TARANAKI CLUB WILL RELINQUISH PERMIT

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28765, 10 December 1958, Page 4

TARANAKI CLUB WILL RELINQUISH PERMIT

(New Zealand Press Association)

NEW PLYMOUTH, December 9. The Taranaki Trotting Club will race on only one day, January 31, at New Plymouth, this season. It will surrender the second-day permit of the annual two-day meeting held on the Taranaki Jockey Club’s course at New Plymouth and will recommend to the New Zealand Trotting Conference that the permit be granted to the newly-formed Stratford Trotting Club for use on February 7. This was announced today in a statement from the Taranaki Trotting Club’s committee. Twn v*»ar«’ I ./MU

The statement said that three years ago the club’s assets in cash were approximately £3OOO. For the two years 1957 and 1958, because of circumstances beyond the club’s control, it had been forced to trot midweek on one of Its two days each year. With • resultant lose of more than £2OOO over the two years. With only £7OO now in hand, the committee had decided that, in view of the club’s financial position and the present economic situation it was reluctantly compelled to trot on only one day this season, January 31, and to hand in the second-day permit with a strong recommenda-

tion that it be reissued to the StratI ford Trotting Club for February 7. t If the recommendation was I adopted, the Taranaki public would E still have two days of summer troti ting, January 21, at New Plymouth, t and February 7, at Stratford. I The New Zealand Trotting Con- • ference and the Minister of InterI nal Affairs (Mr Anderton) will de- - clde whether the Stratford Club can . have the Taranaki Club’s secondi day permit, the statement said. Mr M. J. Gibson, secretary of the Stratford Trotting Club, said today that his club welcomed the decision

of the Taranaki Trotting Club. He was confident that if the recommendation was adopted the Stratford Club could run a very successful meeting. Racing Club Aid The Stratford Racing Club had promised every assistance possible with its course and amenities. The financial membership of the Stratford Club was more than 440. Mr Gibson said that his dub, which was formed in January of this year, had held a very successful matinee meeting just before Easter. It had applied to the Trotttan Con. ference for a permit, but had been advised that nona was available.