SPORTING.

Taranaki Daily News, 14 July 1922, Page 3

SPORTING.

WELLINGTON MEETING. ACCEPTANCES FOR TO-MORROW* By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, July 13. Acceptances for the Wellington Racing Club’s concluding day to-morrow are: —* TALAVERA HURDLES. One mile and a half.

Liqueur 911 RACING IN AUSTRALIA. By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright. Received July 13, 9.55 p.m. Sydney, July 13. ' Beauford has been scratched for the Epsom and the Metropolitan. This leaves him free to compete in weight for age races at the Randwick meeting.

THE RACING CONFERENCE. REVIEW BY THE CHAIRMAN. HIGH TAXATION OBJECTED TO. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, July 12, The “Racing Conference opened to-day. Sir George Clifford, presiding, read a statement showing that receipts amounted to £4236 and expenditure £1433. The statement was adopted. The accident fund report showed receipts totalling £23,006 and expenditure £22,526. The president said he could not account for the large increase in claims. Inquiries among insurance companies showed that claims were liable to very considerable fluctuations. They might hope that this was one of the exceptional years and not likely to occur again. Th? report was adopted. It was decided that three delegates from the conference and three delegates from the Trotting Conference should confer with the representatives of the Sports Protection League with regard to united 'action concerning increased tota'lisator licenses.

STIPENDIARY 7 STEWARDS’ REPORT. The stipendiary stewards’ report stated that the management and control of racing had been well up to the standard, but some clubs still showed laxity. More care was advocated in the control of the jockeys’ rooms and also of the weighing rooms. Since the appointment of racecourse inspectors the cleansing of racecourses had undergone a very marked improvement. The, racing had maintained a good standard, but there had. however, been a shortage of the very valuable class of jumping horses. Tn many hack and maiden events the fields still remained too large and unwieldy. It should be possible to classify or divide the contestants, thereby reducing the fields and minimising the risk now existing. With some exceptions the conduct of the jockeys had been good. Where vicious or careless riding had been proved the stewards in some cases had taken too lenient a view and inadequate punishment had been meted out.

Increased taxation had affected the totalisator returns and in the stewards’ opinion had driven much money into the hands of bookmakers. They had reason to believe that a few owners still continued to do business as bookmakers. All clubs should provide a ten shilling totalisator, as very heavy cost was involved in carrying on racing and threatened the very life of the sport, making it almost, r impossible for any owner to make ends meet. Several owners had discontinued racing during the past season, and the stewards regretted to note that many clubs were adopting the system of rehandicapping winners. They were of the opinion that fixed penalties were a much more satisfactory method. Mr. Haslett (Dunedin) thought that ; some explanation should be sought to 1 add to such a bald statement.

The president promised the matter would receive attention. The existing stipendiary stewards’ committee was re-elected. An application by the Thames Racing Club for a totalisator license was withheld. It was decided not to grant applications for additional or new totalisator licenses or for extra days’ racing as none were available. Messrs. W. E. Bidwill and F. Earl were appointed a committee to inquire into matters referred to by the Racing Commission in its strictures on the. Takapuna and Avondale Clubs. Wellington, Last Night. The racing conference approved of the following x resolutions of the committee:— That the president be requested to draw the attention of the Minister for Internal Affairs to the undesirability of altering the proportion of racing and trotting totalisator licenses as at present fixed, until such time at least as the whole question of totalisator licenses is again reviewed in its entirety.

