WAIRARAPA CALEDONIAN SOCIETY.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 905, 2 April 1908, Page 3

WAIRARAPA CALEDONIAN SOCIETY.

The following is the President's report on the 1908 sports and concert, presented to directors of the Society : Gentlemen,—ln presenting to you a report of the Society's annual gathering and concert for 1908, I have pleasure in announcing that the Society has added one more to its already long list of successes. The general public showed their appreciation of your efforts to please all tastes by the very practical method of giving you a good gate at the sports gathering and a full house at the annual concert. As you are aware, we were practically forced to leave the Park Oval and look elsewhere for a suitable ground upon which to hold this year's gathering. It is matter for congratulation that the choice of the Showgrounds was productive of satisfactory results, as the gate receipts (£163 Is 6d), privilege publican's booth (£29 10s), and increased grandstand receipts (£22 lis 6d), totalled £l9 8s more than the largest gate ever recorded by the Society. That is to say, that had the Society taken the Park Oval and dispensed with the publican's booth, gate receipts would have had to be increased to £l9 8s more than had previously been taken to reach the total subsequently involved by reason of the change of ground. This result bears out the opinion of directors that ths publican's booth on the grounds would be regarded as a convenience to the public and members of the Society, many of whom have to travel many miles to attend the gathering. The booth should not be, and I venture f,o say is not, looked upon solely as a means of revenue to this Society. You have every reason to feel satisfied of the arrangements made to meet the demands of the attendant public in the matter of luncheons, afternoon teas, and refreshments provided, Messrs E. H. Pelling and T. P. Firman proving themselves first-class caterers in their respective departments. Thay were, no doubt, assisted to a great extent by the commodious buildings and conveniences placed at their command, and which, you will agree, it would be impossible to procure on any other grounds in the town. A statement of receipts and expenditure on sports account to be submitted by the secretary shows a debit balance of £SO lis 7d, as against a debit balance of £73 10s 3d for the previous year. This balance applies entirely to sports account, receipts and expenditure in any other branch of the Society's work not being taken into consideration. There has been no call for any special increase of the ordinary sports expenditure, while the amount derived from the principal sources of revenue (gates, grandstand, entrance fees, and sales of pri\ lieges and programmes) totals £320 15s, as compared with £330 8s in 1907; this decrease is directly traceable to a falling-off in entry fees, due, in a great measure, to the action of the New Zealand Athletic Union in disqualifying quite 300 competitors throughout the dominion. It is to be hoped that the Union will, in future, be more up-to-date in its methods, and publish its disqualification of first-class competitors in sufficient time to permit of their places in the nomination lists being taken by competitors of a lower grade, who will not compete against first grade performers. There is no doubt that the Society's Sheffield Handicap suffered to a very great extent in consequence of the Union's shortcomings. The Society's concert, held on the night of January Ist, was aeain a very successful function from every view point, and the management, comprising the Concert Committee (with Mr W. Sellar at the head), and stage manager (Mr F. J. Hunn) deserve the congratulations so freely accorded them. Notwithstanding the fact that every contributor was remunerated for services rendered, the expenditure was £3 12s 5d less than that of last year, and £8 0a 7d less than in 1906. Receipts reveal an increase of £7 ha on those of the previous year. The secretary's statement shows receipts £6B 9s, expenditure £S6 4s Id, credit balance £32 4s lid as compared with £2O 13s 6d for 1907. The cincert was not only a financial suc-cess--it was a musical treat. In conclusion, I desire to extend my thanks to you as directors for your hearty co-operation during the term of my Presidency, and to the great number of willing helpers who acted as officials at the Society's annual gathering. T. P. LETT,