COUNTRY RACING CLUBS

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 250, 10 July 1918, Page 6

COUNTRY RACING CLUBS

o ) ANNUAL MEETING PROTECTING COUNTRY INTERESTS The annual meeting of the New Zea- ■ laud Country Haoing Clubs' Association ] was held in the Town Hall committee- ( room last night. Tho president (Mr. A. I Uruce) was iu tho cliair, and the follow- I ing delegates were present: Hon. E. W. ! Alison ( I'akapuna), Messrs. M. H. Hayr (Avondale), li. Williams (.Napier Park), Patterson (Westport), Evans (.Westiand), D. C. M'Carty (Ashhurst), I!. H. M'lvenzio and Jl. S. Wilson (Pakuranga Hunt Club), Nelson (Whangarei), ii. H. Sellars (.North Canterbury and Masterton), li. Wynyard (Rotorua), R. Nicholson and Taipura. (Otaki), Freeman _ (l'oxton), M'Donald (Horowhenua), J. Glen (Nelson), J. liairstow (Carterton). The annual report reforrcd to the efforts of the executivo to secure from tho Government an assurance that at the close of tho war the cancelled' days of racing would be immediately restored to the clubs from which they had been taken. The executive had urged the Government to insist upon tho condition that clubs whoso permits had been suspended would bo reimbursed, from tho profits made by clubs allowed to race. It was quite satisfied that the' Minister of Internal Affairs would see full justice done to aJI concerned. The days of racing had been reduced on account of the war. Could any peison truthfully say that the military position had been affected by a pin point? Tho report mentioned the dispute over the Opunake Club's permit, and suggested that appli-. cations for dates ought to be aeiit direct to the secretary of the conference instead of to tho district committee. Tho inadequate representation of country clubs on the Racing Conference was one calling aloud for adjustment. Large districts like Auckland, Otago, arid Hawke's Bay should be divided, as the Canterbury district had been divided. Canterbury, by being divided, secured three country ciub representatives, against two for each of the other districts mentionod. The number of country clubs in each district was Canterbury 13, Auckland Hi, Otago 17, Hawke's Bay 13. On the basis of Canterbury's representation of three members, Hawke's Bay should have three and Auckland and Olago four etch. The constitution of the district committees required amendment. Why should'tho Dunedin Racing Club hay 3 twelve representatives 011 'ho committee and the seventeen Otago country clubs only five representatives? The executive had been advised not to press the matter until after tho war. In conclusion the executive expressed a hope that when the war had been carried to a victorious conclusion (ho clubs which lost days of racing last year would have them restored and that the days of racing taken from tho clubs by the 1910 legislation would also bo regained. Tho report and the balance-sheet, which showed a satisfactory credit balance, were adopted. Mr. Bruce moved:— That tho clubs in each metropolitan district affiliated with tho association appoint ono delegate each to be and act as loc.il branches of the association. 1 Ho said that the motion did not entail any opposition to the conl'erenco or Iho 1 district committees. But the association had been founded lo prolect the ' interests of the country clubs, end members knew of the efforts I hat Ihese 1 clubs had been required to make in order to get fair hearing. They still ' lacked their just sharo of representation ' on the district committees. | Mr. Hayr said thero was a remit 00m--1 ing before the Racing f'onfcirence 011 Thursday that affected three members, j himself included, to Ihe effect that no f paid official should sit 011 a. district.com- , mitteo. He protested against this pro- !' posal at somo length. J Mr. Alison said for many years thero had been strong feeling throughout New , Zealand that the representation on the j district cjominittecs was inequitable. The metropolitan clubs had twelve representatives and Ihe country r clubs only five. This anomaly would have to be altered. But the association t had been told that tho matter must ! stand over until after the war. If paid officials were not to bo allowed .to sit 3 on district committees, they should bo similarly debarred from sitting 011 tho 1 Racing Conference. The proposal made s by tho chairman could do no larm, i though it might not be of immediate 1. benefit. a Jlr. M'Konzio said Ihat tho organisa--0 tion of the country clubs was sadly in--1 complete. Thero should be a country 0 clubs' association in each provincial >- district, and these associations should send delegates to an annual conference - in Wellington. The country clubs wore not -getting a fair deal at the prascnt h time. He suggested that it should be y a recommendation from tho meeting that ® an association of all country elulw should '} be formed iu each province of New Zea--1 land, and that'each association elect two delegates to attend an annual conferonca 3 in Wellington in the month of July, prior a to tho Racing Conference, to work for ? and protect the interests of tho country Ji clubs. Alter the motion had been discussed at j some length, Mr. Bruce said 1.0 bejl lieved it would have the effect of bring- " ing country clul« together in each dis- ... trict. Tho association already represented ni<our, '15 out oi (il) country clubs. The n branches ho proposed would bo local r . centres for the protection 91 the interests •eot the country clubs, which must light e. for their privileges if they were to surt- vivo and prosper. Ho did not believe i- that local associations would Lo worth •0 a button. Thero should be oue coun--4 Iry clubs' association, with branches in 1- the districts. He would not accept an se amendment 011 the lines suggested by Mr. M'Kenae. . u The motion was carricd by 9 votes to n. s- In answer to a question, Jlr. Bruce s- said the Encing C'onfcrenco would sec that clubs which had been deprived of io racing days were reimbursed from the profits of clubs which had retained days. The machinery for tho operation of the scheme existed. 1 The president moved:— That this association again enters a strong protest against the proposal now before tho Racing Conference to appoint racecourse detectives at high cost, since it cousiders that the control of such matters should remain n- under the direction and at tho diss- cretion of the clubs as at present. rs Several members supported this 1110 ul tion on the ground that local knowledge w was an essential qualification of an effim cient racecourse detective. The proposal s )> that the Racing Conference should apot' point the detectives had already been rejected by previous conferences. Members ■ w stated that the country clubs .exercised id very great care in the selection of deill tectives, and were generally successful in >n the exclusion of undesirables. The country clubs should be left to manage theii nt own afl'airs in this respect. The motion was carried. id It was decided, on the motion of the *1 president, that clubs which had been deie prived temporarily of their permit; iy should be exempted from the payment ol ly levies during the period of suspension. If- The association's levy 011 the clubs foi ti- the ensuing year was fixed at <C 1 Is. d- Mr. A. Bruce was re-elected president n. and Mr. J. F. Finnev, now in camp, was v- re-elected vice-president. Tho HOll. E AV. Alison and Mr. H. H. Hayr were rs elected members of the executive for the es North Island, and Messrs. D. J. Evans vo and Patterson for the South Island, as A hearty voto of thanks was accorded ie, the president for his untiring efforts 011 d- behalf of the country racing clubs.