TARANAKI JOCKEY CLUB.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 12861, 20 May 1905, Page 3

TARANAKI JOCKEY CLUB.

ANNUAL MEETING.

The annual iwecting. was -held in. tiho Chamber of Commerce rooms oh. Friday night." Present— Messrs Samjuel President (chairman), iW. L. Newman, N. King, Ab. Goldwater, D. (fßric^, C. 3L Lepper, J« Oliver, J. Ellis, C. M. W«ston, A. D. Gray, G. Gjcey, R,. H. Sole, G. George. ,W. Jury, S. M.cGurnncss, A. R. Starfdis-h, RV. ,Solo, F. Watson, F. Sahvay, ¥. Dt. Mills, H-. IJnn,. F. Orbell, arid E. Sole! Apologies for absence wore toaido fx>r ilffessrs W. C. Western, atW R. Cock, 3lr J. Paul wr'otc notifying: lih)at ho did- not , wish to' be elected 1 ttai «ny ofnpe, as he intendeVl not to take an active part in the Chibft? affeirs in ihe futjuie. The balatuce-sneet and aJUklitdorsf report were read \jiy the soca-etury, IMr 3btssell Fleetwood. The baiatK-c-sflieet < showed thiat the

-total credit balance was £2364 4s Gd on April 30, 1904,. and this year it

'/. was £2103 2s 2d. The eKl**iklrflurti - showed ; Insurance £15 2s 4ld, interest. £41 "Ss 3d, starting £28 Bs, race • day officials £97*1 Is, stakes acttolmt £2900, improvements to raceootwse, £17 18s, racecourse maiwtrtionpe £92 0s sd, rates and rents £119 6s Ski, jjetty ca^Ji £23 5s 2d, charges account £285 (including crfirferrtice oxjuenses £11" 10s, luncheons £67 ISs, band £30, sundries £4S 12a), wages accotunt £97 19s 6d, priatirtg- aJnkl ad- . VerCisiwg £177 14s 5d (inchWinig 1 race * cawls £49 6s, tickets £23 7s «jd, shmdrics £105 os. lld^ hatiiddca^pnig: £80, depreciation accdimt, granklataaijtl "£SO 14s Sd, cottage £S 4s Id, tofcailisatoi' ' ■ house £10 9s 9d, tele^ra|)ji hy|uso J^t 4s Id, plant £L3,.5s Ud. , The receipts {or Ihe year inePuldod — iNonrktotions and accejjiances £959, /fines £2, lawn atfd groukkiaad i£slß 4s, programnies aUid race cands " £157 17s, gates £406 J7s, totalisa-tor '£l3B6 19s $d, grafsring £38 17s 3d. privileges £120 Bs, subscriptions £172 2s, trammg fees £34 ss, gentlemen riders training fees £34 ss, gentlemen' riders £6 '; total £3832 9s lid. The liabilities showed Invrtk- overdraft £826 Is 7d. the credit lialatice^ profit and loss account, betftg '£2103 2s 2d. , Asslejts •^-tFretfticild, £630 2s, plant £252^ ; 12s 2di ootiage i£lss 17s. 7d, tatalisator hoiuse £199 4s llkl^ telegn^ph £79 18s Bd,gisa < ndtsnaUi£ls3S ISs 10d, debtors £76, tash 1 4n £1 9s 7d ; total, £2929 3s 9W. Tho balance-sheet of , the Trainers' anicl Jockeys' Provident Fofafcl dbawe(d the receipts to be :— On fixed defcxosit at Bank of New Zeala'red, £618 ; in Sa»vings Bank £33 17s ; itttercst £20 5» 6d: fines £12. Total," £684 2tffld. On the eJcpen'diture side there was 1 a sum of £25 Vot«jd to the E^ntmt Club for the purchase of an asnUul- ' anee for the *use of country- cWbtej. ' Messsrs.C. H. Weston arid G."Grey^ ilto auditors, in their jrejpjort, referred to' ttie .low value placed oW tjie Club's frcehofd "prdperty, a"rid akto retoOmnetwled that in {irtifrca *pro ) s>&-; sional accountant sho«uld be engaged to do the atidttin-g owing-- to tlhro miffgjiitiule anfd tnmftpr of the Club's financial dealings. - • The Chairanan, in moyxng t'ho adoption of the balance-sheet atud rejKJjrt. stated that the Crttb was ' steailily, if slowly, losing grountl^ in regaiVl to money. Last season's oijieratktas had resulted in a loss of £261, aifcl in, the preyiojus' r>"wir the losis" was "greater. Members/ had, a right to "know -abotit. tliv particulars of this ;stS^a'djy I Ibss, which, if contirfudd, "wo\iW t^ventXially sweep away their assets. The CTubMJ assets showed that their •frcdh'oltl lalikt n'etfd become valuable, not thiriougih any special ' efforts of the CStiib, but becatise property vaßics •had ro-^reas-ed in the town arid district.