DISTRICT CRICKET.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1519, 15 August 1912, Page 6

DISTRICT CRICKET.

SMASH THE SCHEME? MOTION TO DO SO DEFEATED. A largo meeting of delegates of the Wet. lington Cricket Association was held in. tho Chamber of Commerce last evening to consider the following rather important motion:— "That in view of tho unsatisfactory state of cricket in Wellington, brought about by the district fchenie, it is desirablo in tho best interests of tho game, to revert to the old club system." Mr. A. T. Bate was proposed as chairman, Iml declined. Mr. M. lvLucltio wae then elected to preside. In proposing the motion, Mr. D. M'Kcnzio stated that he regretted that no alteration could bo tuado bo tho rules at the present meeting. Tho chairman remarked that tho meeting had .only been called for tho purpose of obtaining an expression of opinion. Nothing could bo done that night which would bo operative in really dceiding on a change'of system. An Apostlo of tho Old Club Style, Mr. M'Konzie then went oh to eay that forty-two teams had been engaged in grado enckot when the district schema was introduced. Last year thero were oily thirty-threo teams, and of that number sixteen teams had been drawn from clubs which did not belong to the district scheme,- and had no vote on the association. It was known to everyone that at the present timo there were more, cricketers playing outeide the , district scliemo than in it. .These outsiders included u ■House Association of-twelve teams, uio't of whoso players used at ono timo to nlaV under tho .Wellington Association. Among: those at. present playing disti'ict cricket 155 players had indicated that they preferred club cricket, while aniong thoso playing for outside associations there were 83 who would come into the association if the old club stylo were reverted to. The present scheme was ' only half a district scheme, this being owing to the entire lack of interest in junior and third-class cricket. In his opinion the district scheme had failed badly and was a fnrce. They had been \ told that cricket was going to boom under the district system, and that it was going to get the association out of debt. "J lint had not proved to be tho case. The clubs hud,, been levied to the amount of .tifl—a thing which had never occurred before in the histor.i of cricket in Wei. lington.

Mr. W. S. Lowe (Karori) seconded the motion. /

The "Smash" Motion Opposed.

After a long pause Mr. Crombie (Weiluigton North) said that he entirely approved of the district 6ystem under which they were at present ploying. In the circular which had been- going round, the chief argument was missiug-tho absence of district grounds. Yet. even in that respect,. tlicy were α-little bettor off, as they now had the use of Kclhurne Park, which they had not had three years ago. He. pointed out that tho ■ falline-off in players had taken.place under the old scheme,-not. tho district scheme, and that was really .why the district scheme had been adopted, lhrco. years ogo cricket had been, disorganised by the change of system; but-having adopted it, it was only right that it, should bo'given a fair trial, and three years ■ was not- a fair test.' Even; if it were true that ,thero were 155 district scliemo. players who were in favour ot a. chaiigo to,club cricket, (hat did not represent half Mie names which, figured on tho club rolls. In-regard lo the requisition for .signatures ngainst. tho district scheme which had recently been pent round, woll—they all knew what human nature.was.' If a paper were put before a man tho chances were that he would sign it. -Mr- .Lowe (Kawri) stated:that ho .didi not think, that bis club could go on under tho association this yenr. If they had the club systsui they might bo aWo to cet more members. .

. Mr. Pnrtan (Wellington-South)-wished the district system well, but proceeded to give facts' tending to show that the Wellington South Club had not pros-pored nndor it. It had been suggested that Wellington South's Club area might be increased, but as ;i matter of fact they had a-t present a larger area than any other district in proportion to population —an area that would swamp any otfior. iMi'. Burbidgo (Central) Eaid h« had originally been in favour of tho district system as it appeared to be tho most democratic, and would - give young fellows a chance to got to tho top, but after a three years' trial ho had concluded that it had not Iμ a success. He attributed this -state of things chiefly to the want of grounds.

Getting Nearer tho Root,of Things, j. Mr. A. A. George said there teemed to bo a want of loyalty to the association eomewhere.. That may have been duo to the management of the association's affairs, though ho did not positively say that it was so. In starting tho district Echemo they had had to wipe off tho debits of tho old association, which had been a big hurdle. If they look everything into consideration «s a District Association, they had not done so badly. The grounds and wickets had been much better, and he thought that the play had been bettor.' What was wanted was a littlo moiV'gingor" in support of tho asI socintion.

Mr. A. T. Bato said, that tho very reason wnicli had brought about tho change from club to district cricket was the fall' ing-off in the interestiu cricket. Hβ ol> tributed tho present position in pnii to tho fact that the residents of districts had not l)eon touched in tho way in which they might have been. If they could interest tho people, they would find a very different state of affairs. Much as he would like.to sco his old club (Wellington) revived, ho thought that the district scheme should be given a fair' (rial., ' Tlio chairman said that no one had felt tho breaking up of tho club svstem moTo than ho had; but he had felt that the district scheme was wanted in tho interest of cricket. Mr. Mivouzie had quoted a: lot of figures, but ho ventured to say that lio one could correctly state that cricket had depreciated in Wellington. ■Mr. M'Kenzie: "What about junior and third-class?"

Mr. Luckie replied that as to that they were not in a.position to judge. They had better grounds and wickets, and, of course, tho expenditure had been greater. They had spent JMSO on tho Basin Beserve. A voice: "And there's the coach." Unfortunately, said Mr. Luckie, they had not,paid him as a coach, but only ns a ground man, and he had proved worth it. (Applause.) They would not have tho weight in approaching the City Council as clubs which they had as representatives of districts. Ho could tell them that a Bill had been promoted in Porliamont which would put the funds of the association in a position which thev hnd never been in before. The Hill provided power for the City Council to charge 'on 80 days of the year on each of it a grounds. ■T here was a considerable, prospect of that Bill going through, and from 20 to -IS of these days would be allotted to tho association. Generally speaking , , it 'was miite impossible for niiyono to say that the district system had proved' a failure. Ml , . O'Snllivnn: "What voting carried' the district scheme?" , '

Mr. I.nekiei "i cjin't say." ' • Jlv. Blacklock: "I can-17 to 16!" (Lauijlitor.) Cnntinuinß, ho (str. Black.' lock) thought that cricket hod koiio back under the district scheme, and pointed put Hint the improved finances were merely the result of tho levy. "Smash" Motion Beaten.. Mr. Hoocl (treasurer) said that tJires years ago the overdraft had bwa .£2so; nt the end of the first year-it was .£240.; lost year, £220; and this year between Xl3O a'nd"J!»o, after . payinj ioO, for \vorlc on the Basin. ' After Mr. M'Eenzio had wplied, -the motion was put,.when Sir. Tates (Hntt) stated that he had been elected tho delegate of his.club the evening before, and wished to know could he vote. Tho chairman ruled that he could, hut' Mr. Blacklock took strong objection to the. ruling , . Mr. Jt'Keiizie. moved that the ruling be disagreed with, but. tho ehoirinair refused to put the wot ion. It was then uipved by Mr. M'Konsie (hut, Mr. Luckw leave, tho chair. Th'is was lost on the voices; a.nd the motion put, the result bein^r;—For, •Mγ, M'Kenzie's motion, 'j; DRainsl, •I^.