WAIRARAPA HUNT CLUB.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XV, Issue 4336, 4 February 1893, Page 2

WAIRARAPA HUNT CLUB.

The annual meeting of members of the Wairarapa Hunt Clob will be held at tlio Empire Hotel, Featherston, on Saturday evening next, February nth. The principal business will be to receive the report and balance sheet, elect officers, and • to consider what steps 3hall j be takon to secure the hounds \ for tho coming season, The re*'"' port to be presented follows:—Gentlemen,—Id this, th(T'" the report of its second year's operations, the Wairarapa Hunt Club is to be congratulated on its continued success both financially and also from a sporting point of view. • During the year an increased number of hunts has been held, the localities being as follows .--Featberston, G ley town, Carterton, Gladstone, Maryborough, Pihautea, and Mastcrton. It will be notioed that due consider" « ationwasgiven to every portion of the district, and' in this respect general satisfaction has been expressed by members, The fields on every ocoa» sion have been large,varying ftou 22 toabouU?,

_ The Club has had to carry on during tho year under tho new conditions instituted at last general mectim;,' viz., the increased membership tee; the abolition of special eontribu'ions nnd of collections towards expenses; the appointment of local secretaries in tho various centres; and tho decision to hold a steeplechase meeting. The financial airangomonts being thus on a nejr>flf is, and so much of the work ingPf the Club being of a new and experimental character, is is especially pleasing to observe that everything worked smoothly and resulted successfully. _'lhe increase of the fee caused a slight diminution in the uiO'/ibersbip, although the final result was to the advantogo of the Club's funds. Tho local secretaries and com> mittees worked enthusiastically in their respective districts and proved most useful in carrying out local arrangements, Tlie Sn-eplocbu'O Meeting held at Tauherenikait on the 23rd of July was a complete success. The fiolds, tho racing and tho attendance wero good; tho officials wotkcil well; and the finaloutcome is a credit b >.lance of Ijrajji, It j s notowo. thy that, althotigmßvo wero large numbers of outside eimcs, six out of the seven races on tho programme wero won by horses belonging to the members of this Hunt Club. In connection with the races a ball was held on the preceding evening. This was a most brilliant entertainment, but mifoituuatcly, and although most carefully carried out, resulted in a loss to the funds of 1,1610s Gd.

The hounds held Inst year we eventually disposed of to the United Hunt Club for tlio sum of £25, bring £4 more than the piice originally paid fojfikm. , tlio United Hunt Club disjiosinft of their pack of hounds, entirely new arrangements will have to be made for hunting thedistrict in the ensuing season. Certain proposals aro made by Mr Roakc. The outline of these proposals is: " That a hunt be held onco a week in the Wairarap'i, each centre receiving i fair proportion of-liunts; that the choice of day shall rest entirely with members; that .Mr Hoake shall receive all the subscriptions and take upon himself all the espouses in connection with the bunts arid maintenance of the hounds; and that the Steeplt chase meeting shall (till remain in tlio hands of tlio Club." It will be for the meeting of members to say whether tlieso proposals are acceptable or not. The thanks of the Club aro cine lo the property owners over whose land the bunts were held; to those who so hospitably entertained the members of the Club at the various centres, lo the Steward who carried out the Race Meeting, and to the several local secretaries and committees. 6. S. M. McDermid, Secretary.