CONDUCT AT GAMES

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 70, Issue 108, 20 February 1950, Page 3

CONDUCT AT GAMES

BLUNDERS ALLEGED BY NEWSPAPER

CRITICISM ALLEGED BY “TRUTH,” SYDNEY

(N.Z.P. A.—Copyright)

SYDNEY, Feb. 19,

“The mistakes, stupid blundering, and vicious official brawling of the Empire Games at Auckland have § significant lesson for Australia’s planning for the Olympic Games at Melbourne in 1956,” says “Truth” in a front-page article to-day. “Bluntly, New Zealand’s reputation as a host nation has suffered because the Auckland financial interests-who controlled the games forgot good will, hospitality, and even common sense in an insane desire for profit. The same mistake must never be made in Australia.

“Stripped of ‘ballyhoo’ and official double talk, the games reveal a background of some self-seeking, inexperienced, social-climbing officials breaking their necks to do the bidding of big business, and ruthlessly sacrificing the good will of the Empire to do so. This is acknowledged and deeply regretted by most New Zealanders to whom ‘Truth” spoke in Auckland who are thoroughly ashamed of the attitude and actions of the group who controlled the games because they held the purse strings. “Big business dominated the committee and they became the bosses instead of being controlled by the representatives of true sportsmen of New Zealand—officials of the New Zealand and Olympic and the British Empire Games Association. This organising committee became so an’ogant and insulting that the British Empire Games Federation called a special meeting and the chairman (Mr A. E. Porritt) told it to alter its attitude. The president of the New Zealand Olympic, and British Empire Games Association (Mr A. Dl. Bayfield) and the secretary (Mr H. Amos) publicly apologised to visiting officials, including the Australians, Messrs Duff, Tanner, and Eve, for the attitude of some members of the organising committee, but all the apologies in the world, even given the added emphasis that they were made by New Zealanders for New Zealanders, cannot undo all the damage. “It cannot be denied that some businessmen rode with blazing guns to enormous profits on the backs of the amateur athletes of the Empire, including Australia’s great champions, Marjorie Jackson, John Treloav, Edwin Carr, and Mervyn Wood.

Alleged Profit

“Subscribed as a limited liability company to finance the games, the organising committee will show a profit of at least £20,000. If the cash is correctly allocated this should make. New Zealand the richest amateur sporting country in the world. The allocation, however, will not be made until a host .of hangers-on collect their reward, whether it be in hard cash or the reflected glory of having had something to do with the biggest event ever held in New Zealand —the Empire Games.” Among the mistakes “so elementary that no excuse could be made for them except a simple and straightforward admission that the jobs were far too big for the brains and capacity of .some persons charged with making them a success and credit to New Zealand,” the article mentions “the absence of ushers in the official stand, the insulting of overseas press photographers and reporters, and the snubbing of official visitors by rude officials who spent time hobnobbing at the Gover-nor-General’s garden party.” ,

“Uninspired Ceremonies”

The article says that victory ceremonies were uninspired “and gabbled off in parrot-like fashion,” that the Eden Park track was second-rate, that dressing rooms were small and dirty, and that transport to and from Ardmore often broke down, that although every hotel and boardinghouse had vacant rooms, accommodation could not be secured because the Auckland Public Relations Office had commandeered accommodation, that prices charged in cafes .were “robbery,” that “blatant blackmarketing” in swimming tickets was allowed, and advertised in Auckland newspapers, and that “in a hungry grab for money” the swimming was spread over four sessions with pnly a few races, each remainder of the programme' being filled with diving or water polo. The article suggests that in the Olympic Games Australia must place the Olympic Federation in complete control, appoint experienced paid offi cials for detailed and preliminary work and make them responsible to the Olympic Federation, and “choose men with poise and common sense whose duty it will be to dxtend our hospitality to visitors.” s

“WHOLE REPORT FANTASTIC”

ORGANISER REPLIES TO CRITICISM (P.A.) AUCKLAND, Feb. 19. “The whole report is fantastic;” said the chairman of the organising committee for the Empire Games (Mr C. Rex Moore) this evening, referring to the report in “Truth,” Sydney. There had been no blundering and certainly no brawling, he said. The games were conducted on a most happy note. Mr Moore said he was unable to understand the reference to “an insane desire for profit.” There had been no intention of making a big profit from the games, or, for that, matter, any profit. The people who backed the games financially did so knowing that the best they could hope for was to get their money back. At one stage it, appeared that they would lose their guarantees.

It was not yet known what profit if any, had been made from the games. “The organising committee at all times realised its responsibilities to the New Zealand Olympic and Empire Games Federation,” Mr Moore said. “There was never any suggestion of a breach between the two bodies.”

The Allegation that the chairman of the Empire Games Federation (Mr A. E. Porritt) had reprimanded the organsing committee for being “arrogant and insulting” was absolutely

false, continued Mr Moore. He nothing of a reported apology -by Messrs Bayfield and Amos, and he doubted .whether such an apology was made.

“It is news to me that the dressing rooms were small and dirty and that transport to and from Ardmore often broke down,” Mr Moore said. He was not an expert on athletic tracks and could only be guided by the fact that team coaches expressed satisfaction with Eden Park, and that overseas competitors, broke many records.

He was not aware that there had been black marketing in. swimming tickets, Mr Moore concluded. It ,had been most necessary to allot four sessions to swimming.

Mayor’s Comments “Bosh,” said the Mayor (Mr J. A. C. Allum) when the report was referred to him. “The whole thing is utter nonsense.” Mr Allum, who is chairman of the company formed to finance the games, said that it was a non-profit making company which had not at any stage given directions on the conduct of the games. Its function had been to approve expenditure and its policy to spend money to make the games a success. The games themselves had been run by various sporting organ-, isations.

The company had been financed by the business people and local bodies of Auckland. No one connected with it had received a penny in payment. The only persons who were paid for executive work on the games were the organising secretary (Mr C. L. Cleal) and his office staff. “There has been a lot of loose talk about a surplus,” Mr Alliun continued. “We do not expect any substantial surplus. If there is a profit it will go to the games authorities in Wellington.”

One of the last things Mr H. S. Wilkes, manager of the Australian team, had done in Auckland had been to call at the Town Hall to express thanks for facilities and accommodation, Mr Allum concluded.