OHINEMURI JOCKEY CLUB

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVI, Issue 4911, 4 December 1925, Page 2

OHINEMURI JOCKEY CLUB

ANNUAL MEETING, ELECTION OF OFFICERS. There was an attendance of some sixty members at the annual meeting of the Ohinemuri Jockey Club which .was held in the County Chambers last night. The meeting was presided over by Mr P. E. Brenan, chairman of the committee. In declaring the meeting open the chairman said it was gratifying to see tlie large attendance, which showed that the members took a keen interest in the aff.airs, of the club. After the minutes of the last meeting had been confirmed' the chairman announced that since last meeting he regretted to. state that two old members of the club had passed away in the persons of Messrs ’E. Morrison and F. J. wells. - He moved a resolution of condolence, which was carried by all members standing in silence. ANNUAL REPORT. The annual report was presentea as follows :— “Your committee has pleasure in placing before members the balancesheet for the past racing year, and in being able to report another highly successful season. Notwithstanding substantial expenditure in much-need-ed improvements, the position of the club’s finances is steadily improving. “The outside stand has- been reconstructed on a new site, a good job having been made by the contractor. This has already been appreciated by the club’s outside patrons, especially the ladies.'

“The bend leaving the strait has been banked, showing a decided improvement to that part of the racing track, which has been ,a source or trouble to the club for some years. This work has- been favourably commented on by various owners and trainers. -

“The ticket boxes and turnstiles have been erected as recommended by Mr A. Hill, and are modelled on those, in use at Ellerslie, and in conjunction with .the new road access and exit have been of material assistance to the club’s, officials in handling a large crowd, with improved convenience to the publics,-

“In general appearance and racing facilities, and convenience ,for the club’s patrons, the Ohinemuri Racecourse now ranks, as probably the most up-to-date outside of Auckland, and is. becoming increasingly popular each year with the sporting public.

"A contract has been let, and is well forward, for .the making of. a training track, which is greatly needed, and the provision of which will, your committee believes, lead to an increase of local trainers. ': - “Your committee regrets to report that since last meeting two of the club’s oldest and most esteemed members have been removed by death, namely, Mr "Ned” Morrison and Mr “Fred” Wells. The sympathy of the members is extended to the relatives of both deceased gentlemen. “For the four vacancies on the committee the retiring membersMetssis Brenan, Neil, Shaw, and Towers, offer .themselves for re-election, and Mr F. Tierney has also been nominated.” BALANCE-SHEET. The balance-sheet set out the net capital'of the club as £16,398 2s lid. The main items of the assets were: Property,'£l4,26s £ls lOd; stewards’ stand, £3891 4s 9d; Country Clubs’ Breeders’ Asisociation, £4OO ; cash in bank on fixed deposit, £5OO ; current account, £6BB Tss, 7d. The liabilities were shown as : Mortgage, £3OOO ; Patriotic Fund, £423 3s 8d; sundry items, £6O -9s 3d. Included in the payments were : Stakes, £3675 ; .totalisator tax, £5137 3s 9d ; course improvements, £lOB 2s 7d; caretaker, £2OO ; salaries and wages, £448 8s; interest, rates, and taxes, £347 12s lid ; general expenses, £236 6s 6d ; levies and donation,' £11& 11s 7d. 4 The main items of the receipts were: Totalisator, £10,124' 17s 6d; gates, £1360 6s 9d ; nominations and acceptances- £951 ; privileges, £436 Ils 4d; members’ tickets, £BB 4s. The net profit was shown as £2159 15s 4d.

In replying to a question as to the value of the asset -of £4OO in lihe Country Clubs’ Breeders’ Association the chairman said that it represented the club’s share in Day Comet. He could not say what the interset in the association was worth.

The secretary in replying to a question asked by Mr B. Neil as to the improvements to course £lOB, said that these were items not charged to the property account.

. Mr A. F. Steedman congratulated the club on .the very successful year it had had. In discussing the bal.ancesheet he said he would like to see something written off for depreciation of the stewards’ stand. The building was put up when prices were high, and he thought that it would be a sound policy to write them down each year. The property account showed an increase of over £2BOO over last year, and there 'was nothing to show how it was arrived at. He thought that it would be a good idea to show what was actually spent on improvements. To an outsider it looked as though the club had only spent £lOB on improvements. It would be in the interests of the club to let the public see what was actually spent. The Racing Conference would .then see what the club was doing. It was purely a suggestion on his part, and he thought it would be in the best interests of the club. The chairman thanked Mr Steedman for his remarks and said that they would have the consideration of the committee. After several items had been made clear and inquiries answered the report and balance-sheet were adopted on the motion of Messrs Flatt and Bain. ELECTION OF COMMITTEE. For the four vacancies on the committee Messrs P. E. Brenan, W. NeiV E. Shaw', and F. Tiertiey were elected,' the latter defeating Mr W. J. Towers, who had held office for over 20 years. In returning thanks. Mr Brenan said he would continue to' foster the Sport

of Kings, and their own club in particular.- Messrs Tierney and Neil Wo , returned thanks for .their election.' . In returning thanks to those who ■■ had supported him Mr Towens said ; that he was not surprised. He had suffered a lot of defeats, and he looked upon .this one as a little of the backwash of the recent general election. Although he was defeated, he would still continue to take a keen • interest in the of .the club. Some discussion arose concerning ; the fact that members .who had cars were allowed to take them into the ' grandstand enclosure free, while memberts with a gig and horse had to pay to take them into the horse paddock. The chairman said that they could not allow horses in. the grandstand en- , - closure, but they might be paddocked free of cost to the members. The committee would do its best to cater. for the members of the club. MEMBERSHIP. Mr E. Edwards .thought that the membership should be brought up to 100. In replying to a question .the secretary said that the election of members . wats a matter entirely in .the hands. Of the committee. : < COMPLIMENTARY TICKETS. Mr Towers thought that the prac- ■ tice of issuing,,free passes to any but visitors should be discontinued. He thought that a uniform charge of, say, 2s\ 6d, to all would bd a move in the right direction. It would save the- - secretary, and also the committee, a ■ lot of annoyance if complimentary tickets were cut out altogether. Mr W. Neil said that the question had been discussed at the District Clubs’ Conference, but no decision on the point could be arrived at. Te Aroha. w’ould not support it. He thought that a person coming from a distance and who was a good sport was-entitled to some consideration.- x Mr Towers considered .that the true sportsman was not looking for complimentary tickets. Mr Hodson said that outsiders wrote for tickets and then posted them to local residents. Mr Flatt said that the present sys- . tern was not any good, and he was of the same opinion as Mr Towers. , STEWARDS’ STAND. x Mr Silcock said that there was a good deal of heart-burning with members over not being allowed in the • istewards’ stand. Some were favoured, He thought that complimentary passes shoul d be lessened, or otherwise allow all the members to have access to the stand. The chairman said that last year. each member of the committee had six tickets. The committee thought ■ that that would assist the; president. The control of the stewards’ stand was a most difficult one, and he ask--ed the members to take his.’, assurance that the committee was,doing the best :: it could. Tho matter would be fully considered by the committee in an endeavour to find a way out of the difficulty. The chairman s.aid that the loss of Mr Towers on the committee would 'be felt. He would be missed, as he had been a good committeeman and a good worker. He proposed that a record should be made in the club’s books of the valuable work done by : Mr Towers. The resolution wag carried by ac- r clamatibn.