SOUTH AUCKLAND RACING CLUB.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume III, Issue 107, 11 August 1892, Page 8

SOUTH AUCKLAND RACING CLUB.

(from our own correspondent.) BlSle annual meeting of members of the South Auckland Racing Club was held at Hamilton on Friday last. There were 31 members present, Mr. G. Edgecumbe, chairman, presiding. The balance-sheet submitted read as under :r—Profit and loss : Dr. To stakes “’paicL £935 ; labour, £42 14s 9d; expenses and handicapper, £77 2s 7d; band, £l7 10s; advertising, tickets, printing, posters etc., £lO3 17s lOd ; painting stand, £l3 8s 2d; rent, £53 3s 6d; totalisator tax, s£9 18s; balance general account, £ 121 Is 7d; total, £1434 16s sd. Or.: By members’ subscriptions, £124 12s; nominations and acceptances, £458 2s lid; ■hMninations and acceptances Foal Stakes, nett, £192 4s 6d; 4?S stan d takings, sold, £56 10s Account. Dr. exponses, £96 8s ; total £127 11s lOd. as per last statement, £6 10s 3d; profit Summer and Autumn Meetings, £l2l Is 7d; total £127 Ils lOd. Liabilities: Account owing, £3 3s lOd; guarantee by members, £l5O ; z bank overdraft, £53 6s lOd; balance' £3l 3s 10d—£237 J9s 6d. Assets: Arrears due, £154 /s 6d; grand stand coupons bought, £4O 10s ; cash ip hand, £27 15s; plant,/£l5-£237 14s/6d. The committee’s report read thus :— “ The committee have much pleasure in submitting the balance-sheet for the past year to/you. In spite or the extra cost of another day’s racilig at Christmas, without any additiofial assistance from the members the elub has been able to /hold its own, the profits for the year being £l2l odd; which has been spent in improving the course and buildings, such as new totalisator house, pony stand, enlarging 7 the saddling paddock, new hurdles and jumps, coat of paint for grand stand cost of doing the work having appeared in the previous year’s accounts). Of arrears due to the club (at the time of closing the books), some £l5 has come in since, and others are being got in steadily, and now that the racing season is starting again will be recovered before the Summer Meeting comes on. None of these arrears have been written off yet as we do not anticipate any loss on them. The stakes paid away are £320 more than previous year, and considering that, Kas-jnentioned before, the members gave extqa. assistance, it tends to show that the cltjffhas grown in favour with both the public and horseowners. The various items of the balance-sheet will be explained by the secretary to any member wishing to know more about them. The first business to do at this meeting will be to elect six members of committee for the ensuing year, the retiring members being Messrs. Edgecumbe, Hay, McNicol, Barton, Booth, and W. Cussen, all of whom together with Messrs. O’Neill and McCullagh, have been nominated for election. The next business will be to consider a notice of motion by Mr. 0. J. W. Barton, re increasing the amount of subscription for membership.’’ ' Mr. McNicol remarked that one item in the balance-sheet displeased him, the item of arrears due, £154.' ■. - ’

The secretary explained that only £l6 was due for subscriptions, the remainder being for nominations, etc. Mr. F. W. Browning proposed that the report and balance-sheet as read be confirmed, which motion was seconded by Mr, E. C. Shepherd, and carried unanimously. A ballot was then taken for the election of a committee for the ensuing year, with the following result: —G. Edgecumbe 28, J. McNicol 28, C. J. W. Barton 27, G. F. McCullagh 26, L. O’Neill 21, W. Booth 20, W. M. Hay 19, W. Cussen 4. Messrs. Edgecumbe, McNicol, Barton, McCullagh, O’Neill and Booth were therefore elected. In accordance with notice given, Mr. Barton moved that Rule 5 be altered to read, “ The annual subscription be two guineas instead of one guinea as at present.” In proposing the resolution he said that under the present rate the privileges given were quite disproportionate to the subscription. At present the privileges obtained by a member would cost a non-member 3 gns. It was his opinion that now that the club had provided another day’s racing members should not grudge putting their hands in their pockets to pay for it. An amendment was moved by Mr. Coates, “ That the annual subscription be a guinea and a half.” After discussion the amendment was carried by 17 votes to 7. A very hearty vote of thanks was accorded to the secretary, Mr. G. H. Carter, for the manner in which he had performed his onerous secretarial duties during the past year. The new committee held _a meeting afterwards and appointed Mr. Edgecumbe as their chairman for the ensuing year.