MARLBOROUGH RACING CLUB.

Marlborough Daily Times, Volume II, Issue 132, 25 June 1880, Page 3

MARLBOROUGH RACING CLUB.

A general meeting of the above Club was held at the Masonic Hotel on Tuesday evening last, for the purpose of receiving the report and balance sheet for the past year, electing officers for the ensuing year, &e. There WC3 a large attendance, Mr H. Dodson, President, in the chair. The minutes of the previous meeting and of two Committee meetings were read. Mr Ward said before the question of the confirmation of the minutes of the previous meeting was put he wished to make a remark as to the programme of the last races. A general meeting was held and a programme arranged. Subsequently ano.

ther meeting was called without the members knowing what business was to be brought forward, and the programme was altered. Fresh arrangements had also been made at that meeting as to the printing, after a tender had been accepted at the previous meeting. The objects of the second meeting had not been stated in the note sent to him inviting his attendance, and he had not been present. He considered the action of the second meeting illegal. He did not propose to make any motion on the subject. In reply to the’ President, the Secretary said he could not remember the - ords of the uote inferred to, but he thoi'it lie had statod that it was for the purpose of re-considering what had been done at the former meeting. Mr Dodson said the second meeting had been a very full one.

Mr C. Redwood said be had attended the first meeting at which the business had been transacted in the usual way, and afterwards, some members, not being satisfied with what had been done, called a meeting to ro-consider the matter, wb’ch meeting he did not attend, as he looked upon it as a regular insult and he was sure it had done harm to the Club. He was however, prepared to say good-bye to the tiling, and to do all he could for the future bonefit of the Club.

The question that the minutes be confirmed was then put and carried. The Chairman said that the delay in calling this meeting so late in June, when it ought to have been held in May, was because they had trouble about the accounts. They had tried to get them adjusted before calling the meeting but up to the present time they had been unable to get a statement of accounts from the Treasurer, Mr 1. 0 Sullivan, although lie had been repeatedly applied to for it. Mr Hodson had been applied to for rent and ho replied he had paid Mr O’Sullivan. A letter had been sent by him (O’Sullivan) to-day, requesting a postponement of the meeting for a week and stating that he had been unable to obtain some informatioi which >vas necessary to enable him to fur. nish a balance sheet, but lie was always, it appeared, wanting to have matters postponed. He (O'Sullivan) bad himself appointed a day for preparing a balance sheet but when it came said lie wanted more time as be liarl not got the information lie wanted. The eonsequcnce was that they had no balance sheet to lay before the meeting this evening, and could not say liow their accounts stood, but lie believed there was no great sum due on either side. They were in the bands of the meeting as to what should be done in the matter. No separate Bank account had been kept by the Treasurer. The contractor for building the Grand Stand, Mr Newman, had sent a letter stating that £O7 (is 4d was due to him. He had been paid £l2 10s on account and Mr O’Sullivan bad given him a promissory note for £3O signed by him (O’Sullivan) on behalf of the Club, and subsequently dishonored. This was a larger sum than he thought wus owing on the contract, and the work had not been completed. Mr Horton said Mr Dodson and himself had made repeated applications to Mr O'Sullivan to furnish a statement of the accounts, but had not been able to get it. He had met Mr O'Sullivan in tbe street, who told him that he bad got all the accounts ready, but afterwards he backed and filled a bit, and on going to his office he was not to be found. He (Mr H.) had bailed him up that afternoon, and was met by Mr O‘Sullivan throwing down a bundle of papers, and saying if the Club paid him what was owing be should be very well satisfied. He (Mr H.) bad looked at the accounts, and from what he could make out, he (Mr O’Sfiiadgot mixed up with Newman's contract. He (Mr O’S.) said his solicitor, Mr Sinclair, had told him what he had done about the promissory note was legal. Mr Newman appeared to be in the same fix witli Mr O'Sullivan as the Club was. It appeared hopeless to get anything out of O'Sullivan, and it would be better to take tbe tiling out of his hands, and get it settled. Mr Dodson explained that the original contract for the Grand Stand was £2BO. Subsequently alterations were agreed upon, and arrangements were made v itb Mr Davies in the matter, in the presence of Mr O'Sullivan, They had nothing to do with Newman in that matter. The work was not done. Mr O'Sullivan bad no authority to give Newman a bill on beliaf of tbe Club, ond they were not bound by it. Mr J. Rayner asked if there was no way of arriving at a conclusion as to how they stood with Mr O'Sullivan.

The Secretary said he knew pretty well how matters stood up within about £fi(. Mr Rayner said the way in which the business had been done was very irregular. The Chairman said he could not defend it, but the thing had been suffered to grow, and until this year everything had been regularly accounted for, and they had been all satisfied ; the time, however, had arrived when stops must be taken to piaco the financial affairs of the Club in a better position.

