MANAWATU RACING CLUB

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 288, 31 August 1921, Page 9

MANAWATU RACING CLUB

ANNUAL MEETING. V The annual meeting of the Manawatu Racing Club—the forty-first since its. inccption—was held on Monday night. The president (Mr. J. H. P. Strang) occupied the chair. • \ ' Tn the annual report and balance-sheet the fact was disclosed that, aftef- allowing. for necessary depreciation, the balance to' credit of profit and loss account was £6627 Bs. 3d., less .£3775 10s. 3d. refunded from previously paid income tax, leaving a, ifpt balance of £2851' 18s; In moving' the adoption of the report the president congratulated members oil having hact the most successful year in the history of the club. Stakes -paid amounted to £17,650, an increase of £5475 on the previous year, and the turnover on tho to .£287,536, an increase of £31,130/./ "However,” continued the, .president, "I would warn members that although we have had a successful year, a decrease in the spend-' ing j»rer of the public must bA expected, and yolir committee have not lost eight of the necessity of husbanding the resources of the club.” The chib's previous decision to erect a new and substantial brick building to house thq electric totalisator machine, already in hand and paid for, was commented on by the president. "We ani ticipate,” ho said, "that this building will be qne of the most up-to-date and best equipped totalisator houses in the Dominion." S Tho hon. treasurer (Mr. C. Louisson, junr.), said an epoch was marked in the history of the club in that during the ' past year the last mortgage and the whole of the bank overdraft had been paid off. "However,” continued Mr. Louisson, "this happy position is only temporary, as the very extensive improvements being done will run into a largo expenditure, which should nearly be obliterated 1 by the time the ensuing racing season • ends.” After traversing tho various points in the balance-sheet, the treasurer observed that the entry fees were £4121, being £753 better than the previous year, and £llOO better than in 1919. With the exception of Auckland, Wellington, and Canterbury, these fees—with only five days' racing—exceeded those of ally , other club, even some ■ of - those whose racing days considerably exceed the Manawatu’s. It could ho claimed that the nominations this club received for five days’ racing exceeded the nominations of any othet cfyb in tho Dominion for the sama- number of days. As tho nominations did not exceed tho number required, .the whole of the officebearers wero declared re-elected, with the Exception that’ Dr. P. T. Putnam replaces Mr. J. Allan Strang as n member of the committee, the latter’s resignation having been accepted with regrot in consequence of his removal from Palmerston North. On the motion of the president the / secretary, Mr. J. M. Johnston, was very cordially thanked for his assiduous attention to tho . club’s affairs. "What with’ the new improvements going on I believe he,almost lives at the course,” said Mr. ’Strang. Miss Buchanan was v also complimented and thanked for valuable nnd untiring services in the office, sentiments which Mr. J. M. Johnston very heartily endorsed. The appearance of the course at, Awapuni was spoken of as reflecting credit on the staff employed on the grounds, and a similar compliment was passed in that direction. X