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PART V.—APPLICATIONS FOR INCREASE OF TOTALIZATOR PERMITS SECTION I.—APPLICATION FOR TWENTY EXTRA DAYS BY RACING CONFERENCE ON BEHALF OF CLUBS 278. It will be convenient to deal with the application by the New Zealand Racing Conference first. That Conference asked for an extra twenty totalizator days, and bases its case on what it considers anomalies .and injustices arising by reason of war restriction's, changes in population, and the trend to centralize training establishments. No specific allocation of the licences in respect of the extra twenty days was suggested by the Conference. What it proposed was that authority be given to the Minister to increase the allocation to racing clubs by a maximum of twenty days, licences in respect of those days to be granted only on the -application of the Conference on behalf of particular clubs. The reason advanced for this procedure was that, by that process, the Conference would be afforded an opportunity of considering the position from the point of view of the country as a whole, and would thus be enabled to. remedy injustices with which, as the controlling authority over the whole country, it would be particularly, and perhaps exclusively, conversant. 279. In effect, the Conference asked that a reservoir of licences to the number of twenty should be made available to be drawn on from time to time on the recommendation of the Conference. That existing anomalies and injustices should be met by re-allocation, the Conference opposed, suggesting that this would remedy only one injustice by creating another. In its view, re-allocation would inevitably lead to the interference with existing and long-enjoyed rights of certain clubs and might well bring disastrous consequences on racing in districts from which licences were transferred. 280. Whilst we recognize that changes in population involving the decline in some districts and the increase in others of interest in racing have brought about certain anomalies, if not injustices, and that some remedial measures are required, we do not think that an increase in the number of days for galloping races in New Zealand is either necessary or justifiable. On the contrary, we think that for a country with the population of New Zealand and circumstanced as New Zealand is, there is to-day quite enough racing. 281. Existing economic and other circumstances have promoted interest in racing and in betting to a degree which may well prove impermanent, and it is undesirable that racing should be authorized to