NORTH OTAGO COURSING CLUB.

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 1167, 13 January 1880, Page 2

NORTH OTAGO COURSING CLUB.

The annual meeting of the members of this Club was held to-day at the County Council Chambers. There were present Messrs. Lintott (in the chair), Duncan, Otterson, J. B. Reid, Morton, M'Corkindale, F. Reid, Thomson, Shields, Grant, Schluter, Smart, Connell, Paterson, and Ronayne (Hon. Secretary). The minutes of the last annual meeting were read and confirmed.

r The. following report was read and adopted Your Committee in presenting their report have to congratulate the Club on its great ■ success during the past season, and to state that, notwithstanding the; general trade deipression, its position is most satisfactory. The totcil amoiint of money received .during, the- year.was L 760 3sr6d,, of which LBS Is. was . paid ; for .subscriptions and entrance fees, ' The total'amount paid out to date is L 923 2s. 10d'., leaving a balance in hand of Ll)6 Cs. : Out of this, sum LSO has yet to be paid for a Waterloo Cup, and some advertising .accounts, probably amounting to L 6 or L 7, have yet to be met. A balance will thus be left of say'L4o. Your Committee have to thank the. President (E. ; . Menlove, Esq.) for the handsome cup presented by him to the Club for the President's meeting. They have also to express their thanks to the various landed proprietors for the generous manner in which they placed their estates at the disposal of the Club during the coursing season. . It will be the biisiness' of the Club to-day to elect a'President, ! two Vice-Presidents, and five members of. the Committee to carry on the business of. the Club for the ensuing year*. Your Committee' would suggest that as hares are in many places becoming too numerous, efforts, should be at once made to get the permission of the Acclimatisation Society to course hares duriiig the month of April. This would, tend to keep the number of hares down, otherwise they may become a nuisance to some of the land-holders in the district.

Many of the Committees of various Clubs have suggested that the united Clubs should advertise in Australia for a Judge for the ensuing season, as, in goise instancies, Mr. pioyd failed to give satisfaction. Should this course be followed, the Clubs would be called upon to pay jointly a fixed salary. The Committee desire from members an expression of opinion on the matter, Your Secretary has received letters from the Christchurch and other Clubs, asking the Club to call a meeting of delegates, to be held in Oamaru to arrange for the next Waterloo Meeting. _ Your Committee, therefore, ask the advice of members on the subject, and recommend that one or more of

the members should be appointed to represent this Club. W. H. Ronayne, Hon. Secretary. The Secretary stated that owing to the Treasurer (Mr. C. S. Allen) having been called away from town, the regular balance-sheet could not be submitted. He had, however, prepared a rough balance-sheet. This showed that the receipts during the last year had amounted to L 960 3s 6d, which with the balance from the previous year of L 59 5s 4d, made up a total available fund of LlOl9 8s lOd. The expenditure amounted to L 922, including L 737 paid in stakes, and 134 for expenses connected with coursing; meetings. Thus a balance of L 96 6s was left to commence the year with. The balance-sheet was adopted, subject to it being duly passed by the auditors. The election of office-bearers was then proceeded with, the following being the result :—President, Mr. D. Sutherland, (Omarama) ) Vice-Presidents, Messrs. A. S. Otterson and A. Hedley ; five Committeemen in the place of those who retire by rotation, Messrs. T. Y. Duncan, R. M'Auly, T. Brydone, N. Fleming, and A. Thomson; Hon. Secretary, Mr. W. H. Ronayne ; Treasurer, Mr. G. S. Lintott. •

Some little discussion then took place upon the question of getting the season for coursing hares opened one month earlier, and, on the motion of Mr. Duncan, it was resolved that the Secretary should take such action as he might deem necessary to secure the opening of the season in April. The question of appointing one judge for the whole of the Clubs was then discussed, and, on the motion of -Mr. Duncan, it was resolved to write to the various Clubs expressing willingness to join with them in the matter, and asking for information as to what steps were being taken in the matter. Messrs. Ronayne and Thomson were appointed delegates from the Club to the Conference proposed to be held in Oamaru shortly. . Qn the motion of Mr. ;J. P. Reid a special vote of thanks was passed to Mr. Ronayne for the manner in which he had performed; the arduous duties, of the office of Secretary. On the motion of Mr. J. B. Reid, a hearty vote of thanks .was also accorded to the retiring Treasurer (Mr. C. S. Allen). : A vote of thanks to the Chairman concluded the meeting.