TE KUITI RACING CLUB.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1530, 21 August 1919, Page 14

TE KUITI RACING CLUB.

ANNUAL MEETING’. The annual meeting of the Te Kuiti Racing Club last week was attended by a large number of members, the president, Mr. A. F. Howarth, occupying the chair. The annual report stated that the committee had continued to pay all necessary attention to improvements on the club’s property. An area of over 20 acres had been ploughed during the year, and minor improvements had been made to buildings. Owing to the war, the committee had not felt justified in undertaking any heavy expenditure on improvements, but the whole question would be thoroughly gone into by the new committee. The matter of installing automatic scales in the weighing-room would require consideration. The amount’ which the club had paid this year to the Commissioner of Taxes and Stamps was £952, and, in addition, £1175 was paid in stakes. The totalisator receipts amounted to £19,329, an increase of £716 over last year. This would, of course, necessitate the stakes being further increased next year. Owing to ceaseless agitation on the part of the racing clubs, it would appear from statements which had been recently made by the Minister for Internal Affairs and others in authority that there was some slight possibility of the days of racing being increased or otherwise readjusted. The committee had, in accordance with its practice ever since the club received its totalisator permit, placed before the Racing Conference this year strong representation for the granting of a permit for another day’s racing, and if any increase or readjustment should take place, the members could rest assured that no efforts would be spared to keep the claims of the club prominently before the authorities. The report was adopted. The following officers were elected: President, Mr. A. F. Howarth; vicepresidents, Messrs. L. Jacob, N. C. Matthew, J F. Vercoe, B. Brewer, and J. Hetet; committee, Messrs. G. H. Boles, Cochrane, Rothery, Vause, and H. Wilson. The president said the club had been fighting continuously for an extra day’s racing, but without success. It was necessary to keep the claims of Te Kuiti consistently before the conference. There was not a vestige of a doubt that Te Kuiti was entitled to another day if the basis of choice were reasonable. Some of the South Island meetings were of trifling importance, and the amounts put through were less than that invested in Te Kuiti in a single race. Still, Te Kuiti did not wish to rob any other club. There could be no agitation during the war, but the committee felt that the time was now ripe for a move.