WAVERLEY—WAITOTARA RACING CLUB.

Patea Mail, Volume IX, Issue 1067, 1 August 1883, Page 2

WAVERLEY—WAITOTARA RACING CLUB.

The annual meeting of the above Club was held at Eiler’s Railway Hotel, Waitotara, last evening. There were present Messrs W. Wilson (in the chair), C. Dnrie, W, Brewer, A. Pyemont, T. W. Fisher, and the hon. sec. Mr W. Symcs. After the minutes of last meeting had been confirmed the balance sheet was read. It shewed that the receipts for the Spring meeting had been £509 5s and the expenditure £552 7s. At the Autumn meeting the receipts had been £373 3s 6d and the'expenditure £352 10s Bd. A sum of £lO7 6s 6d had been spent upon improvements and property, and it was shewn that the Club bad a fair balance of assets over liabilities. The Secretary said : Li submitting the balance sheet for the past year, I consider that great credit is duo to tho officers for the sound, financial stale of the Club, as they had hard work, and under groat disadvantages to get everything in order, prior to the race 'meetings. In tho first pUco I will draw your attention to tho members’ subscriptions, where you will notice a slight falling off from last; year up to tho.present, but there are several to come in yet certain, several doubtful ones, and two or throe insolvents. Altogether L think wo shall come very near (he amount of last year in the end, and 1 have not tho least hesitation in saying that the present members represent a more thorough sporting class of gentlemen than have over boon on the hooks of tho Club before. As you are aware there were two race meetings hold rluring tho year, vi/„, the Annual or Spring Meeting, on tho 9lh November, 1882, which .you will see by the balance-sheet, was, taking all tilings into consideration (the weather more especially) a financial success, as (lie actual amount received, apart from members subscriptions, was £599 ss, and slakes and expenses, £552 7s, No doubt the expenses • scorn a heavy item but everything was cut down to the lowest possible price ; but to ijiako anything in the way of horse-racing a success, we must advertise : and thence the expense. I pass on to tho second, or.Anlmmi, meeting, hold on 17th March, 1883, which has been condemned by members of the Club, myself amongst others. But, gentlemen, you will sec upon rofoning to the balance sheet, that this was, in spite of several unavoidable occurrences, a grand success ; that the actual receipts up to the present exceed the expenses by £2O, and there is still owing to tho Club in connection with this meeting the sum of £3O 9s, the greater part of which will bo paid to the Club, as the debtors only ask for time, i

This meeting would have been a greater success but for (he gross carelessness on the part of the Chronicle, re the nonappearance of correct cards, which unfortunately caused a direct loss of £l4 10s, less printing, to the Club in this way : the cards were sold for £ll, and for their non delivery the purchaser claimed £6, (but tho Stewards settled with him for £3 10a). . Now, gentlemen,. I have no doubt a groat many of you think this due to rnysolf, but I assure you it was not so. The acceptances were on the 6th March, I sent the particulars on the 7th, and asked for tho rough proof to be foi'wardod mo by tho 9th for corrcction f which I did not get until tho 13th, with the Waverley post-mark of same date, and that of Wanganui of tho 12th. I corrected the proof, and posted same, marked urgent,” tho day I got it, but next morhing tho 14th, I received a telegram from tho, Chronicle asking for proof to be forwarded, but thinking that it might have been too late for tho evening’s mail, and of course would be in the morning’s, I thought it would bo wasting money and time replying so, did not do so, and as I hoard nothing further, concluded they had got tho corrected proof, but in any case they had my particulars. Tho next thing I heard was on the morning of the races, when I received an urgent telegram asking why proof had net been sent, but. of course it was too late then to improve matters. Although a reporter came that morning from tho office, he said he knew nothing about the matter,' but I have it on good authority that, he sported on the. course a proof similar to that sent me for correction. On Monday morning, the 19th, the corrected proof was found in a pigeon-hole iu the back office of the Chronicle, tho envelope bearing not only the Waverley but the Wanganui post-mark of the 13th, the day I posted it. Of course no one knows how it got to the Chronicle office, but there it was found. I think this will be sufficient to show .you that the bungling was not on my part, although I take to myself' the blame of not replying to tho telegram of the 14th, which, I am sorry to : say, puts, us out of Court, and debars the Club of its just claim ; but I think nine out of ,ten of you would have done the same as I did. I may mention that a claim was made for the actual loss, but the Chronicte , through its solicitors, declined to pay it,, but offered to publish an article in the Chronicle exonerating the officials from blame. The Club benefitted through, the operations of the totalisator to the extent of £164 12s, being a considerable increase on last year, through being- able -to : make better terms with Messrs Hill and Poole than heretofore; but T am -afraid there is no chance of still bettering the Club in this direction, as I do not think Hill and Poole will*give the Club a increase in commission. You will see the Club spent the sum of £lO7 6s 6d in permanent improvements, which, together with , the deficit of, last year and old .debts paid, still leaves , the Club with ah 'overdraft of £4B 18s lid; but I consider, the Club can congratulate itself on being’thoVoughly sound and substantial in spite of the hard times. And as the outlay will be less every year, there is no doubt of a grand future for the W.&W.R.O. The operations of the Club for the year reached the respeetabie total of £1054 16s fid. The balance-sheet was then adopted. Messrs Freer and Death were unanimously elected members of the Club. The question of the nomination fee owing by Mr Nicholson was brought up and discussed. That gentleman’s objection to pay upon the fact that the horse’s acceptance had not been advertised. Eventually.it was decided that no further steps should be taken against Mr Nicholson until the stewards had Seen him again upon the matter v The secretary read a letter from Messrs Hill and Poole offering to work the totalisator at five per cent for the first £IOOO and three per cent above that. The offer was accepted. Mr Brewer thought the thanks of the Club were due to the secretary for the trouble he had taken about the Club’s affairs. He exonerated him from blame in connection with the cards, and thought the least the meeting could do would be to vote Mr Sytnes an honorarium of £lO. He was very sorry that the Club was not in a position to afford more. Mr Pyemont seconded the motion, which was carried with acclamation.

The Secretary thanked the meeting for their vote, not having expected anything of the sort. No doubt there was a lot of trouble, but he thought as much of their present as though it wore ten times the value. The election of officers was then proceeded with, with the following result : Stewards—Messrs T W Fisher, J Hair, P Wilson, W Wilson, 0 Symes, W Brewer, H Death, J Handley ; Starter—Mr T Nicholson ; Clerk of Course —Mr G Nicholson ; Clerk of Scales—-Mr H P Mason ; Handienpper—Mr A Higgio ; Timekeeper —Mr Kolxn ; Judge—Mr F R Jackson ; Secretary and Treasurer —Mi W Symes ; Auditors—Messrs Fawkuer and Muir. A vote of (hanks was passed to Mr Higgio for past services as handicappor. Mr 0. Durio proposed, “ That the Club only hold one mooting on account of time being required to plough and improve the course.” This was seconded by Mr Symes and carried. It was also resolved, « That the stewards act as a committee in drawing up a programme for the mooting on November 9.” r Mr Pyomont proposed that the disqualification of J. W. Durio niwl J. Belcher bo removed. This was seconded by Mr Brower, and resulted ju a discussion until a late hour. Ultimately the motion was withdrawn, and it was decided that the matter stand over for the consideration of the stewards. The mooting then adjourned, with the usual compliment to (ho chair.