CRICKET ASSOCIATION.

Globe, Volume XXI, Issue 1657, 12 June 1879, Page 3

CRICKET ASSOCIATION.

A meeting of tho committee of this Association was held last evening at the Commercial Hotel. There was a very good attendance, and the chair was occupied by the president of tho Association (Mr E. C. J. Stevens). The Chairman 'stated that their first business would bo to elect officers for the ensuing year. Tho following elections then took place : Secretary and treasurer, Mr Condell; finance and ground committee, Messrs Stevens and Secretan ; match committee, Messrs Stevens, Ashby and Ollivier. Mr Condell said that since the last meeting he had received a letter from the secretary of the Hagley Oak Leaf Club, stating that a resolution had been passed by that club, stating that they would continue to be under the auspices of the Association, at the same time, if possible, to have the control of the funds on the ground. The letter also stated that delegates would wait upon the Association on the subject. No delegates, however, were present, and Mr Condell, the secretary, stated that ho did not know who they were. Tho Chairman drew tho attention of the meeting to the state of tho fencing of the lower ground, which required attending to, as at present the sheep got in on to the ground. The Domain Board ought to keep tho fences in order. Mr Condell thought it would be a good thing to ask the Park and Domain Board to make a walk from one ground to the other, which would bo a great convenience, both to tho public and the cricketers. Ho moved that the ground committee be instructed to get this done. Agreed to. Mr Ollivier stated that they would probably have a visit from an eleven from Australia, and one from Tasmania next season, and he thought it would be an inducement for them to come if they could obtain free passes for them from the Government. They might fairly ask this concession, on the ground that tho matches played in the various provinces would be a source of revenue to the Government, as largo numbers of persona went by rail to witness such matches. It would, too, show some return for tho hospitality shown to our cricketers during their recent Australian tour. He had no doubt their chairman would do his best to carry out their wishes in this matter. Mr Atack pointed out that Mr Conyers had presented free passes to tho Australian team when it bad recently visited this island. The Chairman thought that Mr Conyers would bo the proper person to apply to, at least so far as the South Island was concerned. Mr Ollivier was of opinion that it would be an inducement to teams to come over if they obtained these free passes. Tho Chairman then referred to tho deficiency of £25 on account of the Australian tour. The mere question of the amount ho did not consider was very alarming, but he had thought from the first that any deficiency should not be a burden on the Association. He, therefore, proposed to ask tho secretary to state what were the circumstances under which the tour was undertaken, as he did not wish the Association to lie under the imputation of not having paid all the expenses in connection with the same. Mr Condell said there was nothing about it in the minutes, except that an eleven should be sent ta Australia. Mr Atack asked if any distinct guarantee had been given. The Secretary said there was no written guarantee handed to him. He was not in a position to say what a verbal guarantee was. A committee had been appointed at tho meeting at tho Corn Exchange. He (tho speaker) had consented to act as their secretary. The Chairman said that on any future occasion they ought never to allow any third body to intervene between them and their matches of any kind. At this stage of the meeting the whole of i the gas in the room went out, and as it was 1 found, after waiting a few minutes, that it ; could not be re-lighted, the proceedings teri initiated with a vote of thanks to tho chair.