TENNIS-CRICKET ART UNION.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18415, 23 June 1925, Page 9

TENNIS-CRICKET ART UNION.

FIRST PRIZE WON BY CHRISTCHURCH MAN.

The interest in the cricket-tennis art union was evidenced by the large attendance at the Chamber of Commerce last night to witness the drawing of the prizes. Proceedings were timed to start at half-past seven, but shortly after seven o'clock there was a fairly large number present, and the room was wellfilled when the hour fixed to start arrived.

Very complete arrangements had been made for the drawing. The trays containing the butts of art union books of tickets were set out on tables in the library: behind a hollow square formed by small tables were the officials of the art union. The actual drawing of the numbered marbles was done by members of the audience. Mr W. N. Seay, president of the Canterbury Lawn Tennis Association, was in the chair, and Mr D. Reese, president of tho Canterbury Cricket Association, sat beside him. The police authorities were represented by Sergeant Armour, and in the absence of the Mayor (Mr J. K. Archer) the civic authorities were represented by Mr L. llardie, Chief City Inspector. The chairman, in opening the proceedinga, said that the art union had been managed by a joint committee of the Cricket and Tennis Associations, each Association taking half of the net proceeds. The result had exceeded expectations, and each Association would benefit to the tune, approximately of £9ooo—nearly £19,000. (Applause.) The equipping of Wilding Park was estimated to cost £20,000. Before the art union was initiated the Lawn Tennis Association had collected about £0000: tho proceeds of the art union would bring the total up to £15,000, and probably another £SOOO would be required to complete tho scheme. For. this handsome return, on behalf of the Tenuis Association, he had to thank the New Zealand organiser, Mr 1?. Browning, for the excellent work done by him. (Applause.) Mr Browning had done an enormous amount of work, his duties having necessitated him travelling from Auckland to Invcrcargill three or four times, besides visiting other centres. He had also to congratulato Mr J. A. Jewell, of Jewell and Skinner, advertising agents, for his method and skill in leading tho public and impressing on them tho advantages of purchasing tickets. He also thanked tho guarantors of the prize-money, and tho guarantors for the advertising—thev had taken a risk of having to find about £BOOO if the art union had not been a success. Thanks were accorded to the City Council for the permission given to sell tickets in tho street, to Mr P. E. Harman, who organised the street sale of tickets, and the ladies and gentlemen who had brayed the wintry elements to sell the tickets. Mr Browning's staff had worked exceedingly hard. Last, but not least, he desired to thank the generous public who had responded to appeal after appeal. Mr Eeese, on behalf of the Crickcr. Association, expressed his keen appreciation of the support given to the art union. The result would enable the Cricket Association to provide moro coaching: at present only boys recciveo. coaching. The Association would now be ablo to provide coaching for young men. He expressed the Association's thanks to the public for the wonderful help they had given. Tho success of tho art union really centred round two or three men. and showed what successful organising could do. The chairmin had referred to the extremely efficient secretary, Mr Browning, who had beer, well supported by Mr Don Smith,- secretary of the Cricket Association. On the advertising sido Mossrs Jewell and Skinner had brought in the energy of a young firm, and they had to thank them for the excellent uso they had made of newspaper space. The join! committee had hesitated somewhat when the advertising campaign was submitted, but the advertising agents had demonstrated that they had been wrong in hesitating. Mr Reese referred to the assistance rendered by Mr Johnston, of Wellington, whose efforts, he said, had almost equalled those of Canterbury-.

Mr "d. Smith then explained the method on which tho drawing would bo conducted. Thoro wore ten series of tickets, marked A to K (I being ex eluded). Referring to tho seven bag.", each of a .different colour, on tho table before him, he said that tho black bag was the units bag, and contained ten marbles, nought to 9; tho blue was tho tens, green the 'hundreds, .white the thousands, and red the tens of thousands —the last bag contained only eight marbles, nought to 7, the highest number on any ticket being 74,000. Tho yellow bag contained marbles with tho letters on them corresponding to the different series. Members of the audience would ".jC asked to draw the marbles. When the series letter and the number was announced the butts would be consulted, and if the ticket had been sold the figures would be announced as the win ning number of the particular prize. The drawing was then proceeded with, the result of the first six prizes bejng as follows: First prize, £IOOO worth of alluvial gold, Ticket No. 27,155 A, F. Sandford, engineer, 338 Durham street, Christchurch.

Second prize, £SOO alluvial gold; Ticket No. 27.2G9C, James Aitchison, Knox street, Hamilton.

Third prize, £2OO alluvial gold; tieiVt No. 57,686 A, P. Maugher, 99 Man. Chester street, Christchurch.

Fourth prize, £IOO alluvial gold; Ticket No. 58,288 D, M. U. Hendry. Post Office, Taupo.

Fifth prize, £IOO alluvial gold; Ticket No. 16,180E, C. H. Cooper, Annat. Sixth prize, £IOO alluvial gold; Ticket No. 43,1940, N. Jameson, Buckland.

There, were 180 ether prizes—ten of £SO each, 20 of £25 each, 50 of £lO each, and 100 of £5. The drawing proceeded fairly rapidly, but, of course, there was a certain percentage of blanks. Tho audience was a good-natured one, that applauded warinlv when a winner who resided in Christchurch or Canterbury was announced. Only languid interest was shown when the winners came other parts of the Dominion. One of the peculiar draws was D 44.444; but if happened that this particular ticket had not been sold. Tho. winner, Mr F. Sandford, had only one ticket in the art union, and ho bought it from a seller who came to his pl ace °£ business. He was at tho Theatre BoyaJ when the results were announced last night. Tho winner's name was read out as "G. Sand.ford,'.'. and when someone called out that it should be "F. Sandford" he thought ond of his friends was having a joke with him, and so he did noi". respond. After the theatre, when hj was thinking the occurrence over at home, one of the officials of the art union called and broke the' news. The full list of winning tickets is printed on page 12.