COUNTRY RACING CLUBS

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1182, 18 July 1911, Page 6

COUNTRY RACING CLUBS

MEETING OF DELEGATES. DEPUTATION TO SIR G. CLIFFORD. ■ The adjourned meeting of delegates of country racing clubs was held in tho Town-Hall yesterday afternoon, there being a large attendance. Mr. A. .Bruce (Thames Jockey Club) was in tho chair, and Mr. R. Wynyard (Takapuna Jockey Club) acted as secretary. The chairman reported that a deputation (consisting ot Messrs.* Buchanan, Goffing, Johnston, Jennings, Evans, and the chairman, and tho secretary) had waited upon the chairman of the Racing Confercnco (Sir Goo. Clilford) that morning, and had laid before him the resolutions passed at the meeting on Saturday night , and had asked that the conference should grant the concessions asked for. Tho deputation had given reasons for the attitude of the country clubs and had received a favourable hearing. Sir George Clifford had been quite in agreement with the, deputation on the point that unity was necessary at tho present time, and tho deputation had'impressed upon him that the best way to secure unity was to give, them what they wanted. Sir George had been anxious that, these matters should bo left over until they had "defeated the enemy," but: tho deputation had refused to hear of that. The,president of tho conference, however, could give them no deiinite answer. The deputation had pointed out to him (hat, .if these matters could not bo dealt with-at this annual meeting of the conference, the difficulty could be surmounted by .calling a special meeting, but, while tho president agreed with this, he would not pledge himself'to call a special meeting. "And if one is not called." said the chairman,

"this matter remains in abeyance until | the next conference." Continuing, the chairman stated that Sir Geo. Clifford appeared to have fully realised that it' was necessary to provide some, better representation for country clubs on tho Racing Conference, but had remarked that, if .that matter were brought up'at the conference, it would probably be pointed out that.many of the country j clubs' members, who had seats on the conference, were absent. He (tho speaker) could tell them why the country clubs' delegates were absent. It was because, they went, as "dummies," and could only speak when country clubs were aliccted, and then they were outnumbered. He lcoked upon the deputation ns being successful, because Sir Cleo. Clifford realised that they were not going to put up with this sort of thing any longer. One hundred and three clubs giving away thousands of pounds in stakes were not going to bo wholly dictated to by eight clubs. Do believed that Sir Geo, Clifford now viewed tho matter very favourably, and his influence with the conference made the outlook hopeful. As regarded the proposed deputation to the conference, he considered that, after the favourable reception which that day's, deputation had received from (he president, no good could come of a full deputation to the conference, and he would advise that it lx> dropped. Mr. Buchanan (Waifara) agreed ■ with the chairman that it would be',advisable to drop the proposed deputation to the conference. Mr. AV. T. Jennings. M.P., said it appeared to be recognised that they would have to widen the scone of the- Racing Conference by giving .better representation to country clubs, and Sir George seemed to be prepared to briii" that about. The chairman then moved that the proposed deputation lo the Racing Conference be dropped. Mr. D. Fraser (Rangitikei) wanted lo know whether the Government of Now Zealand or Sir George Clifford ruled the racing of this country. (Laughter.) One or two members expressed the opinion that the. deputation should te proceeded with. The chairman explained that, he had already been given to understand that the Racing Conference would not receive a deputation. The president had told him that the conference had always set its face against individual cluhs going there, and they .did not want to let "(ho thin end of the wedge" in. The motion was carried.

Mr. Bruce then referred to the report which he and the secretary (Mr. AVynyard) had handed to The Dominion and passed on to the "New Zealand Times." In the lalter paper it had boon altered somewhat. One member had taken exception to the report in Tin-: Dominion-, said Mr. Bruce. The chairman' (lien asked members of the meeting to say if they were satisfied with the' report as it had been handed (o The Dominion- and as it appeared in that paper. There was a unanimous clinrus of "Ayes." The question was then raised as to what was to bn done if the Racing Conference refused to grant the concessions asked for. The chairman said it was a long way for some of I lip. delegates to come without doing- anything. He suggested that before they dissolved that they should appoint a committee for each island to look into the Racing Conference report and arrange, to call the clubs together for future action. llr. Buchanan suggested that, if the country clubs could not got satisfactory representation, they should form a separate body, to be called the Now Zealand Jockey Club, and ask Parliament !o give it the same recognition as the Rnein? -Conference. Ho moved n n-ofiun nn these lines, and Mr. D. Fr.nser seconded it. After considerable discussion, Iho general opinion seemed |o lie that it would lui unwiso to make any Ihrcat (o llu> Racing Conference, and Mr. Uiiclianan said he would withdraw the motion if they were going to meet again. Ho h.vl only moved it because he thought it would be Iho last time they inch However, it would bo no use pre-sing the matter unless they were all unanimous. If.) thought thai, they should forward a re(|iiest to the conference that the remit from the Wanganui country clubs be placed earlier on tho wlcr i>a|ii»i'-'iiit with any intention of interfering with (he present conference, bill so as the country clubs could arrange for future action. It was -agvepcl that this r«iu«t should be lorivardedt

Mr. Evans (Ashhurst-Pohangina) then moved that a committee of ten be appointed Id consider (lit , Racing Conference report, and take any nutiuu necessary towards convening another conference, Hie committee to consist of Messrs. linice, Jennings, Uvans. Sellers, Irvine, Tutj.on, Craig, Culligan, I.y.mar, and Fraser. The mot ion was carried. The mceliiiff closed with votes of thanks to the secretary (Mr. R. Wynyard) and the- chairman (Mr, A. llruce). AX EXPLANATION. In connection with Die report of Hie Country Racing Clubs' Conference, published in yesterday's issue, we liave received a letter in whieli it is pointed out that tho report of tlio proceeding £iipplied to us by Ihe. gentlemen appointed to gh'O the information lo the press oinitled to stale Mint at a certain stage of tho proceedings a number of those present withdrew. The following extract from the letter referred to explains itself:—"The Thames Club called a meeting for t!ie express purpose of considering the best means of obtaining better representation of country clubs on metropolilan committees and tho_ Racing Conference, nothing more. When theso proposals were dealt with, we Totircd, as several of' those present Mated that, another meeting would tako place of clubs who were affected by tho report from tho Gaming Act Commissioners. What took place afterwards had nothing whatever to do with the meeting of country clubs. —I am, etc., A. S. Abraham, president Mannwatu Racing Club; Arthur A\ T ay, secretary Marton Jockey Club; Edmoml Goodbeliere, representative Feilding Club; A. Potter, vice-president North Otago; .7. Goring Johnston, delegate Manawatu Racing Club." „ . , , Reference to tho report of yesterdays proceedings at the conference will show that so far as the decisions arrived at at. the conference are concerned, tho report as supplied to us was materially correct.

TROTTING CONFERENCE. The report of the Trotting Conferenco will bo found on pago 3 of this issue. FIXTURES. July 19 and 20—Wellington B.C. Winter. August (j, 10, and 12—Canterbury J.C.'s Uraud National.