TIMARU RACECOURSE RESERVE.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 3329, 3 December 1883, Page 2

TIMARU RACECOURSE RESERVE.

A meeting of the Trustees of the above reserve was held this morning at the Ship Hotel. Present — Messrs J.W. White, T.R. Jones, T. Hall, W. S. Armitage, and R. Rutherford.

Mr White was voted to the Chair.

The Secretary, Mr F. W. Cook, thanked the Board for his appointment to the Secretaryship.

The Chairman stated that the business of the meeting was the adoption of bye-laws, a draft of which Mr Hall on behalf of a sub-Committee,was prepared to submit.

Mr Hall then read the bye-laws and the schedule of charges for admission to the course, stand, and saddling paddock. In reference to bye law No 7 (which reads as follows: —Any racing Club using the course shall pay £SO for the use of the course and privileges ; and any steeplechase club on payment of £SO a-day, in advance, or such other sum as the Board shall determine) considerable discussion took place. Mr Rutherford objected to the amount of £SO as excessive and nnjust. Mr Armitage said he had at first entertained the same idea ; but after going through figures, he had found that £SO was really a reasonable charge. Mr Jones also thought the charge proposed excessive. Mr Hall said the expenses devoloving upon the Trustees were very consider able. The planting, fencing, &c., required attending to ; and the Trustees would have to make improvements to keep pace with the times. Further, the privileges of the meetings were in themselves a large income to the Clubs. The Tradesmen's Racing Club ought to come out from the forthcoming meeting with at least £2OO to the good. The Trustees had no other fund wherewith to effect improvements, than that to bo derived from charges to be levied on the racing clubs. Again, the Trustees must look forward to establishing a training, ground in connection with their course. Mr Rutherford moved bye-law No 7 the sum of £SO be struck out and £25 inserted, the trustees to receive all training fees.” Mr Jones seconded the motion.

On its being put, only the mover and seconder voted for it, Messrs Armitage and Hall dissenting. The Chairman giving his vote against it, the motion was lost. The by-laws submitted by the SubCommittee, were then put and adopted without amendment. MISCELLANEOUS. Mr Hall brought up the subject of mowing and other improvements to the course, and Messrs White, Armitage, and Hall were appointed a SubCommittee to enquire into the condition of the stands and course, and to have the racing ground mown forthwith. A letter was read from the Committee of the S.C. Jockey Club, forwarding a claim for £2500, the amount expended by them in fencing, tree-planting, Grand Stand, saddling paddock, stabling, &c., &c., on the Timaru Eacecourse Reserve, and enclosing an account for £lO5 15s for liabilities now existing—and asking for a settlement. It was decided to deal with these matters at a full meeting of the Board, and the proceedings then terminated with a vote of thanks to the Chairman.

The following are the by-laws referring to the terms and conditions upon which racing clubs may obtain the use of the course :

“ All race meetings on the reserve to be run under the general racing rules of the South Canterbury Jockey Club, where applicable. Before any departure from the said rules is made, the matter to be submitted to the Board. All steeplechases run on the reserve to be under the Grand National rules.

“ Any racing Club using the course shall pay £SO for the use of the course and privileges, and any steeplechase club on payment of £SO a day in advance, or such other sum as the Board shall determine.

“Ail life members of the S.O. Jockey Club on 20th August, 1883, to be admitted to all meetings held on the course, on the terms on which the tickets were issued, that is, free. “ Any totalisator proposed to be used by any Club holding meetings on the course, first to be approved of by the Board, and the Secretary to have the right to appoint one or two men at the expense of the club, to take charge of the instrument while being worked. “All clubs using the course or reserve, shall enter into a bond to make good any loss or damage that may be done to the course or Board’s property, to the extent of £IOOO, on one of the Board’s printed forms.

“ Admission to the course, paddocks and stand, to be charged as per schedule (the same as was charged at the last meeting of the 5.0.J.C.) “No person shall run any match on the course without first applying to the secretary, who shall obtain the consent of two of the trustees in writing and shall pay £5 to the Board. Such per mission shall not entitle him to the use of any of the Board’s privileges or gate money. “In the event of a Club receiving permission from the Board to hold a race meeting on the course, the permission to include the right to train horses on the proper training course of the Board, for horses only entered for the meeting of the Club or for which such permission is granted ; —The club to be responsible for all damage done. The training fee to be one guinea per horse for each meeting.”