Page:1930 QLD Royal Commission into Racing Report.djvu/49

 Russell was appointed, to conduct the meetings, by Lawrence, and has never seen Jones.

Russell pays any profit to an account, in the name of "Goodna Amateur Race Club," with the Commercial Bank of Australia, Limited. Lawrence operates on this account.

The meetings generally comprise six divisional events.

In 1924, four meetings were held at Goodna. These resulted in a loss for the year of about £249.

In 1925, three meetings were held at Goodna, and two at Kedron. The three Goodna meetings netted in all a profit of about £1. The two Kedron meetings returned a total profit of about £218.

Of the twelve meetings held in 1926, nine were held at Goodna and three at Kedron. The nine Goodna meetings resulted in a total loss of £380, which was offset by a total profit of £395 from the three meetings at Kedron.

In 1927, six meetings, resulting in a total profit of £716, were held at Kedron. One meeting held at Goodna resulted in a loss of £4.

In 1928, of the nine meetings held, seven were held at Goodna and resulted in a net profit of £97.

Two meetings held at Kedron showed a total profit of £188.

In 1929, up to 20th June, six meetings had been held, three at Goodna and three at Kedron. The three Goodna meetings showed a net profit of less than £1 and the three Kedron meetings resulted in a profit of £308.

These figures show that over the period 1924 to June, 1929, twenty-seven meetings held at Goodna have involved a total loss of £534, which has been counterbalanced by the holding at Kedron, of sixteen meetings, at a total profit of £1,825.

When the meetings are held at Goodna, the admission fees are 10s. for gentlemen and 5s. for ladies. When meetings are held at Kedron, the usual fees for admission to that course are charged.

The total admission fees collected in the years 1924 to 1926 show that the attendance in these years at meetings held at Goodna averaged about one hundred and eighty persons.

During the period 1927 to 30th June, 1929, the average attendance at meetings held at Goodna did not exceed two hundred.

When meetings have been held at Goodna, bookmakers' fees (£7 7s. per meeting) have constituted the main source of income.

The above figures establish that there is at present no public demand for the conduct of unregistered racing at Goodna.

Russell keeps accurate statements of the results of each meeting. These are carried into a book kept by him which is entitled "Particulars of Goodna Meetings."

This is the only book kept. It discloses that Russell pays all expenses and his fee of £5 out of receipts, and pays any balance into the account of "Goodna Amateur Race Club" with the Commercial Bank of Australia, Limited. As already shown, Lawrence operates on this account. He was unable to give any account of such operations.