ii. --n

69

inside. The nearest club using the totalizator is at Gore, fifty-nine miles distant. The nearest club not using the totalizator is at Invercargill, twenty miles distant. We are the oldest club in Southland, started twenty-three years ago; had a broken career till nine years ago, since when it has been continuous. The Awarua Electorate has the least number of totalizator permits. Mataura Electorate has four permits and Xix days' racing; Invercargill lias two permits and four days' racing; Wallace has two permits and three days' racing; Awarua lias one permit and two days' racing. A very large percentage of Awarua farmers are devoting themselves to the breeding of trotters on approved lines as the result of encouragement given. Owners of the best frotfingsifes are now travelling the Awarua Electorate with their horses. .From a geographical point of view Winton would conveniently and equitably serve Southland if granted a permit. The splendidly laid-ofi grounds, excellent racing and training .tracks, ample accommodation for patrons and horses, and other splendid appointments are a good guarantee for successful and profitable meetings. By tin Deputation. —We wish to point out that the Winton district has been the recognized home of galloping and trotting horses, and yet the district has only one permit for two days' racing in the year. This trotting club is the oldest in Southland, and the liberal support extended to it lias permitted the club to carry out each meeting not only successfully, but. to the utmost satisfaction of owners and public. Winton. with the exception of Christchurch, claims premier position in the Dominion as a breeding-centre of trotting-horses, and this is proved by the, fact that such well-known standard-bred trotters as Bellman, Brooklyn, Berlin Abdallah. Berlin Doll, General Traeey. Gossoon, Honest Wilkes. Kentucky, Kentucky Wilkes, Lexington. Lauderdale. Marvin Wilkes, Mambri.no King, Sir Hector, Sterling Lad, Wildmoor, Young Burlington. Voting McKinney, and Young Abdallah (seventeen imported and two local-bred) have been stationed in the immediate neighbourhood. In support of the fact that this district has produced trotters of equal merit to any part of the Dominion we mention the following few of the locally bred trotters who started their racing career at the Winton trotting meeting and have won races from Winton to Christchurch; Yarraville, by Sir Hector, holds the record for Forbury Park for one mile; Annie K. (one of the best, square-gaited trotters in the Dominion); Regina Belle, Nora Burley, Duncan McGregor, Young Edith, Bellflower, Bellchild, Charity Bell, Happy Lad, and P. C, Redwood, and Win Soon, winner of the last New Zealand Trotting Cup,. The Winton Trotting Club may pardonably claim that by its continued meetings the progress of trotting in Southland and the production of such good horses have been brought about. In close proximity to Winton and within a radius of ten miles there tire no less than fourteen privately owned trotting-tracks, which are almost daily used for training and the exercising of young horses. It can be safely stated that there are no less than a hundred either yearlings or two-year-old trotting youngsters in the neighbourhood of Winton. We also wish to briefly point out that Winton from a geographical standpoint is most centrally situated, with excellent accommodation for the public and horses and a suitable train service. The district farmers are keen " sports," and have ever been animated with a genuine desire to produce the best in horseflesh, as is evidenced by the importation of such well-bred stallions as above mentioned. Winton has stuck manfully to this (rotting meeting, and we feel we are justly entitled to a permit.

Approximate I'ost nf paper. I'rnpaiation, not given; printing (Slid oopieft), £42.

Authority: John Mackay, Government Printer, Wellington.—l9ls.

Price In. 6d.