NOT ABANDONED

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 34, 10 February 1931, Page 14

NOT ABANDONED

MOKE FINANCE NEEDED

I (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) CHRISTC'IIUHCir, 9th February. The Management Committee of the New Zealand Cricket Council to-day considered the question of whether tho cricket tour to England should be carried out this year. The decision of the committee- was that the tour should go. on. In making a statement of. the decision, ~tho chairman, Mr. A. T. Donnelly, said.:....■' ■■"From the national point oi: view it would be unfortunate because of the effect it would liavo on public opinion in England; and it is of national importance that the tour should proceed. Cancellation would' cause many people ju England to believe >that the conse-. quences of tho depression and the earthquake disaster are worse than they really are. Further, the council is of the opinion that the arrangements with shipping companies are so far ahead now that it would be impossible for. the tour to be cancelled' without considerable expense. The representative of tho council in London, Mr:-H. D. Swan, tells us that with tho strong programme ho has arranged the tour should pay. its way on the proceeds of each game. ',' _. - Continuing, Mr. Donnelly said that prior to the-Napier earthquake disaster satisfactory financial arrangements had been made, but as a result of it they had been dislocated.- . Strong support had been promised to New". Zealand Cricket, Ltd., from Hawkcs J3ajs, he said, and. that support will not be forthcoming now. The council is endeavouring to make-fresh financial arrangements, and the. tour will go ahead unless these fail. " The present position of New Zealand Cricket, Ltd., is. that the bulk of the 'shares has been subscribed in Canterbury. In order to make certain that tho tour goes on,.it will be necessary to sell further shares> and the committee hopes that iv the next fortnight sufficient shares wiU.bc -disposed ■of to; make certain.that the team gets,away. If the other major provinces can. find as much between the three of'them as has already been found in Canterbury, then everything ought to be all.right. It is necessary now. to finaneo the. tour on the company alone, because the art union, in:which- the council has a share, and which will be going on . during February and. March, is a "dark horse." It is hard to predict,1 what effect the earthquake disaster .will have'on returns, from this source."