SPORTING.

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume XLVI, Issue 6978, 20 February 1918, Page 3

SPORTING.

Country Club's Association.

Excluding Takapuna and Avondale.

* As important decision was made at the annual confrreticfl of Auckland country racing clubs, hsld at Hamilton last week. Delegates were present from the following clubs :--Hamilton, Te Kuiti, Taumarunui, Waipa,* Waikato, Hunt Club, Te Aroha, Thames, Takapuna, Avondals, Whangarei, Kawakawa, Rotorua, Bay of Plenty and Opotiki. Mr Gillies, vicepresident of the Hamilton Racing Club, was in the chair.

On behalf of the Hamilton Racing Club, Mr G. W. Vercoe moved, "Ihat an association'be formud of the country racing cluba in the Auckland district whose centres are outside a radius cf twenty miles from the G.P.0., Auckland. In speaking to the motion, Mr Vercoe urged the necessity of such an association, which would haie a great influence on tha control of racing in the distiict, aad its representation on the Racing Conference. He dealt extensively in figures, showing th_t the country clubs in tbe Auckland district were detrimentally dealt wild in comparison with the dabs'in tbe vicinity of Auckland and especially as compared with the days ■Hotted to country clubs io other metropolitan districts.

The motion was seconded by Mr Elliott -(Waipa), who referred to the unsatisfactory representation of country club 3 on the Auckland Distiict Committee. He urged' that no paid

official of any club should sit on this ""committee or the Racing Conference. ;Mr Alison (Takapuna), a representative of country clubs on the Auckland District Committee and the Racing Conference, after referring to the apparent dissatisfaction with the r.epreBentition of the country clubs, urged the necessity cf unity among the country clubs. He pointed out tbat the greatest injustice in this lespect to country clubs was the preponderating repreientation of the metropolitan slab on the District Committee. He referred to his efforts iv securing representation of country cluba on these committees, but the trouble wns

tb Dominion allocation of permits which was unjust ty' Auckland, and should be rectifisd. He argued that the present country representation

wis not satisfactory, but that was not tbe representatives' fault. He suggested that there should only be one

representative each from the Taka-

puna and Avondale Cluba instead of two each aa at present with three from the other clubs; but the main thing was to secure proper representation co aa to safeguard the interests of all the country clubs. He uuggeated that the litter part of the resolution should be struck out so that ell the

country club, with community of interest should be united. The speaker Mid the time would shortly come for a division of the Auckland district similar to tbat obtaining iv Canterbury fiu 88 to secure better representation. He moved as an amendment "That the words 'whose centres are outside a radius of twenty miles of the G.P.O. Auckland* be struck out./* The amendment was lost hy eight 'ptes to cis and the motion was catfled on the same voting. NEXT YEAR'S DATES. Tt WBB decided f j suggest tbe fuHowjog dates to the Auckland District Committee for tbe 1918-19 season:— Biy of Fleet*. Jockey Club December ■Jj; Waipa Racing Club, December 14; ■fbamea Jockey Club, December 26, Wd 27; Northern Wairoa Hacing Club Jaausry 11; Whangarei Racing Club, January 15 or 16; Taumarunui Racing Wuh, February ,H; Te Kuiti Kacing Cab, February 15*, iiamiKun Racing -'.ytob. February 21 and 22; Kotorua .JOckfiyClub, Febiunrv 28; Ie Aroha Jockey Club, March S and 10; OhincJHHi Jockey Club, yard. 15 aui 17; °P°tiki Jockey Club, to b* fixed.

The Minister for Ueleuee hue* ap pointed Mr James D. Harper, .uf WeP fogtqs, an additional member oi the War|Pensions Board.