WORTH OTAGO JOCKEY CLUB.

Otago Witness, Issue 2471, 24 July 1901, Page 53

WORTH OTAGO JOCKEY CLUB.

! The annual meeting of the above club tooli place on Wednesday last, Mr Buck'ey president) occupying the chair The minutes of the last annual meeting wer« read and confirmed. Messrs J. F. Reicl (^resident} and A. A M'M-.stcr wrote apologising for their absence.The annual report was read as follows. — "In placing their annual report beloie you. \ollr committee have pleasure 111 stating that 1 horn a racing point of view the past season has beet) a ?ery successful one, nominations and fields have been good, and good sport has been ■ in evidence. "Financially the club is jiot strong Although the liabilities are all wiped off, the credit balance is not large. This i« due tc a variety of causes, th-e ohief being the n-retr-Ji«d v-eath«r experienced on the second day of the> Spring meeting , reducing the attendance and adding additional expense for maintenance, the track having been badly cut up. Yom committee report that the track is now in splendid • ccnditicn, and very httle expenditure will be I necessary to fit it for the next meeting. An-

other cause to be regretted is the large influx of bookmakers to our race meetings. The amount of betting that goes on materially affects the club's revenue, and it is difficult to (step. Your committee would draw attention to this matter. '•Your committee suggest that in order to tarry on the oiub successfully, a. canvass ba ■made by each member, and every effort put forth to increase the club's membership. Your Committee iev>l sure that a vigorous canvass ,-wculd bring about the desired result, and telace racing on a soudcl footing in North it) t ago. "A departure was made last meeting in placing two stewards at the home turn with a friew of preventing foul riding. One complaint jivas lodged and dealt with. This has a healthy effect, and is appreciated by all lovers of tiue feport. "In conclusion, your committee report that jthe buildings on the course are sadly in need *>f repair and painting, and suggest that the jrust be asked to attend to much needed maintenance. "During the year several stewards have teftigned owing to their removal from the district, and it now remains for tne meeting to fill the vacancies. •'The attention of members is drawn to the subscriptions in arrears, which should'be paid. There are one or two members who will not <yen acknowledge repeated applications for ■their annual subscriptions made from time to time. "To Mr G. M. Proctei, our treasurer, a meed cf praise is due for his energy, both as treafeurer and totalisator steward. ,' "'A vote of thanks is also due to the other ihenorary officers of the club." 4 The balance sheet, as submitted by the hon. treasurer, was as follows: — Receipts, £1385 7s 5d (of which the principal items were : Balance forward £84 19s 7d, nominations and acceptances £423, members' subscriptions £90 6s, privileges £235 11s 6d, tolahsatoi reventie £467 9s 6d); expenditure, £1352 11s lOd (principal Items: Stakes £1030 15s, labour on course £54 6s 9d, totahsator tax £74 17s 7d) ; leaving a balance at bank of £32 153 6d. The chairman, in moving the adoption of the Teport and balance sheet, congratulated the ■uembers on the healthy state of the finances, ronsidering the mutaeious drawbacks which the club had passed th-iough, Especially •the wretched weather cn)i"ripnced on the second day of The Spring meeting, the loss to the club on this occasion being ovei £100; besides-, the course was cut up, very much, and cost ovei £40 to put it in repair again. In reply to a question from Hi Wise, the Chairman replied that tne credit balance at the end of last yeai was £80. ■ Mr Sewell seconded the motion for the adoption of the report and balance sheet, which was carried. The election of officers ie3ulted as follows: — 'President. Mr J. F. Reid (re-elected) ; vicepresident, Mr St. J. M. Buckley (re-elected) ; secretary, Mi A. A. M'Kinnon; judge, Mr E. P. Burbury; starter, Mr H. Piper; handirapner, Mr G. Dowse; clerk of course. Mr, R. XJ. Gillies; clerk of scales, Mr B. Christie; timekeeper, Mr J. E. Hood ; auditor, Mr E. P. Lee; stewards— Messrs St. J. M. Buckley, W. Gardiner, J. E. Hood, R. C. Gillies, W. Bee, "A. A.-M'Master, J. G. Nicolls, E. P. Lee, A. Pofcte?, G. M. Procter. J. F. Reid, C. W. Reid, J. B. Sewell, O. R. Wise, C. Christie, and J. O'Brien. N On the motion of the chairman, votes of thanks were accorded the hon. treasurer, the clerk of course, the totalisator steward and the officers. The usual compliment to the chair closed the meeting.