CANTERBURY JOCKEY CLUB.

Globe, Volume XXIV, Issue 2437, 27 January 1882, Page 4

CANTERBURY JOCKEY CLUB.

A meeting of the members of the above «lub was held yesterday afternoon at A o’clock, at the office of Mr P. Cunningham. Present—Mr H. P. Lance, in the chair, Messrs J. B. Qresson, A. O. Wilson,_ 8. Gariorth, J. Studholmo, O. H. Williams, J. Gould, F. E. A. Graham, J- Hondirson, W. Day, F. H. Bruges, G. P. Williams, J. Brahazon, B. W. Millet, L. Harper, H. H. Brins, W. Reeves, F. J. Kimboll, J. D. Frankish, T. Aoland, G. G. Stead, H. Wynn Williams, F. Delamain, N. J. Boss, H. Allan Scott, J. Beaumont. . . The chairman explained that the principal business to come before the meeting was the question of the appointment of a secretary. On this subject, Mr O. H. Williams bad given notice of the following motion : —“That the secretary and treasurer be appointed by the club, the latter from among their own members, to hold office during their pleasure , that the committee have power to suspend the secretary, and that mle 13 be repealed.” Mr G. P. Williams had given notice of an amendment to the effect—“ That the appointment of the secretary should rest with the committee, subject to the appointment being -confirmed at the next general meeting.” He might say that the committee had just had a meeting, and had expressed the opinion that they should themselves appoint the secretary. But, of course, they were willing to take the view of the club on the question. Mr G. P. Williams desired to explain that Jie moved his amendment because he considered that the original motion was open to objection from a practical point of view. It -would not be convenient for the club as a whole, nor had it the time, to deal with such matters of detail, which should be properly left to the committee. The object of hoving a committee was to relieve the club of the trouble of attending to minor matters of this Mad, He was of opinion, however, that the club should reserve to itself the power of vetoing any application which it might consider undesirable—tfce application, for instance, of a notoriously unpopular man. Mr O. H. Williams was prepared to accept the amendment. His reason for giving notice of motion was because it was currently reported when the late secretary resigned that the committee proposed to make the fresh appointment, and as the rules of the club wore silent on the question of the mode of appointment, he thought it better that there should be a proper understanding on the point. The amendment would meet his views, -and, With the permission of the meeting, he would withdraw bis motion. The motion was consequently withdrawn. Mr G. G. Stead seconded the motion of Mr G. P. Williams. It seemed to him that the appointment of the secretary in the first place should rest with the committee. There could be no reasonable objection to the club aa a body having the power of veto. It was Tory unlikely it would exercise such power without haying very good grounds. [No doubt if it did vetoithejaction of the committee such a stop would be regarded as equivalent to a Tote of want of confidence in the committee, -who would no doubt thereupon resign. It was very unlikely the olub would _ use the power of veto, and practically if this motion were carried the committee would have the same power in the future as it thought it possessed in the past. Mr O. H. Williams asked what would be the position if the committee appointed to office of secretary one of the other officers of the club—the handioapper, for instance ? Such a thing had been mentioned ontside. He himself would be strongly opposed to the same person filling the two offices of handicapper and secretary. In fact, be was of opinion that it would be better to have a handicapping committee. The Chairman said of course it would be very undesirable that one man should hold the two offices mentioned.

The motion was then agreed to. The Chairman said the committee had received sixty-nine applications for the secretaryship. They had no difficulty in reducing the number down to twenty, and bad referred those to a sub-committee,consisting of Messrs Cunningham, Aoland, and Cook, who had reported as follows : —“Your committee have to report that of the names submitted none are suitable for the position. Your committee think it would be greatly to the advantage of the club if it could be arranged to offer a secretary £250 per annum for a competent man to act as secretary and assistant treasurer, believing a man of ability could be obtained at the above salary.” The committee had decided to adopt this report without binding themselves to the amount of salary mentioned. They would like to have -an expression of opinion from tho meeting on the subject, Mr Aeland pointed out that the recommendation of the sub-committee would not involve a very large increase of expenditure, because ■under the old arrangement they paid the secretary £l5O, besides a considerable allow, anco for buggy hire and so forth, and they gave the assistant treasurer an honorarium of £25, which would bring the total up to about £2OO per annum. The work could not be done in future in Mr Stead’s office as had been tho case previously. Tho office of assistant secretary was a very important one. They must have somebody to look after the books, and it was absurd to suppose that they -could get a low salaried man competent to keep their affairs in proper order.

Mr Reeves moved—“ That the committee have power, if they think fit, to pay a salary of £250 a year for a fit and proper person to perform the duties of secretary and assistant treasurer." Mr Brahazon seconded the motion, Mr Delamain asked if the new secretary •was te find an office and an assistant ? [No.] Me did not understand what additional work this wonderful man was going to do. The Chairman said the additional work was •imply this—that the new secretary would keep the books, a task which was at present performed in Mr Stead’s office, and for which an honorarium of £25 a year was paid, .although, of coarse, it was not considered at all equivalent to the value of the work.

Mr G. P. Williams asked if the treasurer could assure them that the club could afford to pay £250. Mr Stead said it was necessary to have an efficient secretary, and if one could not be obtained for less, the club would have to pay that amount. The club was heavily in debt, the erection of the new stand having involved jm expenditure far in excess of what was originally anticipated, but he had no doubt they would be able to pull through. They hod very valuable assets, and he was certain the committee would endeavor in the future, as they had in the past, to economise as much as possible. They simply asked for authority to pay the £250 if it were found impossible to obtain an eligible man for less. The resolution was then agreed to.

On the motion of Mr 0. H. Williams, the committee were authorised to make enquiries with a view of obtaining new offices for the club and to act in the matter.

The following new members ware elected : —Meiers T. I. Joynt, H. A. Watt, J. H. Baker, H. Ootterill, W. A. Willos, Fred. Trent, and H, A. 0. Fergusson, Mr Beeves wished to bring under the notice of the meeting n matter which he thought deserving of consideration. Ho thought the time had now arrived when, regarding themselves as the metropolitan club of the colony, they should consider the question of whether they could not hold a third race meeting in the year. The interval between the spring and autumn meetings was of considerable duration, and during that period there was nothing in the shape of racing* Breeding was largely increasing and so was -tracing, which as a sport was gaining in popularity, and ho thought there could be very little question that what with the proceeds of •the railway and of the totalisator an additional meeting of either one or two days might be held without fear of incurring anything but a very nominal loss eve n for the the first year, and no doubt there would speedily be a profit. He brought the question under the notice of the meeting in the hope that the committee would take it into consideration, and see whether a third meeting conld not be held and when would be the moat convenient time. The Chairman said the suggestion to have a Bow Year’s Day meeting had been mooted on one or two occasions, and he believed that be himself was more responsible than any one else for its not baring been carried out. He did not like to interfere with the Auckland meeting. He was of opinion, however, that the time for considering that was past, and the people of the North Island would have to look after themselves. There was no doubt it would damage the Auckland meeting to a certain extent, but at the same time he felt certain with Mr Beeves that they could hold a one or two days’ meeting on New Year s Day, and not only have no loss, bnt make a fairly profitable thing of it.

Mr Eeeve» remarked that he only threw the suggestion out for consideration, and the dissuasion lapsed. This was all the business and the meeting adjourned*