ALL BLACK TEAM.

Hokitika Guardian, 27 March 1924, Page 1

ALL BLACK TEAM.

WELLINGTON, -March 24

Although practically all arrangements concerning the All Black tour have been completed so far no definite statement has been mado regarding tiie exact financial terms of the visit. From inquiries made by a representative of tho “Lyttelton Times’’ it appears that though these have been circulated among affiliated unions details are still regarded as being confidential. In the earlier stages of tho negotiations, however, it was stated that it was the wish of tho Englislr Union that tiie AH Blacks should travel as their guests, and it therefore followed that the English Union intended to pay all proper expenses of the tour, including return fares to New Zealand. Whether in England, "Wales, or Scotland, Ireland, or Franco matches would be deemed to come within the tour, and all arrangements, financial or otherwise, would be made by the English Union, which was willing to allow Nerv Zealand £SOO to cover assembly, disbandment and outfitting items. Under the heading incidental expenses ic was intimated that the English committee would prefer to pay all laundry and kit repairs us incurred rather than pay a definite sum pelquota to cover those items. Admittedly it -would lie a more troublesome way ox passing vouchers, etc., but this sort ol allowance appears to have caused trouble and criticism in the past, and members of tiie committee were strongly against it. In regard to daily allowances for players, it had been pointed out that tiiese could not be sanctioned. The sub-committee of the English Union dealing with the New Zealand tour were of opinion that daily allowances to players should not be permitted, as the team would go entirely its guests of the English Rugby Union. AUCKLAND, March 24. The Rugby Union endorsed a motion moved at the New Zealand Union’s annual meeting by its delegate, MiFrost. that ten shillings per diem lie paid to members of tiie All Black leant for England. AN ENGLISH. PRECEDENT One of the most important points in connection with the All Blacks’ tour of England is file-question of the payment ol iiie expenses of- the members of the team. In this connection it is interesting

to recall the circumstances under which Bcdeil-Sievwright’s team were brought out to Australia and New Zealand. The English Rugby Union would not take the risk of finance, and so tho New South Wales Union, at whose invitation tiie tour was arranged. offered to pay the players an allowance of 3s per day out-of-pocket expenses. This was refused, but after the team landed in Australia it was agreed to accept an allowance of 2s per mati pci day for incidentals, stub as train and cab fares, boot repairs, etc. Tiie team came out via the Suez Canal, but when the time came for returning home tiie members of the team expressed a desire to return via Canada and see the Niagara Falls. After a good deal of discussion, in which the team considered that they should he allowed to go home individually. the New South Wales Rugby Union, who had done exceptionally well out of tiie gate money, having had crowd- of al-eut 30.009 people at every match, agreed to add an extra shiiiing day to each players’ allowance,

mill this made tip the dillerence in the fares by tlw respective route.-.. fb> that, while the players actually received ;ts per day, they had the handling 0 { only and this merely for such out-of-pocket expenses as have been ipiotcd. The Xew /calami Kugbv I’nion, who 1 djorrowe'l' 5 the team Irani tiie. Xew South Wales I'niou. paid the sum ol lb per day allowance to the Australian body, and of this stun the players received b’s, the extra, shilling being tacked on to the return boat lares. All the players were, of course, a good deal out of pocket over the tour. ()l the twenty-four who comprised the icam. however, there was only one who

could |>e called a working man. The others were either students or men of private means, and so, with the one exception, the loss could be borne without any hardship.