OHINEMURI JOCKEY CLUB

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 5186, 3 October 1927, Page 2

OHINEMURI JOCKEY CLUB

ANNUAL MEETING. The annual meeting of members of the Ohinemuri Jockey Club was held on Saturday evening, when there was an attendance of over fifty members; The president, Mr P. E. Brenan, presided. After declaring the meeting open the chairman said that since the last annual meeting two of the oldest and most respected committeemen, Mr E. Shaw (27 years) and Mr A. McGuire (23 years) had passed away. They had both served faithfully and well, and as members of the course committee had done a lot of responsible work. They wore two of the most valued committeemen, and their loss was a severe; one not Oinly to the lOhinemuri Jockey Club but to racing in general. He moved that a vote of condolence ba extended to the bereaved. This was passed in silence, the members standing. The chairman also referred to th© death of Mrs J. Clarkin. and moved a vote of sympathy to Mr J- Clarkin for the great loss he had sustained. This resolution was also passed in silence by the members standing.

REPORT AND BALANCE-SHEET. The report and balance-sheet were read as follows :—

“In presenting the statement of accounts for the year ended July 31 last your Committee regrets that for the second time during the last 25 years a loss has to be recorded on the yearls transactions. It was anticipated that owing to the general financial, stringency a reduction in totalisator receipts and gate receipts would be experienced ; but, unfortunately, your meeting met with very wet and inclemeint weather, and the second day’s racing had to be postponed from Saturday, March 19 to Monday, March 21, and even then was held under wet and disagreeable weather conditions. The result was that on the; second day both totalisator and gate receipts were seriously affected. In 1926 on the second day our totalisator revenue was £37,701, whilst this year it fell to £21,782 ; and w’hile in 1926 the gate receipts on the second day were £583, this year they were only £243. ’ “The patronage of horse-owners on both days was quite satisfactory ; the racing was excellent, and had the weather been fine there is no doubt a most successful meeting would have resulted. "

“During the eyar the Committee succeeded in making satisfactory arrangements with our bankers, whjch has enabled us to pay off |he £3009 mortgage due in August last. This arrangement has the effect of the club having a property free of debt with - the exception of the bank overdraft, and your Committee feels that the finances of the; club are on a sound footing, but at the same time it will be necessary to proceed with caution, and avoid as far as possible the possibility of the club getting into an unsound position-.

“Within the racing year two amounts of £250 each were received as refunds of totalisator taxation, me being for 1926 and the other for the past season, and these refunds have been of great assistance during an unfavourable yyar.

“The training track, buildings, and plant have received careful attention, and no effort has been spared in an endeavour to give owners and trainers the best facilities; possible for the preparation of their horses. “This club some eight years ago jojnod with other country clubs in forming a racing clubs’ breeders’ association, and purchased two stallions in England—Day Comet and Afchiestown—both of whom has proved very successful sires. Unfortunately Archiestown has recently died, and Day Comet has been so long in the district that he is not now so freely availed of as formerly. In addition there has always been difficulty in making a financial success of the association, and your Committee has come to the conclusion that it would be advisable to wind up the association.

“It is with the deepest regret that your Committee records the death of two of the, oldest and most valued members, of the committee in Mr E. Shaw and Mr A. McGuire. Both have been closely identified with the club almost from its inception, and their death is indeed a severe loss to the club. The Committee has extended to their families its heartfelt sympathy in the bereavement they have sustained. “The Committee also regrets the death of Mr C. F. Mark, who for ti e past 30 years has taken a keen and close interest in the operations of the club, and whose advice and counsel at difficult periods was always freely given and highly prized. The sympathy of the club was extended to Mrs Mark and family. “Messrs J. J- Barrett, T. Grace, T. P. Vuglar (retiring mejmbers), M. Crimmins, E. Edwards, J. W. Silcock, H. Spinks, A. Steedman, and W. JTowers have been nominated for the five seats on the committee.” The balance-sheet showed the; capital account to be £16,932 8s 3d. The revenue account showed that the revenue amounted to £10,155 19s 6d, and the expenditure £10,261 8s Id, making a loss of £lO5 9s sd. Thei items were aa follows :—

Revenue. —Privileges £572 Is Id, totalisator (gross) £6895 7s 9d, gates £749 5s 2d, nominations and acceptances £lOl6, stakes tax £2OO, members’ tickets £lOl 17sj stabling account £67 11 6d grazing account £5l 17s, jockeys’ fqes £2, tot.alisator duty refund for two years £5OO.

Expenditure.—Stakes £4098 19s 2d, insurance £6O 0s 7d, auditors £6 6s, levies and donations £139 5s Bd, entertainment £135 15s 6d,' stamps, telephone exchange, etc., £4l 6s 9d, general expenses £.154 2s Id, printing and advertising £lO3 18s 4*d, salaries and wages £677 19s 6d, interest £l5O 18s 2d, rates and taxes £llB 17s Id, course improvements £27o' 12s Id, government totalisator tax £3711 8s 4d, Government amusement tax £2B 17s Bd, depreciation account £5OO, bad debts account £l3 2s, reserve for bad debts £5O.

With reference to a question from Mr Silcock concerning an amount of

£423 3s 8d standing in the books to the credit of the Patriotic Fund, Mr Poland explained that it was the balance of a race meeting held during the. war, and the proceeds of the meeting had to be devoted to patriotic purposes. The fund was purely a local one, and had been operated on from time to time by the club. The report and balance-sheet were adopted. COMMITTEEMEN. After the ballot 'had beein taken the chairman announced that Messrs Vuglar, Crimmins, Spinks, Barrett, and Grace had been elected. LIMITATION OF MEMBERSHIP. Mr Silcock brought forward the matter of the limitation of membership. He contended that as the district had gone ahead the limit to the membership should be increased. He considered the limit of 100 was too low, and thdught the club would benefit by increasing the number. A resolution moved by Mr Silcock and seconded by Mr E. H. Andrews, that it be a recommendation from the meeting that the committee consider tihe matter of making an increase in membership, was carried.