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REDUCING RACING TIME IN AUSTRALIA. The reduction of racing, decided upon by the Victorian cabinet last week, was more drastic than generally anticipated, and deals severely with the Melbourne proprietary clubs. Prior to the late governments initial curtailment, the Melbourne proprietary courses had 110 days a year, the number then being reduced so as to work out at the rate of eighty-seven days a year up to September 1 next. Now there has been a further reduction to fifty for the year commencing Octolier 1, and as that total takes in ten days trotting, as well as the "pony" meetings, small owners who look to the proprietary "horse" courses for a living will have considerable difficulty in making ends meet. It has not yet been decided what action will be taken in regard to meetings in Caulfield, Fleming-ton and Williamstown. but possibly they may escape interference owing to the fact that during the continuance of the war all profits made at those courses are to go to patriotic funds. Whether there is necessity for such marked reduction in Victoria is a matter of opinion, for while it must interfere with the livelihood of a. great many people — not necessarily directly associated with racing, either — it is no certainty it will give a corresponding return in recruiting, which is presumably the object mainly aimed at. One result of fewer fixtures will be an increase of the competitors at registered and unregistered meetings in Sydney, and in the case of the latter, at any rate, that will give no cause for rejoicing, as the various managements already have quite as many runners as they care about. The record for one day at a Sydney "pony" meeting is 1 at present seventeen races, but, with additions from Melbourne, it might reach twenty, and that is not exactly desirable. The Victorian country clubs are not to escape the ■ pruniiig-knife. the reductions applying to places i a bun more than one meeting a year is held. In 101 districts only one days racing a year is authorized. In making his statement as to the reductions, sir Alexander Peacock said the cabinet regarded proprietary meetings as being neither in the interests i of siK.rt nor the public, and the question of entirely abolishing them is now under consideration. Well, if their abolition is decided upon. I should say the totalizator would then be a probability in Victoria. In that state, as in New South Wales, proprietary racing intetests have assisted to retard legislation i favorable to the machine. It is not too much to say that in New South Wales j WO could also do with less racing, and not because of the war. either. The present Gaming and Petting Act reduced the number of meetings within the forty mile radius of Sydney, but there has been a mushroom-like growth of race courses elsewhere, and we now have more racing in New South Wales than at t any previous time. — Pilot in Sydney Referee.
