RACING AND HUNT CLUB BALL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 2619, 14 August 1923, Page 2

RACING AND HUNT CLUB BALL.

DEPUTATION TO COUNCIL,

At last night’s Borough Council meeting a deputation, representing the united sports bodies, and consisting of Messrs W. E. Barber, M. Perrcau, Neylon, Burr and Mclver waited on the Council. Cr. McMurray introduced the deputation. Mr Barber, in addressing the Council, said that they had come to ask the Council to allow them the use of the Town Hall on a Wednesday night for the purpose of holding a citizens’ ball to entertain visitors who would he in Foxton to attend a steeplechase meeting to he held here this month. He knew it, was the Council’s best picture night but thought they might grant permission for such an occasion.

Mr Perrcau said that they had come straight to the Council in the matter so as to relieve the Town Hall manager of any responsibility. They expected some 200 visitors to he present on the occasion and it would mean a big thing for the town.

Mr Mclver said that horses would he attending the steeplechase to be held on the Wednesday afternoon, from as far away as Hunterville and Wanganui. It would mean thai a large number of people would be brought to Foxton, possibly for three days, and may in the very near future mean that a totalisator permit would he forthcoming for the Foxtail Racing Club for an extra two days. It was only a fair thing that these visitors should be entertained by the town. Pictures could be run on Tuesday night. The Mayor said that he was quite sympathetic. The point that had to be faced, however, was the expense that the Council would be put to. He estimated this at about £(i 18s. Mr Barber said that they fully realised that the Council would be put to some inconvenience and cost. They had tried to hold the ball on a Friday night but this was impos-‘ sible. What they wanted was for the Council to grant them the use of the hall for the Wednesday night at the ordinary “off-night” rate. The Town Clerk explained the position as regarded the contract for Wednesday night pictures. The Council had to face the expenditure incurred whether the picture was shown or not. He suggested that the full charge be made for the hall and a donation be granted to the association. The Town Hall had to stand on its own footing. Cr. Bryant said that if they granted permission now the Council would have more requests in the future. Cr. McMurray said this steeple-

chase meeting would be a good advertisement for Foxton. They did not advertise Foxton enough and he considered the Council should take this opportunity of doing so by granting the hall on a Wednesday night to the association. Cr. Ross moved that the Council grant the use of the hall for £7 10s for the purpose of entertaining visitors. In speaking to the motion he said that they should encourage enterprise of this nature provided the Council showed no loss financially. The association had put up a good case and he did not think that they would be petitioned in the future by similar requests. A thing of this description was a benefit to the town. He considered the Council would be Quite in order* in granting permission in this case. The Mayor suggested that the ball should be called “the Citizens’ Ball” seeing that it was for citizens and not a private concern.

Mr Barber said that it had been decided to call the ball the Hunting and Racing Club Ball. This did not mean that it was run solely by these two clubs. It was not a private concern. Cr. Bryant: If there is a surplus will you pay the Council the full rate for the hall? This was agreed to. Cr. Ross said that he considered any such surplus should be paid to some charity fund rather than the Council, as long as it was not the football club or Beautifying Society that benefited (laughter). The motion was then put and carried unanimously.