CRICKET PAYMENTS

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2145, 11 May 1914, Page 6

CRICKET PAYMENTS

■ f PLAYERS ON TOUR THE MATTER THRASHED OUT (By T«!e.zi?&pii,—Prc«e Association.) Clirfstcliurcn, May 10. Tho quarterly general meeting of tho Now Zealand Cricket Council was held on Saturday nicUt. Present: Messrs, C. Wyklo Brown and H. C. Ridley , (Auckland), A. J. Donnelly (South : J Auckland), V. H. Labatt "(Hawkc's ; Bay), R. Vincent (Poverty Bay). A. W. Hardy {North Iwanaki), J. ' ft. Williams, Iwti, treasurer (Waimrnpii), G-. ¥. Francis (Wanganuii, E. Caycill (proxy for Mr. C.'.H. Clark), A. Cant (proxy for Mr. D, Reeso, Canterbury), E. J. Austin (Nelson). J. J. Chirk, IT. '. 15. Brittain. and J. J?. Peakc (Otago), ; S. A. Orchard (Southland), 3. S. fiar- ' rett (Mni.iawatu), J, Fanning, and C. G. Wilson (Wellington).. Dr. Orchard (Rangitikei), and F. C. Raphael (hoft. sectc--1 tUTj'). Mr. J, J. Clark was elected 1 chairman. Management Goftimtitee's Report. : Mr. Francis submitted the following report:—Since the last quarterly, mcet- : i«g the tour of the New Zealand team in Australia has been completed. The-balance-sheet shows a loss an the tour : of about £400, £130 of which was barne ' by tlio council and £68 10s. by the Wellington, Otago, and Auckland Associa- [ tkms, and £80 odd by" the, Canterbury Association. Cettain associations had written to the. committee complaining of certain items in tho baianco"slK!et and your committee thought it desirable that these lett-ers should }m placed before the council. The visit of tho fine combination of Australian players secured by Mr, Arthur Sims was the ■ moans of creating considerable -entiittsiasni in tho game. Most ©f the asso- ' ciotions cleared expenses, but, unfortunately, the council lost £147 Us. 2d. on the two test matches, Owing to tho heavy cost of getting New Zealand , teams together, tho committee is al' ways faced with the prospect of almost certain loss in these matehes, but, there . can be no doubt .that it. is in the interest of the game that they should bo played. The committee is ikhv in negotiation with the Soatli Australian Association with a view to arranging atcur in New Zealand next season for a team from that State. Tho association lias also received communications from Queensland and Fiji, tho consideration of which was held over ponding a reply from South Australia. Wellington's Wtter. Tiie Wellington Association wrote, forwarding-resolutions to the eject that the association should have been supplied with more details of the estimated expenditure, and that tho allowances to players should not have been arranged for. without ilia sanction of . tlio , associations caiicerncd, and, further, that the payments to players were most undesirable. The- amount, for "tips" iyas also considered most extravagajst. Details were asked for regarding the Auckland players' Expenses, rind further inforamtion regarding such items as fees for ground-men, groundbovvlers-. dressmg'foom attendants!, ssorors. and tho gratuity to the council's representative in Australia. The p'rin* ciple of charging the Belcetio» Commit' tec's expenses against the team was also wron-R. Matter Tivfaahed Out. . Mr. C. G. Wilson (Weilftigtcm) complained that the. Management Commit" tee jmd hot seen fit to reply to the Wollington Association's queries. It I'.ad, in fact, been entirely lacking in its duty, H* as-feed for a ruling on a provision in Itulo 15), stipulating that allowances to pteyisrs could bo made oaly upon a ccrtiHcate frohi ttio association to which the player belonged. Mr, Ridley failed to sc« anything that they ootikl foil foul of tho committee for having done. Tho committee had made a cheaper arrangement tbiui if tho tule- had been strictly fldlwrod to. If New Zealand cricketers were going to. eater the intercolonial arena, they must I bo prepared to put their hands in their j pockets. Mr. Wilson asked if Mr. Ridley knew if tho allowance t<i players' had, boon included in the- estimate of expenditure before, the tour began. Mr. KirJJey said ho did hot, MK Kaphsol said that it was irrcladeel. Mr. Wilson said that tho Welliiigton Association bat! asked for certain information, and the cemmitfeo had seen fit to throw the onus of th<? whale thing on tho general body of delegates. Ho moved: "That the lottors from tho fow associations be referred back to tho Management Committee to answer." Mr. Fanning seconded tho motion.. Mr. Francis (chairman of tliij Management Qnnnuttee of the Xow Zonland Association) said that his committee had no intention of shelving? .its responsiIt was evident that the four n.s* sooiatic-iis were, not at one lyith the council in regard to its management of the teur, airf it was only di» to the eoune.il that tho opiniaii of thp associations shoiild bo brought before it. The council ha<l intended answering the letters, buf. the matters raised hi them we.ro ?cry largely matters of opinion. The council had also done its best in tho matter of running the tour, and had (lone it honestly, but at every little item of expense A delegate: £210? Mr. Francis went on to say that lie felt strongly that the associations should send dolcgatos from their own centres to at least two meetings of tiie councrj yearly, as/it was impossible to communicate by fetter all the negotiations that the council had to deal with. ■Harmoity Restored* Mr. S. A. Orchard, who had managed the team on tour, said that it was very evident that delegates did not understand tho players as well as he did. He was perfectly cerf,aiti that pkytrrsw eye always "outou the Kieke" all the time, and nntil the council took some steps to prevent it, they ivoukl bo slways "on the make." (Applause.) Tlio time (wd arrived wiipn they sismild prohibitany player from getting any allowance, If they could not, pla.y for'.tho love of tho sport, they sJiotild not piny at all. The speaker tlien explained tHe necessity for the expenditures to which exception was taken. Mr. Ridley moved,-as an amendment; "That the balnncc-sheet, as producod by the Management Committee, be proved," , Mr. Labatt said that, . as auditor, he went through every item of expenditure. In hh opinion the expenses had . been kept flown in a very moderate degree. As to the payment of players, Jit opened a very wide ([trostion. If players wore to be called upon to go on tsiurs, niid they emilc! not afford to pay theiv travelling expenses, tlieii cricket, would fie doprivocl of the services of a very lai'sn munbor of young players. Vliiniately. the amendment was tenitsovn.rily withdrawn, and the motion was agreed to. The chairman expressed his appreciation of the. attendance of the delegates of rim Wellington Association. %\r. Wilson said that the Wellington Association's desire was to further tho best interests of'etiefcet. Ho was pei--fectty satisfied that tlw council had had nrsinous duty to perform, but, if it made mistakes, it must hp.open to critirisiii. ('Hear, , hear.) Thciro wns, hmvever. Tin wish on tiie pftrt of t)m Wol'ifiEtoii Assofiatioii t« belittle the wdrk of tile coiincit. (Appbtisn.)