The committee recommends that in future when the dates committee is appointed for the year by the committee, and that all matters to be dealt with by the dates committee shall, as far as possible, be submitted to the chairman of the committee at least fourteen days before any meeting thereof. The dates committee was ‘ elected as follows:—Messrs. W. E. Bidwell, H. Lowry, J. S. McLeod, P, Miller, the Hon. Sir E. Mitchelson and Mr. J. H. Perrett. Tn the course of his report the president (Sir Geo. Clifford) said: “Since we last met two matters of grave importance have to be recorded. The one which should have ranked as our greatest authority in the improvement of the turf was the report of the Gaming Commission of 1921. The second was the imposition of a burden of taxation which threatens the very existence of many of our racing clubs. The Parliament of the Dominion hears the responsibility of the non-acceptance of the report, and is also blameworthy in regard to the extraordinary diversity of taxation which ingenuity has devised for our spoliation. The latter offence may more easily be pardoned, as its effect is temporary in difficult times, relief is already promised, and its exaggerated stringency must eventually work its own cure. The rejection of the report was, howjever, a calamity, which there seems no prospect- of rectifying. Great expectations were raised by the appointment of so competent a commission, and they were more than realised when it presented a masterly, wellreasoned, an'.’, fearless report. What we now claim in that renewed consideration be officially yiven to each item of this mas-

terpiece of suggested reform, and that it he not thus hastily thrust aside in obedience to the energetic clamour of so small a minority of interested opponents. Still more extraordinary Lilian the suppression of the report is the acquiescence of those clubs which were directly or indirectly charged with irregular conduct. No attempt at vindication has been proffered. I have no pre-judgment to pronounce, but I do say that it is the duty of such clubs to clear themselves from these charges, if false, or wipe away the inherent abuses resulting from them if true. No club should rest silently under serious imputations. There is a written and unwritten l.aw in the realm of sport which cannot be safely disregarded. “Passing to the question of taxation I will confine myself to figures, which tell their

“This is a load which not only impoverishes clubs directly: it injures them also by its discouragement of the owners, whose support is essential to their healthy existence. What we petition for is lenience to the weak, that they may ■ escape from impending destruction, and an entire removal of all oppressive burdens as soon as the exigencies of the State permit it. Many of these forms of taxation, which lessen rather than increase revenue, could at. oni?e be judiciously abandoned. “The year has been made memorable by our first experience of the system of racecourse inspectors. We were fortunate in adapted to the work of clearing our courses frci.n the scum which discredited them—the type which follows as a hunting ground every crowd whether assembled for business or pleasure or prayer. Their success is already undeniable, and the service to the community as well as to the orderly frequenters of our pastime is well recognised not only by ourselves but. by the authorities whose task is to check crime. “Sir Edwin Mitchelson’s Gaming Act Amendment Bill of last session unfortunately was stranded in the hurried -final rush of business after it had passed through the Legislative Council. This misadventure probably cost us three of the benefits it aimed at bestowing. I may refer to them now to keep alive the recognition of their utility, and, as a call upon our friends, to make every effort to remedy the previous , failure. First, in order to combat the evil of street bookmaking, wc desire permission to the public to transmit money for investment upon the totalisator to secretaries of racing clubs. Let the investor escape from the limited prices and the barred horses of the vendors of odds, who contribute no revenue to the State or to the sport. Give the average sportsman all the advantages of the indisputable honesty of the official totalisator. The law at. present debars the bookmaker from following his trade: it is illogical to leave open to him the practical (monopoly of it- beyond the precincts of the racecourse. Secondly, we point out, as we have so often done, the absurdity of prohibiting publication of dividends. This statutory folly assists the breaker of the law; it serves no good purpose in its irrita-

tion of law-abiding citizens; and it reaches its climax when newspapers are forbidden to tell us at what price Captain Cuttie won the Epsom Derby. Thirdly, the lost Bill provided for a double totalisator when clubs desire to instal that special machine. This, too, was a step to better protection for the public who desire the full rate of odds fot the moderate investor, with the certainty that the picked investment will not be refused. May it not he long before these reasonable requests are conceded.”

