TROTTING CONFERENCE

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2821, 12 July 1916, Page 11

TROTTING CONFERENCE

IMPORTANT MATTERS

DISCUSSED

I A conference of representatives of trotting clubs registered with the' New Zenland Trotting Association was held yesterday, the vice-prssideiit, Mr. J W. Gore, presiding- The following trotting clubs were representedAsh'burton (A. A; looks), Auckland (J. M'Coll), Cantorbury Park (R. Wallace), Forbury Park (G. Hodges), Gore (P. Walis), Greymouth (D. H. Robert?), lnanjfiihua (H. P. M'Jlahon), Kaikoura (A. ,T. Marshall), Manawatu (G. M'llroy),- Marlborough Morran), Nelson (J. Glen), • NeivBrighton (A. JI. Loajsby), Now Zealand Metropolitan (E. Fox), New Zealand Trotting Association' (IT. l'\ Nicoll), Oamavu (J. Henderson), Otahu.hu (H. R. M'Kenzie), Poverty Bay (G. E. Jones), South' Canterbury (J. W. Kelly), South Wairarapn. (W. Armstrong), Waimate Plain's (E. Nalder), Waikato (A.- J. Smith), Wanganui (C. E. Mackay), Wellington (R. W. Short),Westlanil- (D. J: Evana),: Westport (J. Colvin), Wintoh (J. W. Gore). Chairman's Address, Mr.- J* W. Gore, chairman, in deliuering- his address eaid:— "Reviewing tho operations of. the. affiliated iTrotting Clubs, I find that-racing generally during the season now.dosing tras of the same high order as bejore, ana public support was well maintained.! "You will- remember that at the adjourned. meeting in January of, the last annual conference, in connection .withthe appointment , of- stipendiary stewards, a motion was passed by 10 to 7 adopting the executive's report. Doifets having been expressed as .-to whether the matter had to ho .dealt with by special or ordinary resolution, executive ■ -were instructed to obtain the opinion of Messrs. Chapman, Skerrett, Tripjv, and Blair 011 the point, and to act on the opinion bo obtained. These gentlemen advised the executive that the matter could bo dealt with by ,an ordinary resolution, and that the motion must be accordingly regarded as carried. '• Acting on the advice -so given, the executive carried out the- instructions given by the conference, and made the necessary appointments. - "Meanwhile, however, an application hod been received from one of-the clubs asking the conference -to:stay, proceedings, and have the question as to tlie validity •of the' matter tested- • in the Supreme Court, but in view of the instructions of the conference it felt bound to carry them out. The club now proposes to take action in the Coujt claiming a declaration tbat the appointment of stipendiary stewards was ultra vires,-.and an. injunction restraining the conference from proceeding further in the matter.- .. The appointment of-stipen-diary stewards is inevitable, and.wo aro advised that .our procedure is legal. The system will be inaugurated whatever step any isolated' club may. take to -postpone it. It is a pity that one of our'leading clubs should constitute itself a stumbling block in the. way. of progress. "The provident fund' is now well established, 'and should some of its revenue be diverted, it would •still be practically self-supporting. "The suggested inclusion of a race for three-year-old urihoppled trotters insome programmes (in addition to those Taces already provided for) seems to meet with favour. ' Tho Forbury Park Trotting Club, which is responsible for ■ this, whether it be carried to-day or not, gives proof of its sincerity in the matter by proposing "to include in its next summer programme such a race to, be called, the 'Forbury. Trotting Derby,' of .£250. "Wo have long been moving in the direcr tion of short limit racing; Clubs are nowrecognising that tho better tho. class of competitors they can attract, the mora, popular will,their meetings become, and are rapidly' and continuously reducinglimits and otherwise providing for the best horses." ' On the motion of Mr. Loasby, seconded by Mr. R. Wallace, the chairman received a vote of thanks for. his address, and it was resolved that it should be published and /cirfcnlated amongst'the various clubs. \ Various Matters. A letter was received from the' Minister of Internal Affairs. regretting his inability to attend tho conference, but expressing his pleasure ;at the appointment of stipendiary stewards. Notification was received from the Forbury Park Trotting -Club of its intention to test the legality of the manner of the appointment of stipendiary sten>ards in tho Supreme Court. On' the motion of Mr. Mackay (Wanganui) regret was- expressed at any olub -attempting to brins the question of the appointment of stipendioir stewards before the public Court. It was further rewired to ask the Forbury Park Club to reconsider its decision in tho matter. The list of dates submitted by Trotting Clubs for . holding race meetings during the 1916-17. season was approved with tho following : exceptionsinstead of Greymouth holding its meeting on October 28-and 30,' October 21 and 23 have boon substituted.. South Wairarapn T.C. has been allotted .Tune A, instead of June 2. Marlborough T.C. and Poverty Bay ■T.C. dates have been held over. ® The election of officers resulted as follows:—President, Mr. J. Rowe (re-elect-ed); vice-president, Mr. J. W. Gore (reelected); executive, Messrs. E. Fox, D. H. Roborts, and C. E. Mackay. Amendments to Rules. Tho following alterations and amendments to rules were dealt with By the Forbury Park Trotting ClubRule 87a s ''All clubs holding more than one meeting of at least two days a year shall place on their programme, in ad-dition-to those provided-for by Rulo 87, a race for three-year-old unhoppled horses of the trotting gait only." After discussion an amcfidment was carried to tho effect that the matter be doforred for twelve months. Meantime, experiments -will be carried out by tho Forbury Park Club, and they will bring tho matter forward 'again. \ A remit from the New Brighton Trotting Club that the name "Derby" foi® a race shall be allowed only once in the South Island, and only once in tho North Island'in any. one year, was carried. As the conference has no standing orders, a resolution was carried recommending tho executive to bring down a set of regulations and rules by next annual meeting. | Somo discussion ensued over the proposed change to Rnlo 193, concerning the fees payable by trainers and riders and drivers. It was finally decided to make" a professional trainer pay an animal-feu of 10s., and an amateur trainer ss: Professional riders and drivers will have to pay an annual feo of 10s. now, while amateurs will bo required to pay ss. Several other- amendments to . rules wore carried. These mostlv affected tha working of the N;Z. Trotting Association. ~ - j

The next , conference will be held' in Wellington. • ' •