"DID BEST FOR ALL"

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 164, 14 July 1930, Page 8

"DID BEST FOR ALL"

STATEMENT BY MR. J. WATTS ISSUE OF CHITS EXPLAINED. "I believe that I did the best not only for the people who were issued with chits but also for those who would have spent many hours in the queue for nothing," said Mr. J. Watts, in giving his side of the question to-day. "It was at Eden Park on Saturday afternoon that I was informed that the queue was already forming up," he said. Early on Saturday evening there were about twenty people outside the office. and shortly before midnight the crowd had swelled to considerable proportions, evidently in anticipation of the office opening early. Heavy rain set in at midnight and Mr. AVatts had the crowd let into the building for shelter. When the issue of chits was suggested he agreed, but it was not until 10 a.m. yesterday that the crowd went home. "The crowd gave me a cheer before dispersing, and when I left the office the lane was empty," he said.

"If. I had started soiling tickets at 11 p.m. on Saturday when a big crowd was there the selling would have gone on after midnight and I would have been prosecuted by the police,!' he said. ■ Before the people with the chits left yesterday morning Mr. Watts told them that he would return at midnight and give out the tickets. Asked why he did not return, he said that he was advised by the police not to issue any tickets last night. "If I had not issued chits the early birds would have stayed in the queue all day yesterday and last night and the first seventy into the office this morning would have taken all the seats that were offering. Those behind them would have been told that there were no seats for them, and they would have spent a whole night in the open for nothing. By issuing the chits I allowed the people who would have got the seats to go home and if the other people who arrived after 10 a.m. yesterday had taken notice , of the placard that all the seats were gone they would not have had to wait all night for nothing." Mr. Watts further said that when he was informed that a second queue was forming yesterday morning he immediately got in touch with the Rugby Union officials and explained the position to them. . , "The people who arc complaining about the issue of the chits would not have been able lo secure scats if I hutl allowed the queue to stand out in the wet and cold all through the week-end," ho concluded.