Committee’s Car Hire.

Northland Age, Volume 27, Issue 42, 28 October 1927, Page 3

Committee’s Car Hire.

Races at Whangarei.

Questioned by Mr. R. Tracey,

Waipapakauri Annual Meeting.

Whe» the Waipapakauri Racing Club was given permission to bold its last race meeting am the Whangarei Rage Course in conjunction with the . Whangarei Racing Club, the question arose as to the car hire for the Committee, to and from Whangarei, being made a charge upon the club funds. It was pointed out that membere of the Committee were annually put to considerable expence in carrying out the business of the elub, and it was considered that it would only be a fair thing tor the club to defray the car hire for the officials to go to Whangarei Hotel and other expenses to be borne by the officials themselves. Accordingly two cars were engaged to carry the official l , to the races and back, the total charge for the duration of the visit to Whangarei from Kaua'a, mclud’ng taking them toand front the course each day being £4-10/- per member of the Committee.

At the annual meeting of members of the Club on Thursday of last week Mr H Tracey took exception to the amount of car hire as disclosed by the balance sheet. He said that he had taken legal advice on the issue and had been informed that the officials could not do this and that they would have to refund the amount in volved. “It is a disgrace” said Mr Tracey, "that the Committee should use the club funds in going on a joy ride to Whangarei. I am not done with it yet, and the Committee might find themselves on board the Clansman like a lot of rams with tags on them with an escort. You have used the club funds to pay your expenses and there was no need to go to ail that expense for car hire. Nearly all the members of the Committee have their own cars—l think they all have cars with the exception of yourself Mr- Chairman —and titey could have used them to go to Whangarei and saved the club funds. You went to Whangarei on a joy ride at the club’s expense and yon spent more than the total subscriptions on motorhire, and I think it is a disgraceful thing for a body of men to jds, iyho call themselves sports. That is all I Jjayp to say. The President Mr. T, S, Houston ! you expect the Committee to pay their own car hire to go to Whangarei to conduct the business of the-Club while members cou! 1 go there to enjoy themselves ? ■ Mr. Tracey: What right has the Committee to go to Whangarei joy riding ? Mr. Houston: The officials of the club had to be there. The Thames Club is racing at Ellerslie and 1 undertake to say that the expenses of the officials will bj paid there, Mr. Tracey: The Committee has used the funds of the club to help pay their expenses to Whangarei, and the Committee was quite able to pay their own expenses. Quite, We have a right to expect them to-do a little for the benefit of the club. Mr. Houston: I am going to speak plainly to-day. I am glad there arc not many members of this club of the calibre ot Mr. Tracey. I have heard that there has been a lot ol talk —bar-room talk going on, but if members would only take a greater interest in the affairs and try and pull together for the benefit of the club there would be less of this bar-room gossip and more gereuus endeavour made by members in the interest of the elu 1. The only expenses incurred by tiie Committee wr-re the motor hire expenses. The Committee paid .b~ r own hotel expenses from start to finish. 1 have been a staunch supporter of the club for over thirty years, and have » helped it by putting my hands in my pockets time and again when funds were required, and so have several other members of the

Committee. What is doing more harm in the North to-day is this bar-room talk. If members would only take a live interest in the affairs ot the club we would get along ,all right and make success of the club. We have stuck to the club through the days of its difficulties and have pulled it Out of the mud, and now that we are getting on our feet and’ making good progress, we find barroom gossipers coming here and quibbling over this matter of car hire, it makes my blood boil. Mr Tracey comes here and cavils this car hire and he ought to be jolly well ashamed of himself. Not one penny of the money spent went out for private purposes. The cars were hired for the officials. What would have happened if the officials had not gone to Whangarei ? You don’t know what you are talking about. Is there anything else you want to say ? Mr Tracey : I have heard it said that the timber cut for the railing ef the course is mostly sap, and quite unsuitable for the purpose for which it is needed. Mr Houston : Some more barroom talk.

Mr. Tracey : r It is nothing of the kind. I don’t go in for bar-room talk as you, call it. Mr Houston: Who told you that.

Mr Tracey: There is a member in this room who sard so. Mr Houston: Who is he. Let us have it. Mr Tracey : Mr Paton.

Mr Paton: I know nothing whatever about the timber (laughter). I went to the course, and helped to take the levels, and in my opinion it will be an ideal course it the drains are opened up.

Mr Shirley Masters: I saw a few logs in the bush, and in my opinion they were terrible value. I know as much, if not more than any man in the North about timber, and I could have delivered that timber at 6/6 a hundred, and you paid eight bob. A cross argument followed between Mr Masters and A W Masters the latter stating that at the time this timber was cut and hauled it could not have been produced for anything like 6/6. He was sorry to contradict his brother.

Mr Tracey then mentioned the cost of the Secretary’s visit to Auckland amounting to £25. Mr Shugar explained that he was authqrised to go before the District Committee in support of the Waipapakauri Racing Club racing at Whangarei, Mr Kenny was to have gone, but at the last minute he was unable to do so. This was 99 a Thursday at 11 o’clock ana the district Committee met at 2 p.m. on the Friday. Mr Kenny and he interviewed Mr Taaffe and the latter was not keen to go. Finally he was prevailed upon to go. They went to Dargaville and Mr Shugar caught the river boat to Helensvill*. The cost to Dargaville was £ls, then there was the boat fare down and the train fqre to Auckland, motor hire in Auckland, hotel expenses, and train fare back to Otiria, and £2-5-0 motor hire back from the rail head to Kaitaia.