SPORTING.

Taranaki Daily News, 3 August 1916, Page 7

SPORTING.

WAIMATE PLAINS TROTTING CLUB

At the annual meeting of the above at Hawera on Monday Jlr. A. W. Webster presided..

the annual report showed that the last meeting, held in threatening weather, was a record The turnover for the totalisator increased to nearly double, within a few pounds of £BOOO bein" put through the machine. "Wisiding horses were present from most parts of the North Island and as far south as Ashburton. The racing was of » very high order. The stakes were increased from .-C-140 to £0:10, and the mectin" showed a profit of some £lB3. The balance-sheet showed income from members' subscriptions £124, nominations and acceptances £2"i2, fates £154, and totaliisator £SS2 8s id.' mi the expenditure side stakes accounted for £O3O ani 1 Government tax £383 14s Od.

In- moving the adoption of the report and balance-sheet, the chairman said that no doubt they had a fai greater attendance because of the holiday, and they proposed 0> again apply for the same date for the coming year. Out of their profits they had donated the sum of £SO for patriotic purposes. Of the amount in hand, £4Ol 18s Sd, £4OO had been placed on fix'ed deposit. The election of officers resulted as follows:—President, Mr. A. W. Webster; vice-president, Mr. Jos. Quin; committee, Messrs. Gormley, Fiord, Morrissey, Bradford,' Johnstone, Butler, R. Hicks, C. Arden, Preston, and Slattery; stewards, Messrs. Preston, Currin, Hicks, Goodwin, Quin. Ford, Johnstone, Bradford, Morrissey, Slattery, Mounsey, and M. Jones; treasurer, Mr. A. W. Webster; secretary Mr. E. E. Nalder; auditor, Mr. J. Turtou. Mr. Johnstone questioned if Easter Monday was the best day to hold their meeting, and suggested holding it about a week after the Wanganui meeting. The chairman remarked that the club's last meeting produced good fields and good quality, and they must consider the attendance of the public in order to make the function attractive. The secretary pointed out to the meeting that Easter Monday had already been fixed and approved of by Conference, and could not now be altered. They had lost a little support from Stratford last year because of their gymkhana there, and some of their people were a. little sore about it last year. Mention was made by several members of the opinion generally expressed by outsiders who patronised the local meetings. They were unanimous in their unresolved praise of the way the meetings were conducted, and of the epcellent treatment they received here, and the thanks of the club were due to Mr. Nalder especially for this. He was most attentive to and popular with the visitors, and they fully apppreciated it. Mr. Naldc remarked that at the Conference !he general tone was flattering to country clubs. The president, in making some strictures, took pains to remark that they did not apply to country clubs. Reference was made to the advisability on the part of the Club in co-operating with the A., and P. Association in an endeavor to lay out a the or six furlong track on the show grounds The president of the A. and P. Association had made the suggestion, and it was ascertained that by removing a few of the cattle boxes a good track could be obtained, and if this were possible it would not only assist the A. and P. Association, but it would immensely popularise the Club's meeting. The A. and P. Association had not any available funds to snend on this work, so that if the Trotting Club decided to go to the show grounds they would have to expend some money on banking the track, erecting a totalisator building, and other items The A. and P. Association had a caretaker, and if a satisfactory arrangement could be come to for a track it would prababiy be to the advantage of each organisation.—A committee consisting of the president and secretary, together with one or more members of the Club, was appointed to make enquiries and report to a future meeting. Members spoke very highly of the excellent manner in which the Club's affairs had been conducted by their secretary. It was a ease of a good secretary a good club, and but for the probability of the Club having to spend a good deal of money on a new course would like to have increased his honorarium. Visitors to their meetings bad said that they received more attention and courtesy from the local Club than from any other club, and tiler stay here in consequence had been most pleasant.—ln acknowledging the compliment Mr. Nalder said that lie quite realised that the Club could not afford to pay its secretary any increase in salary just now". His, however, was a labor of love, and he was at all times only too willing to help the Club in any way he could. A very hearty vote of thanks was accorded to the Eginont Pacing Club for the courtesy they had extended the Trotting Club. Their generous treatment was in marked contrast to that received by clubs in other centres.—Abridged from Star.

The gelding Inspector, who ha? been an inmate of Mr. K. .1. Rac's stable, for some time, while schooling at Kllerslie on Saturday last, met with injuries which called for his destruction. He was accompanying the Grand National candidate Waimai in a schooling effort over the steeplechase obstacles on the flat and made a bad mistake on the takc-oif side of the wall near the old mile post, breaking his shoulder-