Further Complaint about the Racing Ban

Radio Record, Volume II, Issue 7, 31 August 1928, Page 6

Further Complaint about the Racing Ban

How much do the Clubs want?

{ WAS pleased to see in last week’s " issue the statement of one writer that he refused to attend the Christchurch meeting because of the narrow attitude of the racing people in banning broadcasting. I feel the same way myself and I know the resentment of the people is very widespread and general. The only consolation is that the Broadcasting Company has had the courage to defy the ban and make arrangements for securing the news to which all listeners are entitled. It is now suggested that the racing people want to bleed the listeners through the Broadcasting Company of money for a service that is given to their friends of the Press freely. As it is the public which maintains racing I think it is time, in view of this attitude of the racing people, to examine the position and see the extent of the concessions and privileges which are given by the public through the Government to racing. According toa recent speech by the Minister of Finance the concessions given to racing in the last few years alone total over £100,000 a year. This sum is made up of between £35,000 and £40,000 conceded to the clubs in respect of unpaid fractions of dividends. Practically £26,000 of the Government’s share of the totalisator tax was rebated to permit of ground improvements. Further, the clubs benefited by the abolition of income tax on land. The stakes duty was reduced from 10 per cent. to 5 per cent., thus saving approximately £30,000 and a tax of 24 per cent. on admissions (worth £6500) was repealed last year. And of course the clubs retain all unclaimed dividend money. So the public have given the racing people £100,000 annually and yet they have the nerve now to suggest that the listener should pay for the news that is given freely to the newspaper press. Is there no limit to what the racing clubs want? Have they no regard for the public at all?) Do they wish to bleed the pabn > at every turn ? But I find the concessions to racing do not consist only of money. I believe it to be a fact that the very rround on which the races are held at Ricearton is a public reserve appropriated to the Canterbury J ockey ‘Club

by a certain procedure. This puvuc reserve, on which is now the Riccarton racecourse, was given by the Crown for racing purposes and the control vested in seven trustees. In 1907 there were three of the original trustees leftSir George Clifford, Mr. G G. Stead and Mr 3B. LL. Lane, all = influential members of the Canter-. bury Jockey Club. These trustees leased the whole of this valuable property of 178 acres to the Canterbury Jockey Club for the modest sum of £20 per annum. One of the names mentioned appears on the lease on behalf of both lessee and lessor. The next step after this was to prosecute twenty people for allegedly trespassing on a public reserve and they actually succeeded in having them incarcerated in gaol for refusing to leave that public reserve. This action roused so much public comment that it was apparently desired to make the position absolutely safe, so there appeared from "somewhere" an Order-in-Council giving the , trustees special permission to lease the’ land to the Canterbury Jockey Club! The position therefore is, sir, that racing is the spoilt child of the New Zealand public. From the pockets of the public it is supported and from the purse of the community it receives preferential treatment, amounting in the last few years to no less’ than. £100,000 a year on the authority of the Minister of Finance himself. Valuable public reserves have been appropriated to the benefit of racing, and now, not content with all these privileges at the hands of the public, it is coolly suggested that the fees of listeners should be. raided as an extra perquisite for racing. That is the confession of the secretary of the Racing Conference. As you pointed out, sir, their concern for the morals of the community deceived no éne and the candid reason was probably given when the secretary complained that their. palm had not been crossed with silver! I think the public should know these facts. The ordinary Press will not publish them, and as you are the only paper fighting for the rights of the public to receive from broadcasting the saine privileges as are accorded the Press, I send the information to you.I am, ete,

NO HUMBUG.

Iiccartor.