TE AROHA CLUB

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1057, 22 August 1930, Page 12

TE AROHA CLUB

A SUCCESSFUL YEAR TRIBUTE TO MR. R. L. SOMERS The report to be submitted at the forthcoming annual meeting of the Te Aroha Jockey Club on Thursday next, August 28, is as follows: The profit and loss account shows a debit balance of £1,965 6s lOd, as against a credit balance of £4BB 14s 6d for the previous 12 months. This position has arisen through the inclusion in the profit and loss account of £3,018 17s lOd expended on construction on the new course, and other permanent improvements. Had this amount been added to the capital account, a satisfactory profit of £1,053 11s would have been shown, but on account of the nature of the tenure of the racecourse, your committee decided that it would be sounder finance to write off the whole amount expended. The usual depreciation, amounting this year to £SBB 7s, has been provided for. TOTALISATOR RECORD The turnover for the annual meeting was £56,864, a decrease of £2,092 being recorded. It will no doubt be interesting to members to know that our club has the largest totalisator turnover pf any two-day club operat-

ing in the Dominion. During the year the contracts for the construction of the course and training tracks have been completed, £2,646 7s having been expended under this heading. The tracks have been fenced, and are showing a good sole of grass. The new course will be available for the 1931 meeting, and members will no doubt appreciate the improved facilities now provided. The shape and construction of the new course conforms to the very latest ideas on the subject, and will provide a race track second to none in New Zealand. A new road entrance from Stanley Road is now under construction, and it is hoped it will add to the comfort of .members and patrons. In this connection, your committee wishes to record its appreciation of the action of the Trotting Club in making a grant of £lOl 0s lOd toward the cost of the work. INCREASED TAXATION Your committee views with apprehension the proposed increase in totalisator taxation. In the past our club has not joined in the periodical outcry raised by other clubs in this connection, but it is now thought probable that the extra taxation will result in greatly diminished investments on the totalisator. It has been our policy, for a number of years, to give stakes in excess of the amount required by the racing authorities, but it may now be necessary to adopt a more cautious attitude in this connection. The retiring officers, viz.: President, Mr. R. L. Somers; vice-presidents, Messrs. P. Baine, R. Burke, and J. B. Johnson; treasurer, Mr. H. E. D. Wilcox; and three members of the committee, Messrs. G. P. Goodfellow, T. A. Hines, and E. J. Aislabie, have been again nominated for the various offices, and as the nominations do not exceed the vacancies, they will be declared duly elected at the forthcoming annual meeting. Your committee would like to draw the attention of members to the fact that our president, Mr. R. L. Somers, completes' his twenty-first term of office this year. During this period, the club has shown wonderful progress, due in no small measure to the wise guidance and mature judgment of Mr. Somers. We hope that on this occasion members will roll up in large numbers, and voice their congratulations to our president on the attainment of his majority. Your committee desires to thank the secretary, caretaker, and honorary officials for the assistance they have rendered the club during the past year.