HAWKE'S BAY JOCKEY CLUB.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1509, 3 August 1912, Page 13

HAWKE'S BAY JOCKEY CLUB.

ANNUAL MEETING. (By Telegraph.—Special Correspondent.) . Hastings, August 2. The annual meeting of members of tho Hawke's Bay Jockey Club was held at Hastings this afternoon. Sir William Euseell presiding. The report set out that the sum of X 7310 had been paid in stakes as against iC8625 last year. The receipts from entry fees' had totalled JJ2393, as against ,£2557.

The only nomination for the position of president was .that of the Hon. J. D. Ormond, M.L.C., for the vice-president, Mr. G P. Donnelly, and for the treasurership, Mr. L. de Pelichet, and 'they wore declared elected. 1

The president (Mr. G. P. Donnelly) forwarded the following address:—"As I am confined to the house and shall be unable to attend the general meeting. I may be allowed to make some remarks in addition to the formal report which has been presented. Since making my Teport which is attached to the balance-sheet, his Excellency, -Lord Islington, has b»en chosen to act on the Indian Civil Service Commission. I feel that members will agree that his Excellency will be very much missed by the Dominion, and that his services in his new appointment will be of the greatest benefit to the Empire. At our general meeting two years ago I ventured to express the opinion that all who were- interested in sport of any description would have to form a combination to resist the continual attempts which were being made to interfere. It i 3 a matter for congratulation that the steps which were taken have resulted in the establishment of tho Sports Protection League with a committee consisting of Sir George Clifford, as -chairman, the Hon. H. D. Bell,' Mr. James Coates, and Mr. Skerrett, K.C. The secretary and organiser (Mr. Paape) has been doing excellent work as is shown by the faofc that there are 61 branches throughout tho country with a membership of over 60,000. Tho number of members in Hawke's Bay is over six thousand, and I think it may confidently be anticipated that, bpforo lone, the membership will reach 100.000. When, on the resignation of Sir William Kusscll two years ago, 1 had tho honour of being elected president, I stated that, in my opinion, the office should not be held continually, and that jit would be in tho interest of the club to havo a change periodically. I therefore intimated to the committee recently that I would not be a candidate at the ensuing election, but that I would have great pleasure in proposing the Hon. Mr. Ormond, ono of our oldest and distinguished members, as president. The clnb is to be congratulated on Mr. Ormond having accepted the position, and members will agree with me that it is an honour to have him as our president. Tho club is in a much better position today than it was three years ago. The profit on the year's working expenses is .£1227 16s. 2d., being an increase of d£532 7s 5d.. on last ve'nr. and .£2160 7s. 3d. on the year 1910. In 1911 we naid in slnkes the sum of ,£R625, and (h 1912-, £7m. which was a deficit of ,£1285. This deficit is accounted for owing to our number of racing days being reduced by cue by tho Pacing Commission. Tho totnlisator receipts, however, show an increase of i!7fi!> 7s. 2d. on tho previous yonr, and .£2907 on those for 1910., The gate receipts also' show an increase of M 0 17s. sd. on the previous year, although wo had to postpone the races for a day at tho winter meeting on account of the wet weather." •