STRATFORD RACING CLUB.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVIII, Issue 3, 1 September 1915, Page 7

STRATFORD RACING CLUB.

TWENTY-FOURTH ANNUAL i MEETING. V There \\'a_q an a.ttond.;rnce of over forty members at the meeting in the se(:retar_v’.<; office. l<‘enton-Street, last loveniug, the President (Mr A. W.! Budge), p‘residing. i The annual report and balance-slieet, .which had been in the hands of members, was taken as read. and the Preisident, in moving their adoption, said that all reference to contributions to the Patriotic Funds had been carefully omitted from the report for the reason ! tha.t there was no doubt legislation‘ would be brought down to deal with ‘such matters. ’J"lierefore, it was desirable that the incoming committee be left with a free hand. He congratulated the -Club on the very successful year just completed. ' Mr W. J. Morrison seconded the. motion. He said the report and bal-ance-slieet spoke for thenifielves. The .last.meeting had been an unqualified gsuccess. the gates having been a record. The position of the Club now i,w-as very sound, and he was of the ;opinion the public recognised that the iClub was out to ‘give them good clean sport, At the same, time, he admitted little things occurred wliicli it was almost impossible to put a stop to. ‘The property of the Club was in first-class condition. There was a few things probably the Club had not done, among which was an alteration in the bend into the straight, which would have the effect of minimising accidents. Still he thought the incoming committec“would be just as successful as those in the past. ‘ Mr W. H. H. Young said he considered the rents should be separate from the farm committee’s account. Dr. Paget congratulated the committee upon the success of the past year. He would have liked. to have seen some indication of policyto the incoming cmnmi‘ittee.A There was the question of short distance races. The Club had come to a stage when it was not necessary for it to look upon a race meeting as a money-making concern. Stratford could edobetter than that, and should turn in the direction of providing better sport without the idea of whether a race paid or not. The speaker drew attention to the number of short distaiiceraces that were on the programme. There was no doubt there was a 'superabundance of short distance events, known as “flutters,” and he hoped the incoming committee would consider the question of including longer: distance races. There was a time when they had mile and a,-half races, when the sport was much better than the “flutters.” The new committee should consider this aspect of the Clu'b’s functions. The President said that personally he would not have a shorter race than six fu.rlongs. rAt the same time, the committee recognised that in these troublous times it was better not to make any recommendations as to the ifuture. . .

Mr \V. H. H. Young congratulated the Club on the success of their meeting. But they must remember that it was quite on the cards that the Club might not be racing for a year or two, and it was very possible they would have a very difficult row to hoe. There was an overdraft of £2850, and he advised the practice of the greatest economy.

Mr J. Fredric considered ti)e committee should lay down a proper policy in regard to improvements as the course was badly laid out. The outside public did not see the finish ol tlie races at all. They knew the totalisator house had been shifted already, but they should think of the future. It was the only course where the outside public did not see any part of the finish of a r.ace. ‘ Those people were just as.worthy of consideration as others on the lawn. He considered the time had come when the Club should go in for some systematic scheme of improvement. Perhaps they would have to shift the grandstand, the saddling paddock, etc., altogether. In conclusion, Mr Fredric congratulated the committee on their successful year, especially on the operations of the farm account.

The ..President said that with refer- j enoe to the general public being pat on the other side of the grandstand, probably Mr F'rcdric had forgotten the great expense attached to such an undertaking. It would mean the reversing of the whole arrangements of the course.

Mr Fredric said lie felt that a start must be made sooner or later.

1 In reply to Mr C. D. Sole a s to the ißacing Cenference agreeing to an additional tax on the totalisator,the President said that was not so. Anticipating that legislation would lie brought down, they had set up a committee which had power to act. The general opinion was that the tax once imposed would never be taken oft, but if all clubs would agree to devote their profits to the Patriotic Funds that would do away with the tax and would at the same time help the funds. There was no suggestion of additional taxation.

Mr J. B. Richards said the question 'of improvements had worried the various committees f6r quite a number of 'years. Unfortunately the laying out of the course had been, a disadvantage. He was responsible several years ago for bringing a scheme before the committee for definite improvements, and he would like the committee to come to a decision. But they should have la plan. All the buildings were too 'much to one corner of the property. It would practically moan the laying out of a new course. Another matter lie wished to refer to was that this was 'the first year they had carried on without the valuable aid of the guarantors, but he was satisfied the result had justified the step being taken. Not only had they a very successful year, but the expenditure had been a record one for the Club. He congratulated the committee on the stop that had been taken in securing the services of the Wanganui Garrison Band for the meeting, when they had had good music aud had been able to assist the Patriotic Funds to the extent of £3O. | In reply to Mr E. A. Osmond, who said ho considered a new number board was an absolute necessity, the President said that under all the circumstances the committee hardly felt justified in going to the expense of about £l2O for a new number hoard. Ho

i recommended procuring a board discarded by the New Plymouth Club, and which was a great deal better than the Club’s present one. Mr W. P. Kirkwood deprecated any extraordinary expenditure at the present time. Ho believed they would |make just as much profit as if they had ,the number board and other more up-to-date appliances. There was also the possibility of all clubs handing over j their profits to the War Funds. Dr. Paget said he did not think the j public at this time of war would expect .the improvements to be made, : and ho supported the view that such (expenditure was out of the question now.

j The motion for the adoption of the report and balance-sheet was then carried unanimously.

