WELLINGTON RACING CLUB

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 6, 2 October 1920, Page 10

WELLINGTON RACING CLUB

ANNUAL MEETING. The animal meeting of the Wellington Racing Club was held on Thursday, Mr. J. B. Harcourt presiding. 'I'he president, in his annual address, said: —"lt is.with very great pleasure that wo can aeain present to you a verv satisfactory account of the nast year's racing showim? Iho continued progress of the olub. Looking at the balance-sheet you will see that, as compared with last year in place of an overdraft of £1497 ss. 4d. wo are now 111 credit to the extent of £2969 lis., although £13,197 12s. 6d. has. durlncr tho year, been spent on maintenance, repaws. . and lmprovements. an Increase of i-9027 10s. 6a. over that of the previous year. The ac cumulated fund and net levenuo now at £14.572 15s. 7d., last year It waa £13.70 a 18s. lOd. On the Assets side sundry I'btor.i nre now onlv £1773 12a. llfV Last year this stood at £7403 16s. 3d., and we have now a new Item in our assets, viz., £<6000 on dononlt. Stakes, etc.. T>ald amounted to £30.£88. as compared with £26,600 last Year. Govcrnmont taxation shows a verv heavy increase, bclnir no less than £30..%9 10s. 3d. The -DreviouM year it was £19.985 19n. 9d., certainly jj very heavy increaßC. and a v ery Birall amount under the mim r;nid in slakes. Other principal increases are rolntenanoo and repairs as mentioned hrforp. Salaries are increased bv only £18410s. Id., creneral are £1310 6s. 9d., as asrainst £&6 3s. 3d. Other increases are moderate, and do not call for special mention. Donations last year "were £803 13s. 6d., and this year only the surn of £216 15b. spent, under this heading and was niade r.n of small financial assistance ei v en to kindred snorts, including .£IOO to _ the Oljmpte Fund, which no doubt will meet v'ith -approval of members. On the credit side of the revenue account the t'ltalisator returns aro £57.411 10s. ns (j.ialnst £42,Q18 9s. 3d., rates and railway f 14.815 14a. fcd, as ajalnst £74-40 17s. 9d. These two Item* show a very satisfactory inereae of £21,867 17a. sd. Nominations end a-eeptanceß aro J5W23, as against £6018, an Increase of £810. Members' subscriptions show nnincreaso of £316 Zi„ and privileges and race books £249 Bs. The general result is that the total receipts amount to the Bum of £33,041 4s. 8d„ as compared with £59,703 18s. <d.. or a total in":'car.o I'm the year of £23,337 6s. 2d. '.?hD tot&lisnl-or arrangements JiiWr b«;n marh Improved by the erection of a u»w uplo-dato Jntallsator house, and 'he i-doiition of tho electric machine, which has eh en every satiafaction, and is (treatly appreciated by the patrons of the c-urse. "'lnce our lnnt meeting -lie rtraisbt. H'n been «n aiderably lengthened, more lawn enclosure provided, and a spaco for mejnbers reserved in tho bird-cage. Tho stewards had honed- to besln tho erection of now stands durlne the oomjnir year and a considerable amount of material has beou purchased, but owlni; to tho action of the Government in placinsr restrictions upon the construction of buildings not deemed essential no prosress has been made. So soon as tills restriction has been removed no time will be lost in srlvlnpf 'to the public and members the increased accommodation so much required, and when tho proposed new bulldines are completed tho accommodation provided will bu second to nono In New Zealand. How ever, tlie sncsested increase of taxation on our income, amounting to probably 6». 9d. in tho pound, may sompwhat delay the completion, as we must fir?'- accumulate funds for the flurnose. Tho propress of the club in the nn.st has been most satisfactory, and that Is shown Jiy the fact that not many years aeo our position araons nacimr clubs was very lon down, but the value of our Taces durlnit the comlnsr yeaT will be second only to the Auckland Haclnir Club, the loading ono of New Zealand. Our nomination fee is fixed at 205.. and the acceptance fee 3 do not exceed 1 per cent, of tho stakes. I understand that there is notli' inr. to <-nn,n»n". with this in Eneln"dnnd nothing bettor In Australia. Every effort is made to provide first-class training tracks for the use of which no fees,nre charepd. ficeinn the lareo and increasing population of Wellington nnd district tho number of race days allotted,to us is very 'mall compnred with other centws of New Zealand. We race on nine days only In *he year, two of these davs are on puhlio holidays, four • on Saturday afternoons, nnd thron days only on ordinary business ' days. The.ro is certainly more. We have fewer days than are nrranted to other clubs situated In less densoly populated districts. We hope we may he wanted a three days' meetlne in July when wo hold our steeplechase meetlnc durine Parliament session ond when oiher conferences are belnr held in Wellington. ... In conoluilon I must aeain, as on former occasions, express appreciation of tho services rendered by tne various members of the staff, and especially of tho ability displayed by the secretary (Mr. A. E. Whytel in his manaeement of the affairs of the club. Mr. J. B. Harcourt was re-elected president, and tho following were elected stewards:—Dr.' H. J. M'T:oan, Br. H. A. Tf. Gilmer, Messrs. E. Ij. Hiddiford. O. W. Chilman, K. D. Duncan, ,T. G. Duncan, W. Hitrnrlns. Ij. O. Watkins, Y. Hiddiford, and J. W. Abbott.