H.—2B

Session 11. 1921-22. NEW ZEALAND.

RACING COMMISSION (REPORT OF THE) APPOINTED UNDER SECTION 2 OF THE GAMING AMENDMENT ACT, 1920 (No. 2).

Presented to the House of Representatives pursuant to the Gaming Amendment Act, 1920 (No. 2).

REPORT. To His Excellency the Right Hon. John Rushworth, Viscount Jellicoe, Admiral of the Fleet, Governor-General and Commander-in-Chief in and over His Majesty's Dominion of New Zealand and its Dependencies. May it please Your Excellency,— We, the Commissioners appointed by Your Excellency on the Bth Novem ber, 1920, to be a Commission, as provided in section 2 of the Gaming Amendment Act, 1920 (No. 2), for the purpose of determining the racing clubs to which licenses are to be granted under section 50 of the Gaming Act, 1908, in the racing-year commencing on the Ist day of August, 1921, and the number of days on which the use of the totalizator is to be authorized by each of these licenses, and generally to inquire into such other matters relating thereto as may come under our notice in the course of our inquiries, and which we consider should be investigated in connection therewith, have the honour to report as follows : — 1. We have made a full and exhaustive inquiry into all and singular the several matters committed to us by Your Excellency as aforesaid, such inquiry involving personal inspection of practically the whole of the racecourses of the Dominion in respect of which the clubs controlling the same had applied, or were desirous of applying, for licenses to use the totalizator at race meetings to be held thereon, and hearing in support of each such application delegates from the club concerned, and the statements of other witnesses the club or ourselves considered it desirable to call, and otherwise satisfying ourselves, by proper investigation, as to the merits or demerits of each and every such application. We have also, after public notice of our readiness to do so, given full hearing and consideration to the arguments advanced by delegates of certain religious organizations, and the representations of all other persons who had intimated their desire to be heard in opposition to an increase in the number of totalizator licenses, and also to the statements in reply, both oral and written, of the representatives of various bodies connected with or interested in the sports of racing and trotting. 2. At the time of the passing of the Gaming Amendment Act, 1910, the number of days in the racing-year covered by totalizator licenses was—for racing, 242 ; and for trotting, 62 ; making a total of 304. No days were at this time allotted to hunt clubs. By virtue of the Act of 1910 a reduction was made in the days of racing of 43 days, leaving 199 days, and in the days of trotting of 11 days, leaving 51 days, the grand total of totalizator days for the racing-year being thereby reduced from 304 to 250. Then, by virtue of the Gaming Amendment Act, 1914, and the report of the Commission appointed thereunder, an increase of 31 days was made, being 15 days to racing clubs, 8 days to trotting clubs, and 8 days to hunt clubs. At the time of the passing of the Gaming Amendment Act, 1920 (No. 2), under which this Commission came into being, there were therefore 281 days in

I—H. 28.