WELLINGTON NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 224, 28 May 1896, Page 33

WELLINGTON NOTES.

Bt Onlodkbb,

May 21.

The " idea " and the " thought" entertained by some trotting enthusiasts up this way of forming a club in the Hutt and Petone district have really taken a practical form, a meeting of those interested having taken place last night at the Victoria Hotel—Petone's sporting resort. After a big talk a smart committee was set up to go round the district, spy out the land, and bring up at another meeting some definite suggestion as to a suitable site for a track. lam pleased to notice that the building of a cinder track was so favourably received that—to introduce an Irishism—the idea became one of the planks in the committee's platform; or, rather, a special Committee was sot up to keep a cinder track Ia

their eye, even being empowered-to approach as a deputation the W.A. and P. A. to eeo (in the event of the show grounds being choa^n for the setting up of a track) what terms could be amnged and help expscted. Snould the Hubt and Petone trot folks go in for a permanent cinder track on the show grounds at Potone it will be a big thing for the district. As I mentioned last week, cyclists are looktug for such a track ; and then city people are learning to seek sport out Petone way, as most of onr bis football matches have been and still are playaa on part of the A. and P. grounds, leased for the season by the Rugby Union ; aud everybody who is anybody knowa we have to go to the Hutt racecourse for our racing. It is the more hopeful, as the trotting meeting led ns to believe that if a track is laid down it will be a real good one— no thoddy about it ; " equal to any in the colony," as one of the committee put it. '* The committee chosen to go into the cindertrack question is specially chosen from among men who have determined to raise the status of trotting in New Zealand, and are " free and indepen lent " from the usual rulers of the roost ; end it is also intf nded that when the club gathers iteelf together in reality, and comes out of the nccea ary preliminary of suggestion, talk, and proposals, the stewards set up to manage its affairs shall also be free and independent, picked, tried, and true. That's right 1 Reverting again to the twek — let us follow the beaten track by all means. The laying down of such will cost a few £a d. A working bee on a Saturday afternoon, with a couple of borrowed barrows, half a dozen picks, three shovels and a rake, not omitting a barrel of cinders and a bucket of water, can't fix thiß thing up. It's got to be well considered and liberally financed ; but as a Petone man who has felt the feeling upon the subject uays, the nnvora are confident that it j can be subscribed, support being promised from ] many disinterested persons if trotting can be lifted up and ma ie what it should bs. As the money expended upon the show ground up to date has bean small, through limited funds, it is fhought that the A. and P. Association will meet the proposed club in a liberal spirit rather than allow a auin of £300 or £3jO, which will be required for a cinder track, to slip through their hands and be expended upon private property j Such an expenditure would add much to the value of the grounds, and would be the means of their being brought into more frequent use than at the present time.