CRICKET AND WAR.

Press, Volume LI, Issue 15461, 14 December 1915, Page 9

CRICKET AND WAR.

EFFECT OF COMPETITIONS ON RECRUITING. DISCUSSED BY CRICKET ASSOCIATION. COMPETITIONS TO HE CONTINUED. A immoral merting o! delegates to tho Canterbury Cricket Association was held last night, and v,a> well-attended. Those present were: —Messrs A. Cant, W. L. King. G. Tate. A. W. Thomas <I.iu\wr;d>. J. Barron. D. Reese. D. RVJpath. H. It. Link (West Christchurch i: C. F.. Willstee-1. A. R. Blank, R. li. Ward "Fast Christchurch!: L. Gordon. .1. S. Barrett. W. Simpson. H. 15. Strange (St. Albans; W. Rob:-von. W. JI. Winder, W. R. Patrick (Sydenham): N. Colds-bury (Technical College), E. R. Caygill. E. F. I.uttre'.l. R. H. North. H. B. Wliitta (RiccartonL Mr A. Cant was voted to the chair.

Mr F. Wilding, in a letter apologising tor his absence, wrote .—-"Personally. 1 think that the Association acted properly at the commencement ol' the season, in deciding to continue, playing dub cricket, hat in view of what lias recently transpired. 1 do not think that the permanent interests of the game would suffer if organ Wed cricket were abatidonel to,- the ro.-t of the season." In opening the meeting, the chairman said it was tailed, to discuss the question cf cricketers eligible for military service continuing to play in grade matches. He briefly outlined tho position. Mr J.usk said that the committee of the West Christchurch Club met last Wodnosdav, and decide-:], as far as it wau for the committee to decide "to follo.v Sydenham's example. Mr Tate paid that the Linwood C'.uo had held a general meeting, nn<l the position of eligible members of the clti) had been looked into. '1 ho decision was arrived at that the wisest thing to do as .sportsmen was to appeal to the o ig.blos / ro . m " lulv standpoint. He imdorstood that nineteen members ol the club hn« on lifted, and thai lour or live clig.blos were plaving. hut that, in the case of three of'thee, they had good reasons for not enlisting. . Mr Simpson said that the members of the SI Albans Club considered thail' cricket had interfered with enlistments, then it should bn K«"<>n "1> st-'ii"lit awav. His personal opinion was that"cricket' had helped enlistments and that the stoppage of <> icket would not assist recruiting. He moved :-- "That this Association is satisfied that the plaving of the games under its J}"'i<dictioii is not interfering with enlisting, and it is its duty to keep the game going. ~ ] Mr Simpson quoted figures, supplied him hv the district clubs, which snowed that the number of cricketers who had enlisted and had boon Accepted • was ■.0b: in addition, 'JO had failed to puss the doctor. Since the beginning of the season 33 had enlisted. These hgures, he said, wore a. big argument in tavour of the contention that cricket had not interfered with recruiting. Mr King seconded, and said that the Lin wood Club's membership at present consisted of a large number of players 18 years of age and under, and was practically composed of boys, tho exceptions being a few players who had been rr.jec.ted for military service. Mr Lusk suggested the addition to the motion of the words: ''Hut that organised competitions be abandoned for the remainder of the season." Ho did not think that the objection by the public was* to cricket, but was to tho organised form. Jt wits necessary to keep the grounds going. At this juncture Mes.-,r:-i North and Wliitta attended in uniform.

Mr Winsor said that one objection to abandoning the competitions was that the clubs had incurred heavy financial obligations. Personally, iie was against cricket being closed down. Mr North said he did not think a man would enlist if cricket were stopped.

Mr Ward moved as an amendment: — "That for this season competition matches continue, but that results as scored by the different clubs be not kept as a permanent record on the Association's books."

Mr Caygill seconded, and said that v.-as the only mcditu-atioii required ;he preferred it to the total elimination of the competitions and organised matches. If' these were abandoned, the younger players would suffer, and they required to conserve the interests of those players. Mr Reese said that he hud uevcr been in favour o! tin l competitions being carried out at present; the Association had decided otherwise. In view of the action of Sydenham and other clubs, it would iie a pity to continue the competitions. The Sydenham Club had set un example to all sports throughout the country. Taken altogether, cricketers had done very well, but there had been men playiiig who had no right to play. There,"were two anti-militarists in one club, who had been before the Magistrate for declining to attend parade, and who had said that they would not enlist. Did they not think that that club would be justified in telling those men not to play:- At such n time as the present there should be no "beg pardon" about the matter— it young fellows did not go, they lcqtmed to be told. Mr Rodpath supported the motion. and said that out of the Ywv=.i; Christchurch Club's total memborshio of HI. 31 bad enlisted—lo since the beginning ol the season. According t> a"o. there remained LM eligibles. Of that"numbor I* had dependents. or Woro ~J lfit )or military duty, or for other reasons were unfit to go. Seven members were either too young or to.-> obi. Mr Winsor. after explain in- the grounds o„ B -j,i,.h ,j, p Sydenham Club took- aetion. said that ihe matter was nor one lor the Association, but for the clubs.

The chairman did not think anv pood purpose would be sowed t.v dropm'n." tiie competitions. The imnibcr of those who ought to ho at the front was a very small percentage n f ,} JO r ,\ m \ o _ (Hear hear.) Ho eulogised cricket and other games as excellent preparation for the front. On beine put to the rote the amendment was lost, only seven voting lor it. Ttie motion was agreed to unanimously. The chairmen then morod—"Tl>i»l thi. Association urges the committees o r the affiliated clubs to do their utmost to assist rcrmiting." He thought it could be safely loft to the clubs tcTadopt the best methods to give effect to the recommendation. .Mr Tate -seconded. Mr Barrett moved the addition of the words: '"And commends the recent action of the Sydenham Club."' Mr Reese seconded. Mr Winsor did uot think the motion went far enough. He suppested the following:—"That this Association takes steps to urge the Government to do its plain and simple duty, and put recruiting on a basis that will be equitable to all.'' Mr Onhlsbury stips«'.>*ed tint instead of urpinp the club-, to assist in recruiting, they should be urged to get their

members 'to whip forward in the service ot their country."' Tho wording of the motion was altered as follows: — '"Thai. this Association urges the committees of the affiliated clubs to do their utmost in the direction of £otting their members to come forward in the service of their country: and commends the recent action of the Sydenham Club." Mr Blank moved the deletion of the final clause of the motion. Mr Barron seconded. Mr Barrett said that in commending the Sydenham Club the Association ras simply giving a lead, but not a direction. When tiie history of cricket, in Canterbury came to bo written Sydenham's greatest glorv would not be that it won the Peterson Cup 'many times, but that at a time when the country was in trouble it had given.cricketers a lead. N Mr Caygill. who supported the amendment, raid that if the olan.se was not meant as a recommendation to other clubs to adopt Sydenham's stand, why was it there? Opinion was divided as to the action of the Sydenham Club. The amendment was negatived, six voting for it. The motion was agreed to.