MILITARY DEFAULTERS.

Auckland Star, Volume LI, Issue 293, 8 December 1920, Page 8

MILITARY DEFAULTERS.

SHOULD THEY PLAY CRICKET I ASSOCIATION OPPOSITION. (By^-Wegroph.—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, 'Tuesday. At a meeting of the Wellington Cricket Association to-night the question of allowing military shirkers to take part in cricket matches came up for discussion. The secretary stated that he had been approached by several returned soldiers who objected to a man who had been a military deserter, and had boon court-martialed, playing club cricket. A member said the committee had to face the question. There was no rule about the matter and the committee could not tuke constitutional action The matter was one for the clubs themselves to deal with. He believed there was a g-ood deal of feeling in respect to shirkers in his club, which had teams entered in every grade. About (>0 per icut of the players were returned men, and some of them carried wounds. If a man did not think it good enough to go to the front he should not be considered good enough 1 o play cricket with men who had done their duty to their country.

After a desultory discussion it was resolved that the various clubs be notified that the association considers it undesirable that military defaulters who had been deprived of their civil rights should be allowed to play cricket under the jurisdiction of the AVollington Cricket Ass§fiation.