AUCKLAND RACING CLUB.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVI, Issue 9436, 6 August 1889, Page 5

AUCKLAND RACING CLUB.

The annual meeting of the above club was held yesterday afternoon at the offices, Durham-street, There was a good attendance, and Mr. L. D. Nathan, president of the club, occupied the chair. Mr. W. Percival, the secretary, read the advertisement convening the meeting, and the minutes of the lasfc meeting which were confirmed. The annual report and statements of accounts which were laid on the table read as follows :—

In laying the annual statement of accounts before you, your committee have to congratulate you upon the success of the club during the past year, although Auckland, in common with the rest of the colony, suffered from severe depression during the whole of the year. During the season, the club has paid in stakes the sum of £0718 against £7130 last season, showing a decrease of £412; this when taken into consideration with the fact that the club gave for classical raco3 the sum of £1800 in added money, shows that breeders and owners of young horse's have been f;iirly encouraged. The profits, as shown in the current account attached, apart from depreciation, shows a profit of £1190 against £77 last season ; a large amount has also been written off the racecourse and all other properties, as shown by the capital account;. The experiment o£ admitting ladies free to the course (only) proved a great success by popularising the different gatherings, as shown by the large attendance of ladles aC the summer ami other meetings ; as a further experiment your committee threw the gates open to all at their last winter meeting, which, at that time of the year, proved .successful, the result leaving a profit on the meeting of £44 as against a loss of £S7 10s at the corresponding meeting last year. This step was taken to some extent to meet the very unfair treatment received at the hands of the Railway Department, who raise the fare on race days to Is 6d return, irrespective of class, notwithstanding that on ordinary days the fare is Sd return. A deputation waited upon the Commissioners when last in Auckland, but no alteration will take place as Jong as the head of the Department vetoes it. A meeting of delegates is now being held in Wellington for the purpose of revising the rules ; the Hon. Mr. Mitch<»]son represents this club. Immediately after this meeting you will be asked to pass the rules agreed to at the late meeting in Napier, which your committee trust will tend to lessen the number of race meetings, which for some time back have been too many. The gallops and stands are all in good order and repair. The following gentlemen retire from your committee, but being eligible offer themselves for re-election : — Messrs. A. Bnckl&nd, L. D. Nathan, J. M. Clark, P. Lankan, F. W. Marks, and John Kirkwood. You will have to apnoint a gentleman in the room of the late Captain Wainisley, one of the oldest members of the club, whoso decease everyone must deplore. Mr. A. K. Taylor, of Mount Albert, has been proposed to nil this vacancy, in terms of rules. BALANCE-SHEET FOR THE YEAR ENDING JUNE 30, 1839. Dr. : Creditors, £144 13s 7d ; creditors, secured, £11,778 2k 2d: overdraft in Bank, £530 4s4d; distressed jockey fund, £'J3O 10s o>1; nominations for Auckland Guineas, 1889, Great Northern Derby, 1839, Great Northern Fnal Stakes, 1889, Great Northern St. Lester, IS9O, £293 ; capital, £17,980 6s 10d (lass £3215 18s Sd written off course and for depreciation). £14,704 Sβ 5d ; profit and loss, £1183 3s 0d : total, £20,030 2s (id. CR. : Debtors, £f>ofi 10s ; unpaid subscriptions, £225 ; racecourse, £17,000 ; new grand stand, £3705 ; Dorby stand, £1800; furniture, £2f>o; working plant, £400; Mares' Produce Stakes, £0 11s 6d ; cash, £90 15s : total, £29,030 2s> Gd.

J'ROI'IT AND LOSS ACCOL'XT. Da.—Wages, salaries, &c, £703 15s Cd; office rent, £100 ; interest, £887 11s 11(1 ; insurance, £35 7s ; rates ami property tax, £100 lf)s sd; caretaker's cottage, £25s 10s ; lnw expenses, £511 Ss 4d ; telephone, £13; printing, advertising, Ac, £ISI 12s Gd ; Autumn meeting. £100 6s 4d: balance, £1183 3s 0d : total, £3389 3s 8(1. Cr.—Members' subscriptions, £G3l 10s ; assumed namos, £i) 9s ; rent of course, .£44 8s ; training fees, £93; Spring meeting, £470 Us 10d ; Summer MeetiiifT, £1810 19s 7d ; Winter meeting, £44 Is ; sundries, £273 Is 3d : total, £S3SO 3s Bd.

CAPITAL ACCOUNT. Dr.—Amount written oil course and for depreciation, £3215 IBs 5(1, balance, £15,917 lls lid : total, £19,103 10s 4d. CR.—Balance 30th June, 18S8, £17,95G Cs 10d ; profit for year ending 30th .Tune, ISS9, £1183 3s 6d : total, £19,163 Ids 4d.

In rising to move the adoption of the report the Chairman said that there was very little left for him to add. He was happy to state that the club's liability had been reduced, and any profit now made would go to lessen their mortgage account. There had been a falling off of members, and the training fees, etc., were not so large, but this was what might be expected owing to the depression. He hoped all the members would strive to get others to join and work hard so that the Auckland Club might become the first in the colony. As soon as they were able to reduce the mortgage amount, they could give larger stakes for competition. He moved the adoption of the report and balance-sheet as presented. Mr. A. K. Taylor seconded the proposition. He stated that, though the report was a very satisfactory one, there was one matter which was unsatisfactory—namely, the high rates charged by the Government on the railways. Elsewhere, on a special occasion, the fares were reduced, but here, on race days, they were doubled. He did not see what steps could be taken to remedy this, but some measures should be tried to place the matter on a better footing. Sir. L. Eiikkxfried drew attention to the amount of £225 in the balance-sheet for subscriptions unpaid on June 30, and asked whether these were paid up to the present time, or likely to be paid. The Chairman explained that the committee had gone through the list of those who had not paid up very carefully, and all were good men, and the amount was pretty sure to be made up. Mr. J. M. Clark also stated that this question of membership fees had been very carefully considered several times, and the committee had decided that it was for the best interests of the club to issue the ticket at the beginning of the year without waiting for the money in advance. The money collected this year was more than the amount represented by the whole of the annual subscriptions, as a large amount of arrears had been got in. The question of trainer's fees, etc., had also been much more satisfactory than previously. Mr. L. D. Nathax then drew attention to the vacancies on the committee, making reference to the loss sustained by the death of Captain Walmsley. On the motion of Mr. Jas. Russell, Messrs. A. Buckland, L. D. Nathan, J. M. Clark, P. Lanigan, F. \V. Marks, J. Kirkwood, and A. K. Taylor were elected. This was all the business. The meeting then resolved itself into a special one at which the following alterations and additions to the rules were considered and unanimously passed :—

1. No more than one Club shall be allowed to hold meetings on any racecourse, except by special license from the Metropolitan Club. 2. That the word "at," in the fifth line of Rule 19, be struck out, and the following words inserted :— "and the owner, nominator, trainer, and jockey of any such horse from owning, nominating, training , , or rid ing at or for." 3. That the rules as amended shall come into force on the Ist August last. 4. That this Conference is of opinion that the Rules of Racing should be revised, and that a meeting of delegates for that purpose be held during the next Hawke's Bay Steeplechase Meeting.