TROTTING

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 62, 10 September 1925, Page 12

TROTTING

WELLINGTON CLUB MEETS

AN ELECTION ZEPHYR

The annual general meeting of mem-. •hers' of the Wellington Trotting Club was held at Petone last evening. The president, Mr. K. ' A.' Armstrong,"-was m the chair, and there was. a good attendance of members. The annual report and' balance-sheet, which lias already been published in these columns, showed the club to be in a prosperous^ condition in all departments. In moving its adoption, the president said that, tho year just concluded was.the most important, in the history of the. club, for, by the provision" of the extra permits, it had taken the first step towards forming a metropolitan trotting'centre/in "Wellington. By keeping up. the standard of the racing," and bycareful management, there.would be "no reason why /Wellington,' in the course of a few, years, should not rank with the other 'principal centres. ; The thanks 'of the trotting clubs throughout New Zealand was due to the Minister of Internal Affairs and those members of Parliament who had assisted him to pass last session* Gaming Bill. Not the lea3t of these was the member for the Hutt,. Mr.T. M. Wilford, whohad always proved himself to be on the side of clean sport and prepared to assist its reasonable requirements.. H» felt sure he was voicing the' wish of every member of the club that the member for tho Hutt-would soon be restored to full health arid vigour.

SAFEGUARDING BACING,

They had to be'thankful/also that the increased permits question had /been brought.to a conclusion during the life of the present Parliament. That Parliament had been- a reasonable one; but the indication* were that the same condition-might "not obtain-in the near future. There were signs on every hand that the opponents of racing -were veiy busy. As a matter of fact, there had never beep need for greater vigilance on the part V<jf those connected with the sporting institutions of New Zealand. The extremist section was .taking a much more - active part in connection with the approaching \ Parliamentary; .Election than ever before. A number of the' candidates at the approaching poll would actually be nominees of extremists who had worked their way into party selection committee* in a I number of districts. It behoved the sporting community to watch very carefully how they cast their votes, otherwise/ they might -wake up one morning and find that the new Parliament had filched away their rights and liberties overnight. He quoted resolutions of the recent conventions of various bodies opposed to racing, showing that an organised attempt was being made to have returned to Parliament men who would "unite for the destruction of legal recognition of gambling." •.. "There is 'no mistaking the real meaning of this movement," said Mr. .Armstrong. "Sport lovers must awake to the danger. 'Just so soon as the forces of.intolerance find themselves strong enough in Parliament, at that moment they will ■ commence, to foree ■ upon.the rest'of tlie s'oimriunit.y. their nai-row' code- of. life." No doubt, following such uM ion,-history would repeat jlsoH. and the people would rise against their oppressors; but it was auiMly a better cours« to actively protect their liberties ' now, than to wait.. until they, had lost them and then fight to get them' back. (Applause.). The report and balance-sheet were adopted. v : , Tlie membership'rule.-was amended 1 to proVide that those'joining : the club after 31st July, 1025, would.-pay nivciitrance ■ foe of-two guineas, ~ and' an annual subscription of one guinea. The election of oHicwr (resulted in the return of the .whole-of the-retiring skew-, i'-i'ds. -. . -. -.-.'. , - - ..- ■-.. -..< •■ .. Mr. if.. ®knm w\A Hni.l 'W'.is"|trwil'cleat»' i'«mavk» r^udipg I'vUomwt

must make every member think very hard. He moved:—"That this meeting of members.of the Wellington Trotting Club views with alarm the, appearance of so maxiy. Parliamentary candidates known ,to be adherents and nominees of bodies opposed to the totalisator, and earnestly requests the Sporta Protection League to organise the sporting bodies throughout the Dominion to prevent the return of;-a Parliament, the majority of m? h were PleilSed to the extremists." The motion was seconded by Mr. H. R. Jones, and carried with applause. Votes of thanks were passed to th» secretary, the local police for the man- ? er _m whidl &*V conducted the traffic during the year, and'to the Com mercial CluD for the use of their ! rooms. ■