bill, it will be remembered, was opposed strongly when it was before the House, and the Minister promised that no additional permits would become effective until Parliament had been given an opportunity to consider the report of the commission and survey the whole situation. The Racing Commission is now making its investigations, and if Parliament were going to meet in the ordinary way at the end of June, the report would be ready for presentation, and the new allocation of totalisator permits could be considered by members before the racing season opened in August. But the commission will not be ready with its report before the end of the early session commencing next week. The Minister will have to make the allocation later, and the new racing season, will open before Parliament meets again at the end of September or the beginning of October. Apparently the new Minister of Internal Affairs (the Hon. W. Downie Stewart) will have to carry the responsibility and make his report to Parliament after the event.—Dominion.