FORBURY PARK TROTTING CLUB

Otago Witness, Issue 4042, 1 September 1931, Page 53

FORBURY PARK TROTTING CLUB

ANNUAL MEETING The annual meeting of the Forbury Park Trotting Club was held in the club’s boardroom, Crawford street, last week, the president (Mr B. S. Irwin) in the chair. There was an attendance of about 50 members. In moving the adoption of the report and balance sheet, the president said he did so with a certain feeling of regret that the operations of the club for the past year had not been more successful from a financial point of view. Members would agree that they had been passing through a strenuous time, and they could not look forward to the immediate future, at any rate, with any degree of confidence. The race meetings held bv the club had been quite successful from a sporting point of view, but, unfortunately, owing to the depression, the financial result had not been as good as had been expected. It would also be agreed that the sport of trotting was as popular as, if not more popular than, it was in the good years. The attendance had kept up remarkably. The support of owners had been very good indeed, considering that a big number of the horses that attended were visiting horses and had to come a considerable distance. The Government, in its wisdom, had taxed the racing and trotting clubs further, and the result was now apparent: the Government had succeeded in getting less money under the increased taxation than it had obtained under the old taxation. This result should have been obvious to any Government. The taxing of the people’s sport was one way of obtaining revenue, and the sports of New Zealand were quite prepared to pay their share of the taxation of the country, but when sporting clubs, such as racing and trotting, were singled out for special taxation, whenever money was wanted by the Government, the matter was being carried too far. The people were not such fools as to invest on the totalisator when they knew that after putting their money through a few times it had gone into the hands of the Government. Some time ago it became necessary for a sporting body to interview a Government department with a view to getting a reduction in the railway fare to and from a racecourse, and the general manager, in answer to the deputation, had said, “ The racing public will pay. You don’t know anything of the psvehology of the racing public. They will go to the races in any case.” That was the view adopted by the Government throughout the piece. But even among sports there, came a time when they saw the iniquity of the thing and they refused to

be fleeced, and that had a lot to do with the decreased totalisator investments. Then there had been the unfortunate depression. Through all these troubles the committee had had to Tnaintain the course in proper order and to see that it did not deteriorate. The course had to be top-dressed—a necessary work —which could not be put off any longer. In this undertaking Mr Carr, the caretaker, had acted under the supervision of Mr James Mitchell, chairman of the Works Committee, and at the last meeting the drivers had complimented the club on the condition of the track, which really was in better condition today than it had been for years. Another item of expenditure was the old fence on the Victoria road frontage—a work that had been carried out at quite a reasonable price. The first meeting had resulted in a loss of £2OO. It might be said that there was a great loss at the Cup meeting. and that in view of the loss at the first meeting the stakes might have been further reduced at the Cup meeting. The spring meeting, however, was generally a difficult meeting at which to show a profit, and when the loss was only £2OO the committee thought it would still be able to balance the budget at the Cup meeting. Unfortunately it was at the second meeting that the big loss took place, notwithstanding that the stakes had been reduced. The third meeting, with drastic reductions in the stakes, showed a small loss. It looked, therefore, that in the near future they could not expect to increase stakes —in fact, to do the correct thing they might have to reduce them. The owners had liecn very good to the club, and he hoped they would continue their support and so assist the chib to weather the financial storm, so that, with the help of the public, the sport would again be placed in a good position.— (Applause.) During the year the club had lost through death five of its members —Messrs W. Fort. C. Burrell, J. S. M'Peak, W. Tayles. and J. R. Manson, and the committee had extended the sympathy of the club to the relatives of these deceased members. Smca last meeting a matter had cropped up in connection with the totalisator. The Trotting Conference had decided to leave it optional to chibs to introduce the place totalisator —that was, to pay a dividend on first, second, and third horses. He hoped members would think the matter over and express their views on it. The committee was there to carry out the wishes of members of the club, and if it was thought it would be wise to introduce a place totalisator and a straightout totalisator, in lieu of the present totalisator which paid dividends on two horses, the matter would be carefully considered by the committee. Some of the committee, he believed, thought it would be a wise thing to do, because if an investor had three chances of participating the money would go oftener through the totalisator, and at the same time those who were certain in their own minds of backing the winner could get the full dividend by backing their choice. The president again asked for the support of all interested, and said that, with that support, the sun would shine once more.— (Applause.) Mr R. M. Greenslade seconded the motion. They all regretted, he said, that the results of the year’s racing had not been more satisfactory, but it had to be borne in mind that the present depressed times affected sport in the same way as they affected business. He was sure the committee would do its utmost for the welfare of the club and adjust things according to the times. — (Applause.) Mr W. T. Easton urged that the public should be given the confidence to bet, and spoke of the runn’ng of certain horses and of cases of interference in which no action had been taken. “If you allow the public to go away with the impression that there is something wrong you will not get them with you,” he added. He also contended that if a man wanted to send a pound to another meeting it ought to be possible to send it through the Post and Telegraph Department, which rightly belonged to the people. The president said that when Mr Easton was a member of the committee he would realise the difficulty of sheeting home all the alleged offences committed on a racecourse. The committee was very much alive, and was assisted by the stipendiary stewards. Of course, after a race some of those who had backed a. horse that had not won spoke of “glaring interference, “ should have been put out.” and 90 on. Whenever there was a case calling for action the committee did not hesitate to act, and the punishment was generally pretty severe. In reply to a question, the president said the club Lad power to introduce the 5s totalisator. The cost of conducting such a machine was greater than that of running the larger machine. The opinion in the north seemed to be that the 5s totalisator was not in the interests of a club. A member suggested that the place totalisator should be given a trial for a season, and another member rejnarked that the innovation would not be a good move on account of the cost. The president agreed that it would not be a good thing unless it secured a larger investment. The motion was carried. ELECTION OF OFFICERS.

The election of officers for the ensuing year resulted: —President, Mr B. S. Irwin (re-elected unopposed) ; vice-president, Mill. M. Greenslade (re-elected unopposed); auditor, Mr J. R. Hopcraft (re-appointed). The ballot for the committee resulted: A. G. Neill 132 votes, W. J. L. Coughlan 129, D. C. Jolly 110, H. Archbold 108 (elected), W. T. Easton 105; informal, 3. The president remarked that only 146 votes had been recorded out of a possible 430. The president and the vice-president thanked members for continued confidence in them. The elected members of the committee thanked the meeting for support accorded to them, and Mr Easton also expressed his thanks. GENERAL. Members briefly discussed the new system of voting for members of the committee. Votes of thanks were passed to the president, the vice-president, and members of the committee for their services last year.