WELLINGTON TROTTING CLUB

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 289, 6 September 1928, Page 3

WELLINGTON TROTTING CLUB

- ANNUAL MEETING The annual meeting of the Wellington Trotting Club was held last night, Mi.. J• A Armstrong presiding over a veiy iar o c attendance of members. In moving the adoption of the annual report“and’ balance-sheet, the chairman said that us the report spoke tor itsclt there was no need to emphasise the strong financial position the club was now »»• “ had entered upon a period of which', although long delayed by unfat curable circumstances, would now be as sured, with careful management. mid prul- - finance, for many years to come. "The improvement in the sport provided at the Hutt Park during recent years had been most marked, continued Mr. ’ Vrl . Strnnir “This improvement is due to inc recognition by the stewards of the need for keeping up with the times «-‘iHn“’ton of the club is to give to the Wellington public the very best Its ‘mancia l limitations will allow. It, in carrying out th 8 policy, some owners find no place for tlidr horses it must be realised that such exelusion is inevitable. The stewards are not unsympathetic; but it Id o , ’ vlo '' i the patronage ot the public is to be main tained the standards of the 8 - l „° (1 rt t 'v " t st kent lip. It must be realised that tue Wellington Trotting Clnb l " "° w n its place among the metropolitan clu is the Dominion. The question of long-limit races is one which even the country c ub will have to seriously consider. Maiden horses are going that last nowadass that mans’ of the liimts set are made to look ' ridiculous.” Accommodation and Taxation. The chairman went on to state that reference had been made in the report to increased accommodation tor the public. Tills bad become an absolute •ind the club was now in the happy P° sl tiou Of being able to face, this problem. Thanks to the sympathetic at. tltude of the Hutt Park Committee and the local bodies affected the club wou d be ab e to embark on a scheme ot improv i.nn.iiuj early in the coming year. This the moving out and remaking of ne tracks,.thus giving mor° B pace to Uw Diihlie and the provision of incieaseu . totalls’ator ami grandstand accoininoilaj tlon Additions to the loose-boxes and , scraping-sheds were also contemplated. ’ It was thought that the m’pro'eini.nts ; would cost between t.iOOO and • Referring to taxation, Mr. Aimstrong ‘ said the drain upon the sporting puhim was tremendous. Too much of the money taken from this section went ’"•‘J ' fhe consolidated fund to the relit t an 1 ■ advantage of those who w.iuUl l esttoy 1 the sport to-morrow .11 the} kor i c t chance It bud been fallaciously atf,ill 1 that the clubs were losing nothing, be cause of high taxation. Hint it was the public who paid. Those who made that statement overlooked the lact tha t i clubs onlv existed by and for the public ' The moneys that they handled were public moneys, and the clubs were meri.lj I trustees for the sporting public. Mii.it hurt the public hurt the clubs, and so the clubs were hampered In countless vajs 1 In the service they gave the public, t The fifteen stewards were again elect cd, there being no other nominations. 1 Broadcasting of Results. Mr. E. Price said lie would like to know - the feeling of members in regard to the New Zealand Trotting Conference ha' d, ' prohibited the broudeastipg ot. tiotting. 1 iueetings. He did not know whether the delegate to the conference had been in-

strnctcd by the stewards to vote for or aB It “was ‘explained that the delete .lind not been given any instructionb on the matter because it was not known that tl subject was to come up for discussion at tile conference. . ~ The delegate to the conference said that lie had voted against the motion to pro lilbit the broadcasting. Ihe conference, however, was almost unanimous in its accision. He had voted against it because lu. thought that there were invalids anti others who could not attend the meetings who would like to “listen in. Tiie following motion moved •by Mr. Price was carried: “That this meeting of tiie -Wellington Trotting Club regrets tiie recent decision of the New Zealand J - rOv ; ting Conference in depriving ‘listcners-ln. in particular invalids, of the benefits of broadcasting the meetings."