FOOTBALL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 85, 31 March 1914, Page 6

FOOTBALL.

LEAGUE'S TURNOVER £20,928.

Nothing could furnish a better idea of the popularity attained last season by the professional Rugby game in New South Wales than the report and financial statement submitted to the annual meeting of the New South Wales Rugby League last week. It was .shown that altogether the League handle!? £19,664 lis, made up 6t £17,606 Is gate receipts, £IB2B sale of season tickets, £230 sale of rights. And this amount was exclusive of the receipts of the touring teams in New 'Zealand and Queensland, which, if added, would bring the aggregate up to £20,928 7s 2d. Gate receipts showed an increase of £4558 16s 5d on the previous year, club matches producing £11,288 19s lid, as against £BIBS 13s 4d in 1912; while the proceeds from representative matches were greater by £1353 19s than in that year. South Sydnev . Club's gate receipts alone increased hy £426 15s Id. Players received £506 8s for loss of time and expenses in representative .matches, not including' allowances to players on tour in New Zealand and Queensland; Assurance involved an additional £1202 8s 7d, of which £912 13s 4d went in sick pay, and the remainder in medical expenses. Op the expenditure side, the eLague's heaviest outlay was £3082 2s 4d for ground rent.

The League has a cash balance of £1575 14s lifrj somewhat less thah wa« anticipated prior to the New Zealand and Queensland tours. In the former case, a loss of £529 3s lOd was experienced, and in the latter, £302 9s 4d.

Wonders will never cease as long as this planet o£ ours remains in-

.To think that twenty \y9ar3 ago Stratford as a town was non-esistant; the space where the County Hotel now stands was a swamp, Broadway was only a mere trail that rose up and hit the way-

habited

farer as he, wandered wearily on his way, There was no such thing as a < recreation ground then. Residents -' could obtanValf the recreation they wanted by chasing the wild pig and gunning the native pigeon and kaka. Horses were the only means of loco-

motion; ho tripping about in motor cars or bicycles was possible; in fact, ■ things were as bad as they could be. Now, the wonder of the transformation scene almost staggers the imagination. The settlers, like the centifrugal action of a huge pump, have drawn unto themselves a varying amount of wealth, peaceful snuggling homesteads, and have altered .the whole landscape. Broadway, level, and of a smoothness dear to the mo-

torist's heart, is lined with, enticing shops and offices, and the population has expanded into, miles and miles of the surrounding districts. The people are happy and contented, and wear upon their faces the look of persons to whom life is more than a mere drudgery. That look of contentment is undoubtedly planted there by the action of the Stratford A. and P. Association in instituting some three years ago an annual gymkhana on Easter Monday. Formerly, Strat-

ford had nothing on Easter Monday - that would offer to its residents a chance to be amused. People either stayed at home and worked, or else* went elsewhere. Now they look forward to Easter Monday with the longing that is imprinted in the eyes of the criminal doomed to death and awaiting news of his reprieve; with the longing of the loafer who looks for the end of the day's work; or, with the longing of the sailor out on a long voyage, who is looking forward to the delights of his next port. The management have catered for this longmg for Easter, and have spread themselves lavishly this year. • They can accommodate, as was pointed out before, about 20,000 people, and if that accommodation is taxedi will still further improve upon it.