Page 4 Advertisements Column 4

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 1990, 28 January 1907, Page 4

THE SCULLING MATCH. AVANGANUI GAINS EXPERIENCE. At tlio mooting of the AVtiilgaimi Curnivnl Committoo tlio report concluded : “Bands, utlilotic, and almost every branch of sport lias benefited by tlio carnival at an almost infinitesimal individual cost. As usual tlio committee's efforts have boon criticised severely by anonymous writers, etc., but liolpors have been conspicuous only by their absence. Tlio future is a matter for consideration, but this committoo may fairly claim to linvo accomplished three years of good work, and tlio public of Wanganui should bo satisfied with tlio efforts made to carry out tlio purposes the carnival was promoted for.” Mr Bignoll said the committoo could congratulate themselves on tlio issue of the sculling match, which had proved successful in every way except financially. No doubt mistakes wore made, but that was to bo oxpocted, as the committee bail bad no experience in such matters. Should another. similar event beheld, tlio past experience would stand the committee in good stead. The race cost £CuG. The secretary mentioned £7SG, but that, Mr Bignoll explained, included £IOO deposit paid on AVebb’s bolinlf and afterwards refunded. Of that sum AVebb bad got about £3OO. Hatrick and Co. were paid £174 : printing and advertising amounted to £GO; Stanbury received £SO as promised; and the bn la lice was made up of hire of launches, traps, etc. Tlio receipts were made up as follows: —Subscriptions, £187; steamer, takings, £141; gate takings, £7O 11s Od; souvenirs. £G odd. There wore, several reasons for the shortage, tlio prncipal one being the unfortunate blunder which resulted in £33 odd having to be refunded to purchasers of steamer tickets. In this connection Mr Bignoll expressed sympathy with the disappointed ones, especially those who had come long distances. Another loss was the result of tiie way the public rushed the steamers at Kaiwhaiko. Fully half of those who followed the race did not pay. Mr Tuck: More than half of those on the judge’s boat did not pay a cent.

Mr IJiguell: I never sinv the public behave so badly. They acted like mad sheep. It was not their fault that no aecidonts occurred. Reverting to the annual report, Mr Bignell said that several things militated against the success of the sports. The committee started the year with a credit balance of £Ol (out of which some small accounts had to be paid), and there was now (including £.lO claimed by the Swimming Club and £lO due to the Garrison Band) a debit balance of £25. He considered that the best thing the committee ■could do would bo to make up the deficit by personal contributions and so start next year clear of debt. Mr J. Williams: Can you give us any information as to how the £3OO is made up ? I understand it took £25 to pay for Webb’s boat and £25 for Webb’s training. Mr Bignell said Mr Barnett bad trained Mr Webb tree of chargo. The money was made up in this way : £2OO cash for prize money, boat £23 15s, freight of boat £3 14s, wages to Webb £2l cash, Missen £8 (for meals.) Mr Williams: That’s the point I am not clear about. I did not know we gave carte blanche in regard to meals.

Mr Burnett pointed out tlmt if AVobb had not camped out the cost would have been greater. Tlie Secretary: Yes, a great deal more. Colonel AVatt: It is a question of how far wo are responsible. Mr Tuck: It was an arrangement we entered into. AA’o told the man we would pay his expenses, and we should do it. Mr Bignell: AA r e offered to train AVebb; if he had lost the match he would have been out of pocket. Mr Tuck: AA r o paid for a bradlev to take Stanbury up to the course each day. , Mr Bignell: That is so. Mr Tuck: \Ve can all christen our selves a lot of Hats. AYe will know better next time. Colonel Watt: AA'liat were the arrangements entered into with Stanbury other than those in the articles? Mr Bignell: He got £SO and no more, save that we paid his trap hire. Colonel AA'att: Did he get any share out of the steamer takings? Mr ltigncll: None. A purse was privately subscribed for him afterwards. Colonel AA’att: I understand there was a .slight hitch with Stanbury. Air Bignell.: There was, but it was fixed up satisfactorily to all parties. Air .lames AA'att straightened the matter out. It did not affect the public ill any way. It was a difference between Stanbury and the committee. and I don’t think it is necessary to make the details public. The Secretary: Had the trouble continued it would have made a difference. There would have been no race. It is all open to the subscribers if they like to call at my office.

The Chairman at this stage read the whole of the accounts. Mr Alf. Gray: Is that arrangement with Stanhnry to be withheld from the committee. I knew nothing about it till last iu outlay. The secretary says we can get* the information from him. Why keep it secret? The Secretary: The reporters are here, also subscribers and strangers. Mr Gray: There has been no mention of Stanbnry’s money. I -don’t approve of things being done in camera. Everything should he done here; we should not have to visit the secretary’s office. Mr Bigncll: There arc always things which it is not wise to make public. This thing is best kept to ourselves. At the eleventh hour it was a question whether the race should go on or not. A few members of the committee (Messrs Corby, Tuck, Muir, Lewis, and myself) met together and made the host arrangement possible. It was a caso of either knocking the race on the head or making an arrangement. Mr Gray asked if the arrangement was connected with dividing the profits ? Mr Williams: It would take a cleverer man than Mr Gray to compute 25 per cent, on profits which never existed. Mr Gray: But if £2OO were withdrawn it took away the possibility of profit. Mr Bignell: It was done in tlie best interests of all concerned. Mr W. L. Young: If I had boon a regular attendor at the committee meetings I would have demanded to know what secret performance this is on the part of the executive. Mr Bignell: It is not secret. Air Young: Then why withhold it? Mr Bignell: Because this is a semipublic meeting, and I won’t give the information hero. Mr Young: Why not consult with the public? Mr Bigncll: It was too late. It had to be done at the moment. Air Young: 1 was not an attendor at the meetings, and therefore I will not question your action. If I had thought my tongue would be tried to night I would have come to the meetings Mr Bignell: Any committeeman can see the documents. Ater a little further discussion, in which the chairman and secretary declared that those, who had done least wore the men who had made most noise, tlie chairman said that the local amateur rowers wore the meanest and poorest sportsmen ho had ever known. Despite the great importance of the sculling race to rowing generally, a number of local row - ing club members liad even declined to pay a shilling to go through the gate. Mr Barnett was about- to protest against the general charge made against amateurs, when Mr Jjignell said he recognised there were exceptions. Mr Bignell: We got out of the AS aliganui rowing sheds £1 lbs, instead of the £IOO which was spoken of at the outset. This was typical of all amateur rowing men of Wanganui. Air Gray: It all came from one shed. > Air Tuck : Some members gave mo half a guinea. Air Bienoll: But those were also business men. Tlie people, who were making the biggest noise did not give a cent. If tlie original committees that went into tlie matter with such iixi enormous amount of o.nthuslfl-sm had been left to arrange tlie match. Webb would still be an amateur It was then decided that tho meeting adjourn.

“If something is not done by the Government and tlio producers themselves to remedy the evils of the blender, we will find that m the course of two or three years, with the exception of a few brands, 3Sew Zealand butter will be unknown on the British markets, and our individual system of branding will not count for much, so far as helping the producer with the quality of his butter is concerned. In the event of this happening there will not be much need for a large staff of dairy instructors; so long as the factory can make a passage ‘first grade that will be good enough for the blended. This, if carried to extremes, must mean an inferior keeping quality.”— Mr. J, A, Kinsella, 1