WESTLAND RACING CLUB

Hokitika Guardian, 7 January 1927, Page 2

WESTLAND RACING CLUB

A meeting of the Committee of the Club was held last evening at 8.45 o’clock. Present: Alessrs AY. E. Williams (President). 'lt. Adamson. 11. Butland. F. -McGregor, H. T. Parry, C. .1. Sellers. .1. Breeze. J. Peake and 1) .1 Evans. .Analogies for absence were made for Alessrs 11. A. Thompson and C. Neville. Ah; T. E. A*. Seddon. ALP.. Patron of the Club also attended the meeting.

The statement of receipts and expenses in eonucction ti lth the lalo race meeting showed Ihe income to Jic £ll2l. Os (Id. and the expenses £:h-L Ss Pd, leaving a surplus of £373 lls 9d to carry forward for Club management mid administration. The principal item of expenditure was the payment of Cl. 190 12s 3d on account of taxation in various forms to the Government. Iho statement was received and adopted after a short general discussion.

.Messrs E. Pane. J. Al'cCornnVk. 11. Growcotl. AY. Steele, and AV. Graham were elected members. One member resigned. Tlio nutimm pro** ram mo tor Kastcr AVednesdav. April 20th., was adopted very much on the lines of the previous year. The stakes total £OO9. a slight increase on. the former amount. The programme includes two trotting events. It was decided to submit the programme for approval in due course.

The Eire Brigade wrote explaining the difficulty about providing a sufficient length of lioso in. emergency for lire'purposes from the present availaide stand pipe, and recommended a branch pipe line he laid. It was resolved to confer with Hie Borough Overseer as to the shortest route, and the matter was referred to the President and Secretary to confer with the authorities.

The question of including a trotting event in the midsummer programme was mentioned, and it was resolved to place a proposal before -the Westport Trotting Club in regard to the suggestion.

Mr IT. Stapleton was appointed honorary gardener at the Hokitika racecourse to take charge of the valuable frees and shrubs and to arrange for the general improvement in the ornamentation of the grounds.

Air Barry offered to supply a set of improved numbers to signal the places from the judges box. The offer was .received with thanks. Various general matters of management were discussed, and before the meeting closed. Mr Seddon took occasion to congratulate the Club on the success of the recent meeting. He was interested to hear what had been said about the effect' of taxation on the smaller clubs particularly, and anything he could do to help in Parliament would be done cheerfully and he would try and elicit the sympathies of as many members as possible. He «ns glad to learn of the appointment given to Air Stapleton with whom he had had a talk, and he thought they would he able to plan out many course improvements in the matter of ornamentation. Ho would 'like to see more done in the way of planting to beautify the course generally, and any help lie could render would ho given readily. He wished the Club every success in the future.

The Chairman acknowledged Air Seddon’s past valuable help at the racecourse. and would -lie glad indeed to have his continued assistance which wias given always so cheerfully. Referring to the late meeting. Mr Williams acknowledged gratefully the increased public support, and was glad to see. the Club was maintaining its popularity. The Club, as the Clubs generally needed relief from the heavy taxation, and he hoped as an outcome of the meeting to be held at Wellington this month whereat their Secretary would be present, good results would accrue.