FORBURY PARK TROTTING CLUB.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17533, 27 January 1919, Page 10

FORBURY PARK TROTTING CLUB.

VISIT OF INSPECTION. _ Tho stewards of the Forbury Park Troting Club paid an official visit to the v course on Saturday afternoon to look over the now totalisator house and the arrangements generally in view of the important race meeting to be held at the end of this week. Tho new totalisator homse is a solid brink structure —30ft wide and 120 ft long— with all the latest improvements for the quick and accurate handling of investments. The. house has been shifted about 100 ft nearer the fence on tho Musselburgh side of the. park, and a small part of it only is on the site of the old house. The house, in fact, has now been brought more directly in tho rear of the stewards' stand. Twenty 10s windows, 15 £1 windows, a £5 window, and a change window are provided, and the committee has wisely followed the "lay out" of the old house— that is to say, tho 10s windows are nearest to the main grand stand. An alteration has been made to the entrance to the weighing out enclosure, and tho looseboxes against tho fence on the left hand side immediately entering the main vehicular entrance from Victoria road have been removed. .A distinct improvement is the "stand" adiaoent to the totalisator, on which will be displayed the names of the riders. The track was looking particularly well, and tho lawns, planted'by the flower beds and fences with their profusion of climbing roses, presented a pleasing appearance. ' , ■-

An interesting feature is the fine crop of potatoes growing between the track and tho fence on the side _ opposite the stands. At a little function at the conclusion of the inspection Mr G. Hodges, president of the club, said that no doubt all of- them had been>.impressed by tho fine condition of the track and the general attractiveness of the grounds Tho most important work which had boon completed was, of course, the totalisator house, which had replaced the house used in tho first days of the Forbury Park Raoing Club. The old house had been patched and altered till it had really become worth nothing at all. The house was of excellent design, with ample accommodation. One pleasing feature was that the stewards had used articles of local production. He was referring more particularly to the roofing tiles, the making of which would, he thought, become a most important industry to New Zealand. There was no to import when they had an article as good as, if not better than, the imported article.—(Applause.) Mr T. Elliott referred to tho fact that every little corner of the grounds was utilised—either by potatoes, or flowers, or lawns, etc. The club was not obsessed with, money-making, but "was working in the general interests of sport. Mr Conn said they oduld not help bein<* pleased at the strides being made by tho sport of trotting and pacing. In his opinion they had some of the best horses in the world in Now Zealand. Cathedral Chimes, Adelaide Direct, Admiral Wood, and' Author JJillon could, he was sure, hold their own in competition with the best.—("Hear iioar. 1.-Keferrmg'to the progress made by the _ club, he said ho supposed they now paid away £4000 yearly in tares to the government. If the club continued to make too progress it was doing it could look conhdently forward to having the- best track in the dominion.

Mr Irwin paid a tribute %o the excellent work.done by Mr Conn} chairman of the grounds Committee, in laying out the grounds and having them planted with flowers, etc and to James, who had prepared the plans for the new totalisator Iney had the utmost confidence in Mr James, and their confidence was justified by the results. He also referred to the M r 0< W TO p k d ° ne for u the club b ? the Mr W. Gore, a member of the committee, whose advice had been always looked upon with the utmost respect.—(" Hear, hear.") Mr W James, in a brief replv. said he considered the new machine, which had been designed and built on his own premises, was one of the best situated on any course in ]\ew Zealand. y