TE KUITI RACING CLUB.

King Country Chronicle, Volume IV, Issue 229, 29 January 1910, Page 2

TE KUITI RACING CLUB.

The following is the report of the Committee of the Te Kuiti Racing Club for the year ending 20th January, 1910:

Your Committee has much pleasure in submitting to you the following report of work done during the past year.

Immediately after the general meeting your Committee set about the task of arranging for the holding of a race meeting, to be held if possible during March. At that time the course was completely covered with titree scrub, with scattered clumps of bush, and owing to its configuration and general features, it was exceedingly difficult to ascertain exactly how much it would cost, or how long it would take to clear the course sufficiently to permit of a meeting being held. Officers for the meeting were immediately elected, and a programme was drawn up and submitted to the Auckland Racing Club for its approval. The metropolitan club replied stating that our registration had lapsed, and could only be renewed at a meeting of the New Zealand Racing Conference, to be held at Christchurch in July. This, of course, at once rendered it impossible to hold a meeting last year; an application was therefore made to the Conference for a renewal of the registration (which was in time duly granted), and your Committee confined its energies to the formation of the course. In this matter the advice of the Club's engineer, Mr W. 11. Adams, was taken. A contract was first let for tha cutting of the manuka for the sum of £29 5s (45 acres at 13s per acre), and this was duly carried out. Your Committee then set about the draining of the course, and a conrtact was let for the cutting of a drain 13 chains long by 3 feet for the price of £lB 2s 6d, which was duly carried out to the satisfaction of the engineer. The Committee then called for tenders for the felling, clearing, stumping, and grubbing of the whole course to the wdith of one chain and depth of 18 inches. There were five tenders for this work, and it was decided at a meeting of the Committee, held on 20th July, 1909, to accept the lowest tender, that of J. Hackctt, for £llO, which was within £2 of the engineer's estimate. Your Committee was very unfortunate in the matter of this contract. In the first place continuous bad weather was met with; the work was proceeded with very slowly; and finally the contractor left the district, leaving the work unfinished. It was necessary to call Cor tendera again, and the best tender that could be got was one for £llO, which \yas rather more j than £2O above the engineer's estimate. As the spring was now considerably advanced, and as it was imperative that a meeting should be held this year, your Committee decided to accept this tender and push on with the work. This tender has now been completed, and Mr R. C. Jordan, who was employed to pass the work, states that a six furlong course can be completed by next March for the outlay of an additional £2O to £25. The work remaining consists of the construction of two more supplementary drains, three small culverts, and a little levelling. Throughout the whole of (he past year your Committee has been very much hampered owing to want of funds. The amount received in subscriptions and donations last year was £44 16s, whilp £5 5s has been prepaid in subscriptions fqr the coming year. In ordpr to get the poursp for this March, your Coipmittep hqs had to undertake p r n expenditure of over £IBO, and work to the extent of another £25 must be put in hand at oncc. Rent has also been paid amounting to £l6 19s, and an additional half year's rent' is now due. In order to provide against these expenses, seven members of the Club, jointly and severally, guaranteed with the Bank of New Zealand an overdraft of £SO. This, however, proved quite inadequate, and on August 14th a general meeting was held to consider the question of finance. At this meeting n sub-committee was appointed to raise the money either by means of debentures or by a further guarantee with the Bank. After consultation with the Bank it was decided to hsuc from 25 to 30 debentures of £5 each, bearing interest at the rate of 5 per cent, five of such debentures to be repaid at the end of each year, and the debentures so to be repaid to be decidedon by ballot. Up to the present time 18 of these debentures have been subscribed for. £75 has been paid on account of the last contract, leaving an additional £35 payable. As it is absolutely necessary jLo sr?c) this amount immediately, your Committee \yishes respectfully to point out the urgency of file position to all members of the Club \vhn hay.e 1 not; yef; taken pp debentures and trysts that the amq'up); requifpd to complptp' tjie payments on the ppnjLrapt wiif fpr'j}}pomjng immediately. Jn concluding, your Committee wishes to thank all members pf the Clpb *vlio have givpn them assisiiWPP, Ijpptncisl or pthejrwise, find jousts # Sjirpng effort wjll bo fpg.de to pjjfc tljp plufj pp & sopnd bfisis, and tp bring: off q highly successful gathering pi March next. J/'oj: the Coippiittee, is, JJUSK, Chairman, A. F. lIOWARTH, Secretary.