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County Kildare History and Heritage

Gordon Bennett Motor Race 1903

Intro and Menu | July Articles

Leinster Leader, Saturday 4 July 1903, Last Edition – Page 5

THE EXTRA POLICE QUESTION.

In the House of Commons this week,
Mr. Leamy asked the Chief Secretary if the Government had obtained a guarantee from the promoters of the Gordon-Bennett Race for the expenses of extra police over the sum of £1,000 which the Treasury is willing to contribute; if any communication had passed between the police authorities and the Kildare County Council on the subject; if he was aware that the Kildare County Council consented to hand over the county roads for the race on the expressed understanding that the county should not be called on to pay for the extra police; and, if so, if it was the intention of the Government to levy any part of the expense off the County of Kildare?

Mr. Wyndham: No such guarantee has been obtained. The County Council inquired as to the incidence of the expenses of the extra police, and was informed by the Inspector-General that the matter was receiving attention. The opinion of the Treasury has since been announced, and is at present before the Irish Government. The whole question is one requiring most careful consideration in relation to the interpretation and application of Acts of Parliament as well as to the other circumstances connected with the race.

Mr. Leamy wanted to know whether they could be satisfied in County Kildare that the County Council would not be called on by the Irish Government to pay any portion of the extra police? He had put this question half a dozen times, and now wanted some definite information, as the race would be run in a few days.

Mr. Wyndham was understood to say that it was difficult to state exactly at this moment what arrangements would be made as regards these charges, seeing that so many private bodies were involved, all of whom were interested in different degrees.