ALLOWANCES TO CRICKETERS.

Press, Volume L, Issue 14993, 13 June 1914, Page 6

ALLOWANCES TO CRICKETERS.

TO THE EDITOR OT "ME PBESS."

Sir,—-I havo just returned from the north, and find that a discussion has been taking place between the manager and captain of the New Zealand cricket team which tourbd Australia, also that Mr J. H. Williams, the hou. treasurer to the New Zealand Cricket Council, has entered the lists. In his letter he has drawn my name into it, and has attempted to discredit Mr D. Reese's statements by referring to tho discussion which took place at a general meeting of delegates ou April __th, 1913.

- In moving the motion: —"That a New Zealand team be sent to Australia next season," it was necessary for mo to go fully into the details of expected recoipts and expenditure, as well as tho itinerary of a proposed tour, and amongst numerous items, the question of allowances to players was mentioned iv my argument. The whole discussion was on the original motion and the main facts of my statement, but no discussion took place during the evening (or at any meeting of delegates prior to tho team leaving for Australia), and, therefore, the statement of Mr Williams that the delegates themselves (and among them Mr D. Reese) created the precedent of payment to each player is entirely erroneous. The fact of the matter is that Mr Williams was not present at that meeting, and probably did not know that the next day I was asked , : by the secretary to give him my state- ■ ment.- This was put in a more ex- ' tended form, and duly sent to him. In order to arrive at tbe cost per man for tho tour, and as the personnel of the i team could not be anticipated, and how , many would lose 'their wages, my estj- ' mate for loss of wagps was based on the supposition that 103 per day would be paid to half the team (as was done on the previous tour), and accordingly in my statement to the _&ecretary appeared an an average of os per day to i each player. j I want to make it clear that the ) question of allowances to players waß not discussed at the meeting, that as Mr Williams himself was not present, ho is, therefore, not co_nisant of what actually took place, and that my statement was not seen in detail till a day or so afterwards.

The onus of payment to playera as afterwards decided upon, whether right or wron_. must, therefore, be placed on the shoulders of the Mann_emont Committee, and it is clear that tho delegates themselres were not parties to it.—Yours, etc., T. W. REUSE. June 12th.