SUCCESSFUL YEAR

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 58, 18 September 1928, Page 9

SUCCESSFUL YEAR

WELLINGTON RACING CLUB Tlie annual meeting of the Wellington Racing Club was held yesterday afternoon, Mr. Lan Duncan presiding. In placing before members the report and balance-sheet for the past year, the chairman said that it would be seen from the figures that the club had had a successful year. Progress had been well maintained, the various receipts showing an increase over the previous year. A surplus amounting to. £375 3s 3d had resulted from the year's operations after making full allowances for depreciation. The deposit account had been reduced by £5000, and the total indebtedness of the club now stood at a little over £103,000, us compared with £122,000 in July. 1025. In view of the considerable shrinkage iv the totalizator revenue at the previous Autumn and Winter Meetings the stewards bad curtailed stakes to the extent of £1480. This step, together with a saving iv racecourse expenditure of £2000, hud helped the club to attain the small surplus shown. In spite of the reduction mentioned, the stakes competed for nt their recent meeting in common with the totalis;ftor investments were exceeded only by those .of the Auckland liaeiug Club. Fine weather had been largely responsible for the satisfactory result of tlie year's operations. Considerable attention had been given to tlie maintenance of the tracks and grounds during the year, and much credit was duo to the racecourse staff, who under the eflicient control of. the course superintendent had clone excellent work. The' Marlborough Club had held its Autumn Meeting on the course, and had expressed its appreciation of the concession, having informed the Wellington Club that the results would enable it to carry on. No little praise was due to the secretary, his i assistants, the permanent, officials, ami ' the race day staff for the satisfactory manner in which their duties had been carried out. The chairman congratulated Mr. O. S. Watkins on his appointment as vicepresident of the N.Z. Racing Conference. All who had witnessed his untiring efforts on behalf of racing over a period of many years would realise that the conference had made a wise selection. The motion for the adoption of the report and balance-sheet was .seconded by Mr. O. S. Watkins, who expressed srati- ' filiation at the financial position and commended the proposal to provide better facilities for the outside public, who. after all, provided the sinews of war for tlie dub. Mr. T. M. Wilford, M.P., congratulated the club on its decision to extend the facilities oll'ered to the outside investors. lie praised the present lay-out of the course, which, he uaid, compared more than favourably with those existing at the big, racecourses at Home. The prices charged at Home for nothing bettor than j the Wellington Club offered were prohibitive in comparison with "the charges at Trentham. ELECTION OF OFFICERS. I Mr. Lan Duncan was elected president unopposed, Mr. J. W. Abbott being elected also unopposed to the vacant vicepresidency. The following retiring stewards were re-elected: Messrs. D. M. Findlay, C. ■W. Tringham, W. Higgins, V. Riddiford. Mr. D. G. A. Cooper was elected as a steward in place of Mr. Abbott. Messrs. E. Cucholz and A. S. MacShane were re-elected auditors. A motion was carried expressing appreciation of the work of the racecourse superintendent (Mr. N. Haley). ■