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still registered. The last meeting was held in December, 1913. A list of the present members of the club and a copy of the club's last balance-sheet have been forwarded. The circumference of the course is 7 furlongs. The tenure is from year to year, the club never having asked for a longer term. The accommodation consists of weighing and jockeys' room, publican's booth, refreshment-rooms, natural grandstand and beautifully shaded terrace. So far the course is not fenced; it has not been found necessary according to the formation of the course, but it could soon be done if required. The nearest clubs using the totalizator are at Nelson, eighty-one miles north, and at Reefton, fifty-six miles south. The nearest clubs not using the totalizator are at Takaka, 119 miles north, and Karamea, 150 miles south. For the following reasons we think we should be granted a permit : We are a very old-established club, and have continuously held meetings year after year. We have been registered since registration started, and in days gone by have had the totalizator. We have appended a list of nominations for five races. Ihe sixth race for beaten horses will probably be larger in nomination than the others. Many of the hoi ses come from Nelson and the West Coast. This is the lavgest nomination we have had for some years. The district is going ahead by leaps and bounds. A totalizator would enable us to raise our stakes and encourage horse-breeding and thoroughbreds in the district. So far we have not been able to depend upon a thoroughbred horse coming into our district, as the inducements at the present time do not encourage it, and it is now a well-known fact that the breeding of thoroughbreds should be encouraged, apart from sport, for army remounts. We are so far away from any other racecourse that many of the inhabitants would like to see a good class of races, but our stakes debar quality in horses, and the distance to other centres is prohibitive when no more than a day can be spared, as this district is essentially a dairy one. If we had a totalizator we would have to change our race-day to suit the West Coast or Nelson, as from either districts horses would be able to break their journey and have a day's racing. By the Deputation. —Although the district is very isolated it is one of the best farming districts in New Zealand, and the settlers are a progressive people. We are about fifty miles from the nearest town of any note, and about seventy miles from Nelson. We have had a hard struggle to keep our meetings going, and we would like to have the means to make them self-supporting. If we had a permit yve could increase our stakes, and we are confident this would largely help to improve the breed of horses in the district. We have been in a stagnant condition in regard to horse-breeding for the last few years because we have had no inducement to breed. We want some impetus to encourage our settlers to breed, particularly at this critical time in our history. Our position geographically between Nelson, Marlborough, and the West Coast is a very central one, because horse-owners travelling between these centres would be able to take advantage of our meeting. Thus a permit here would not only be good for ourselves, but would be of benefit to these other districts, because it would provide another good meeting for horse-owners travelling through. The tenure of our course is not very satisfactory. The present owner will not give us a long lease, as he wants to sell. We can have the course as long as he owns it, but we do not feel justified in expending a great deal of money on it unless we can get a better lease or another ground. With a permit we could hold a very decent little meeting here. We know of several people who would race horses here if there was sufficient inducement for them to do so. At present our stakes are not big enough to warrant them, bringing their horses here. This is the centre of many good districts, such as Raeburn, Maruia, Fern Flat, and others. Westport Jockey Club. The headquarters of the club arc at Westport. The club was formed in 1893, and is registered. The club has held a one-day meeting each year since 1910, when the totalizator was lost. A list of the present members of the club and a copy of the club's last balance-sheet have been forjvarded. The circumference of the course is 7 furlongs. When the club lost its license through the 1910 gaming legislation the property was taken over by the mortgagee. Arrangements can be made, however, for the club 10 repurchase the property at the price taken over by the mortgagee. The course is fenced on the inside. The nearest club using the totalizator is the Reefton Jockey Club, twenty miles distant. We had £232 in hand when the license was cancelled. This has gradually disappeared by losses on each race meeting since the club has been carrying on without a license. The population of the Westport district last census was 11,640. We trust you will favourably consider our application. By the First Deputation. —The Westport Jockey Club wishes to withdraw this application, as we now find we can only get a one-day meeting under the amending Act of 1913. After we lost our permit in 1910 we held a couple of hack meetings to show our bona fides, but it would now take a lot of money to put our course in order, and we do not think a one-day permit would justify us in the necessary expenditure. We therefore desire to withdraw our application in favour of the application of the Granity Trotting Club. To Mr. Davey. —There was no meeting of the Westport Jockey Club held to consider the question of the withdrawal of this application, nor has any resolution to that effect been passed by the club. By the Second Deputation. —(To the Chairman) : We represent the Westport Jockey Club, which has never been disbanded. The banking account of the club has never been closed, and the secretary has been carrying on up to the present time. We wish to say that the previous deputation that waited on you were instructed by the Westport Jockey Club to wait on you and try and obtain the permit that was taken from us four years ago. We wish to repudiate the action of the previous deputation in withdrawing our application. We think we have a right to a one-day permit if we cannot get a two-days permit. We have already arranged to have a