AUCKLAND RACING CLUB

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XIII, Issue 752, 4 August 1904, Page 8

AUCKLAND RACING CLUB

THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING.

On Monday afternoon the annual general meeting of the Auckland Racing Club took place, some seventy members attending the Chamber of Commerce. Mr Thomas Morrin, the Chairman of Committee, presided and proceedings were of a very brief nature. The annual report, which was given n our last issue, was brevity itself, comprising but fifteen lines, and this was read by the secretary. It showed that the club had experienced a successful season, the net profit being £1575 7s 2d. On the motion of the Chairman, seconded by Mr M. McLean, the report and bal-ance-sheet were unanimously adopted. Mr E. D. O’Rorke moved, “ That it be an instruction to the incoming committee to consider the advisability of ing the number of members of the club, and that in future all members shall be balloted for by the whole club, one black ball in five to exclude ; voting papers to be sent to each member.” This being seconded by Mr Walker some discussion ensued, but on it being pointed out that the sub-committee which had been appointed to revise the rules had practically embodied the resolution the matter was allowed to drop. The matter of a circular which had been issued and which adverselv criticised the management of the club was referred to, and several gentlemen whose names appeared upon it disowned having had am - thing to do with the same, but the subject was not gone into. Mr Roulston thought there was much room for improvement in the manner in which the Provident Fund was dispensed, but the Chairman explained that the delay generally occurred through the papers in each case having to be forwarded to Christchurch. The election of six members of committee was then proceeded with, the candidates being : Messrs H. T. Gorrie, Thos. Morrin, A. Hanna, M. McLean, G. .S. Patterson, 11. 0. Nolan (all retiring in terms of rules, and offering themselves for re-election), A. E. Price, Samuel Li adley, George Dunnet, and Dr. E. W. Sharman (fresh nominees). The voting was as under :—Gorrie, 164 ; Nolan, 151 ; Morrin, 144; Bradley, 140; Patterson, 126; Hanna, 101 ; Sharman, 95 ; McLean, 86 ; Price, 65 ; Dunnet, 44. Messrs Gorrie, Nolan, Morrin, Bradley, Patterson, and Hanna were then declared duly elected, after which proceedings terminated.

The Australian Jockey Club has appointed two stipendiary stewards this season instead of three. There were some eighty applications for the positions, and the two gentlemen selected to fill the posts are Messrs 1.. G. Rouse and J. McMahon. The former conies from a racing family who reside at Mudgee and is a horseowner, but this will, of course, have to be given up. 31 r McMahon has acted as handicapper for the Clarence River Jockey Club, and has owned and trained /horses. The new appointments have been f somewhat severely criticised, as many consider that men with other than country experience should have been preferred, while the reduction in the number of stipendiaries is also thought to be a mistake. ♦ * * * Washington Park, Chicago, where the American Derby is run, has been compelled to close its gates (says the Breeder and Horseman ). The. Washington Park Club is one of the best racing organisations in America. It is an organisation of gentlemen _ who have kept the sport clean and high-class, refusing to hold their meeting for more than twenty-one days in each year, and under whose auspices the American Derby has become the greatest event of the summer racing season. Washington Park, however, is within the city limits of Chicago, and the officials of that city insist that the laws prohibiting betting on races shall be obeyed, ffhe Washinoton Park Club’s officials respected the laws, made no attempt to evade them, and some found that they could not afford to continue their meeting, so the stakes were all declared off and the gates of the track were closed. Every true • sportsman will regret that such a condition of things exists in Chicago, but will realise that it is the natural result of the excess of racing which has led to it.