RACING COMMISSION.

Taranaki Daily News, 19 October 1921, Page 5

RACING COMMISSION.

NEW PROCEDURE PROPOSED. BILL TO BE BROUGHT DOWN. • STATEMENT BY THE PREMIER.. By Telegraph—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. In the House this afternoon the Hon. W. D. Stewart laid on the table the Order-in-Council covering the report of the Racing Commission. Bir George Hunter (Waipawa) asked the Premier if the Order-in-Council would give effect to the report of the Racing Commission if it remained on the tame unchallenged. The Premier said undoubtedly if it remained on the table unchallenged long enough the Order-in-Council would give effect to the commission’s report. Continuing, he said the position was exceedingly complicated, much more so than he or anyone else had thought it would become, and to prevent a misunderstanding he proposed to tell the House exactly what lie proposed to do. it was desired to give the House an opportunity of dealing with the commission’s report, and in order to do so it was proposed to introduce a Bill. It would be a short Bill, probably only two clauses, setting out the number of days on which permits might be issued, but that number would not exceed the nu«*nber mentioned in the commission's report. That, however, would not end the matter, because the Bill would not allocate permits to be issued; that would bo the business of the Minister of Internal Affairs.

Mr. J. McCombs (Lyttelton): “Then the Government stands for no increased number of days?”

Mr. Massey would xiot admit that was so. Mr. McCombs: “Then you are shuffling.” Mr. Massey indignantly denied was shuffling. He was dealing in a perfectly straight-forward manner with a difficult question. The Government had appointed the best men they could find to constitute the commission; they made a report in good faith, and it was the duty of the Government to put that report fairly before the House. That was what he was doing. If the Bill which he proposed to bring down passed, theij the decisions of the commission would be submitted to the House in a series of resolutions, upon which members of the House would have an opportunity of voting free from party ties. Mr. L. M. Isitt (Christchurch North) suggested this course would simply have the effect of uniting nil racing men in the hope that they Would each get what they wanted.

Mr. Massey said he could not say that, but Cabinet had the matter long and earnestly, and he could not think of any better way of putting the. whole issue before the House. So far as he could judge the Bill would be brought down on Thursday or Friday. Replying to Sir George Hunter, Mr. Massey said if the Bill failed to pass he would recommend his colleague, the Minister of Internal Affairs, to withdraw the Order-in-Council, and tnen they would revert to the position as it existed before the commission was set up. Mr. T ~:tt wished to know if he could not there and then challenge the Order-in-Council by a motion. The Speaker ruled „that a notice of motion would have to be given, and the matter then dropped. *