- sßSeooMld see n>o necessity for Av'riti'Dg- (up ilhe property in the balance-siitect. Il.Ukl not matter to the Club .wjirfhrer ihxs Ijroperty was worrth v£3ooo or £300, as the, Club' only -usci! iA\c laiil for racing purposes. The land migirt Ijc valued at £2200 instead of -£SOO in view of selling, hut as long es> the' Glub retained it fot racing 'bo colild. not see any higher value cotilfcl be , placdd on it than "the Value set jt»>wn. in the balance-shvct. Last year there was a loss of £261, arid he wished ta point aut how the Club was tos- , ing grotuW. 'With regard to the receipts from" the totalizator jtlicCliib-' had no rca!^<yn for disoo'nitein't^ (He, however, did not thirik that it wduld be to this Club's credit, or in tho. interests of Sport, to siiriply cater for a crowd of gamblers tto- that the totalizator receipts coiuMjbe xnoreasckl. The club had increased the stakes last year, but whether it Lad improved the racing he could not say, but he knew that Redid ux»t bring the return that was anticipated. The increase in stakes- was £225, «nd this nearly accounted for the .whole lo,ss in the -past season's transactions. He considered that the club should not gx> beyond its means. The chairman then proceeded to point cut itctms whe^e ccon'omy cpuld be matde in his opinion. H« thought tho incoming oonvmittcs slioukl be able to practice economies, and next year show a profit instead of a deficits Regarding the racing, he said it was much the same as in past years. Ho had come to the conclusion that many of the (report* as to stiff running were exaggerated, and came from disappointed backers of hordes. The disqualification by the tlub of certain persons for malpractices had been upltcld by the Appeal Court, and the club's action he had be«i told in other centres had created a salutary effect- During the past season he had tried to put the course on a butter ba.«is for the club and Agricultural Society, but the Borough Council coukl not s« their Way to Mipport the project. which fell through. He was of opinion that tin: club would n<'vcr«do any good until it dissassociatod itsolf from th<" reserve, if the club could get a course in the country, and become thf Taranal'i chrb in reality, instead of th«* Xew Plymouth club, he thought/ the « haugw-woukl Iw beneficial, i-von If the r\ ub had to sacrifice tjrrir builiintr*. Tli'; club had catered wvM for tin- public from aaporting standpoint, anr<l he. hoped tho incoming rommitt'-e would make the next 'season a profit abl«* orf«*. iMr JNeWman seconded the motion, which was carried. The chairman then moved, That N. King be the president for ihe year. Mr King declined, on tin- gfoirud that he could -not spun* th« time, and bemovod. That Mr Samurl be r'jclccted to the position. Ttfr Samuel said ho was sorry to decline, but he ; desi red to retire frrfm active participation in th<- club's uf-

fairs, and become an ortlinary member. He niovcd, That Mr Newman bo president. | jMr N-ewjutan declined on tho ground that urgent private reasons woul- 1 prevent Mm taking .an active part in the club's future opeations. | Mr G. Grey asked Mr Samuel to reconsider his decision. • Mr Samuel adhered to his former decision not to seek re-election. I fiffr Watson said that as there. appeared to be great difficulty in fillingtho office of president, 'perhaps it would be as well to ( wind tho club up. j !After some further discussion, in I Whicdt it was stated the club had a mcjmberqhip of 85, it was moved l>y 'j Mr "VT. Sole, secoiKlod by 3fr MdGuiiiness, that the meeting bo adjourned 'for 14 days, amd that tiro : presun t ofliJeers be authorised to act in tho • meantime. J This w*as carried, the meeting j adjourned accordingly.