TE KUITI RACING CLUB.

King Country Chronicle, Volume V, Issue 314, 23 November 1910, Page 4

TE KUITI RACING CLUB.

A .committee meeting of the above club was held on Monday evening last. A largo amount of inward correspondence was dealt with. The outward correspondence was read and approved.

The club's secretary (Mr A. F. Howarth) forwarded the following letter to Mr Jennings, M.P., and received the reply thereto as under:—

W. T. Jennings Esq., M.P., Wellington.—Sir With reference to-the Gaming Bill now before the House I beg to bring before your notice a few facts in connection with the position of te Kuiti Racing Club. The club has now been in existence for about ten years and up till three years ago conducted its meetings on a course about half a mile south of Te Kuiti. In 1908 a road was taken by the Government through this course and the club was forced to go further afield, the only place where it was possible to get a course within a radius of the eight miles being a swamp close to Te Kumi station. The club was then reconstructed by a few enthusiasts and an area of about sixty acres was acquired under lease from the native owners. Since this time the club has spent upwards of £3OO in making a course and has incurred further liabilities amounting to about £SO all of which has been found by its members without the assistance of a meeting, as up till this year it has been impossible to race on the course. This has entailed a considerable amount of patience and hard work, and the memi bera of the club were at last looking forward to reaping Borne benefit from their exertions and expenditure. The course as it stands at present is over a mile in length and bids fair to become one of the best courses in New Zealand. It is of course unnecessary to point out to you the phenomenally rapid growth of the district, and you are, of course, as well aware as I am that Te Kuiti promises to become in a very few years one of the largest and most prosperous towns between Auckland and Wellington. In view of the above facts, and of the fact that there is not at present a totalisator club between Hamilton and Marton, my committee considers that our club is fairly entitled to a totalisator permit when the new regulations come in force. With regard to the present year, it was our intention to hold a meeting about the end of January. It appears, however, that the new Act is likely to come into force on January Ist. I should esteem it a favour if you could give me an intimation as to whether there is any possibility of our holding a meeting earlier in the new year under the old conditions as we shall be forced into the position of committing a breach with many of our supporters if we are prevented from holding a meeting in Te Kuiti this season. I would point out that we have received a permit from the Minister, and it is hardly fair to us that we should be granted this permit and then required to incur the additional expense of a meeting without any prospect of revenue; and this in addition to the great expenditure to which wc have already been put. I hope that 1 have made quite clear the position in which my club has been placed, and trust that you will use your best endeavours with the Minister to secure for us the totalisator permit which is so necessary for our existence. It is needless to point out that the amount of money which in the past year has been npent on the course will in future be given in stakes; and my committee feels absolutely confident that the population and support which is behind it we will be able to conduct a meeting whicn wi!l be more successful and on a larger scale than thoso conducted by a large proportion of the country clubs which already have the privileges of a totalisator permit. With your knowledge of the district a glance at the latest returns as given in the "Turf Register" should convince you that we arc more entitled to a permit than such clubs as Waihi, Northern Wairoa. Te Arolia and Whangarei, whose totalisator revenue can hardly pay working expenses, especially as in the cases of Te Aroha and Waihi there are important clubs within a few miles on each side. In making those comparisons my committee do not wish to prejudice the claims of these clubs, but we think it only just that we should bo allowed to place our position' fairly before you for representation to the Minister."

The foregoing brought the following reply, dated Wellington, 18th inst.: — "Dear Sir,---I have to acknowledge receipt of yours of the 14th inst. Have noted contents and will make representations in the proper quarter. Should anything of interest transpire, I will again communicate wtih you.--Win, T. JENNINGS." The work committee who had had the formation of the course in hand, reported that a very large amount of work had been done, and the couwe now was in good form, very little requiring to be done to put same in lirst-class order.

A large amount of routine business was gone through. The committee decided that a recommendation be placed before the incoming committee to the effect that the race meeting be held late in January, 1911. It was resolved that the chairman and secretary be authorised to circularise the members of the club, placing the position of the club before them.

It was decided that the annual meeting of members be held on Saturday, December 3rd, in Hattaway'a Hall, at 7.30 p.m.