CONFERENCE EXECUTIVE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 20024, 14 August 1928, Page 14

CONFERENCE EXECUTIVE.

AUCKLAND NOT REPRESENTED "A* DELIBERATE SLIGHT." "Wo do not intend to submit to this injustice, and nro taking steps to insist upon a strict adherence to the rules under which the Racine Conference ia established, for. in my opinion, the whole procedure on thi3 occasion was not only quite irregular, but also a deliberate slight on tho Auckland Racing Club." In these words, at the annual meeting of the Auckland Racing Club yesterday, Sir Edwin Mitohelson expressed strong disapproval of the fact that tho club had no representation on the execu tivo committee, recently eleclod by the Racing Conference. "The Auckland Racing Club contributes one-sixth of the whole cost of the conference, and its metropolitan area one-third of the cost, the club's constribution for last year being £1577. The conference would find it difficult to function without the aid of the Auckland metropolitan area." Sir Edwin said.

"The following figures, takon from tho records of the conference, show the totalisator returns at Ellerslie for tho year amounted to £011.605—£166,480 moro than the whole four metropolitan clubs, who each have a representative on the conference oxocutive, namely, Canterbury, £418,381, Dunedin £207.172, liawke's Bay £81,287. and Southland £58,285. One representative each from Auckland District Committee and Wangnnui District Committee make up the,six members of the executive. The vice-president is a member of the Wellington Racing Club. The remit that was sent out on the order paper by the conference stated that the president was to propose that the president, vice-presi-dent. and one member of the conference should be elected a3 an executive, an ideal executive. Voting on Wrong System.

" It came, therefore, as a surprise to your delegates to find at the meeting at Christ church of the conference on July 13. a new motion proposed (without notice or without any reference to your delegates or uny of the metropolitan clubs) and that under this new proposal six members were to be elected as an executive. The names of the six members who were subsequently elected were first submitted en bloc and did not include a representative of the Auckland Racing Club committee, but this method of appointing tho executive being objected to the names of four additional members of the conference wore proposed, three of whom afterwards withdrew, leaving seven (including one representative of the Auck land Racing Club committee) to be ballotod for to fill the six seats. "Under the rules there are 16 delegates representing the metropolitan clubs, including Manawatu, and 21 delegates representing the country oluba. but it is provided the metropolitan delegates shall have a voting power about eaual in tho aggregate to that of tho country clubs. The voting, however, was erroneously taken on the oneman one-vote principle and this gave the country clubs' nominees a certain majority, with tho result that the two country nominees were elected and the nominee of our club was excluded, leaving the Auckland Racing Club, admittedly ono of the most important clubs in tho Dominion, entirely without representation."

Mr. C. E. Major said the club might be compelled to secede, although such a course would not bo desirable. The club should not suffer tho indisnity thrust upon it. aa the position was altogether inequitable. It was one of tho chief contributing bodies, but had no voice in the expenditure of its money. Auckland as Milch Cow. "The aims and objects of tho Racing Conference will bo readily l admitted to be excellent and there is no doubt much good work has been accomplished through its agency," said Sir Edwin in conclusion. "Auckland, however, has on soveral occasions had reason to feel agggrieved at the treatment meted out to it and it at times appears that, unless alterations are made in such matters as administration of the conference affairs, the continual sapping of tho powers of district committees and curtailment of freedom of action of individual clubs, the breaking-point will be reached and the future of the sport jeopardised. "The figures I havo Quoted clearly indicate the cluba of Auckland and its metropolitan area, which contains one-third of the whole population of the Dominion, could more easily and more economically run their own 'show.' To demonstrate this, let mo pomt out that other cluba that have less than half the attendances that we have at Ellerslie and whose contributions to the cost of the Racing Conference amount to only about half of what your club pays, are granted extra assistance from stipendiary stewards and racecourse inspectors without additional cost, but when your commifteo asked to be similarly treated it was coolly informed by the conference that it could have the services of an extra man only by further payment. "Your club ia evidently looked on as purely a milch cow and is certainly being treated as such, and this in fact applies to tho whole Auckland metropolitan area. Notwithstanding all this, your committee is still prepared to bury the past and carry on. in tho hope that Auckland's claims will bo treated with more "consideration and respect in the future and perhaps, by means of round-table talks from time to time, all likelihood of cause for complaint removed."

LABOUR DAY DATE. MISUNDERSTANDING CAUSED. "'I have a serious complaint to make against the Racing Conference, in connection with its treatment of the Auckland District Committee regarding the Labour Day date," said Sir Edwin Mitchelson, president of the Auckland Racing Club, at the annual meeting of members yesterday. "You will remember the controversy that arose over that date last year, the District Committee having recommended that the Waiknto Racing Club should have Labour Day. This was strenuously backed up by the conference until it was found the Into Mr. Bollard had given the Waikato Hunt Club tin assurance that they should have Labour Day and that was afterwards agreed to by' the president and the conference for that year. "This year, when the District Committee met to allot dates for the ensuing season, Labour Day was again recommended as one of the Waikato Racing Club's dates and this was accordingly sent on to the conference and apparently approved by the president, as no objection was raised by him or the conference to the date being allotted to the Waikato Racing Club. However, when the Dates Committee met in Wellington on July 0, a communication was made to it to the ofFect that two members of the conference had last year made a gontleman's agreement with Mr. Bollard and the Prime Minister that the Waikato Hunt Club was to be allowed to retain the Labour Day date during the life of the present Parliament. "While admitting they could not commit the Racing Conference, these two gentlemen undertook to advise the Dates Committee to allot the Labour Day date in accordance with the understanding arrived at. and the Dates Committee agreed to the course suggested. This understanding was made known to the conference, which unfortunately failed to convey it to the Auckland District Committee or the Waikato Racing Club, the two bodies most vitally interested. Had the conference made .known the arrangement a great deal of misunderstanding that has arisen in connection with the allotment of Labour Day date would have been avoided. It has been intimated publicly that in regard v to , the allocation of dates the matter ib entirely one for the eomferenee to decide. "Arrangements have been made that in. the event of any dispute arising out of the allocation of dates and the granting of totalisator permits it will in future bo adjusted at a, round-the-table conference between the Minister of Ifitenml Affairs and representatives of the Racing Conference."