FORBURY TROTTING CLUB

Evening Star, Issue 14186, 11 October 1909, Page 2

FORBURY TROTTING CLUB

GUINEA SUBSCRIPTION RETAINED.

BY NINETY-SIX TO SIX,

Between forty and fifty members of the Porbury Trotting Club attended the special meeting on Saturday night. Mr R. Rutherford stated the business : to consider a motion to rescind the resolution making the subscription a guinea, payable in advance on or before the Ist August in each year. Ho called on someone who had signed the requisition to bring the subject forward. Mr H. 11. S. White said that he was one who signed. As a preliminary he ■would ask the chairman whether the resolution carried at the last meeting could be binding. According to the bye-laws the meeting should have been held on the last Monday in July, or as near thereto as may bo convenient, and as a fact it was Hot held till the latter end of August. Mr Rutherford called Mr White to order, the meeting was called for a special purpose. Mr White : Yes, to consider this resolution. But it could not be considered if it was not a legal resolution. And how could the subscription be payable on or before the Ist of- August, when the meeting was held at the end of August? Another question he had to ask was this : Rule 23 said that a motion should be decided by a clear majority of members present. If that rule stcod, what was done at the annual meeting was informal, since proxy votes were aast and counted. Mr Rutherford ; We have nothing to do with the last meting. This mealing is for a special purpose—to consider the motipn of which notice has been given—and I ask you to move it. Mr White: Very well; he would move—“ That the resolution passed at the last meeting of the club, that the annual subscription be £1 Is, payable in advance on or before the Ist August in each year, be rescinded.” He contended that the club had no power to pass that resolution, for the reason Mr Rutherford : Someone must second that before you can speak to it. Mr White claimed that by all usage he had a, perfect right to state his reasons when moving his motion, and also to reply. Ho contended that the resolution was informal, because it violated rule 23. If that rule stood good, how on earth wore proxies allowed to be used ? It seemed to him that two of the bye-laws came into conflict, and before proxies could be used rule 23 must be rescinded.

Mr Rutherford ; I think that question should have come before the last meeting. Mr J. Gebbie said that he would second the motion, to make it formal. Mr T. Ritchie : If the motion carried at tho previous* meeting was ' informal there was no necessity for the present meeting. Did the chairman rule that the motion carried at the previous ‘ meeting was in order according to the rule that Mr White had quoted ? There could be no doubt that if that rule had not been rescinded the resolution carried was out of order, and consequently there was no need to rescind it now.

Mr Rutherford : I rule that the previous resolution was in order.

Mr Ritchie : Has rule 23 ever been re scinded ?

Mr H. L. James (secretary); No, but another rule has been added.' Mr Ritchie : Well, that rule must be rescinded unless you are goiug to alter tilings .without authority.

Mr Rutherford: It lias always been the practice to allow voting by proxy, Mr J. F. Sligo thought that this question ought not to have been raised. The issue was as fairly put to the members at the last meeting as it could be at the present meeting. The present motion was an insult to the intelligence of members. It was a pure quibble to assert that what was done was not in order. The business of a company or a club was always dealt with at_ the annual meeting. It was a waste of money to bring on this new motion. If the increased aubscrintion had been unreasonable there would have been eome excuse for the present action. Ho thought that the Committee, instead of being subjected to opposition, should have the assistance of members in carrying out the policy agreed upon. Those-who studied the interests of the club would vote Bgainst the present motion. Mr White, in replying, said he was extremely sorry the chairman had not taken up the position he should have taken as to rule 23. He (Mr White) had obtained an opinion on the matter, and it was to the effect that the resolution of last meeting waa ultra vires. The club had no power to carry it. And ho would further point out that, no matter what vote was cast on the present motion, the payment of a guinea subscription could not be enforced. He felt sorry that a committeeman had described the present motion as an insult to the intelligence of members. At'the annual meeting considerable difficulty was experienced in voting owing to the papers supplied. If the throe issues had been put squarely, such a difficulty would not have arisen. As they were going away fifteen members told him that they did not vote on the subscription issue. . ’if those fifteen had voted on that issue, and cast their votes with him, the subscription would have remained at half a guinea, for in Hie count his side were only 11 votes short. In such circumstances ho considered he was fully entitled to revive the question. His point as to the voting was absolutcly clear. If voting by prosy were desired, rule 23 should have been rescinded, so ns to make it plain that members could vote by proxy. Apart from that consideration, he contended that 10s 6d was quite sufficient. The club’s success was due not only to the management, but by having a light fee, and the more members that could he got the better. Mr Rutherford: No doubt what Mr White said about the rule might be all right, but lots of people made mistakes. A magistrate in Christchurch made a mistake the other day. If those who had paid their subscriptions would come forward, each would get a voting paper. Mr W. Millier said that he had not got Cis ticket. Wag lie supposed to pay for it before he got it? And he didn’t know yet whether he was supposed to pay a guinea or half a guinea. Mr : It is a guinea, and if Mr W bite’s motion is carried you will get the difference refunded. No one will vote unless he pays his guinea. Mr Heenan and Mr Middleton wore appointed scrutineers, and the ballot was announced to have resulted thus; For Mr .White’s motion, 6; against, 96. So the guinea subscription stands.