WELLINGTON RACING CLUB

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3194, 19 September 1917, Page 7

WELLINGTON RACING CLUB

—; d ' . J " ANNUAL MEETING The annual meeting: of the Wellington Racing ■ Club was held yesterday afternoon. Mr. J. B.' Harcourt presided. The president moved the adoption of the report. He said he was pleased to report that the progress of the club had ! continued. The excess of assets over | liabilities last year had been J!19,6000, as against ,£14,500 the previous year. 'The revenue and expenditure account shows that we paid in stakes last year .£28,170, a? compared with «£20,900 for the previous year, being an increase of <£2270. The Government tax was ,£20,017 Is. 10d.,'' as against ,£17,131 4s. Id., o ran increase of .£2615 17s. Od. Salaries and audit fee 3 are practically the same as last year. Maintenance and improvements, ,£3183 9s. Id., as compared with ,£3501 ss. 10d., or a reduction of .£317 16s. sd. Efnt

rates, and taxes show an increase of £321 7s. 9d. The next few items, from advertising down to music, are about the same " as the previous year, and show &'■ total increase of only £208 9s. 7d. The amounts written.off were J2597 18s. 2d., iis comj pared with .£10,665 12s. 2d. written off T last year. In three years the club has . written down its buildings and property 1 .£17,347 18s. Bd. This is quite necessary ; as the "buildings have seen their day and [ are now quite unsuitable for the requirei ments of the cluib. Had it not been for ; the war new buildings with all the latest | improvements would now have been pro- ■ vided. The receipts for the year are ; .£66,112 16s. 10d., as compared with .463,201 9s. 9d. for the previous year, an ini crease of .£3241 7s. Id. The totalizator • returns were .£47,447 10s. 10d., an ini crease of <£3370 16s. 2d. Gate reecipts are i within a few pounds of those of last • year, but railway receipts show a falling : off of <£792 4s. Nominations and acceptances show an increase of .£682, and privileges and race books show a falling off : of i£275 12s. Id. The last items of rev- ; enue is from. interest derived from ■ money on deposit and unpaid purchase ; money of sections of land 6old on deferred payment. Thi6 indeed is encour--1 aging when on looking back only a few years we were paying nearly ,£2OOO per annum in interest. The attendance of the public, and. particularly the attendance of the ladies, has enormously increased, and should the weather be bad it is impossible to find shelter for even a fraction of the attendance. As soon as the war is over steps will be taken to provide for tho large attendance by the erection of up-to-date buildings. Dur| ing the' past year the club has purchased the freehold section of land on the east side, of the course, on which is situated our water reservoir. This is a: most valuable acquisition to ouii property. I have already mentioned that the Wellington Racing Club paid last year over .£20,000 in taxes to the Government; the clu/b has also invested .£IO,OOO m the New ■Zealand Government War Loan, ana there is* no doubt that the club's action in this matter will nieot with the approval of' all the members. In some quarters suggestions have been made that the club has not contributed towards the various war funds us it should. I thins these objectors, will be satisfied when i state that since the war began th'e club has contributed in cash and kind to the Government and the various war funds a sum exceeding ,£16,000, or, iu othei words, our cash aud kind contributions and tho money the club has Baved the Government exceed >£10,000. As mentioned in the balance-sheet, the jockeys ami trainers' accommodation quarters .have been handed over to the military author? 1 ties, and have been in continuous occupation by them since early in 1915. Members must .not overlook the fact tliat stewards of racing clubs are 111 a somewhat peculiar position as to donations. They are elected to manage the club ana, its funds in such a manner as to secure the best result in tho interest of racing. They are the trustees for the members, and have to seo that tho funds of the club uire devoted to tho purposes lor which they wero intonded. As vou are aware, racing days have been consKleiably reduced, and with the result that for tho coming year this club will havo only six days', racing, .instead ot ten as in tho; past year. Tho days decided upon are two in the spring, two 111 tho summer, and two in tho winter; thus you will seo that there will'be no autumn meeting next year. It is to hoped that tho enormous benefits cxpectod to be derived from the reduction havo not been over-estiraatcd. A matter that promises to cause a great loss to the club, also great inconvenienco to the public, is tlie want of railway facility, for getting W the course. It seems cxtraordiuary that arrangements cannot be niado by the railway authorities to run trains lor these two days. If the difficulty is a shortness of men, I think there is no ■ doubt that tho present staff would be ; pleased of an opportunity to earn over- j time pay. The running ot the trains would be the means of largely increasing the revenue and would avoid the enor- , mous damage done to the roads, which on tho last occasion amounted, to many thousands of pounds. It is sincerely to be hoped that, those who should have the , intorest of the public at heart will yet seo that it is their duty to run theao trains. In the report attached to the balance-sheet regret is expressed at U-e death of Oaptain W. H. D. 8011, killed in action, and during the past year the , turf lias lost many prominent men; among them are Mr. Henry Gaisiord, Sir George McLean, Mr. G. P. Donneily, all of them distinguished owners, ana men held in high esteem throughout\New Zealand. Sir George MTeari's work on ( behalf of racing, both as councillor ana a%a patron, has done much to put sport on the satisfactory footing upon which it now. stands. It would not be."B ; for mo to conclude my remarks without a»&m expressing appreciation of the services rendered by the staff, and especially is the olub indebted to Mr. the secretary, for the energy and attention- to tho interests of tho club, nnd l must also refer to the satisfaction given in tho handicapping of Mr. H. Coyle. f Tho report was adopted. 1 The retiring stewards and auditors wero elected. • A motion to lioTd the annual meeting ■ in tho evening was defeated.