WESTLAND TROTTING CLUB

Hokitika Guardian, 5 November 1932, Page 2

WESTLAND TROTTING CLUB

ANNUAL MEETING,

The animal meeting of members of Westland Trotting Club was held fast evening at, the Club rooms. There were present: —Messrs F. McGregor (President in the chair), D. R. Dowell, ;A. Y'arrall, R.'Whiley, H. Newman, E. W. Heenan, A:, Benjamin, J. J. McIntosh Jr., W. 'ft. Richards, C- Neville, H. T. Parry and M. H. Houston (Hon. Secretary). Apology was made for the absence of Mr Sellers. The minutes of last annual meeting were rend and confirmed. ANNUAL REPORT.

I have pleasure in submitting for your consideration the .annual report and (.pintement c.f receipts and expenditure for the past year.

At the last annual meeting the members present elected the following gentlemen as tlie executive for the year: —Messrs F. McGregor, J v J. Breeze, J. J. Mclntosh, M. H. Houston, W. E. rtichards, C. J. P. Sellers, A. W. Yarrall, R. Whiley, J. Stafford, C. S. Neville, E. W. Heenan, D. R. Dowell, J. J. Mclntosh Junr., and H. Newman, 'and I am pleased to state that all of these gentlemen took a very keen interest in the conduct of the Club’s affairs. The annual Trotting race-meeting wias held on the Hokitika racecourse on Monday, 4th. January, 1982, and, although the weather was fine all morning, soon aftetr the first race rain commenced, and continued very heavily all the afternoon. The racing conditions'were most unpleasant, and the totalisator turnover was seriously affected through * the public being unable to get .about. The sum of £3780 parsed through the totalisator as against £4363 the .previous year, which is a decrease l of £583. The g(ate receipts ishowied a ismaU increase, the sum of £136 3s 6d having been taken, as , against £132 Is 6d the previous year. Tlie Government taxes amounted to £402 8s 10d, but from this amount the Club received a rebate of totalisator tax amounting to £94 9s Bd, and after allowing for the dividend, tax £l£9 deducted from investors, and stakes tax recovered from owners, the nett amount payable by the Club iu taxation was £277 19s 2d. As a .loss, of .over £SO was made on the meeting it can readily he seen that , this .taxation is. & very severe handicap and unless some further relief is obtained from the Government, it will be increasingly} sj difficult for Clubs to carry on. Mr A. G. Sampson was present as •Stipendary Steward,, and reported favourably on tlie conduct of the meeting. ■ , .-••• •, < The refreshment rooms were, again conducted on behalf of t the Club by lady supporters under : the mt>nagement of Mrs* 6. Fowler, and ,tjhe Club greatly appreciates their kind assistance, which lias always been so freely, given. Your secretairy attended the special meeting, of the Trotting Conference at Wellington in January, regarding the Ngingo Nlgingo ca§e, ,but the. Club was not represented iftt the annual confcptence in July,Out’ delegate, Mr Evans, is, I ' regret to say, istill suffering from a severe illness, and I wish to express our sympathy with him and out hopes for an early recovery to good health.. The next Trotting meeting of the Club will ho held on Wednesday, 4th. January, 1933, for which a programme will be dirawn up at once. The trotting track is in very good order at present and no extra expenditure should be necessary for the forthcoming meeting. ~

The thanks of the Club are due to the Westland Racing Club for the use of their course and appointments, and to the Westland Licensed Victuallers for their donation of a silver cup to the winner of the Westland Handicap. I also wish to express our thanks to Mr J. Noble and Mr H. Butland who acted as handicapper and starter respectively, to the Municipal Band for supplying- a programme of music, and to all others who so willinglylent their assistance at the meeting.— Received and adopted after a short discussion, in which it was generally agreed that the most stringent efforts would be necessary to curtail every possible expenditure. The balance sheet was read and received. It w*as resolved that Mr E. W. Heenan be appointed auditor.

NEW COMMITTEE.

Mr J.- Breeze moved that the old Committee- be re-appointed. Seconded by Mr Newman and earned.

A. general discussion on various matters took place and the annual meeting terminated.

NEW COMMITTEE

The new Commitee then met. The Chairman referred to the illness of Mr Evans and expressed- pleasure at his being sufficiently recovered to have come home again and he wished him a speedy recovery to his normal health. A quantity of correspondence of a formal nature was read and received. A letter was read from J• Noble, Rea ft on, stating that lie had-received a notification from the N.Z. Trotting Conference granting bis application for a renewal of liis license as trotting handicapper and thanking the Committee for tine support given to Ins application.—Received. The secretary reported following a former letter received notifying the refusal of a license to- Mr Noble, the Committee had forwarded a strong protest to the. Association, and it was gratifying to find tb\fc the protests made bad been recognised and that- a license had been granted to> Mr Noble who had

always proved a very efficient handicapper over a long period of years. ELECTION OF OFFICERS.

President—Mr F. McGregor (reelected).

Vice-Presidents—Messrs R. Whiley, C. Neville, J. J. Mclntosh, and H. T. Parry.

The other officials were re-appointed, Dr. Childs being added to the list of honorary surgeons.

PROGRAMME.

A programme for next meeting on January 4th., 1933, was drawn up totalling £SOO as follows : —District Handicap, 1J miles, £SO; Rimu Goldfields Handicap, 1£ miles, £55; Kanieri Handicap, 1 mile, £00; Westland Trot*-' ting Club Handicap, 2 miles, £'l(joy ■Stafford Handicap, 1$ miles, £6Ol Dominion Trotting Handicap, 2 miles, £6O; Aviation Handicap (saddle), 1 mile, £SO; Final Handicap, 1 ; ' mile, £6O. Admission was fixod at 5s and 2s 6d. A general discussion on details of the management of the meeting took place and decisions arrived at noted for attention. The meeting terminated at 10.15 p.m.