Sporting Review THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 1891.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume II, Issue 60, 17 September 1891, Page 5

Sporting Review THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 1891.

The Takapuna Jockey Club held a most satisfactory annual meeting on the 7th inst., the room being crowded to its utmost limit. Jhe balance sheet showed a small credit with no liabilities, which is a great thing to say for any club, especially such a young one as the Takapuna Jockey Club. The report and balance sheet, on the motion of the Chairman, was unanimously adopted. The Chairman, in his speech, made several remarks with which we coincide. The first was that the totalisator tax of 1| per cent, was excessive, and that it should not have exceeded 1 per cent., by which an easily - collected revenue of £7,000 per annum would be realisable, also that the per cent, would have to come out out of the existing per centage, and. not added to it, therefore clubs would have to reduce their stakes. In the case of small clubs this tax would be of great moment. That reduction besides could not be made without the consent and approval of the Colonial Secretary or the conference of the Metropolitan Clubs. In this respect we think that the Chairman is wrong as regards deducting the 1| per cent, from the original 10 per cent., it will come out of the general public’s pocket. However, such is the intention of the A.R.C. Committee, or we much mistake our information, as they intend to mulct the public to the tune of U| per cent. With regard to the question mentioned by the Chairman that there were 186 racing clubs in the colony being subservient to the ten Metropolitan Clubs is an intricate question and cannot be answered at once. The question is being agitated at the two extremes of the colony, therefore great consideration must be exercised. The Chairman has expressed his views, we therefore recommend him, as he is a gentleman of standing, to call a general meeting of all racing men, take their ideas on his measures, forward them down South, and get their opinion on the question. Then, if all parties agree, amalgamate, and as many of the Metropolitan Clubs coincide with the movement, affairs may be put on a satisfactory basis. Our idea, which is not quite in accordance with the Chairman, is that some of the Committee of the Metropolitan Club are not popular with the general racing public; they do not adhere to the Bules of Bacing as regards their own Club, how, therefore, can they sit in judgment on those under their control ? The Chairman of the Takapuna Jockey Club brought a motion forward at the late A.B.C. annual meeting which our contemporary down South took notice of, and said, “ though he was sat upon it was only for a time,” and took the question up strongly. The best thing for him to do now, and it must be done without loss of time, is to write to the leading suburban and country clubs in Auckland, asking them to send delegates to a conference on a certain date to discuss the present state of affairs. The D. J.C. have done much the same kind of thing, though in their case it emanated from the Metropolitan Club. It is quite evident that the Auckland racing men will not much longer suffer themselves to be ruled by a body of- men who do not show the necessary qualifications for the position they occupy.