Mr C. Redwood said he expected the Club would have been in funds to the extent of £OO or £7O at this time.

Mr Rayner asked if nothing could be done to bring Mr O'Sullivan up to the scratch ?

The President said he thought it would be no use going to law. It was decided to go on with the other business, and then take this matter up again later in the evening. report. The Secretary read the following report : “Mr President and Members of the Marlborough Racing Club —I will now, with your permission, read a statement of the transactions of the Club for the past year. “ The entries for the last meeting were more numerous with two exceptions than in any previous year, the amount received thereby being £238. The two races alluded to were the Hurdle Race of the first day and the Sapling Stakes. Your Committee would reesmmend that it would bo advisable to make the first-named a Handicap, as by doing so we feel sure that we should receive a far better entry. As to the Sapling Stakes, it has never brought out anything like a field ; last year only two horses were entered for it and there never was any doubt as to the result of the race. It will be for you, gentlemen, to think over the matter between this and September next (the time when the programme will be considered) and make up your minds whether to go on with this race, or to substitute some other in its place. It would be a good plan to have one good weight for age race, and if the Ladies’ Purse was struck out and a Half-mile Hack Race of £lO substituted and the balance added to the Sapling Stakes money, it would make a stake worth the while of owners entering for it, and a good race would be the result.

The amount received at the gates was £l5O 11s fid, being more than on any previous occasion. The Grand Stand realised £44, being rather less than last year, but still a good interest on the money invested. The weighing yard brought in £2G, and cards of the raees £l2 Us, both of

these amounts being an increase ©n any previous year. The totalisator was tried on your course for the first time and your Club received £lO 4s (id thereby. It was we believe considered by all parties a decided success. Your Committee allowed the Boxing Day Sports Committee the use of the race-course, <fcc., for the Sports on Boxing Day, they paying the Club the sum of £lO, and being liable for all breakages, &c.

As to the training gallop, the Club has spent a good deal of money in its preparation, &e., but your Committee is sorry to say that owners of horses are very unwilling to pay the charges levied by the Club, and it is impossible for your Secretary to find out all the people who use it. We would recommend that in future the owners of horses should be allowed the free use of it, and that they levy smongst themselves a charge for its maintenance and see to it themselves.

The most of the leading Clubs in the Colony, have adopted the Australian new code of weights, and we would recommend that this Club should do so likewise.

There were steps taken by your Committee last year to get the Government to hand over the reserve used by tbe Club to Trustees for the benefit of the Racing Club. Mr Seymour promised to bring it before Parliament, and procure it for the Club, but said that it could not row be done as it was so late in the session, that it would run the risk of being shelved. The matter was brought forward again a fortnight ago, Mr Horton then wrote to Mr Seymour, and his answer will be laid before you. We have infracted Mr Rogers to take immediate steps for this Club to be registered and gazetted, so that there will be.no future bother with people opening gaming tables, etc., who have no right to do 50... Some nine or ten gentlemen have notified their wish to join this Club, and they have all been elected.

lam sorry to say, gentlemen, that we have no balance-sheet to lay before yon, owing to your Treasurer not having drawn up one, aud not having attended either of the two meetings called for the purpose of preparing matters to lay before you, although a deputation waited on him for the purpose of getting a statement of the Club’s accounts from him ; and this is the reason why this meeting is held at a later date than usual, but I may say foryour satisfaction that I believe we shall find a small balance to the credit of the Club, but the exact sum I am not prepared to say. Mr Horton moved that the report be received. He maintained that in several other parts of the Colony, reserves of land had been handed over by Government to racing clubs, and it was thought the same thing should be done here, aid stejis had been taken by him and others in the matter. Last session Mr Seymour was spoken to about it, but said application came rather too late, and that it would be in danger of being shelved if brought on, and that it would be better to postpone it to. this session. Now it appeared that an entirely new light was thrown upon the subject, for it appeared that notice of intention of the Bill must be advertised, as hi the case of the Awaterc Shearing Reset'/e, and they would he again too late this session, but next time if the necessary preliminaries were carried out there was no reason to apprehend opposition to the Bill. The reserve in question was set apart as a resting place for sheep, and there would be therefore no objection on the part of Government to having it transferred to the Club, as had been done in other places. The motion that the report be received was carried.