EGMONT RACING CLUB. THE ANNUAL REPORT. The annual report of the Egmont Raft ing Club states: “It is with regret wa have to record a loss of £2,734 6s 3d. This is attributed to the general depression and financial stringency tint has ruled the country during that period.' There has been an abnormal decrease in all sources of revenue, particularly the totalisator. Tn view of the many adverse factors that had to be faced, your committee consider the results achieved satisfactory. Nominations for the offices of president, vice-president, and honorary treasurer, not being in excess of the offices to be filled, I hereby declare the following duly elected, viz.: President, Mr. R. H. Nolan; vicepresident, Mr. J. Gray; honorary treasurer, Mr. S. Adamson. Nomination.? for the offices of stewards and committee being in excess of the offices to be filled, an election will take place,”

Mangamahoe 10 9 Passenger 9 5 Ruatura 10 6 Walton 9 4 Sir Agnes 10 4 Totara Jack 9 0 Redstone 10 2 Noble 9 0 Sir Wai 9 12 Bairnsdale 9 0 Banogue 9 10 Good Start 9 0 Hushman 9 7 Circulate 9 0 Rowan 9 G NOVICE HANDICAP. Six furlongs. Comical 10 3 Punishment 9 2 Orellana 10 0 Rimutaka 9 0 Cochineal 9 11 Misrule 9 0 Blush 9 S Sponte 9 0 Good Mark 9 « Elaveotte 9 0 Lady Ben 9 3 Tussore 9 0 Potoa Queen 9 3 CROFTON HANDICAP. Seven furlongs. Wrangle 11 S Taipalrd 10 3 Battle Knight 11 4 Btrkenella 9 11 Bitholla 10 7 Liqueur 0 11 Urgency 10 7 Yankee Dan s 11 Halifax. 10 4 Ealukl » « Lord Desmond 10 3 Pink Rose » 0 WINTER HURDLES. Two miles and a quarter. Poanui 11 . 8 Waikaretu 9 7 Volo 10 13 Penury Rose 9 4 Gladful 10 10 Sunray 9 0 General h y , oto «. an Petain 10 8 Falstaff 9 0 Omahu 10 8 Rorke’s Drift 9 0 No Bother 10 4 Dick Alteration 10 3 Ruatara 9 spook 0 13 Kareno 0 » Ore Ore 9 9 Nautical 9 u Royal Gift S S Blue Hall S » WINTER OATS HANDICAP. One mile. Tame Fox 11 7 Tenterfield 9 G Arch Salute 11 2 Whipping Boy 9 G PrinteiHx ; io 8 Jolly Princess 9 3 Listening Post 10 7 Mort Avis 9 2 Dainty Step 10 5 Some Fashion 9 2 Radial 10 5 Bagdad 9 0 Heathersprig 10 4 Stork 9 0 Gold Kip 10 3 — Kilkee 9 0 Some Kid 9 12 Miss Land 9 0 Forest Gold 9 8 Machree 9 0 Haurangi 9 7 JULY STEEPLES. About three miles. Coalition 12 9 Lawsuit 9 4 i Oakleigh 11 3 Mattock 9 2 Kohu 10 5 Calma 9 0 First Line 10 3 Glenisla 9 0 J Hyginas 10 0 Polthogue 9 0 1 Master Boris 9 7 Oak Rose 9 0 Old Gold 9 G Romance 9 0 ONSLOW HANDICAP. Six furlongs. Miss Gold 10 11 Counterstroke 9 3 Civilform 10 3 Prince Martian 9 0 Backsheesh *9 9 Countc- Attack 9 0 Passionless 9 7 Callaghan 9 0 Blackmail 9 S Mantua 9 0 Hipo 9 4 Yankee Dan 9 0 Astinome 9 3 Capping Day 9 0 KIA ORA HANDICAP. Five furlongs. Lady Ridicule 10 10 Tekurl 9 9 Big Push 10 "8 Rippling 9 7 Urgency 10 G Orellana 9 6 Regard 10 1 in the Pink 9 4 Moutoa’s Gift 9 13 Loved One 9 0 Loyal Maid 9 12 Gold Pan 9 0

own tale without comment:— £ s. d. Totalisator tax ............ 150,694 15 5 Dividend tax 222,772 7 0 Fractions ....... 9,933 IS 8 Stakes Tax 34,553 11 0 Tax on receipts 4,140 IS 6 Amusement tax ............ 12,750 8 5 Land tax 2,332 8 6 Income tax ................ 21,149 13 6 Total .....* £458,334 2 0 Local rates paid ........... 5,572 19 10 Grand total £463,907 1 10