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i" is ;,! i.i tl U tl N ai n |, it ,., n p | as c | I v a tl R I, B h r, ,; t| r n t a ■ t o of » * j . TALKING TAXATION IN AUSTRALIA, TOO. At times some of our politicians display an active interest in rating matters, and Mr. 1. Wilson, who not averse to an afternoons sport, asked several questions in the legislative council last week. Exactly what Mr. Wilson was aiming at I cannot say. but the replies he received were to the effect that there were fourteen racing clubs within a radius of lorty miles of the general postoffice in Sydney; that the Australian Jockey Club, Hawkesburv Race Club. New South Wales Trotting Club. Tattersalls Club and City Tattersalls Club were the only liodies that raced for pleasure and not for profit: that nine proprietary clubs raced within the forty miles radius: that race -ourses only, not race clubs, are licensed under the gaming and betting act: that -information concerning the original shareholders of J proprietary dubs could lie procured at the registrar- l generals office on payment of a fee; that information . to the value of shares of racing companies was not available; that fifty -nine ra* meetings were j held annually within a forty miles radius of Newcastle; that the licenses for the racing clubs were granted by the chief secretary: that, while the Newcastle Jockey Club, Wallsend Jockey Club and Cessnock Jockey Club were non-proprietary, the value of the shares of the proprietary clubs was not available: and that the cabinet had not considered the imposition of taxes on race clubs. To those- closely in touch with racing there was really nothing new contained in the above answers, but it would lie interesting to know the means by whieh Mr. Wilson purposes getting ,500,000 out of horse and pony racing In New Smith Wales by direct tax without injuring or interfering with the sjiort. Through tlie totalisator a large revenue could -lie gained, but an attempt to get half a million from racing by direct taxation would tie quite a different ■ matter. There is no trouble about collecting a to- j talisator tax, the clubs having to pay that in. and there might be little difficulty in levying a tax on clubs receipts; but when, under existing condl tions. it came to dealing with the lietting turnover bookmakers, there would be some trouble and. unless that were somehow included in the taxation scheme, it is difficult to see how any such revenue could be approached. At the same time. Mr. Wilson will find many upholders of his suggestion that the government should derive something much more substantial from racing than is at present the case, i — Pilot in Sydney Referee.
