RACING AND TROTTING

Wairarapa Times-Age, 26 March 1942, Page 4

RACING AND TROTTING

TOTALISATOR DAYS REDUCED BY FIFTY PER CENT. ACTION BY GOVERNMENT. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. A reduction of 50 per cent in the number of totalisator days for racing and trotting meetings in the Dominion. which is to be imposed by the Government, was announced yesterday by the Minister of Internal Affairs, Mr Parry. He said the decision was to have effect after Easter Monday. For the remainder of the current racing year ending July 31 next, after providing for the recent curtailment of 60 racing and 20 trotting days over the whole season, the balance of the days for each sport would be halved. Mr Parry said there had been delay, particularly on the part of the trotting authorities, in submitting the recommendations asked for by the Government for the reduction of 60 days’ racing and 20 days’ trotting. The last of the long-awaited recommendations were received yesterday when Cabinet immediately reviewed the position in the light of the latest developments of the war and New Zealand’s effort to meet them.

“I feel the racing and trotting authorities readily appreciate the position today,” said Mr Parry, “and will promptly set about the working out of their schedules for applications of totalisator permits to fit in with the decision of the Government. The claim exists for the continuous effort of the people in the country’s war effort, and the cutting of the number of race days goes with it. Members of the Government recognise the good to be obtained by the maintenance of the various forms of sport, only if it is possible to do so on a reduced scale, for the recreation of the people. They recognise also that if national needs arise there will be no reluctance shown by the people completely to sacrifice their sport.”