FEILDING NEWS

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLVI, Issue 200, 24 July 1926, Page 10

FEILDING NEWS

JOCKEY CLUB’S ANNUAL MEETING. [From Our Own Correspondent.] Mr B. N. Sandilands presided ovor a. ;ood attendance of members at the anlual mooting of the Feilding Jockey Club iast night. - . ... , In formally moving the adoption of the roport and balanco-sheet, tho president desired to convey to tho members his personal satisfaction at the good position the club was in financially. The.past meeting had been the forty-seventh of the club and had been ono of its most successful ones. Receipts this year compared favourably with those in other years and the affaire of the club showed stoady progress. Entrance and acceptance foes amounted to £l7O above the previous season, but the gate returns had shown a drop of £lO6. The totalisator returns had balanced this deficiency by showing an increase, as had many othor items of revenue. In addition to an increase in financial returns, the club had written down a heavy depreciation on its property which amounted also to a considerable asset. From a racing point of view the club had also progressed, for numorous and costly improvements to the track, birdoage and motor paddocks had been carried out. A contract had been let for the straightening of 17 chains of tho straight, and this would mean a decided improvement and would no doubt bo appreciated by racohorso owners. The improvements would not bo . ready till next Easter and by then it was hoped that the course would be able to accommodate larger fields. Plans for new stables were under consideration and .when the work was. completed, it would provide a longwanted alteration. The club from a stakes’ point of view was eleventh on the list for the whole of 'New Zealand, but it 3 totalisator returns placed it ninth, which was a very flattering position for a club of its size. It showed, in the president’s opinion, the esteem in which the Feilding Jockey Club was held by the racing patrons of New Zealand. There was no doubt that the club was ideally situated as regards rail and road traffic, and the general returns were a. striking commentary to the way in which its affairs were conducted. When the new improvements to the motor paddock were finished they would enable any pressure of motor traffic to be handled capably and would give the club ono of the best motor paddocks in Now Zealand. (Hear ! hear !) Seconding the motion, Mr A. E. Sandford (vice-president )said that it was with intense pride that he had heard from the president of the excellent position in all matters that the olub found itself. It had weathered the slump smoothly, due in a large measure to tho earnest way tho committee, one and all, had worked in its interest. . The motion, was carried unanimously. ELECTION OF OFFICERS. ( The following officers work electod : President, Mr B. N. Sandilands, re-elected unopposed; vice-president, Mr E. A. Sandford, re-elected unopposed; committee (all re-elected), Messrs L. Gorton, C. A. J. Levett, A. Parsons, A. 11. Sutton; treasurer, Mr G. jH. Wainmouth; auditors, Messrs Hobbs and McGuire. GENERAL. Mr O’Neill brought up the questions of improvement to tho training tracks and tho weight-for-age races, saying that the 'Feilding and Oroua Stakes, two classio events of five furlongs each, were almost every time won by an old horse which, while perhaps not a first-class horse, could sprint well for five furlongs. He desired that the race should either bo held for two-year-olds only, or the distance increased to a mile to give horses other than tho short distance ones a chance of winning. In reply, the president said that the improvements to the training track were in hand and that they also had considered altering the rules of tho classic events. It was a hard proposition to make tho race suit every horse and, although they had had the opinion of some of tho best racing authorities in New Zealand on _ the question, they had arrived at no suitable conclusion as yet. Mr Jaggard, supported by Mr J. Graham, sought an amendment of the by-laws of tho club whereby ladies* tickets would be made available for any day of the meeting instead of being printed with a stipulated day on them. After considerable discussion it was decided to alter the rule accordingly. m , #T A motion, moved by Mr L. T. McLean, that 4 ‘the subscription bo raised from 1 Is to £2 2s/*, was defeated. . Apologies for absence were receiver from Messrs Bailey, Harper, W. Sandilands, Perrett and Cornfoot. Following is a list of improvements and the amount spent on the course during the period : Six furlong straight £377 18s; renewing starting post, £6B los; altering stewards’ stand, £316; tile drain polo ground, £l92a 11s; additions and alterations caretaker’s residence, £2ll ss; ticket box at entrance, £52 10s; trainers stand 45; iron fence round birdcage and lawn £655 17s; entrance gates, £565; electric light stables, £2l; jockeys’ board, £859 10s; concrete kerbing and gardens, £9B 17s 6d; electric power, light and totalisator motor, £226 10s; implement shed £146 16s 6d; refreshment stand, £42; asphalt round totalisator, £161; paantmg buildings, £272; Kilgour’s property purchased, i>2BQG \ total, £7113 13s.

The death occurred at her late residence yesterday morning of Mrs Mary Hurdle in her 73rd year. Mrs Hurdle was one of Feilding’s very early settlers, arriving hero in 1874. She was predeceased threo years ago by her husband, but loaves a family of seven sons and ono daughter,. all residents of Feilding to mourn their loss.