HAWERA TROTTING CLUB.

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 29 August 1925, Page 6

HAWERA TROTTING CLUB.

ANNUAL MEETING. SUCCESSFUL YEAR’S OPERATIONS. At the annual meeting of the Hawera Trotting Club, which was held last evening, the president, Mr B. McCarthy, pointed out that while the past year’s operations had resulted in a loss of £7B Os Id, the debit balance had not been a loss directly occasioned by the trotting activities of the club, but had been caused by non-recurring expenditure. Tie stressed the fact that the annual fixture had been highly successful from a sporting point of view. CHAIRMAN ’iS ADDRESS. The chairman, in formally moving the adoption of the annual report and balance-sheet, said there were some factors which he wished to bring before members to show that the loss recorded had not been brought about dirCctly by the trotting. There were several non-recurring items in the bal-ance-sheet which accounted for practically the whole of the loss. There was the cost of the new rules "with regard to the incorporation of the club, the printing of books, the extra levy to bring pressure to bear upon the Government for the relief of taxation, and the increase in the rental for the course, from £l5O to £4oo—more than double the sum previouslj’- paid for the one-day meeting. “Tote” returns this year were £lO,llß on the first day and £20,047 on the second, making a total of £30,705. Proceeding, the chairman said it was hard to make comparisons in the bal-ance-sheet, owing to the two-day meeting this year as against the. one-day meeting previously. However, he could say that, the expenditure had been much on a .-parity with that of the previous year. The club had been granted an extra permit, and in order to obtain a higher grade of trotting stakes had been kept up to a high level, the total paid out in this direction being £3799 —almost double the amount given for the one day of the previous year. Members could therefore congratulate themselves on getting through without a loss as far as the trotting was concerned.

The club was now a registered body, with rules and regulations, practically all adopted from those of the Egmont Racing Club. He thought that members would find that the. machinery for the working of the club was quite ample. Government 1 taxation bore fairly heavily on the resource's of the club,' and this taxation was affecting many of the clubs throughout the Dominion. There had been a decrease in the State taxation from 10 per cent., to 5 per cent,, and there had been a slight decrease in the amusement tax for admissions under two shillings. Also the freight on horses returning from a meeting had been reduced by 50 per cent., which meant a 25 per cent, reduction all round. Pressure was still being brought to bear upon the Government for it further reduction in taxation, arid it was anticipated that there would be a reduction in totalisator tax of Iper cent, on the first £20,000 invested. In ■conclusion-, the chairman express, ed bis thanks for the services, rendered by the committee, stewards, and officials of the. club. Special thanks were due to the seceretaiy, Mr. V. B. Stratton, . wlro had l as usual kept the work up-to-date. It was a pleasure to find the records in such a fine condition. The motion for the adoption of the annual report and l balance-sheet was seconded bv Mr. B. C. Gibson and carried. ELECTION OF OFFICERS Officers for the ensuing year were elected as follow: —President, Mr. B. McCarthy ; vice-president, Mr. E. A. Washer; hon, treasurer, Mr. J. E. Campbell; auditor, Mr. H. A. Lennon. Nominations for the committee were not in excess of the officers required, and consequently the following were declai’ed elected: —Messrs. C. Arden, WV J. Bradford. M. Barraekragh, H. I. Crocker, N. Crocker, B. C. Gibson, E. A. Nixon, J. B. Nichol, C. J. Preston, I J. Salmon and J. S. T. Short. An election was held for the offices of stewards, and 1 a. poll being taken the following were declared elected:—* Messrs. C. Arden, W. J. Bradford, ■J. N. Crocker, H. I. Crocker, B. C. Gibson, A C.' Johnstone, J. Malone, J. ■E. McCarthy, J. G. Nichol, J. W. Paterson and T. J. Salmon Mr. H. G. Dickie was elected as a member of the' club. ANNUAL MEETING. At a committee meeting held later the president, Mr. B. McCarthy, was appointed chairman. The following were appointed to tile executive: Messrs. B. McCarthy., E. A. Washer, Jits. E. Campbell, ‘M. and T. J, Salmon; programme committee, Messrs. B. McCarthy, C. Arden. C. J. Preston, Jas. E, Campbell, M. Barraelough, W. j. Bradford and J. S. T. Short.