ELECTION OF OFFICERS. The Chairman (Mr Dodson) said he had received a note from Mr P. Rush apologising for non-attenda ice in consequence of indisposition, and asking to be relieved from office, as he had served many years. He (Mr Dodson) had been President for two years, which lie thought was quite long enough. Last year he only consented to take it because of there being a little financial difficulty, and lie now thought there should be a change, and that some new blood should be introduced. Mr C. Redwood said he had much pleasure in proposing as President ole who would be a most excellent man for the office and he hoped he would be accepted. The gentleman he was going to propose had always taken great interest in racing, and had displayed great tact and good sense. He begged to propose Mr Horton, who was in every way qualified. Mr F. Redwood seconded the motion. Mr Ward said he thought the longer a man held such an office the better qualified he was to fill it, as he became more and more familiar with the duties. He was quite satisfied with the manner in which Mr Dodson had discharged the office of President, and should have been prepared to vote fo / him if he had sought re-election on this occasion.

No other candidate was proposed, and Mr Horton was unanimously elected(President.

Mr Horton then took the chair, and thanked the meeting for the honor they had conferred upon him, and said he agreed with Mr Dodson that it ivas desirable to have changes sometimes. He did not say this because he had stepped into Mr Dodson’s place. He accepted the office becauso they had got into a mess as to the accounts, and he did not wish to shirk liis share of the responsibility. In future they might rely upon it that no effort would be spared to prevent a recurrence of what they had gone through. Mr C. Redwood said he also was in favor of new blood being introduced, and be beged to propose as Vice-President, Mr John T. Robinson, who had not long joined the Club, but who, he was certain, would make a most useful officer.

Mr Robinson said ho begged to be excused. He did not wish to take office this year. Mr J. Barry proposed, and Mr Dillon seconded, that Mr T. Redwood be Vice-Pre-sident.

This was put to the meeting and carried unanimously. The Stewards were next ballotted for, with the following result, the first five being elected—C. Redwood 17, H. Dodsou 15, C. Coulter 15, W. Girling 14, W. Blick 13, B. Ward 8, G. Riley 4, B. de Ferrers 4. Mr C. Redwood proposed Mr Joshua B. Rayner as Treasurer. Mr B. Ward seconded the motion, which was carried. Mr Rayner thanked the meeting for the honor conferred upon him, and said he hoped to meet them next year with a satisfactory balance-sheet. Mr F. Redwood was electedjClcrk of the Scales. Mr J. T. Robinson proposed, and Mr Dodson seconded, that Mr Joseph Redwood be elected starter. Mr Barry said he begged to propose Mr P. Mcßae, as he had promised to do so. Mr C. Redwood seconded pro forms., but said he thought Mr J. Redwood was better qualified. Mr Barry withdrew his motion, and Mr Redwood was elected. Mr Joseph Ward was unanimously elected Judge and was highly complimented by the President and by Mr Dodson and others on his past services, all appearing to agree that Mr Ward in the judge’s box

,i in the right place, and it of his wliite hat there .•.•mtoe that all was fair and traightforward. lie motion of Mr J. T. Robinson, o ■ abided by Mr Bliek, Mr C. Elliott was unanimously re-elected Secretary. The President said that a Committee of the Treasurer and Sir Orif--11, should be appointed to get from the ivtary (as they could not get it from Mr O’Sullivan) all items of receipts and expenditure as far as possible, and to report to the Club. Mr Griffiths said he wished to be excused. Mr Robinson moved that the Committee should consist of tiie President and Treasurer. After some further discussion it was resolved that the President and Treasurer should confer with the Secretary and ascertain all they could as to the accounts with a view of preparing a balance sheet. Mr Dodson said he did not think there was any large sum involved. The late Treasurer had been a good man of business until lately when he seemed to have got too much “ battle-axe” about his brains to attend to it. He hoped to see the matter amicably settled. The balance on either side, he believed, was only a small one. The Treasurer moved that he be authorised to open an account at the Bank of New Zealand in the name of the Marlborough Racing Club, the account to be operated upon by cheque signed by the President (or other member of Committee appointed for the purpose) and the Treasurer. Mr Griffiths seconded the motion, which was carried. On the motion of Mr Dodson it was agreed that a statement should be prepared showing the position of the debenture holders. Mr B. De Ferrers complained that ten per cent, had been deducted from his stake when, his horse having taken second place he was entitled to “ save his stake.” Mr C. Redwood said it had been the practice to deduct ten per cent from all winnings. Mr Ward and others said they thought “ saving his stake ” should mean the whole of it without any deduction. Mr De Ferrers said he should not have brought the matter forward now but that when he mentioned it to the Secretary he had been laughed at. He declined to accept the cheque tendered to him, as ten per cent, had been deducted. He had also to complain that he had been charged for the use of the training ground whilst others had been let off scot free.

The Chairman requested Mr De Ferrers to put his grievances in writing and address his letter to the Committee, who would enquire into the matter and deal with it at their next meeting. This concluded the business, which lasted from eight o’clock until after eleven.