OFFICE-BEARERS

For the office of President two nominations were received (Mr A. \V,

lindge and Mr W. H. H. Young), and a ballot resulted in the election ol Air

Young, who briefly returned thanks. Uniy one nomination was received

for the office of vice-president (Mr \V J. Morrison), who was duly elected.

THE NEW COMMITTEE,

The following were nominated, aud the number being sufficient, were duly elected:—Messrs 8. Pitt, A. Stewart, J. It. L. Stanford, 1). J. Malone, W. P. Kirkwood, J. Is. Richards, aud H. E. Abraham.

) On the motion of Mr Budge, seconded by Mi' Kirkwood, Mr T. H. Bean was re-elected auditor. Messrs iS. Macalister and E. S. llutherfurd were elected members of the Club.

I Votes of thanks were accorded to the hon. judge (Mr J. 11. L. Stanford) for his services; to the Metropolitan Club j for the presentation of gentlemen riders’ fees for the purchase of trophies; to Mrs A. W.. Budge for presenting j the trophies; to the retiring President !for his valuable services; and to Mr S. Pitt for his gratuitous work in connection with the Farm Committee.

The secretary (Mr A. Coleman) was accorded a special vote of thanks for his very excellent work. . On the motion of Mr I). J}. Malone, seconded by My Kirkwood, a hearty vote of thanks was‘accol'ded to the representatives of the Taranaki Country Clubs at the annual conference. PERMANEN 'l‘ IMPILOVEMENTS. Mr J. Fredric moved that it be it recommendation to the outgoing committee to take into serious consider~ a.tion--either to get the opinion of an expert or set up a special committee—4 the matter of the permanent improveiment of the course and the appoint‘ments in order to meet the requirements of the future. _ V’ ! Dr. Puget seconded the motion, but suggested an alteration in it in the direction of appointing two or three Inombergg of the committee to draw up a report.

Mr Morrison considered they would be only “beating the air” in moving it! the matter. . They must consider the suggestion from a purely hard business standpoint. The alterations, in his opinion, would cost up to £IO,OOO, and would be of little benefit if at all. If the Club had any money to throw away they should spend it on the race-owners and the public.

Mr A. Stewart said that under the circumstances, seeing there was the possibility of racing Iveing suspended in view of the war, it should be left in abeyance for twelve mouths. Mr G. Mcßain agreed with Mi’ Morrison.

i "Mr Young favored getting a subieonnnittee to i'eport on the 111atter. I Mr Kirkwood upheld the policy. of the past COllllllltl.~oes in effecting Imlprevements. The buildings were of 5 wood, and had only a certain life, and ‘they should be careful in regard to Vmaking the appointments of too sublstantial a nature, as in course of a [year or two they might be found to be [out of date. He instanced tlle alter‘ing of the totalisator house to the leondition which tlle committee ;thought would be quite up to date, but which they found already was not shig enough. Now they had only two days’ racing in the year, and when :tlle_v had more, it would be time enough to go into such additional oxpencliture. In response to Dr, Paget, Mr l*‘recl(rie agreed to delete‘ from his motio._ll {the reference to an export, and on the ‘voices, the motion appeared to he car-. lried, but Dr. Paget called for a show of hands, and the motion was declared Ilost. ‘ GENERILL. I Mr E. Jackson moved that it be a ,reeolnmendation to the oommittee to fmalce a donation to the A. and P. Association.—~Secondocl by Mr Young, and carried. ' ' Mr C. Wright, on hehalf of the lady ‘patrons of the cluh’s meetings, threw iont the suggestion to look into the ar'rangelnent.s', if possilile, and separate * the lnnelleon from the tea department. l In regartl to the course being opened for training on Sundays, which {l]’lZll;li(.'l‘ xvasa brought up by Ml‘ I*‘retllric, the Pl-esidellt said several eluhs “would not allow it, one a.l'glnm2llt set {up was that it was the only (lay in the week when the caretaker could have a (lay off. Mr Pitt upheld the [action of the club in the inattor, .s*t:.a- I {bill}: that half’ the <’*olu'ses in New Zea'land were closed on Sunday. Then it V must he rememhel'e(l that if it was al\lowed, and the caretaker was not pre;sent to see the course was clear, if an iacculent happened, the club might be inrulcted in heavy damages. He felt .the.v were quite justified in their act‘ion, in keeping the course closed on S‘”~l‘—l"*-."'s' for at least siximonthe in the year. t l The usual colnpliment to the chair ‘closed the meeting.