WELLINGTON CRICKETER’S ASSOCIATION.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 5578, 13 February 1879, Page 2

WELLINGTON CRICKETER’S ASSOCIATION.

A general meeting of the Wellington Cricketer’s Association was held in the Duke of Edinburgh Hotel last night. Mr. Wells in the chair. There was a full attendance of delegates from all the cricket clubs of the city. MINUTES. The minutes of the previous meeting having been read and confirmed, The following report of the Finance Committee was read and adopted , ■ ' REPORT. “In auditing the accounts rendered to the amount of £lO4 45., representing debts contracted by the previous executive, your committee detected items to the amount of £l7 18s. 6d. not properly chargeable to the association, the major part of which were debts contracted by the English match committee. Another item, in Fenton’s account, of £3 for coach to Porirua for Star Club, was struck out, the secretary of Star Club holding Mr. Fenton’s receipt for the same. “ Mr. {Richards’ account, for the lunch at the intercolonial match, for food absolutely consumed, was paid in full, to the amount of £26 165.; but, with this exception, your hon. treasurer has succeeded, with the kind cooperation of your creditors (for which the thanks of the association are hereby publicly expressed) in getting clean receipts for all debts contracted prior to commencement of this season on payment of fifteen shillings in the pound; and your committee are happy to inform you that all outstanding accounts to the same day are settled, and the credit of the association redeemed. The hon. treasurer has in his possession receipts for the same,"which he will detail to you.

“This result has not been achieved without a very considerable amount of hard work on the part of the newly elected executive, as may easily be gathered, when your committee mention that at the commencement of the season there was a dead incubus of debt to the amount of £94 over and above the available assets to be cleared off, as well as a very prevalent distrust and unwillingness to assist on the part of tradesmen and subscribers, notably the latter, to be met; as, whereas last year over one hundred pounds was subscribed and given, the collector has only got in up to date the small sum of £l2. On this point, however, your committee are sanguine that now the association can look its creditors in the face and point to the strenuous efforts it has made to help itself, the public will, as heretofore, perhaps even in a greater degree, come forward and assist us.

“Your committee purpose issuing a condensed balance-sheet and subscription form, embodying the figures and substance of this report for circulation amongst all our old and probable new patrons, and urge upon every member of the committee to bring before their respective clubs the absolute necessity of making known the present urgent need of funds, and trying to induce their friends to become subscribers, in order to place the association in a very different position from the humiliating one it has just occupied. And surely it is not too much to ask that they should all come to the assistance of the few who have, at great personal inconvenience and no inconsiderable expense, borne the burden and heat of the day, In the, to them (as it should be to every cricketer), labor of love in in removing the reproach to the name of cricket in Wellington.” MISCELLANEOUS. '' ' Mr. Duncan Cameron sent in his resignation as secretary to the association, and Mr. J, A, Salmon was appointed in his place. Messrs. E. Dixon, W. Waters, and l W. Davidson were appointed on the commitiee in the place of Messrs. Staples, Mace, and Downes. It was resolved that the secretary be instructed to write to the Wellington Football Club for the money subscribed to defray the expenses incurred in laying down new turf on the Basin Reserve. Mr. Wells moved, —That a committee, consisting of Messrs. Blaoklock, Hamilton, Robinson, Salmon, and the mover, be appointed to take a legal opinion as to the locus standi of the association and the rights of the Caledonian Society, and if not favorable to its interests, to draw up a memorial to the Mayor and Corporation to set aside, at a nominal rental, a piece of ground exclusively for cricket on the Thorndon Reserve. Mr. Waters seconded. Mr Hamilton said that the Cricketing Association were the only persons who paid money to the ground. He referred to a suggestion from the Caledonian Society asking for the sum of £5 from each .cricket club for the use of the grand stand. The ground was held by the trustees, who let it on holidays to persons not belonging to the Association, for which they got £lO or £ls, which goes to the society. He had been trying to ascertain why the society had a better right to the reserve than the Association, but he could not. It seemed to him the only claim the society had to the ground was building the grand stand. He would, however, point out that the Cricketing Association had spent a larger amount in repairing the ground than what the grand stand coat to erect. He .thought the rent from the ground should be equally divided. It was very certain that if some amicable understanding was not come to the Cricketing Association would have to get a ground of their own. Another matter he wished to bring under the notice of the meeting was the persistent

manner In which the public kept on the reserve during matches. When asked to go away they (the public) remarked that the ground was a public one, and they had a right there. He hoped for the future that the public would keep on the side walks, and not intrude amongst the fielders. The motion was then put to the meeting and carried.